In disguise
Sinclair’s life in the boarding school was not easy at all: depressed and forlorn, he was longing for a friend. Later on, he entered a circle of the most notorious students of the school. Sinclair “displayed wit and courage in my ideas and remarks about teachers, school, parents, and church.” He also could “bear to hear the filthiest stories” and even could make them up by himself. The irony was that he never wanted that situation; this was not a life he would like to lead.
A drunken saint
Max Demian noticed how a lonely life away from home influenced Emil Sinclair. He also noticed that Emil was utterly confused and tried to drown his feeling in a sea of parties, filthy stories and alcohol. Sinclair also reacted aggressively to the things Demian said him. Then Max mentioned that people like St. Augustine were “always the ones that become visionaries”. The irony of his words showed that a large number of great thinkers, artists and philosophers had to lose themselves in a sin or a tragedy in order to be reborn.
Positive influence
Emil’s addiction to alcohol and parties infuriated both his teachers and his parents. The first threatened to expel him and the latter promised to send him to a hospital. When Emil finally changed, they were rejoiced, for they believed that it happened because of them. The irony was that “it was an accident that this transformation coincided with my parents' and teachers' wishes”.
