In "Siddhartha", Herman Hesse writes of a youth who searches for meaning in life. At the start of his novel, Siddhartha is a youth determined to join the Samanas as a wandering ascetic, despite his father's wishes for him to become a Brahmin. Hesse writes, "'Siddhartha,' he said, 'why are you waiting?' 'You know why.' 'Will you go on standing and waiting until it is day, noon, evening?' 'I will stand and wait.' 'You will grow tired, Siddhartha.' 'I will not fall asleep.' 'You will die, Siddhartha.' 'I will die.'"(11). Hesse tells of the next day when he writes, "The first light of day entered the room. The Brahmin saw that Siddhartha's knees trembled slightly, but there was no trembling in Siddhartha's face; his eyes looked far away"(12).
Hesse uses fatigued diction, specifically the terms "standing", "waiting", "tired", and "trembled" to describe Siddhartha's transformation overnight. This creates a tone of weariness for the reader. The fatigued diction helps the reader get a sense of how Siddhartha's body weakens but his mind remains focused.
Hesse uses visual imagery to describe how the next day begins, with light illuminating the continuation of Siddhartha's resolve.
The author details how Siddhartha's legs tremble but eyes look far away rather than just writing of how his face did not tremble. This emphasizes how Siddhartha has made up his mind and is already looking to and focusing on the future. Furthermore, Siddhartha's legs trembling take on the possibility of having two meanings: fatigue from staying up all night and nervousness for the future.
In this passage, anaphora combined with repeating short sentences create a sense of escalating tension between Siddhartha and his father. This happens because with short sentences, the audience reads faster. Siddhartha's father repetitive threatens Siddhartha of what will become of him standing there. With one exception, Siddhartha accepts the ultimatums. This emphasizes Siddhartha's resolve to the reader, and highlights the one point where Siddhartha disagrees. Siddhartha says that he will not fall asleep, and this is because he needs meaning to the point he cannot rest until he gets to the next step of his journey.
Thus, in this passage, Siddhartha is indirectly characterized to have perseverance.
I like how you included the author’s use of diction in that passage, because it was one of the things that I noticed about it as well. I also thought it was interesting how you pointed out the double meaning of his legs shaking—how it could mean both that he was fatigued and that he was nervous for his journey after leaving his family. I think it could also be fear along with nervousness, because although he remains strong, Siddhartha still is leaving behind the life he has known since he was born. However, I definitely agree in saying the passage depicts Siddhartha’s perseverance and willingness to go to extremes in order to achieve his goal. He also seems extremely sure of himself in all his replies to his father, saying things like “I will stand and wait” and “I will not fall asleep,” which characterizes him as someone who is clear on his goals and is willing to pursue them. However, the fact that he seems sure he will remain standing and yet his legs are shaking in the morning also shows how he is still susceptible to barriers along his journey, no matter how strong his will to push on is.
I think Hesse uses visual imagery of a new day combined with Siddhartha's father's statement of "day, noon, evening" to start the motif of Siddhartha's quest continuing through light and darkness. For example, Kamala says that deep inside, he was always a samana even when he was drowning himself in riches and that is why she knew he would eventually leave. Hesse's use of fatigued diction adds onto this by showing how strong his mind is, even if his body weakens at times. Siddhartha gives into his bodily desires in extreme proportions later, but his mind remains strong enough that he learns moderation.
At the beginning of the second chapter of "Siddhartha" by Hermann Hesse, Siddhartha has just left home and is beginning his journey as a shramana. The author writes, “The flesh fell away from his cheeks and thighs. Fevered dreams flashed from his dilated eyes, the nails got long on his shriveled fingers, and from his chin grew a dry, scruffy beard. His eyes became hard as iron when he encountered women. His lip curled with contempt when he walked through town among well-dressed people…Siddhartha had one single goal before him—to become empty, empty of thirst, empty of desire, empty of joy and sorrow” (Hesse 11-12). The descriptive imagery used here by the author creates a vivid image of the person Siddhartha is becoming after leaving his home and family in order to pursue his own path. He uses the simile “His eyes became as hard as iron” to show how determined and committed Siddhartha is to shutting out the opulence of the outside world. However, the task proves later on to be much more difficult than imagined, and therefore this passage also marks the beginning of Siddhartha’s struggle to ignore the temptation of luxuries such as fine clothes and money. These luxuries are considered by Siddhartha to be abhorrent, and it is clear that he is willing to go to extreme lengths in order to distance himself from them. The author also uses anaphora in the last sentence, repeating the word “empty” to attract attention to the fact that Siddhartha is intent on reaching his goal. The repetition places emphasis on the aspects of life that are despised by Siddhartha and which he plans on abandoning. This anaphora, along with the pervious description of Siddhartha, characterizes him as a person with great perseverance and strength. When first reading about Siddhartha’s transformation from “the beautiful brahmin’s son” to a poor, shriveled man, the reader is likely to first feel pity for Siddhartha for leaving his home and going to such extremes in order to follow his path. However, it becomes clear through Hesse’s descriptive imagery and use of anaphora that Siddhartha is someone with immense strength who is capable of achieving his goal in his own way, no matter what obstacles he may face.
I like how you pointed out that the portion about his eyes becoming as hard as iron as having double meaning between determination and attempting to distance himself from normal flesh/human desires(iron being non living).
I like how you pointed out many different literary devices instead of focusing on just one. The paragraph is also very clear and has good transitions. This helps you prove your point about Siddhartha and his perseverance in his journey. I like that the quotes accurately support your analysis. I agree that leaving his family and his commitment to learning definitely influenced a lot of his journey. The beginning of his struggle against wealth also foreshadows the low point where he gives in to greed and makes the reader question is his strength that he shows in this paragraph will continue.
While reading the second chapter, one passage in particular caught my attention. Hesse illustrates how Siddhartha is filled with abhorrence for the people of a town in which he is passing through with the Samanas. “His glance became icy when he encountered women; his lips curled with contempt when he passed through a town of well-dressed people. He saw businessmen trading, princess going to hunt… prostitutes offering themselves,…and all were not worth a passing glance, everything lied, stank of lies…All were doomed to decay”(Hesse 13-14). This passage stuck out as being very profound because it correlates to a modern fascination with purity. Just like Siddhartha wanted to eradicate his mind and body of any earthly pleasures, and felt as though he was above those that were not like him. Throughout history, humans have had standards of purity to separate themselves from those that enjoy Earths bounty. We see this in dogmatic religious practices, uninformed ethics-related lifestyle groups (classist vegans), internalized misogyny (shaming other women for having sex to make yourself look more desirable), and racism (using white as a synonymous term for wholesome in an attempt to elevate yourself above people who aren’t white). This is a very important point in Siddhartha because it is his first point of extremes where he ventures farther away from Nirvana. Just as we don’t experience harmony when we practice our beliefs dogmatically, we separate ourselves from those that don’t meet the standards we set for ourselves. The theme of polarities in Siddhartha illustrates how taking beliefs to extremes will not lead one down the path to intended righteousness. The harmony between abstemious virtues and indulgent ones gives a person perspective on how people enjoy life in a wide range of ways, and the ability to sympathize with all walks of life existing peacefully within them.
I really like how you compare the value of not being extreme or dogmatic to such a variety of topics that, like Siddhartha's lessons, are extremely relevant in the public sphere today. It seems almost as though Siddhartha purges and then binges on riches and pleasures in life before finding a midground that is far more peaceful for his mind. When he is in either state of extreme, he was unable to focus on the meaning of his life, whereas at the river, his body was at peace(not hungry or anything) and his mind was able to focus on things besides warding off hunger or thirst or dealing with the effects of extreme pain.
While reading through chapter 1 of Siddhartha, two sentences piqued my interest. In this section of the book, the reader has just been introduced to Siddhartha and his Hindu origins. The narrator described Siddhartha’s growing distaste for his birth religion before this specific passage, but the narrator reveals Siddhartha’s true desire for knowledge and enlightenment. “The ritual ablutions were good, but they were water-- they did not wash away sins, they did not heal the mind’s thirst, they did not resolve the heart’s fear. The sacrifices and the invocations of the gods were splendid, but was this all there was?” (5) This passage parallels the Herman Hesse’s (the author's) life as he begins to question his own beliefs and choose his own path through life. Though it may be a noteworthy and important key to understanding the text, this was not the reason the passage caught my attention. Hesse’s use of anaphora in the first sentence (they did not wash…, they did not heal…, they did not resolve…) emphasizes the seeming repetitiveness of the daily rituals as Siddhartha begins to lose his interest in them. Hesse’s use of renewing diction in the anaphora (wash, heal, resolve) also gives a sense that while the rituals are supposed to heal and refresh, they do not do so for Siddhartha. In fact, they seem to do the exact opposite, as they raise more questions than answers. This is well supported by the second sentence in this passage. One thing I find a bit perplexing, however, is why Hesse uses “heal the mind’s thirst” instead of quench or another similar word? This could suggest that instead of simply filling a gradually growing mind that is simply seeking more knowledge, Siddhartha’s desperate desire to know more is beginning to tear him apart and eat into his conscience, much like a wound that must be healed. Though this passage may be short, a lot of interesting information can be taken from it. As this section of the book begins to parallel Hesse’s own life when he was Siddhartha’s age, Hesse also describes Siddhartha’s deteriorating interest in his old faith as the daily rituals he once so diligently completed begin to lose their sacredness.
