• Admin
    UC Research Repository
    View Item 
       
    • UC Home
    • Library
    • UC Research Repository
    • College of Education, Health and Human Development
    • Education, Health and Human Development: Journal Articles
    • View Item
       
    • UC Home
    • Library
    • UC Research Repository
    • College of Education, Health and Human Development
    • Education, Health and Human Development: Journal Articles
    • View Item
    JavaScript is disabled for your browser. Some features of this site may not work without it.

    Browse

    All of the RepositoryCommunities & CollectionsBy Issue DateAuthorsTitlesSubjectsThis CollectionBy Issue DateAuthorsTitlesSubjects

    Statistics

    View Usage Statistics

    The Dream of a Journey to the East: Mystery, Ritual and Education in Hermann Hesse's Penultimate Novel

    Thumbnail
    View/Open
    12609241_The Dream of a Journey to the East.pdf (98.31Kb)
    Author
    Roberts, P.
    Date
    2008
    Permanent Link
    http://hdl.handle.net/10092/7346

    The Journey to the East is Hermann Hesse’s most deeply personal book. This enigmatic novel, with its deceptively simple narrative structure, lends itself well to multiple interpretations. To date, however, little attention has been paid by educationists to the book. This paper attempts to address this lacuna in the literature, beginning with an examination of the autobiographical and dream-like qualities of the novel. This is followed by a detailed analysis of the ritual of confession undertaken by H.H., the narrator and central figure in the book. H.H. lives in despair following the apparent dissolution of the League of Journeyers to the East. He seeks to overcome his despair, and learns the League is alive and well, through the character of Leo. At the end of the book H.H., having confessed his ‘sins’ and faced both his League brothers and himself, believes he has found the answer to his troubles. This paper argues that in his solution, H.H. fails to grasp of the importance of education, questioning and critique in self understanding and development. This being so, it is suggested, he will be unable to make the most of the knowledge available to him through the League archives, and his reflections on himself, Leo and the purpose of his existence will have only limited lucidity. He will, the paper concludes, have a long way to go on his journey to ‘the East’.

    Subjects
    Hermann Hesse
     
    Journey to the East
     
    Glass Bead Game
     
    literature
     
    dreams
     
    rituals
     
    confessions
     
    Field of Research::20 - Language, Communication and Culture::2005 - Literary Studies::200508 - Other Literatures in English
    Collections
    • Education, Health and Human Development: Journal Articles [195]
    Rights
    http://library.canterbury.ac.nz/ir/rights.shtml

    UC Research Repository
    University Library
    University of Canterbury
    Private Bag 4800
    Christchurch 8140

    Phone
    364 2987 ext 8718

    Email
    ucresearchrepository@canterbury.ac.nz

    Follow us
    FacebookTwitterYoutube

    © University of Canterbury Library
    Send Feedback | Contact Us