"Demian" by Hermann Hesse and the Story of Cain and Able

The allusion of the story of Cain and Able are very prevalent in Demian. Sinclair and Cain parallel. Hesse uses an alternate translation of the story of Cain and Able, which Demian explains in the beginning of the novel to depict the parallel. Hesse sets up Demian's translation to provide as a guide for Sinclair to find his own meaning in life. Sinclair embarks on a spiritual and personal journey to find out exactly who …

…Sigmund Freud. Hesse could also be responding to Freud's theories, which came out about the same time as the novel. Freud's theory of Id and Ego are very prevalent in the novel. Demian represents the id, and society represents the ego. The id is our wants and the ego is the restrictions. Sinclair is struggling between his id and ego and it is not until he can find a balance that he can be happy.