Siddhartha: Review

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Siddhartha Review

• By Herman Hesse
• Review by Mina, Jenna, Tara, Sean, Louie

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Setting.

• Siddhartha takes place in ancient India at around
  600 BC, which is roughly the time when the Buddha
  would have lived.
• The immediate setting changes several times
  throughout the story as Siddhartha travels.
• He moves throughout ancient Indian civilization
  living as a member of most of the castes.
• Towards the end, the major settings are the city
  where Siddhartha becomes a drunkard and addictive
  gambler, and the river where he lives with the
  ferryman and finds ohm.

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Plot Summary.

• Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse is a tale of a young
  Brahman (Siddhartha) and his travels to find the
  deepest meaning of life enlightenment. In doing
  so, Siddhartha finds himself in multiple
  situations he first begins searching for
  knowledge in the philosophy of asceticism. He
  eventually strays from that path, however, upon
  realizing that denying his physical body will
  disrupt his road to enlightenment. He then goes
  on to dabble in a life of physical pleasure as a
  lover to a courtesan named Kamala, as well as in
  economic success as a businessman. Once again,
  these pleasures prove to be too superficial to
  satisfy his deeper side. Finally, he tries to
  reconcile with his spiritual and physical side
  through seeking guidance from a ferryman. He
  listens to the river day by day as he ferries
  people across, recognizes its natural beauty, and
  gradually is taught how to recognize the basic
  unity of all life in the world he therefore
  achieves the enlightenment he searched so
  adamantly.

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Main Characters.

• Siddhartha - The novels protagonist. Siddhartha
  sets out on a quest for enlightenment and tests
  the religious philosophies he discovers.
  Siddharthas most defining characteristic is his
  desire for a transcendent, spiritual
  understanding of himself and the world. He
  devotes himself wholeheartedly to the pursuit of
  this understanding, even when the path is
  difficult. Outside forces do not easily sway
  Siddhartha, and he follows his heart. A man
  dedicated to his personal quest for knowledge,
  Siddhartha will abandon a course if he feels it
  is flawed. Siddhartha has a son, who is also
  named Siddhartha. Siddhartha (In-Depth Analysis)
• Vasudeva - The enlightened ferryman who guides
  Siddhartha to a transcendent understanding of
  himself and the universe. Vasudeva is spiritually
  and socially flawless, and he ferries true
  seekers of wisdom to enlightenment. He is closely
  linked to the river, and he helps Siddhartha
  learn how to listen to the rivers secrets.
  Siddhartha achieves enlightenment only because of
  his association with Vasudeva. Govinda (In-Depth
  Analysis)
• Govinda - Siddharthas best friend and sometimes
  his follower. Like Siddhartha, Govinda devotes
  his life to the quest for understanding and
  enlightenment. He leaves his village with
  Siddhartha to join the Samanas, then leaves the
  Samanas to follow Gotama. He searches for
  enlightenment independently of Siddhartha but
  persists in looking for teachers who can show him
  the way. In the end, he is able to achieve
  enlightenment only because of Siddharthas love
  for him.

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Main Characters cont.

• Kamala - A courtesan who instructs Siddhartha in
  the art of physical love. In addition to being
  Siddharthas lover, Kamala helps him learn the
  ways of the city and leave his ascetic life as a
  Samana behind. Just before she dies from a
  snakebite, she reveals that Siddhartha is the
  father of her son. Vasudeva (In-Depth Analysis)
• Gotama - An enlightened religious leader with
  many followers. Also known as the Buddha, Gotama
  is said to have attained Nirvana. He teaches the
  Eightfold Path to his many followers as the way
  to achieve true enlightenment. Siddhartha and
  Govinda seek him out, but while Govinda becomes a
  follower, Siddhartha ultimately rejects him.
  Siddhartha concludes that while Gotama has
  achieved enlightenment, his teachings do not
  necessarily help others find enlightenment.
• Kamaswami - An older businessman who teaches
  Siddhartha the art of business. Kamala refers
  Siddhartha to Kamaswami, and with Kamaswamis
  guidance, Siddhartha successfully insinuates
  himself into the society of city-dwellers.
  Nonetheless, the lessons he learns from Kamaswami
  about the material world lead only to
  unhappiness. Money and business are just a game
  for Siddhartha, and they do not lead to
  fulfillment.