“Soon, Govinda, your friend will abandon this path of the shramanas in which he has accompanied you for so long. I suffer thirst, O Govinda, and on this long path of a shramana, my thirst has not grown any less. I have always thirsted for understanding; I have always been full of questions. Year after year, I asked questions of the brahmins; year after year, I asked questions of the holy Vedas. Perhaps, O Govinda, it would have been just as good, just as clever, just as meaningful to address my questions to a tickbird or a chimpanzee. I have taken a long time-and I have not yet finished-to learn the following, Govinda: It is impossible to learn anything! in my opinion, that thing we call ‘learning’ does not exist. The only thing that exists, my friend, is a knowing that is everywhere, which is atman, which is in me and in you and in every being. And I am beginning to believe that this knowing has no greater enemy than wanting to know, than learning.” pg(16) In this passage, Hesse portrays Siddhartha as a dynamic character through his shift from learning from teachers to gaining knowledge through personal experience. Hesse uses diction to show Siddhartha's movement away from the Shramanas’ teachings. When Siddhartha is describing his experience with the Shramanas to Govinda, the word “thirst” appears multiple times and carries a negative connotation. It conveys that he has been suffering and is unsatisfied. Siddhartha has not been relieved and fulfilled by the teaching of the Shramanas, which foreshadows that he will seek knowledge in another way. Anaphora also shows Siddhartha’s frustration with the Shramanas and the Brahmins’ teachings. Siddhartha repeats, ”year after year, I asked questions.” He hasn’t advanced in his journey and he realizes that no matter how long he stays to learn, he will never fully achieve his goals. He says, “it would have been just as good… to address my questions to a tickbird or a chimpanzee.” Even the wisest teachers couldn’t enlighten Siddhartha. No matter who he goes to, the Shramanas or the Brahmins, his questions remain unanswered. He feels he has wasted time, so he will search for knowledge elsewhere. He says, “I have taken a long time...to learn… it is impossible to learn anything!... that thing we call ‘learning’ does not exist.” Siddhartha realizes he must learn through his own experiences rather than those of others. He feels,”knowing has no greater enemy than wanting to know, than learning,” After moving on from both the Brahmins and the Shramanas, Siddhartha no longer has faith in teaching. This passage reflects his life and journey as a whole, because in the beginning, he learned from the wise men and Shramanas, but after leaving and talking with the Buddha, he realizes he can’t be enlightened by others and sets off to find his own understanding of himself. He experiences Kamala, the child-people, the ferryman, and his son on his own. This shift marks a major turning point in his journey and beliefs.
In the novel Siddhartha, Herman Hesse uses visual imagery to describe Siddhartha’s journey through the town on the beginning of his path to becoming a shramana. “His lip curled with contempt when he walked through a town among well-dressed people. He saw merchants bargaining, princes going off to hunt, grief-stricken people mourning their dead, prostitutes offering their bodies, doctors working over the sick, priests determining the day of sowing, lovers making love, mothers nursing their babies – and none of it was worthy of his glance. It was all a lie, it all stank, it was all putrid with lies. Everything pretended to meaning and happiness and beauty, but it was all only putrescence and decay. The taste of the world was bitter. Life was pain” (Hesse, 14-15). In this passage, Hesse begins by describing the vivid imagery of the town by making it seem like an exciting place to inhabit, but immediately ends the beauty of the passage by metaphorically describing the world as bitter and describing the town as “…[P] utrid with lies.” This immediate change that Siddhartha has from viewing the town as exciting and bustling with life to just a place to selfishly satisfy the senses and worldly needs symbolizes the major life change that Siddhartha has just made by withdrawing from his former status as a Brahmin, a status that initially granted him a life of extreme privilege and material bliss, to become a shramana, a life that only offers him a chance to be pious to achieve enlightenment in exchange for renouncing all worldly pleasures. This immediate change in imagery that Hesse uses shows the reader that Siddhartha is a wise character that is able to see things beyond appearances for what they truly are.
In the chapter entitled “Gotama”(or Gautama), Herman Hesse writes of how Siddhartha and his best friend, Govinda, reach the town where the Buddha is preaching and hear his words. Hesse writes of how Siddhartha says to Buddha, “The teachings of the enlightened Buddha embrace much, teach much-how to live righteously, how to avoid evil. But there is one thing that this clear, worthy instruction does not contain; it does not contain the secret of what the Illustrious One himself experienced-he alone among hundreds of thousands”(34). It seems to the reader that Siddhartha has found a fatal flaw in Buddha and that Buddha has not been disclosing as he must, but then the Buddha responds, “May you reach your goal! But tell me, have you seen my gathering of holy men, my many brothers who have sworn allegiances to the teachings? Do you think, O Samana from afar, that it would be better for all these to relinquish the teachings and to return to the life of the world and desires?”(34).
Siddhartha is on a quest for enlightenment, and believed he would find it within the teachings of the Buddha. However, he is disappointed with the lack of transparency within the Buddha’s teachings. The author uses anaphora in the passage to emphasize that the Buddha teaches of how to do many things, yet Siddhartha yearns for a reason why. It is ironic upon looking back that the reader realizes that the Buddha believed in what Siddhartha later found to be pleasing: moderation. The Buddha notes that although traveling with himself is not enlightenment, it is surely a more pure form of life than the endless pursuit of riches. This offers a midground, which Siddhartha had not considered before, having mostly been a samana in his quest for meaning.
It seems that Siddhartha sees the followers of the Buddha much like the samanas in the forest. He sees they are doing something with the same goal as himself of attaining enlightenment, but they are trusting their activities and actions in life to lead them there. In comparison, Siddhartha wants to know he has reached it with certainty and believes he will know such based on newfound understanding. Of the oldest samana Siddhartha and Govinda traveled with, the author writes, “He is sixty years old and has not achieved Nirvana. He will be seventy and eighty years old, and you and I , we shall grow as old as he, and do exercises and fast and meditate, but we will not attain Nirvana, neither he nor we”(18). This shows how Siddhartha sees samanas as better than those indulging in lively pleasures, but they still lack the understanding he wishes to achieve.
I find it interesting that you take that line to mean that Gotama could be hiding something from his disciples, one extra thing that could be vital to enlightenment. To me, it means that Gotama isn't necessarily hiding something, but his teachings of Buddhism are only a path to enlightenment-- nothing else. However, I do agree with you that to Siddhartha, it does seem like a flaw in the teachings. Gotama doesn't talk about his own path-- maybe this is to encourage his students to find their own path?
In the middle of Siddhartha, in the chapter Gotama, Herman Hesse writes about Siddhartha’s encounter with the Buddha himself and what Siddhartha’s reaction and feeling towards the advice that the Buddha has given him in order to help him advance on his path to enlightenment. “The Buddha has robbed me, thought Siddhartha, he robbed me, yet he gave me even more. He robbed me of my friend, who believed in me and now believes in him, who was my shadow and is now Gotama’s shadow. But he gave me Siddhartha, he gave me myself” (Hesse, 38). Hesse uses anaphora to emphasize Siddhartha’s conflicted feelings about the decisions he has made in his life and what will come out of it. At this point, Siddhartha has left his friend, Govinda, to begin his path to enlightenment alone, but after his meeting with the Buddha, he now feels that the one part of his old life left, his friendship with Govinda, has been taken from him by his desire for spiritual knowledge, similar to how it also took away his desire to remain a Brahmin. However, by taking away the last part of his old life that he still had with him, Siddhartha also realizes that the Buddha has given him another possibility to find the knowledge that he seeks. In addition to describing Siddhartha’s feelings, however, Hesse also foreshadows the future conflicts that he encounters when he briefly strays from his path before he becomes enlightened. Hesse introduces Siddhartha’s conflicting feelings from this point to show that while Siddhartha is a wise, dedicated man, he will still encounter some difficulties along the way before achieving the ultimate reward.
I really like how you pointed out that the motif of Siddhartha's difficulties in his journey. I think that Siddhartha's difficulties make the story feel more real to the reader because without conflict, there would be no point to any plot. I also liked how you pointed out that Siddhartha had lost multiple things in his life because he wanted so much to be enlightened. Do you think he felt lots of regrets after Govinda left him at this point in the novel, and to some extent, he tried to drown his sadness in material wealth and pleasures(after he met Kamala and such)? He had succeeded in basically everything he tried his hand at up until this point, and his whole home town practically admired him, but then he lost his best friend.. Perhaps it humanized him to an extent, just like after his son ran away and he realized that the troubles of everyday people were valid.. Just thoughts.
