The value is in the process.  This is the idea proposed by Heigl when he examined the process of thesis and antithesis, together forming synthesis, thus resolving conflicts.  Because of its relevance in literary plots, many authors use the idea of synthesis to conclude and resolve their character’s development. Both Plato and Hesse used Hegel's dialectic to synthesize the conflicts in their stories by thesis and antithesis.

In Plato’s Cave, the thesis of the visible realm, and antithesis of the intelligible realm contrasts with each other to make a new conclusion: education is the key to truth.  In the visible realm, trusting one’s own eyes is the fatal flaw of humanity; those in the cave see the shadows on the wall and believe that those shadows are the absolute only truth.  In this thesis, the mistake in their logic is that they take their perceptions as truth when in reality their misconceptions are mere shadows of a greater reality. In the allegory, Plato talks with Glaucon, “What the prisoner would take for true reality is nothing other than the shadows of those artifacts”(Plato 209).  This question causes Plato to theorize that fault of the ignorance does not lie with those chained in illiteracy, but with those who were educated with the knowledge of true things. He concludes that responsibility comes with knowledge thus those who have left the cave to find true reality must re-enter the cave and educate the others. He says, “What about when he reminds himself of his first dwelling place, what has passed for wisdom there and his fellow prisoners? Don’t you think… he would pity the others?”(Plato 210).  However, the antithesis lies in the intelligible realm where one's thoughts are the only way to find truth. The truth found solely in one’s head is non-communicable, which makes it impossible to enlighten the other still in darkness. This ‘truth’ is the product of the mind that can easily be tainted with biases and preconceptions. If both methods of finding truth are obsolete then what is truth and how do humans attain it? He says that education is important, but when applying this to humanity, he concludes that instead of the current rulers, plagued by corruption, greed, and insufficiency, humans need Philosopher Kings.   These kings would be willing to see beyond the misperceptions of our senses and find deeper meaning in thought and contemplation and educate the populace in their conclusions. Plato says to Glaucon, “You see, in it alone the truly rich will rule- those who are rich not in gold, but in weath the happy must have, namely a good and happy life”(Plato 214). Plato measures the happy life with knowledge and education which he, in turn, wants to bestow upon the people. This would, in theory, be an effective method in the mass education of humanity, however this synthesis is abstract from the reality of our world; power corrupts even the most moral men, people find comfort and do not wish to leave their bubble of ignorance, and the sins of mankind defile noble plans because that is their nature. The synthesis in Plato’s cave, while theoretically sound, is not plausible in the global society.  Just as Heigl says, “Education makes a man ethical,” Plato also comes to that conclusion. Hegel's dialectical is used by Plato to further illustrate his synthesis of society’s need for philosopher kings by contrasting the visible and intelligible realms.

Hesse, the author of Siddhartha also utilized the process of synthesis while writing his book.  Hesse had a literary obsession with the idea of synthesis in the stories he wrote; he used Hegel's dialectical to showcase the literary growth of his characters.  Siddhartha is full of theses and antitheses because Siddhartha embarks on a spiritual journey to find nirvana.  On this journey, he first leaves his comfortable life as a Brahmin to join the Samanas. When looking back at Siddhartha, Hesse says, “Siddhartha learned a great deal from the Samanas; he learned many ways of losing the Self. He traveled along the path of self-denial through pain, through voluntary suffering and conquering of pain, through hunger, thirst, and fatigue. He traveled the way of self-denial through meditation, through the emptying of the mind through all images”(Hesse 15-16).  In this first stage of thesis, Hesse uses the time Siddhartha spent as a Samana to create a very drastic step to his final synthesis. Through his time with the Samanas he learned to lose his body in order to gain a soul. This set him up for a much different experience as a merchant. He lived a life of luxury as “Clothes were brought to him, and shoes, and every day, a servant prepared a bath for him”(Hesse 66).  The irony in both the synthesis and the thesis is that he learned one from the other; as a Samana when he was supposed to lose his body, he gained his soul, and as a merchant when he should have gained his body back, he lost his soul.  Because of these two life stages, Siddhartha was able to come to a synthesis: learning from the river. From the River he had food and a job, unlike the Samana, but he did not have luxury, as he did as a merchant. He found his inner peace, the synthesis, by listening to the river in his new life. Because he learned self-denial as a Samana and self-indulgence as a merchant, Siddhartha was able to find a synthesis that finally gave him his deepest desire: inner peace.

    Through Hegel’s dialectical, many authors have found inspiration, such as Plato and Hesse, and have infused synthesis into their plots. Synthesis is key to character development and it allows the book or story to arrive at a rational conclusion. Readers can learn how to find synthesis in their own life from Hegel’s dialectical and improve the way they synthesize their thesis and antithesis.