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Main Characters cont.

• Young Siddhartha -  Siddharthas son with Kamala.
  Young Siddhartha poses the final test Siddhartha
  must pass before enlightenment. When Kamala dies,
  young Siddhartha resists starting a new life with
  Siddhartha. He is a materialistic city-dweller,
  dislikes his father, and wants to return to his
  familiar city life. Siddhartha loves his son, and
  he must overcome this potentially binding love in
  order to achieve enlightenment. Just as
  Siddharthas own father had to let him go out on
  his own, Siddhartha must let his son discover the
  world for himself. Siddhartha (In-Depth Analysis)
• Siddharthas Father -  A respected Brahmin in
  Siddharthas boyhood community. Siddharthas
  father familiarizes Siddhartha with many basic
  religious teachings, but he is unable to provide
  Siddhartha with the answers he needs, which leads
  to Siddharthas quest for enlightenment through
  other religious traditions. When the Samanas
  arrive to tempt Siddhartha away, Siddharthas
  father initially resists but eventually lets him
  go.
• The Samanas - A group of traveling ascetics who
  believe that a life of deprivation and wandering
  is the path to self-actualization. The Samanas
  initially captivate Siddhartha and Govinda, but
  the two eventually forsake them to follow the
  teachings of Gotama. When Siddhartha eventually
  leaves the Samanas, he appears to have attained a
  superior level of spirituality. (spark notes)

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Major Conflict.

• The protagonist and antagonist in siddhartha is
  siddhartha himself. The major conflict throughout
  the entire novel is siddharthas internal search
  and journey for an absolute enlightenment. There
  are many phases throughout Siddharthas life
  until he reaches his goal of enlightenment.
  Siddhartha and Govinda his best friend first
  leave their home town and join a group of
  Samanas. Siddhartha leaves because he does not
  feel that he can reach his enlightenment in this
  town being a Brahmin. The Samanas believe in
  asceticism this is the deprivation of the body of
  all physical desire. Siddhartha goes through this
  stage but still he can not find enlightenment.
  Next Siddhartha visits the Gotama, the Buddha.
  Govinda believes that Gotamas teachings are the
  path to enlightenment and stays with him.
  Siddhartha does not believe in this and continues
  his search. He next crosses the river with the
  help of Vasudeva, a ferryman who guides people on
  their paths. Siddhartha next encounters Kamala
  and stays with her for many years. This phase was
  the opposite of the Samanas. Siddhartha is
  seduced by material possession and business.
  This is all that he cares about and even becomes
  sick by it. Siddhartha realizes that he was lost
  on his path and had to continue his journey. He
  finds himself back at the River. Siddhartha stays
  and learns from the ferryman and the river.
  Kamala would later one day find Siddhartha and
  give him their son before she died. Siddhartha
  liked this very much but when his child grew up
  he fled from his father. Siddhartha was very said
  about this but it only furthered his journey.
  After this and from his learnings from the River
  and Vasudeva Siddhartha would overcome his
  internal conflict and would reach enlightenment.
  He would now stay at the river and would be the
  next ferryman guide. The entire story is about
  Siddharthas internal conflict and struggle to
  find enlightenment. Each phase of his life would
  help Siddhartha on his journey.

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Resolution of the Conflict.