I agree that he began to regret leaving Govinda behind. After his meeting with the Buddha, Siddhartha seemed unsure about how to continue down his path that he finally began to reflect on his journey and his decisions for the first time since he left home. Upon reflecting, he finally seemed to realize everything and everyone that he had left behind when he decided to join the shramanas. Therefore, he begins to indulge in material wealthy to cope with his sadness and because it gives him a chance to return to the life of privilege that he was originally born into.
It seems almost ironic that he attempts to return to the point of status he was born to as Siddhartha never considers how his father felt when he left until he has his own son who runs away.. Perhaps it is an unconscious desire to return to that safe, certain stage in his life where everything was perfect and about him?
The closing paragraph of chapter three (Gotama) happened to grab my attention a bit more than the rest of the chapter. It concludes Siddhartha’s conversation with Gotama along with his initial reactions to their philosophical debate. Siddhartha reveres the figure of the Enlightened one, yet feels ever more lonely with the loss of his friend, Govinda. However, he revels in an intriguing idea-- Gotama helped Siddhartha acknowledge his ego, his own self: “The Buddha robbed me, thought Siddhartha, he robbed me, yet he gave me even more. He robbed me of my friend, who believed in me and now believes in him, who was my shadow and is now Gotama’s shadow. But he gave me Siddhartha, he gave me myself. (Hesse, 29)” Through this passage, Siddhartha’s constant use of “robbed” obviously suggests how close he and Govinda were until his disciple made his own choice. They way it’s used suggests that Siddhartha accuses Gotama’s teachings of stealing his one companion. However, he mentions earlier how he is proud of Govinda’s choice, stating “Is Govinda ever going to take a step on his own… And there it is: Now you have become a man and chosen your own path. (Hesse, 25)” This also could suggest that Siddhartha is still somewhat indecisive or unaware of what path he will walk next. Another curious word choice was Hesse’s way of describing Govinda; as a shadow of a “higher being.” This is a clue into Govinda’s personality as, just like a shadow, Govinda always follows alongside someone else-- never passing ahead nor falling behind. The sentence structure of this passage also helps convey the feeling that the entire passage is one long, fluid thought, playing out in Siddhartha’s mind. The structure itself is made up of a few long, run-on sentences, connected fluidly by commas. This passage concluding chapter three helps to shed light on Siddhartha’s mind and his potential path in the near future. It suggests that Siddhartha, though determined to understand his ego, may still be uncertain which way to go. It also characterizes Govinda as similar to a shadow-- always following in someone else’s footsteps. Finally, the sentence structure conveys one long, fluid thought brewing in Siddhartha’s mind.
In the final two paragraphs of the chapter titled “Gotama,” the author writes, “I have seen a man, one and only one, Siddhartha thought, before whom I had to lower my gaze. Before no other will I ever lower my gaze, no other. No other teaching will seduce me, since this teaching has not seduced me. The Buddha robbed me, thought Siddhartha, he robbed me, yet he gave me even more. He robbed me of my friend, who believed in me and now believes in him, who was my shadow and is now Gotama’s shadow. But he gave me Siddhartha, he gave me myself” (Hesse 29). This passage is from directly after Siddhartha left the Buddha and Govinda behind and decided to continue his journey along. The quote shapes the rest of Siddhartha’s journey throughout the book; it is after he heard the teachings of the Buddha that he realized he needed to follow his own path instead of adhering to the teachings of someone else. Siddhartha came to the realization that the Buddha achieved Nirvana without the help of anyone else, and therefore the only way for Siddhartha to do the same would be for him to do it alone. His problems with Gotama and his teachings help Siddhartha to step away from traditional teachings and begin a self-directed quest for enlightenment. Throughout the rest of the book, although he learns from others like Kamala and the ferryman, he remains intent on achieving Enlightenment in his own way. Therefore, this quote also foreshadows Siddhartha’s acheivement in the future. After learning from others his entire life (first the Brahmins and then the Buddha), Siddhartha’s decision to be his own teacher hints at the fact that he is going to achieve Nirvana without much guidance from others. From then on in the story, Siddhartha is able to draw strength and persistence from within in order to complete his goal. Along with the foreshadowing of Siddhartha’s future, the passage illuminates Govinda’s character further as well. When Hesse writes “He robbed me of my friend, who believed in me and now believes in him” (29), the reader gets the sense that unlike Siddhartha, Govinda is a follower and needs guidance in his life. First by following Siddhartha and then the Buddha, Govinda eagerly clings to the teachings of other people, and this idea of internal and external guidance is a recurring theme throughout the book.
Going slowly along his way, Siddhartha deliberated. He realized that he was no longer a youth but had become a man. He realized there was one thing he had left behind as a snake leaves behind an old skin,one thing that was no longer in him that had accompanied him throughout his youth and been a part of him-the desire to have a teacher and to hear teachings. The last teacher he had encountered on his way, he has left, even him, the highest and wisest teacher, the most holy one, the Buddha. He had had to part from him; he had been unable to accept his teaching. Slower yet the pondering man walked asking himself: “But now what is it that you were trying to learn from the teachers and teaching, and what is it, though they taught you a lot, could not teach you?” And he found this: It was the ego whose meaning and essence I wanted to learn. It was the ego I wanted to get rid of, to overcome. But I was unable to overcome it, I could only trick it,could only elude it,could only hide from it. In truth nothing in the world has occupied my thoughts so much as my ego, this enigma that I am alive, that I am unique and separate and distant from all others, that I am Siddhartha! And there is nothing in the world I know less about than me, than Siddhartha.”(pg.30)
In this passage, Hesse shows Siddhartha’s transition from attempting to compress his ego, to fully embracing it. A shift is shown when Siddhartha thinks, “he was no longer a youth but had become a man.” He has moved on past his old life to greater understanding and a new focus. Hesse also shows this using figurative language. Siddhartha says,”there was one thing he had left behind as a snake leaves behind old skin.” This simile shows how Siddhartha no longer has the desire to learn from teachers whom his life has evolved around since now. He has completely left behind his old mindset. Next, Hesse shows Siddhartha questioning himself; “But now what is it that you were trying to learn from teachers and teachings, and what was it that they, though they taught you a lot, could not teach you?” This is important because it leads Siddhartha to an idea that will guide the rest of his journey. He realizes that he has spent the beginning of his life attempting to compress his ego, and that it is the one thing he has not learned. He says,”Siddhartha remains so alien and unknown...I was afraid of myself...I was determined to tear my ego apart... but in the process I myself got lost,” He was so focused on trying to rid of himself and now realizes that in order to find Atman inside himself, he must learn to understand himself through his own experiences. This transitioning of the mind from wanting to suppress his ego to wanting to learn about it is an essential part of his journey, because it determines the rest of his path.
In the chapter “Gotama”, the author writes, “I have never seen anyone smile, sit, and walk in such a way, he thought. In truth that is just the way I would like to be able to gaze, smile, sit, and walk-so free, so worthy, so hidden, so open, so childlike, and so mysterious. Truly only a person who has penetrated the inmost part of his self gazes and walks like that, I, too, shall truly try to penetrate the inmost part of myself,”(Hesse 29). This quote shows that even though Siddhartha has claimed that he will not take part in the Buddha’s teaching, he still respects him very much. The Buddha gave Siddhartha something great to achieve, and that was a goal to become enlightened, to become awakened, but by his own path. He looks at the Buddha and sees all he will ever want to achieve, and it is beautiful. While staying for the Buddha’s teachings, Siddhartha may have lost Govinda, but he gained himself. He found his own new path, and will now become awakened. He may feel remorse, but with in his heart he is content, because he is setting out on a much more exciting journey. In the last paragraph of the chapter, the author writes, “The Buddha robbed me, thought Siddhartha, he robbed me, yet he gave me even more. He robbed me of my friend, who believed in me and believes in me, who was my shadow and is now Gotama’s shadow. But he gave me Siddhartha, he gave me myself,” (Hesse 29). This is a very powerful quote. While Siddhartha feels saddened at the loss of his friend, there is also a certain sense of liberation. Govinda followed Siddhartha around like a hawk, basically worshiped him. Siddhartha did not wish for this, but he knew that Govinda was meant to follow, and that he eventually needed to find his own path. Now that Govinda has taken refuge in the Buddha, he is happy, on his own path. Siddhartha understands that he is on his own path as well now, and that he can begin his quest without being constantly questioned or criticized. He can be Siddhartha, and he can find his own path to enlightenment.
