<p>This paper combines two theoretical fields, the psychoanalytical and the political, with regards to the discussion on Herman Hesse’s Demian. Rather than to merely see Demian as a psychological study of one particular, singular person, I consider Demian to be an urgent request to people in general that they should follow their inner voice and develop themselves fully as individuals. Furthermore, the novel conveys the message that the individual should live in coexistence with the collective, i.e., social norms. In order to analyze how a psychoanalytical and a political approach complement each other and in turn create another, expanded view of Demian, I have worked with C.G. Jung’s ideas of the individuation process and the archetypes. I have also included articles that deal with the political aspects in Demian and that indirectly deal with Hesses political views.</p>

This paper combines two theoretical fields, the psychoanalytical and the political, with regards to the discussion on Herman Hesse’s Demian. Rather than to merely see Demian as a psychological study of one particular, singular person, I consider Demian to be an urgent request to people in general that they should follow their inner voice and develop themselves fully as individuals. Furthermore, the novel conveys the message that the individual should live in coexistence with the collective, i.e., social norms. In order to analyze how a psychoanalytical and a political approach complement each other and in turn create another, expanded view of Demian, I have worked with C.G. Jung’s ideas of the individuation process and the archetypes. I have also included articles that deal with the political aspects in Demian and that indirectly deal with Hesses political views.