• Siddharthas quest for enlightenment is long
  winded. In order to achieve it, he must take a
  journey that first involves telling his Father
  that he is not satisfied with the mere teachings
  of Hinduism from holy books rituals and mantras
  seem more to him like customs rather than true
  enlightenment. His friend Govinda follows
  Siddhartha on this path.
• Siddhartha and Govinda first join the Samanas
  (wandering ascetics). Siddhartha seeks to fully
  rid himself of everything wishes, joy, dreams,
  etcetera. He feels that in destroying every
  impulse of his heart, his innermost will be
  awakened. But he soon feels that self denial is
  not the way to enlightenment, and tells Govinda
  as such. They then hear of an enlightened man,
  Gotama the Buddha, and Siddhartha and Govinda
  desire to follow him instead of the Samanas. They
  both depart from the Samanas and seek out Gotama.
  

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Resolution of the Conflict.

• When Siddhartha and Govinda arrive at a camp of
  Gotamas followers, they are welcomed. Gotama
  deeply impresses upon both Siddhartha and
  Govinda, but while Govinda completely devotes
  himself to Gotama, Siddhartha has doubts and
  leaves Govinda at the camp to explore the meaning
  of life that doesnt rely solely on any religious
  teachings.
• As Siddhartha heads away from the camp, he
  realizes that enlightenment can only come from
  within himself. He wanders aimlessly until he
  comes to a river where a ferryman lives. He
  crosses the river with the ferryman (Vasudeva)
  after spending the night at his house, and heads
  to a nearby village. He comes across Kamala, a
  courtesan, and is enraptured by her. He requests
  that she teach him the art of love, and she
  agrees to do so. He becomes employed to
  Kamaswami, a friend of Kamalas, and becomes
  wealthy. He spends twenty years wrapped up in the
  life of a rich merchant, and recognizes one day
  that the spiritual voice within him is no longer
  there. The life he has been leading has given him
  only pleasant oblivion, but produced nothing.
  He leaves Kamala, pondering upon the paths he has
  taken so far.

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Resolution of the Conflict.

• Siddhartha heads back to the river, feeling
  miserable. He falls asleep on the grass, at loss
  of what to do next. When he awakes, he finds a
  meditating Buddhist next to him it ends up being
  Govinda. Govinda tells him that he still is a
  follower of Gotama, and Siddhartha tells him that
  he, too, is still a spiritual pilgrim. Govinda is
  skeptical as he surveys Siddharthas well fed and
  clothed body, but accepts his statement and moves
  on. Siddhartha understands now that he has been
  over thinking too much about his path to
  enlightenment he has been trying too hard. He
  decides to stay by the river. He soon comes
  across the ferryman named Vasudeva from before,
  and Vasudeva invites Siddhartha to stay with him
  once again. Siddhartha asks Vasudeva if he can
  live with him and become his assistant, and
  Vasudeva agrees.
• Siddhartha learns from the river, as the
  ferryman has time does not exist. In overcoming
  the idea of time, people overcome all suffering,
  difficulties and anxieties. During this period,
  Siddhartha comes across Kamala once again as she
  is bitten by a poisonous snake. She is holding a
  baby, her son. As she dies, Siddhartha realizes
  that the boy is in fact his own son and feels
  blessed because of it.

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Resolution of the Conflict.

• As Siddharthas son stays with him and Vasudeva,
  Siddhartha realizes that his son is spoiled and
  cynical. He has no desire to be anything like his
  father, and wishes to go back to his life of
  wealth. After going through constant battles with
  his son and trying to make him stay at the
  ferrymans house instead of running away to the
  village, Siddhartha realizes that he must let his
  son go. As Siddhartha went on his own path by
  himself, he must let his son do the same.
• After his son leaves, Siddhartha feels much
  pain. But after contemplating how he had done the
  same to his own father, he sympathizes with his
  son. Some sorrows in life cannot be prevented,
  he concludes. This brings him a new sense of
  peace, and he tells Vasudeva as such. Vasudeva
  then invites Siddhartha to sit with him at the
  rivers edge. As they listen to the river and
  Siddhartha sifts through his whole life, he
  finally comes to know that he no longer doubts
  his place in the world he stops struggling with
  his fate. As Siddhartha finally reflects divine
  understanding, Vasudeva leaves him to be the
  ferryman.
• Siddhartha learns many things along his rugged
  path to enlightenment that individuals must
  learn their own wisdom, not be taught it that
  for every truth there is an opposite truth the
  world is never incomplete or on a path to
  completeness. In essence, one can never
  communicate the entirety of enlightenment.