I like that you pointed out that Siddhartha admires the Buddha even though he doesn't want to follow the Buddha's teachings. I also like that you chose a major turning point in Siddhartha's life where he goes from wanting to learn from teachers, to wanting to find enlightenment from his own experiences. When I read the part in the book about the Buddha taking away Govinda but giving Siddhartha himself, I thought he was more sad then relieved. It seems as though he doesn't care very much, but I think he is just focusing on something else to take his mind off his friend. Even though, like you said, Siddhartha always knew Govinda had to eventually find another path to follow, I think he is still sad
“That’s a beautiful river,” Siddhartha said to his companion. “Yes,” said the ferryman,” a very beautiful river. I love it more than anything, I have often listened to it speak, often looked it in the eye, and I have always learned from it. One can learn a lot from a river.” “I thank you, benefactor,” said Siddhartha, as he climbed onto the far bank. “I have no gift for your hospitality, my friend, and nothing to pay your fee. I am a homeless one, a brahmin’s son and a shramana.” “I saw that clearly enough,” said the ferryman, “and I wasn’t expecting any fee from you, nor a gift for my hospitality either. You can give me the gift another time.” “You think so?” said Siddhartha amused. “For sure. I have learned that from the river too-everything comes back again. You, too, shramana, will come back. Now, farewell! Let your friendship be my fee. Keep me in mind when you make sacrifices to the gods.”
In this paragraph, Hesse uses personification and irony to foreshadow Siddhartha’s eventual relapse to learning from teachers. Siddhartha is conversing with the ferryman who he has rested with for the last few days. He comments to the ferryman about the beautiful river they’re passing over and the ferryman replies, ”a very beautiful river… I have often listened to it speak, often looked in the eye, and I have always learned from it. One can learn a lot from a river.” The ferryman talks about the river as a friend or companion. When Hesse personifies the river, it enhances the idea that the river is a teacher with plenty of wisdom to share. This foreshadows that Siddhartha will learn from the river as the ferryman has. When Siddhartha explains that he possesses no gifts to give the ferryman, the ferryman is sure, “You can give me the gift another time...I have learned that from the river too-everything comes back again. You, too, shramana will come back.” This foreshadows that Siddhartha will return when he finishes his journey in the village. He will learn from the ferryman as well as the beautiful river. This is ironic, because Siddhartha believes his experiences with teachers are over. He has rejected the most perfect teacher, the Buddha’s, teachings, so he can’t imagine how he can find the knowledge he’s looking for from any other teacher. Siddhartha replies to the ferryman’s comment, ”You think so?” Siddhartha is slightly amused when he is told that he will find enlightenment from a teacher, because he has just set out on the opposite path to find knowledge through his own experiences. Personification and irony in this passage help foreshadow Siddhartha’s return across the river.
I like how you pointed out that Siddhartha eventually goes back to learning from teachers and that he eventually learns things from the river. Is it possible that the teachings of the river are able to appeal more to Siddhartha because, unlike the other teachers in his life so far, who have only taught him values that are open for anybody to listen, it requires more focus on his part to learn from it? Up until his arrival at the river, Siddhartha has always dismissed everybody else who has tried to teach him anything, and what all of these teachers have in common is that they all preach publicly about their beliefs in attaining enlightenment, encouraging anyone who listens to them to follow their path, but the river is not as open to sharing its wisdom to Siddhartha unless he fully concentrates on learning about attaining enlightenment. As we know from previous incidents, Siddhartha is stubborn and skeptical, and will try to avoid doing something that he doesn’t believe in, but because he now knows what he wants in life, now that he knows that he wants only to become enlightened, he must take on the challenges that will lead him to achieve what he has been striving for throughout the story.
At the ending of the chapter “Samsara”, Hesse writes about Siddhartha’s departure from Kamala’s house. “When she first received news of Siddhartha’s disappearance, she went to the window where she kept a rare songbird in a golden cage. She opened the door of the cage, took the bird out, and let it fly away. She looked after the flying bird for a long time” (Hesse, 85). This is a symbolic moment in the story because it shows the reader that despite seeing him indulge himself in a life full of material wealth, Kamala notices that Siddhartha is unlike her other lovers, he stands out in a way that other men do not. Therefore, when she hears about his departure, she lets the songbird go. The bird symbolizes Siddhartha because, just like Siddhartha, the bird is rare, meaning that it has qualities that make it special and unique from other birds, similar to how Siddhartha is revered as special because of the excessive knowledge that he seeks in life that revealed his potential to become something great in life. However, earlier in the passage, Kamala remembers that Siddhartha came to her house from holy men, and therefore knows that he cannot stay with her forever. She recognizes the uniqueness he has in him, so when she hears that he has left her city, she sets the songbird free because she knows that things that are special cannot be hidden away forever because they have something great that can be revealed to the world. However, despite knowing this, her sorrow is shown when she continues to watch the songbird fly because, just like Siddhartha, Kamala wishes that it didn’t have to leave her. Kamala doesn’t take any more visitors after the departure of both Siddhartha because she knows now that her life will never be the same.
[“You did want to, Listen Kamala: If you toss a stone into water, it takes the swiftest way to the bottom. And Siddhartha is like that when he has a goal, makes a resolve. Siddhartha does nothing, he waits, he thinks, he fasts, but he passes through the things of the world like the stone through the water, never acting, never stirring. He is drawn, he lets himself drop. His goal draws him,for he lets nothing into his soul that could go against his goal. This is what Siddhartha learned among the samanas. It is what fools call magic and what they think is worked by demons. Nothing is worked by demons, there are no demons. Anyone can work magic, anyone can reach his goals if he can think, if he can wait, if he can fast.”] (Hesse 56)
This quote comes from the last page of the Kamala chapter. Siddhartha is explaining to Kamala why he knew she would help him learn to love because it was his resolve. Earlier, Kamala asks whether Siddhartha knows magic since so many doors are opening for him. If you evaluate this passage without linking it to Siddhartha, the person sounds very condescending, controlling and abusive. He insults Kamala and his statement about anyone being able to work magic is like his earlier statement about most being people able to read. Both say that not just him, but most people are better than Kamala. This is Siddhartha’s response to Kamala asking what he would have done if she didn't not want to help him. Siddhartha basically says it doesn't matter if she wants to help him or not because he wants her to, so then she must do it. Had this not been Siddhartha, anyone would have said that a person who thinks like that is abusive. Siddhartha also repeats “anyone can reach his goals if he can think, if he can wait, if he can fast” when he meets Kamaswami. Although it sounds motivational at first, most people cannot wait or fast so it is yet another occasion where Siddhartha is boasting about being so much better than others. He accepted his ego during the awakening but it seems he is just using that as an excuse to openly boast to make himself seem better to get what he wants.
Near the end of chapter 6, “Among the Child People,” Siddhartha says something very deep and intriguing. Siddhartha had been learning the ways of merchants from the wealthy Kamaswami in order to impress the beautiful Kamala. Once he does earn enough riches to gain her interest, she relents to his advances and “teaches” Siddhartha what he wishes to know: love. Once their game is finished, Kamala asks Siddhartha why he seems to be incapable of love, “You love no one, is that no so?” Siddhartha then remarks: “‘That may well be,’ Siddhartha said tiredly. ‘I am like you. You too do not love; otherwise how could you practice love as an art? People of our type are perhaps incapable of love. The child people are capable of it; that is their secret.’ (Hesse, 58)” Siddhartha brings up an important point-- is it really possible to truly love someone and turn love into a sport, a game? He also suggests people of “his type” are incapable of feeling love, as if he and Kamala are elevated above feeling its true emotions while others can feel it. This does bring up a question, however. Why are Siddhartha and Kamala supposedly incapable of love, while the so-called child people are? Siddhartha describes the child people as those whose thoughts are bound only to matters that concern them, such as Kamaswami and his business or a farmer and his crops. However, this could mean that Siddhartha considers the love between two people as an earthly matter, and therefore something of little importance to his search for enlightenment. So why would he be learning the art of love if it is not only of little importance to him, but even after he declared his distaste for the teachings of another? The answer is that he is on a quest to conquer his ego by becoming it instead of hiding from it. There is a lot of interesting information in this passage, and it much speculation can be made from it as well. It can also easily leave someone with many questions if they have a difficult time understanding what is said. However, I think that Hesse did well writing much of the passage-- even the whole story-- in a way that makes enough sense for one to understand what is going on, but with enough mystery to truly make someone think.
I like how you mentioned that people of "his type" are incapable of feeling love, and that he was speaking as if himself and Kamala were separate from the child people. This brings an interesting question about though, why is Kamala of "his type"? What has she done that has granted her the ability of not being bound to the earth and all of it's suffering? Is it because she too has some powerful knowing like that of Siddhartha? Like you said this passage is extremely intriguing, and rises a lot of questions and mystery. But going back to Kamala, is she like Siddhartha because she is bound to matters that don't only concern her? From her practicing of the art of love? Has she become awakened because she shares her knowledge about passion with others, therefor being concerned with others as well? Perhaps she is not capable of loving because she has so much knowledge to give, just like Siddhartha does. Aside from Siddhartha wanting to learn the art of love so that he can face his ego instead of running from it, why would he choose Kamala? The answer is because he saw something of himself inside of her. He saw that she was above the standards of normal people around them, and that she would actually be worthy of learning from. Not just so that he can be a student, but also so he can be a teacher.
