Demian: do processo de individuação ao tornar-se o que se é

Abstract

The research developed in this monograph examines Hermann Hesse's novel Demian (1919) as a singular literary expression of the crisis of the modern subject and the search for the construction of authenticity in the early 20th century. Situated within the post-war cultural and psychological context, the work presents Emil Sinclair's path as a coming-of-age narrative that surpasses the traditional Bildungsroman model, shifting the axis from social integration to a deep process of psychic and spiritual integration. The study starts from the problematization of the duality lived by the protagonist, who is divided between the world of light governed by morality, norms, and family security and the dark world, representing instinct, the unknown, and inner freedom. This dichotomy is understood not merely as a moral conflict, but as a literary metaphor for structural tensions of the human psyche, in dialogue with Carl Gustav Jung's analytical categories and Friedrich Nietzsche's philosophical critique of traditional values. The general objective of the research consisted of analyzing the development of Emil Sinclair's individuation process, highlighting how the narrative dramatizes the integration of psychic opposites and the transvaluation of moral values. To this end, specific objectives were established aimed at contextualizing Hermann Hesse's life and work, mapping Sinclair's symbolic journey under the perspective of Analytical Psychology, and investigating the novel's philosophical dimension, especially regarding the Nietzschean concepts of overcoming, the creation of new values, and life affirmation. The theoretical-methodological framework articulates, on one hand, Jung's fundamental concepts, Collective Unconscious, Archetypes, Shadow, Persona, Anima, Wise Old Man, and the Individuation Process and on the other, the central notions of Nietzsche's thought: Herd Morality and Noble Morality, Will to Power, Amor Fati, and the practice of “philosophizing with a hammer.” The reading was enriched by both classic works of these authors and contemporary commentators, such as Murray Stein, Oswaldo Giacoia Junior, Pietro Gori, Luís Rubira, and Bildungsroman scholars like Diego Rodrigo Ferraz. The methodology adopted was qualitative and bibliographic, emphasizing the hermeneutic reading of the literary text. Starting from hypotheses derived from Jung's and Nietzsche's theories, the analysis examined decisive excerpts of the novel, especially dreams, dialogues with Demian, intimate reflections, and recurring symbol, seeking to highlight their archetypal and philosophical function. The interpretative focus privileged narrative symbolism, avoiding psychologizing or diagnostic reductions and considering the text as a universal expression of human experience. The results demonstrate that Sinclair's path constitutes an experience of the individuation process. The figure of Franz Kromer emerges as the Shadow; Demian, Pistorius, and Eva function as archetypal guides; and the deity Abraxas synthesizes the union of opposites, an essential principle to both Jungian psychology and the Nietzschean critique of dualistic morality. The conclusion indicates that Sinclair's final emancipation represents the full acceptance of his destiny, a gesture aligned with Amor Fati, and the conquest of an authentic identity. Thus, Demian reveals itself as a timeless work by portraying, with poetic and philosophical depth, the struggle for the wholeness of the Self in a fragmented world.