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Major Themes.

• Search for enlightenment
• Finding enlightenment is the only way of
  understanding the world. Throughout the novel,
  Siddhartha and Govinda are on their separate
  searches for the truths in the hopes that their
  efforts will help them to reach Nirvana, and find
  the meaning of life. The novel follows these
  searches for enlightenment.
• Inner Guidance
• Siddhartha learns in his travels that he cannot
  reach enlightenment through the guidance of a
  teacher of organized religion. He realizes that
  he must find enlightenment within himself, as he
  does at the end of the story, because inner
  guidance is the only way to reach enlightenment.

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Examples for Themes. 1.The search for spiritual
enlightenment

• Throughout the novel finding enlightenment is the
  main goal for both Siddhartha and his friend
  Govinda.
• The first example of this theme is when
  Siddhartha leaves his father and becomes a
  Samana. At this point both Siddhartha and Govinda
  are searching for Nirvana and Siddhartha feels
  that it would be more beneficial for him to take
  up the life of a Samana.
• Siddhartha explains his thinking in the quote
  But where were the Brahmins, the priests, the
  wise men, who were successful not only in having
  this most profound knowledge, but in experiencing
  it?. This clearly shows that he feels his life
  as a Brahmin will not lead to enlightenment.

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• The next example is when Siddhartha and Gotama
  leave the Samanas in order to further their
  search for Spiritual enlightenment.
• They have heard that the Buddha was nearby and
  that he had reached Nirvana.
• To Siddhartha the things that he could learn as a
  Samana are not important to him. Again the fact
  that Gotama has reached Nirvana is what
  ultimately convinces Siddhartha that the Buddha
  would be a better route than staying with the
  Samanas.
• Siddharthas quote I have no desire to walk on
  water. shows how the arts practiced by the
  Samanas are not of value to him.

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• A final example of spiritual enlightenment is
  when Siddhartha stops trying to learn from the
  immaterial and attempts to find enlightenment
  from the material world.
• He goes from meditating all the time to living as
  a merchant in a life of wealth.
• After meeting Gotama Siddhartha came to the
  realization that he had never really viewed the
  world for what it was.
• He then went to search the material world for
  happiness and for the ultimate goal of reaching
  Nirvana.

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2. Interior vs. Exterior guidance

• A second theme throughout the novel is the tactic
  of achieving Nirvana either through teachers or
  by following your inner self.
• The first example of this is when Siddhartha
  chooses to give up the life as a Brahmin and
  lives with the Samanas.
• One of his main reasons was that the teachers and
  wise men had never themselves reached Nirvana.
  Therefore how could they teach about achieving
  Nirvana if they had not experienced it.

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• A second example of following your inner self vs.
  teachers is when Govinda chooses to live as a
  Buddhist monk and Siddhartha does not.
• After listening to Gotama speak, Siddhartha
  realizes that Nirvana is not something that can
  be taught. Gotama was not taught how to reach
  enlightenment, he just did.
• Govinda chooses to stay and learn from the
  teacher Gotama however Siddhartha decides that he
  will never reach Nirvana that way. He decides to
  follow his inner self and go where ever it may
  take him.

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• A third example is the character Vasudeva who is
  a ferryman. Siddhartha lives with the ferryman
  and it is with him that Siddhartha reaches
  enlightenment.
• Vasudeva is somewhat of a teacher for Siddhartha,
  however he is more of a guide.
• This is because he never actually instructs
  Siddhartha how to reach enlightenment, he simply
  shows him ways by which he can do it.
• A specific example is the river. Vasudeva never
  tells Siddhartha to listen to the river, he
  simply shows him how wise the river is and how it
  is possible to learn from it.
• The river is also an external guide of sorts,
  although its wisdom really comes from within.