In the opening paragraphs of the chapter entitled "Kamala", Herman Hesse writes of the richest leg of Siddhartha's journey. Hesse writes, "The days and nights were short, every hour passed quickly like a sail on the sea, beneath the sail of a ship of treasures, full of joy. Siddhartha saw a group of monkeys in the depths of the forest, moving about high in the branches and heard their wild eager cries. Siddhartha saw a ram follow a sheep and mate. In a lake of rushes he saw the pike making chase in evening hunger. Swarms of young fishes, fluttering and glistening, moved anxiously away from it. Strength and desire were reflected in the swiftly moving whirls of water formed by the raging pursuer. All this had always been and he had never seen it, he was never present. Now he was present and belonged to it"(46).
Hesse utilizes visual imagery to tell the reader of the wonders of nature which Siddhartha sees and never saw before. It is a key point in Siddhartha's journey when color is poured into what he sees, rather than simply the black and white pages of good and evil. The author emphasizes the change in how Siddhartha views the world when he writes that the days and nights were short. This shows how Siddhartha was finding more enjoying already as it is said that "time flies when you're having fun".
Furthermore, the various things that stand out to Siddhartha foreshadow later events. Hesse writes of a group of monkeys in the depths of the forest with wild cries, perhaps like how Siddhartha joins a group of businessmen that are completely different than the type of people Siddhartha had previously associated with. However, with time, Siddhartha began to sound like them in terms of getting angry when people did not pay on time and such. Hesse also writes of a ram following a sheep, like how Siddhartha chases after Kamala. Siddhartha then notes of a pike chasing in evening hunger, with young fishes running away and leaving whirls of water. This foreshadows Siddhartha chasing after his son, who works to antagonize Siddhartha and steals.
In the chapter titled “Kamala,” Hesse writes, “One night, sleeping in the straw hut of a ferryman by a river, Siddhartha had a dream. Govinda stood before him in a yellow ascetic’s robe. Govinda looked sad, and sadly he asked, ‘Why have you adandoned me?’ Then he embraced Govinda, threw his arms around him, and as he held him to his breast and kissed him, it was no longer Govinda but a woman, and a full breast popped out of the women’s garment, on which Siddhartha rested his head and drank. The milk from this breast tasted sweet and strong. It tasted of woman and man, of sun and forest, of beast and flower, of every fruit, of every desire. It made one drunk and unaware” (Hesse 39). At this point in the book, Siddhartha has been living and traveling on his own for a while after parting with Govinda and the Buddha. In the quote above, the author uses several examples of foreshadowing in order to hint and events that are in Siddhartha’s future. First, Govinda appears in Siddhartha’s dream and the two friends embrace, which signals that Govinda is likely to reenter Siddhartha’s life in the future (when the two reconnect later on, Govinda is wearing a yellow robe like the one in the dream). However, when Govinda turns into a woman and Siddhartha drinks milk from her breast, the author is foreshadowing Siddhartha’s meeting with Kamala in the future. Hesse specifically uses words like “sweet” and “strong” and “desire” to hint that Siddhartha will soon be engulfed in these emotions himself. The last line of the quote is particularly important; when it states that the milk from the breast made one drunk and unaware. In the future, when Siddhartha has been spending more and more time with Kamala and Kamaswami, he begins to lose himself and the path he has been following. The lure from luxuries such as money, food, and women overpowers him, just like the milk does in his dream. After awakening from his dream, Siddhartha meets with a ferryman and asks him to take him across the river. Hesse writes, “‘That’s a beautiful river,’ Siddhartha said to his companion. ‘Yes,’ said the ferryman, ‘a very beautiful river. I love it more than anything. I have often listened to it speak, often looked in in the eye, and I have always learned from it. One can learn a lot from a river’ (40). This is another example from the same chapter of foreshadowing by the author. In the end of the book, Siddhartha reunites with the ferryman and is able to find Enlightenment through the river. Although he doesn’t know it at the time, the words of the ferryman are somewhat of a teaching to Siddhartha that will guide him on his journey in the future.
In the opening paragraph of the chapter "Kamala" Hesse uses an extensive amount of visual imagery to symbolize Siddhartha's awakening to a new way to receive knowledge and possible enlightenment. Hesse shows this when writing on page 37, "He saw trees, stars, animals, clouds, rainbows, rocks, herbs, flowers, streams and rivers, dew glittering on the brush in the morning, distant lofty peaks blue and pale; birds and bees sang their songs, the wind blew silver in the rice fields. These myriads of colorful things had always been there; the sun and moon had always shone, rivers had always rushed and bees hummed. But in former days all this had been nothing". In this passage the author uses an expansive amount of visual imagery to shock the reader's senses and overload them visually. Hesse does this to make the reader feel something similar to waking up from a sleep and then seeing your surroundings for the first time similar to Siddhartha's figurative awakening from what he views as past ignorance. Siddhartha realizes that all the wonderful things had always been around him he just hadn't noticed or utilized them before to sleeping when a person's surroundings are still there they just aren't taking advantage of them or recognizing them. The author also uses this imagery to describe Siddhartha's awakening because in the past the author would usually describe Siddhartha's thought process to show why he would be pursuing a new path of knowledge but in this case the author shows us the world from Siddhartha's point of view giving the reader an almost surreal experience. Seeing things from Siddhartha's point of view also forms a connection between the reader and the main character making the reader feel closer to the main character as well as more a part of the story. When the author uses the main characters point of view it creates a unique relationship with the reader because the reader then feels as if they are apart of the story and experiencing it themselves rather than just watching the situation unfold. This makes the story more interesting as well as it creates more emotion for the reader because while a person can be sympathetic to a character's situation the emotion isn't real or genuine until they feel they are experiencing what the character is experiencing. The use of visual imagery is the first paragraph of the chapter "Kamala" does not only symbolize Siddhartha's awakening to a new path of knowledge but it also creates a profound emotional connection between the character Siddhartha and the reader.
In the beginning of the chapter entitled "Kamala", Siddhartha had a dream when he was sleeping in the straw hut of the ferryman. Hesse writes, "Govinda stood before him in a yellow ascetic's robe. Govinda looked sad, and sadly he asked, "Why have you abandoned me?" Then he embraced Govinda, threw his arms around him, and as he helf him to his breast and kissed him it was no longer Govinda but a woman, and a full breast popped out of the woman's garment, on which Siddhartha rested his head and drank. The milk from this breast tasted sweet and strong. It tasted of woman and man, of sun and forest, of beast and flower, of every fruit, of every desire. It made one drunk and unaware," (Hesse 39). This is a very powerful quote because it is one of two that foreshadow to Siddhartha's time with Kamala. Kamala teaches him the art of love, and teaches him many other things within that field. The way the milk in the dream was described proves that the dream Siddhartha had was more than just that of a lonely young man. Siddhartha describes the milk as "sweet and strong", which is describing Kamala, and the path that lay before him. Kamala is caring, but she is also very strong willed and proud. The next part of the quote which states, "It tasted of woman and man", is describing Siddhartha and Kamala. Alluding to the fact that they both learn from each other, and that it is not a one way path in Kamala's teachings. Siddhartha learns the art of giving back from her, he learns some humility. The last part of the quote, which is written, " of sun and forest, of beast and flower, of every fruit, of every desire. It made one drunk and unaware," This means that his time with Kamala is about more than the art of love, lust, and hunger. It is a time of understanding and growth, understanding another person in their most intimate and deepest depths.
“When she heard the first news of SIddhartha’s disappearance, she stepped over to the window, where she kept a rare songbird in a gold cage. She opened the door of the cage, took out the bird, and let it fly. She watched and watched it, the flying bird. From that day on she received no visitors and kept her house locked. After a time she realized that she was pregnant from her last meeting with Siddhartha.” (Hesse 76) This passage is a result of earlier foreshadowing and shows foreshadowing for the future. Siddhartha dreamed of Kamala’s songbird dieing, throwing it in the street and his heart aching as if he had thrown away all value and goodness. Since a bird is never just a bird,the songbird represents Siddhartha and way the Kamala just lets him go. Her watching the bird after it flies off is foreshadowing that Siddhartha will not die like the bird in his dream because he has Kamala longing after him. The part about Kamala being pregnant at the end is symbolic of SIddhartha being a bird because birds are delicate and the baby will be too. Mother birds return to with food to to their babies when they are hungry so this foreshadows Siddhartha will return to the baby when it needs him. The bird that was described as rare and was kept in a valuable gold cage is symbolic of SIddhartha . Kamala not receiving visitors and keeping her house locked shows how she will value the baby as being even more special than the song bird and will do everything to provide and protect it. This will play a part in the nature of the boy which will affect his and SIddhartha’s relationship later in the story.