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3. The Wisdom of Indirection

• The final theme of the novel is indirection. The
  reason for this is that Siddhartha, instead of
  following a specific path, simply goes where ever
  his inner self takes him and takes things as they
  come.
• The first example of this is that when the story
  begins both Siddhartha and Govinda seek
  enlightenment through regiment and directional
  mindsets of routine.
• However after seeking enlightenment along this
  path with the Samanas, Siddhartha finds himself
  no more enlightened then he was when he began his
  quest.

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• A second example is when, after meeting Gotama,
  Siddhartha chooses to follow his inner self
  instead of staying with Gotama.
• Govinda decides to stay with the monks and follow
  a strict regiment which they practice in order to
  find enlightenment.
• Siddhartha on the other hand chooses to go where
  ever his feet take him on his quest where he
  learns a lot.
• In the end it is Siddhartha who achieves
  enlightenment and it is he who teaches Govinda
  his source of enlightened thinking at the
  conclusion of the novel.

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Characterization of 2 Major Characters.

• Siddhartha
• Siddhartha is totally consumed by his quest for
  spiritual enlightenment. Though in his youth he
  learns the wisdom of his Brahmin heritage and
  masters the skills of the Samanas and the
  teachings of Gotama, the spiritual explanations
  that satisfy those around him are inadequate for
  Siddhartha because they do not lead to
  enlightenment. No matter how many others accept a
  particular religious explanation, Siddhartha will
  refuse the explanation if it rings false.
  Siddhartha seeks spiritual enlightenment at any
  cost, even when the search complicates other
  areas of life. Friends, lovers, and family
  members fall by the wayside when Siddhartha
  believes they are not compatible with his quest.
  Further, he believes no leader or philosophy is
  beyond questioning. Guided by a strong belief in
  his convictions, he argues with the head of the
  Samanas and even with the enlightened Gotama the
  Buddha himself. Siddhartha does not argue for
  arguments sake, nor does he question wisdom out
  of a sense of pride or superiority. He finds
  logical flaws in the teachings put before him,
  and he seeks the truth.

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Major Characters cont.

• Siddhartha possesses an incredible degree of
  patience, which proves to be important since his
  quest takes a lifetime to fulfill. He progresses
  through successive spiritual explorations,
  experiences failure numerous times, but persists
  until he reaches his goal. The instantaneous,
  magical transmission of Nirvana from Siddhartha
  to Govinda demonstrates that Siddhartha has found
  the transcendent understanding they have both
  sought for so long. He has finally reached his
  goal.
• Siddhartha is the Sanskrit name of the Buddha and
  means he who is on the proper road or he who
  achieves his goal. Hesse is not attempting to
  directly portray the life of the Buddha himself
  through Siddhartha but to use Siddhartha as a
  means of discussing a path to enlightenment. At
  the same time, many striking similarities exist
  between Siddhartha and the actual Buddha. For
  example, both left promising lives in their
  pursuit of knowledge. In Siddharthas case, he
  leaves Kamala when he becomes disillusioned with
  the material world, while the Buddha left a wife
  and son to become an ascetic. Both studied with
  ascetics, and both spent many years in study by a
  river, finally achieving enlightenment.
  Siddhartha has succeeded in his own arduous
  quest, and at the end of the novel, he is poised
  to take on followers of his own. (Spark notes)

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Major characters cont.