I think across the course of Siddhartha we see a man moving further and further away from the enlightened state. While he is worshiping rivers and thinking Giovinda is a girl, he forgets many important life lessons. This leads to Siddhartha to become isolated from reality, and ignore facts of life such as the truth of his life jacket being under his seat. When Siddhartha is at the purple airport of love he becomes entranced by a demon named Kamala. They travel together all over the country, and as they near the end of their journey Siddhartha realizes that the Lord doesn't want him. So Siddhartha returns to the sound of the city, and finds he can no longer function in modern society. So Siddhartha then loses track of his ability to recognize all forms and distinctions, and ends up falling into a catatonic state. Siddhartha dreams of himself as a bird and flies beyond the sea to Kamala's home. Once he arrives at Kamala's home, he looks up and see's all the planets of the universe, and discovers he has become unenlightened. His life becomes a twisted wreckage, and attempts to find one last chance of survival in the cold universe. As Siddhartha starts fading away he gains a hold on cosmos, and tries to pull himself to safety. Once he realizes he is in the Strangelands he enters the endless sleep, never to return. As we see Siddhartha is actually a ghost in the last few chapters of the book, and this is proven by the last page of the book which reads: " You are I or I am you You I am or I am you You am I or am I you You are Maya Ram are you You are my Hiram are you You am I or I am you You are Maya I am you You am I as I are you You are Maya's eye are you You are I or I am you." And thus with this final unrevelation, Siddhartha leaves to go to hell where all the unenlightened spawn of the earth go.
On the third page of the chapter, ‘The ferryman’, Siddhartha discusses his newfound love for the river with the ferryman,“’…and take my clothes instead’. ‘And will the gentleman continue without clothes?’ ‘I should prefer not to go further. I should prefer it if you would give me some old clothes and keep me here as your assistant, or rather your apprentice, for I must learn how to handle the boat.’”(Hesse 103) When Siddhartha says that he ‘should prefer not to go further’, Hesse is showing the reader that Siddhartha has learned from his experience as a Samana. He knows now that making himself completely devoid of all feelings and pleasure is not the path to Om, his nakedness being a symbol for the path of the Samana. This shows he has learned and rejected the extreme doctrines of living in pain. He also learned that indulging himself with pleasure rather than feeding his soul is not the way to Om either, his lavish clothing being a symbol for his experience with Kamala. Which is another example of rejecting extremes, he knows that what others have taught him about how to live and make himself rich and happy is not the way to attain Om. Instead, Siddhartha chooses the middle way, which is symbolized by the humble clothing he wishes to dress himself with. He asks to be his assistant instead of becoming his student because the ferryman has learned from the river through experience. Siddhartha does not wish to learn from the ferryman but rather is wise enough to know that he can learn to live Om from the river. He knows that by being on the river and experiencing it for himself he can learn to handle the boat. He would not be able to do that if he just had the ferryman tell him how to. Instead, they work together on the boat and in the fields to coexist. He learns from experience and by observing his friend how to work with the water. The boat, symbolizing his existence, which he must learn to navigate through the river, which symbolizes all the life and frequencies he occupies the universe with.
At the beginning of the chapter “By the River”, Siddhartha has just left the city where he was staying, living the life of material wealth that he had originally tried to break away from. Despite running away from this life yet again, Siddhartha still feels guilty that he allowed himself to get distracted by worldly pleasures. “Siddhartha wandered in the forest. He was already far from the city. He knew only one thing - that he could not go back, that the life he had led for so many years was over and gone. He had sucked it and drained it to the point of revulsion” (Hesse, 86). In this passage, Hesse uses metaphors to describe the immense guilt that Siddhartha feels for all of the decisions he has made up until this point in his life because he ended up going back to what he was trying to avoid. This shows that Siddhartha is diverging from the path of enlightenment because he cannot except that he made a mistake in his life, as many people do, because he believes that becoming enlightened means that he must be perfect in all ways. This contrasts to what the future holds for him, when he eventually learns from the river, because Siddhartha is currently only reflecting on everything that he has done wrong, rather than thinking about how he can better himself later so that he can put himself back on track to the path of finding enlightenment. This shows another example of Siddhartha diverging from the path of enlightenment because he has not yet diminished his ego because he still expects that he must be perfect in everything if he ever wants to obtain Nirvana. Despite everything he has been through, Siddhartha still has a long way to go before he can achieve the ultimate goal.
At the beginning of the chapter titled “Samsara,” the narrator describes Siddhartha’s slow descent into the realm of worldly pleasures. He depicts Siddhartha’s yearning for knowledge as it slowly fades into a ghost. The passage states: “The Sublime, brilliant wakefulness he had once known-- in the prime of his youth, in the days following Gotama’s discourse, following the separation from Govinda-- that tau expectancy, that proud independence beyond learning and doctrine, that adaptable readiness to hear the divine voice in his own heart, had gradually become a memory, something transient. (Hesse, 59-60)” The translator’s use of words like “sublime” and “wakefulness” help convey the complexity and immensity of Siddhartha’s quest for enlightenment. Hesse also uses taut to describe Siddhartha’s anticipation of the potential new knowledge, almost as if he were a bow about to snap. This could also refer back to one of his lessons as a Brahmin earlier in life-- “Om is the bow, the arrow is the soul, Brahman is the arrow’s target. One should strike it without wavering.” One difference, however, has to do with Siddhartha’s new-found independence lets him direct himself (as the bow) instead of letting the Om, an outside force, control the way his thoughts develop. This idea is supported in the passage in “...that proud independence beyond learning and doctrine.” Herman Hesse also describes the process of enlightenment as the “divine voice” one hears in their heart, their entire being. This could be anything from an all-powerful being guiding one along their path simply to one’s inner conscience telling them where to go. In Siddhartha’s case, this is probably merely his own inner voice reminding him what path he is trying to follow. In either case, however, it seems Siddhartha’s lost this path as he becomes accustomed to the life of worldly desires, as the path becomes “a memory, something transparent. (Hesse, 60)”
In the chapter “The Ferryman,” Hesse writes, “Happiness shone in Vasudeva’s face as he laughed. He leaned over to Siddhartha and whispered the sacred OM into his ear. And that is just what Siddhartha had also heard. And from one occasion to the next, his smile came more and more to resemble the ferryman’s. It became nearly as radiant, nearly as aglow with happiness, shone in the same way out of a thousand little wrinkles, was just as much like a child’s and just as much like an old man’s” (84-85). At this point, Siddhartha is sitting near the river with Vasudeva, the ferryman he had met earlier along his journey. In the passage, a motif appears that is present throughout the book: smiling. When Siddhartha first encountered the Buddha, the author described his face as giving “the impression of a slight inward smile” (23), and again when Siddhartha parts with him, stating that “with half a smile, with an unshakable brightness and kindliness, Gotama looked the stranger in the eye and dismissed him with a scarcely visible gesture” (29). Siddhartha noticed and was pleased with the smile of the Buddha; it gave him happiness and strength to push on. Later in the book, when Siddhartha first parts with the ferryman, Hesse writes, “Smiling, they said their goodbyes” (40). When they reconnect later in the book, Hesse puts emphasis on the smiling and happiness of Vasudeva, stating, “Smiling, the oarsman swayed back and forth” (80) and “A bright smile came over Vasudeva’s face” (83). Like the Buddha, Vasudeva has also reached Nirvana. It appears that the characters whose smiles are emphasized throughout the book are the only characters that have achieved Enlightenment. Smiling elicits inner peace and happiness, and only those who have truly reached Enlightenment are able to smile with such authenticity. Siddhartha notices the slight but radiant smile of the Buddha first, and then again in the ferryman, and takes great joy from them. In the passage above, once Vasudeva whispers OM into Siddhartha’s ear, a smile begins to spread across Siddhartha’s face as if it were transferred from Vasudeva to him. The author compares his smile to both a child and an old man, because both have the same smile; a child smiles because everything in the world is new and exciting, and an old man smiles because he has experienced all life has to offer. The author states that Siddhartha’s smile begins to resemble the ferryman’s, because he is reaching the same level of understanding and enlightenment as the ferryman himself. Siddhartha’s smile represents him finally reaching Nirvana and creating a melodious relationship with the world around him.
In the chapter "Samsara" Siddhartha has a dream about a songbird that Kamala owns Hesse writes on page 64, "In a golden cage Kamala had a small, rare songbird. He dreamed about the bird. He dreamed the bird, who otherwise always sang in the morning was silent. Noticing this, he went over to the cage and looked inside. The little bird was dead and lay stiff on the bottom of the cage. He took it out, weighed a moment in his hand, then threw it away". In this passage the author uses the bird as a symbol of Siddhartha's freedom and independence from the world not requiring anything from anyone because he was a free spirit. However this freedom and independence dies when he comes to the city and becomes addicted to many of the worldly pleasures that he is experiencing such as wealth, gambling, and drinking. Siddhartha becomes addicted to these things especially gambling after staying in the city for a while and now works only to satisfy his addiction. In the past chapters Siddhartha had always been a free spirit with nothing tying him down or restricting him to any one place or to anyone but he is now not only addicted but he is dedicated to Kamala and Kamaswami. The cage is also a symbol for his relationship to Kamala and Kamaswami as well as his commitments in the city because he is no longer allowed to as he pleases and can no longer seek for enlightenment because of his need to tend to his duties now. The bird dies in the cage because even though initially Siddhartha only was doing the things he was in the city as part of his search for himself and knowledge he eventually forgets that and becomes enthralled with the city life killing his free spirit searching for enlightenment. This symbol also proves the maxim that "flight is freedom" yet again.
“Fear struck deep into Siddhartha. So this was the way things stood with him! He was so lost, so confused and forsaken by all wisdom that he has been able to seek death. His wish, the wish he had had as a child to find peace, had grown so large he had sought it in the dissolution of his body. That wisch all the pain-all the disillusionment and despair- of his recent life had not achieved had been brought about by the moment in which om penetrated his awareness: He recognized himself in the midst of his misery and delusion.”(pg.70)
In this paragraph, Hesse uses irony to show Siddhartha’s complete circle back to being a child who learns from teachers and to set a humorous tone for the reader. The very first word of the paragraph, ”fear,”suggests that Siddhartha has become childish even by his own standards, as he believes that wise men and shramanas never feel fear. This is ironic because Siddhartha has always viewed himself as advancing and growing more wise and never thought he would act as a child does. After he tries to drown himself, Siddhartha realizes,”he was so lost, so confused and forsaken by all wisdom that he has been able to seek death.” This is ironic, because his whole life, he believed wisdom would bring him enlightenment, but he almost kills himself because of the drowning, overwhelming knowledge. Siddhartha so desperately wanted to find peace through wisdom, that he became narrow minded, much like a child, and saw suicide as the only way to find peace. Thinking back to his goal, he remembers,”his wish, the wish he had had as a child to find peace….” He believes he has grown from a youth to a man during his experiences, but this is ironic, because he has never been able to move past his wish he had as a child, which shows that he is still stuck in his childhood foolishness. He loses his strength and tries to take what seems to be an easy path, but saves himself when he remember the perfect “OM” which he had learned from his childhood and from his teachers. This is ironic, because what saves him is not his own experiences, but the knowledge he carries from his youth. It is also ironic that his first experience back from the village is a suicide attempt as he has finally escaped the foul ways of the child people. Only after he his “baptized” by the river does he feel new and clean and free from the greed and filth of the last years of his life. The river gives him ”rebirth” and he becomes a child, experiencing the world for the first time again. This leads the reader to question: was all his pain and suffering worth it just to start over on his journey as a child again? He had found comfort and answers in his childhood teaching, which foreshadows that he will return to a teacher, the river, to find awakening. The irony of the event shows Siddhartha’s return to a teacher while giving a humorous mood.
In chapter seven of "Siddhartha" by Herman Hesse, Kamala sets a song bird free after hearing of Siddhartha's departure. She was not surprised by his departure, she expected it. It is interesting though how Siddhartha dreamed of the same song bird, but in his dream, he threw the song bird out the window because he though it was dead. In his dream, he felt despair for throwing the song bird out, because he felt as though part of him had been severed. When he awoke from his dream, he felt dread, as if he had made a mistake in discarding the bird. If the song bird has been a representation of Siddhartha the entire time,then how is it that the songbird was dead in his dream but alive in real life? The answer is it was the voice of knowing inside of him that made him have the dream. The bird in real life was representation of Siddhartha as well. Rare, and above everyone and anything else. Like the bird, Siddhartha can not be caged, he must be free.
“Kamala gazed steadily into his eyes. She recalled wanting to go on a pilgrimage to Guatama, to see the face of the Perfect Man, to breathe his peace. And now instead she had found Siddhartha and that was good, it was just as good as if she had seen the other. She wanted to tell him, but her tongue no longer obeyed her will. Silently she looked at him, and he saw the light fading in her eyes. When the final pain filled her eyes and broke, when the final shudder ran through her limbs, his finger closed her lids.” (Hesse 100) This quote is from towards the end of Guatama after Kamala has been bitten by the snake and is brought into the hut by Vasudeva. Siddhartha tells Kamala that he has found peace before this passage. During their youth, Siddhartha had talked about learning from himself instead of the samanas but ultimately, he still wanted to find peace. During the beginning of the novel, Siddhartha wanted to become enlightened like the Buddha but he decided he couldn't learn the Buddha himself after seeing him in person. It’s interesting how Hesse decides to say It was just as good as if she had seen the Buddha. Siddhartha experienced the awakening but he was not enlightened into a world without thirst yet he is describes as being parallel to the Buddha. SIddhartha closing her lids shows his godliness and how merciful he is since he is leading her into death. Others have always seen Siddhartha as being blessed or god-like but does Siddhartha himself feel like that aswell? This also adds to Siddhartha telling the Buddha he cannot learn from him to his face which any regular person would not have been able to do and the way Siddhartha always believes he is above others.
In the final chapter of his novel “Siddhartha”, Herman Hesse writes, “... I have found: Wisdom cannot be communicated. Wisdom that a wise man tries to communicate always sounds foolish.’ ‘Are you joking?’ asked Govinda. ‘I am not joking. I am telling you what I have found. Knowledge can be communicated, but not wisdom. We can find it, we can live it, we can be carried by it, we can work wonders with it, but we cannot utter it or teach it. That was what I sometimes sensed in my youth, what drove me away from the teachers... When the sublime Gautama spoke and taught about the world, he had to divide into samsara and Nirvana, into illusion and truth, into sorrow and salvation. There is no other choice, there is no other way for the man who wishes to teach. But the world itself, the Being around us and within us, is never one sided. Never is a man or a deed all samsara or Nirvana, never is a man all saintly or all sinful”(124).
In this passage, Govinda asks Siddhartha what he has found that led him to be enlightened. Govinda has been previously characterized as a shadow of wise characters and a person who follows in the footsteps of others rather than leading. As Siddhartha and Govinda are best friends, Siddhartha is ironically opposite in character because he realized that he would not be able to learn enlightenment from a teacher but needed to achieve it on his own. Govinda asks Siddhartha of enlightenment but Siddhartha is unable to convey enlightenment to Govinda. This is different than the young Siddhartha who conveyed most of his thoughts to Govinda on enlightenment, such as those on the samanas. It is also different than the Buddha who teaches to many followers. Govinda, who is not dumb, is not accustomed to being denied the simple request of knowledge. Govinda’s frustration is demonstrated says ‘Are you joking’. This response of his is notably similar to modern society in which the younger generations are berated for their lack of patience. There is the expectation that people will be very willing to invest years into an effort, which Govinda has done with the samanas and in the service of the Buddha. However, it seems that he has lost some portion of his patience in the years that passed by whilst he continued to want enlightenment. Many, such as the samanas, would say that the search is unending and he needs to fully commit his life. However, Govinda truly has dedicated his life because visiting Siddhartha shows that Govinda questions the value of the Buddha’s teachings in comparison.
In the final chapter “Govinda”, Hesse finally writes about the long-awaited reunion between Siddhartha and Govinda. During this meeting, it takes some time for Govinda to recognize his old friend, but nevertheless, he eventually recognizes him. After a series of events, Govinda pays homage to his friend by bowing down to him and kissing his brow. Once Govinda kisses his brow, he sees great visions in Siddhartha. “...Govinda saw the smile of the mask, the smile of unity over the flowing forms, the smile of simultaneity over the myriad births and deaths. This smile of Siddhartha’s was exactly the same, resembled exactly the still, refined, impenetrable, perhaps-kind-perhaps-disdainful, wise, thousandfold smile of Gotama the Buddha, just as he himself, awestruck, had seen it a hundred times. So Govinda knew, this is the way the Perfect Ones smile” (Hesse, 148). In this passage, the author uses imagery to imply that Siddhartha has finally achieved enlightenment, and that his friend Govinda is the first person to discover this. The imagery also implies that by kissing the brow of Siddhartha, Govinda himself has been revealed to the path to enlightenment. This revelation sums up the message of the book, that in order to search what you are looking for, you must follow your own path, and only then will you find it. For Siddhartha, this meant following multiple paths to find which one would lead him to enlightenment, and for Govinda, this meant following Siddhartha until he finally achieved knowledge on how he could also achieve Nirvana. By choosing their own paths and following their hearts, both Siddhartha and Govinda found what they were both looking for.
I like your analysis of the imagery in the passage, but I also think another idea is present within it. In one of my blogs, I talked about a smile being symbolic of enlightenment and inner happiness, and that same idea can be seen here in the quote. Hesse uses anaphora when he repeats the words "the smile of" in order to emphasize their importance. When Govinda and Siddhartha reunite, Govinda is still seeking enlightenment, but he can tell that Siddhartha has achieved it based on his observation of Siddhartha's smile as "the way the Perfect Ones smile." This smile represents an inner sense of content and peace with the world that can only be found from following one's own path and using inner guidance as a teacher, and I like how you added this into your analysis as well. Govinda also talks about being "awestruck" when he sees the smile of Siddhartha, which highlights another important idea throughout the book. Govinda always stood in awe of others and wanted what they contained, and because of that he attempted to base his journey off of others'. Siddhartha, on the other hand, refused to commit to a single person, no matter how wise or venerable they were. This difference in characterization throughout the story and how Siddhartha is ultimately the one to achieve enlightenment before Govinda emphasizes Hesse's ideas about following one's own path as well.