• Govinda
• Siddharthas best friend, Govinda, is also an
  earnest spiritual pilgrim but does not question
  teachings to the same extent Siddhartha does. For
  example, though Govinda is excited at the chance
  to follow Gotama, Siddhartha goes along but says
  he has lost his faith in teachers. When
  Siddhartha decides to leave Gotamas side,
  Govinda instead remains stalwartly committed.
  Govinda does not choose his own path but follows
  the suggestions of others. Similarly, when the
  two old friends meet in the end, Govinda quickly
  apprentices himself to Siddhartha because
  Siddhartha has attained the Nirvana they both
  seek. The significant difference between Govinda
  and Siddhartha is that Govinda is primarily a
  follower, whereas Siddhartha is more inclined to
  strike out on his own path. This difference is
  one of the reasons Siddhartha is eventually able
  to achieve enlightenment through his own efforts,
  while Govinda needs assistance in order to
  achieve the same state. Siddhartha is better able
  to see the truth before him because of his
  self-reliance. Govinda needs others to point out
  the wisdom he should follow and is unable to see
  when he is following a flawed path and,
  ultimately, when he is nearing enlightenment.
• At the beginning of their quest, when Govinda
  joins the Samanas, he may well have gone along
  simply to be with his friend. However, the
  severity and austere nature of their new
  lifestyle leaves little reason to doubt Govindas
  conviction. He may be more of a follower than
  Siddhartha is, but his conviction and
  determination to find enlightenment are still
  strong. He does, after all, eventually find
  enlightenment, just as Siddhartha doeshe just
  arrives at it in a different way.
• (spark notes)

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Direct Quotes 1.

• The reason why I do not know anything about
  myself, the reason why Siddhartha has remained
  alien and unknown to myself is due to one thing,
  to one single thing- I was afraid of myself, I
  was fleeing from my self. I was seeking Brahman,
  Atman, I wished to destroy myself, to get away
  from myself, in order to find in the unknown
  innermost, the nucleus of all things, Atman,
  Life, the Diving, the Absolute. But by doing so,
  I lost myself on the way. p.38
• The meaning of this quote is that even though
  Siddhartha wanted to find his absolute and reach
  Nirvana, he could only find this within himself.
  Instead of trying to reach this supreme power
  with the help of other people and beliefs he had
  lost the most important influence on this, and
  that was himself.
• This quote is very significant because by
  Siddhartha realizing that he has lost himself on
  his journey makes him have the ability to change
  and find himself. As a reader you can know see
  that Siddhartha is really learning and growing on
  his travels because he can realize when he is in
  the wrong or right.

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Direct Quote 2.

• That is it, said Siddhartha, and when I
  learned that, I reviewed my life and it was also
  a river, and Siddhartha the boy, Siddhartha the
  mature man and Siddhartha the old man, were only
  separated by shadows, not through reality.
  Siddharthas previous lives were also not in the
  past, and his death and his lives were also not
  in the past, and his death and his return to
  Brahma are not in the future. Nothing was nothing
  will be, everything has reality and presence.
• The meaning of this quote means that when
  Siddhartha was with the Ferryman he really
  started to be enlightened and realize many
  important aspects of life. By stating this,
  Siddhartha understands that he can not control
  the future, or change the past, all he can do is
  live in the presence and enjoy his life.
• The significance of this quote to the novel, is
  that by Siddhartha realizing this, he is one more
  step to becoming enlightened, and reach his
  absolute. In life, everyone really needs to learn
  that you can not control the future, or what has
  happened in the past, all you can do is live day
  by day and live that to the fullest.

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Literary Element.

• The River
• The river in siddharthas journey is symbolic of
  life and time. The river is symbolic of the path
  that life took Siddhartha on until he reached
  enlightenment. The river is constantly flowing
  just like the flow of time, this perpetual
  movement represents the journey of life.
  Siddhartha listens, watches, and completely takes
  in the river. He learns the way of life from the
  river until he reaches his enlightenment. The
  river symbolizes his path in life.
• The Ferryman-
• The Ferryman (Vasudeva) in siddhartha is symbolic
  as a guide on the path to enlightenment. The
  Ferryman does not tell siddhartha what to do but
  rather guides him in what he wants to do. The
  ferryman takes siddhartha were he wants to go.
  The ferryman does not teach siddhartha how to
  react to enlightenment but how to find in himself
  his own path to enlightenment. They do this by
  observing and learning from the river, which is
  symbolic of life. The ferryman symbolizes the
  only guide who can bring a person to
  enlightenment.