In the final chapter of the book, when Govinda and Siddhartha reunite, Siddhartha tells Govinda, “‘Knowledge can be expressed, but not wisdom. One can discover it, one can live it, one can be borne along by it, one can do miracles with it, but one cannot express it and teach it…The opposite of every truth is also just as true! It is like this: A truth can be expressed and cloaked in words only of it is one-sided. Everything that can be thought in thoughts and expressed in words is one-sided, only a half. All such things lack wholeness, fullness, unity’” (Hesse 110). Throughout Siddhartha’s journey over the course of the book, he consistently denied all teachings that are introduced to him. From his father to the Buddha to Kamala, every person who had an influence on Siddhartha’s knowledge was eventually left behind. Hesse uses Siddhartha’s actions and his words in the passage above to convey his ideas about wisdom and knowledge. While anyone can retain knowledge through a teaching, the true guide to a deeper and more conceptual understanding of the world is through one’s own actions and thoughts. Siddhartha speaks about how everything has two sides, and how these polarities are the barrier between knowledge and wisdom. Instead of attempting to master one-sided ideas, such as the spiritual and material worlds, Hesse argues that enlightenment only comes to those who find a balance between the two. He uses anaphora in the first few sentences of the passage above to emphasize that while one can find knowledge every day, it takes a much deeper and more internal process in order to find wisdom. Siddhartha pursues Nirvana relentlessly throughout the novel by attempting to first conquer the spiritual world through fasting, praying, and eliminating his entire being. He then attempts to conquer the material world while he is with Kamala and Kawaswami by indulging in luxuries such as women and money. It is only when Siddhartha finds a common ground between the two worlds that he is able to achieve enlightenment.
In the chapter entitled “Om,” Siddhartha lives with the ferryman, named Vasudeva, by the river. They ferryman, having just found enlightenment, decides to head into the woods to be released from the cycle of rebirth. The specific passage reads: “Siddhartha bowed low before the leave-taker. ‘I knew it,’ he said softly. ‘You will go into the forest?’ ‘I am going into the forest. I am going into the unity,’ said Vasudeva, beaming. Beaming, he went his way. Siddhartha looked after him. With profound joy and profound seriousness he looked after him, observed his tranquil walk, saw his countenance aglow, saw his form full of light. (Hesse, 106)” Vasudeva states “I am going into the unity, (Hesse, 106)” which suggests his desire to entire into the realm of nirvana after finding his enlightenment. After years of meditation on the banks of the river, he is finally free of samsara and the worries of the child people he regularly assists. Herman Hesse also uses inspiring diction, such as beaming, profound joy, and a countenance aglow to show Siddhartha’s admiration for Vasudeva. His use of words such as a countenance aglow and a form full of light also help emphasize Vasudeva’s new-found holiness-- not unlike Gotama the Enlightened One, whom Siddhartha met many years before. While seemingly unsuspecting, this passage and the surrounding context helped prove a point Siddhartha had known for a long time-- you will never find enlightenment through just the teachings of another man. Gotama found enlightenment through his own meditation of the 4 Noble Truths, and Vasudeva found his by the banks of the river, with no one else by his side. Now it was Siddhartha’s turn.
In the chapter "Om" Siddhartha finds respect and humility to another man for the first time. In the novel Siddhartha is a very proud person and considers himself superior and wiser than everyone, even the Buddha, as he dismissed him after meeting him saying he could not teach Siddhartha anything. Throughout the story Siddhartha is humbled by no one except for the ferryman, named Vasudeva, as he is the one who leads Siddhartha to enlightenment. Hesse writes on page 105, "Bright shone Vasuveda's smile; it hovered, glowing, in all the wrinkles of his aged countenance, just as the OM hovered over all the voices of the river. Bright shone his smile as he gazed at his friend, and now the same smile shone brightly in Siddhartha's face. His wound blossomed, his suffering was radiant, his ego had dissolved into the unity". This is the moment after Siddhartha reaches enlightenment by Vasudeva's instruction and direction and also the moment all his pride "dissolves". Siddhartha hadn't been able to find enlightenment his entire life even though it had been his goal for the entirety of it, and it wasn't until he respected another man and truly followed another man's teachings that he was able to do so. Hesse is instructing the readers that the only way to true happiness and knowledge is through humility. In order to gain a true understanding of things a person must be humble to the teacher who is teaching them these things, whether that be life or a physical teacher, which is why Siddhartha can't reach enlightenment and full understanding until he acknowledges the fact that someone knows more than him and is showing him the way which is what was lacking in his other experiences. Hesse is not saying that all the other paths are wrong and the only way to find knowledge is by living and listening to a river but is making an example of all of Siddhartha's failed attempts that eventually led him to happiness and enlightenment.
“This,”he said playfully,”is a stone, and after a certain length of time, it will perhaps be earth, and from the earth a plant will come, or an animal or a person. Formerly I would have said: ‘This is just a stone, it is worthless, part of the world of Maya. But in the cycle of transformations it can also become human and spirit, and so I attribute value to it.’ That is perhaps how I used to think. But today I think: ‘This stone is a stone, it is also a beast, it is also God, it is also Buddha.’ I do not venerate and love it because someday it may become this or that but because it long since is and ever will be everything-and just in this account: that it is a stone, that it appears to me here and now as a stone-just because of that I love it and see value and meaning in its veins and pits, in its yellow, in its grey, in its hardness, in the sound it makes when I give it a knock, in the dryness or moistness of its surface. There are stones that feel like oil or soap, and each one is unique and prays the OM in its own way. Each one is Brahman, but at the same time and just as much, it is a stone, oily and soapy-and just that is what pleases me and seems wonderful to me, worthy of veneration”(pg.111)
In this passage, Hesse uses symbolism of a rock to reveal Siddhartha’s beliefs at the long awaited finish to his journey and to create a relieved, peaceful tone for the reader. As Siddhartha and Govinda meet for the last time at the ferryman’s hut, Siddhartha explains his idea of enlightenment to his friend. He picks up a stone from the dirt and begins to share his old, childish beliefs. He says,”This is just a stone, it is worthless, part of the world of Maya. But in the cycle of transformations it can also become human and spirit, and so I attribute value to it.” This shows Siddhartha’s past Buddhist belief that humans are above all else and separate from the world around them. He believed those seeking enlightenment through knowledge were far superior to those who lived a life simply interacting with the world. This led him to a very lonely and distant life. He could not appreciate and love the animals, people, emotions around him, the world that he was simply floating in. He moves on quickly from this and shares his current beliefs. He explains to Govinda, “This is a stone, it is also a beast, it is also God, it is also Buddha.” After listening to the wise river’s voices, he realises that time and separation does not exist, that everything is all the same, all one, unified through the perfect OM. He says, “There are stones that feel like oil or soap, and each one is unique and prays the OM in its own way. Each one is Brahman, but at the same time and just as much, it is a stone, oily and soapy…” Siddhartha is saying that all people, childpeople, brahmin, or shramana, are still people. The life and energy around them flows through all the people and creatures of the earth. Siddhartha listened to all the voices of the river combined into the perfect OM to realize that all parts and people of the world flow together endlessly to create perfect harmony. He uses the symbolism of a stone to simply say:all objects and creatures of the world are all equal. A human had no different purpose than any other creature or object. Everything is all connected create the calm, perfect OM. This conclusion to Siddhartha’s endless search for enlightenment gives the reader a peaceful, happy tone using symbolism of a stone.
In "Siddhartha", Herman Hesse writes of a youth who searches for meaning in life. At the start of his novel, Siddhartha is a youth determined to join the Samanas as a wandering ascetic, despite his father's wishes for him to become a Brahmin. Hesse writes, "'Siddhartha,' he said, 'why are you waiting?' 'You know why.' 'Will you go on standing and waiting until it is day, noon, evening?' 'I will stand and wait.' 'You will grow tired, Siddhartha.' 'I will not fall asleep.' 'You will die, Siddhartha.' 'I will die.'"(11). Hesse tells of the next day when he writes, "The first light of day entered the room. The Brahmin saw that Siddhartha's knees trembled slightly, but there was no trembling in Siddhartha's face; his eyes looked far away"(12).
ReplyDeleteHesse uses fatigued diction, specifically the terms "standing", "waiting", "tired", and "trembled" to describe Siddhartha's transformation overnight. This creates a tone of weariness for the reader. The fatigued diction helps the reader get a sense of how Siddhartha's body weakens but his mind remains focused.
Hesse uses visual imagery to describe how the next day begins, with light illuminating the continuation of Siddhartha's resolve.
The author details how Siddhartha's legs tremble but eyes look far away rather than just writing of how his face did not tremble. This emphasizes how Siddhartha has made up his mind and is already looking to and focusing on the future. Furthermore, Siddhartha's legs trembling take on the possibility of having two meanings: fatigue from staying up all night and nervousness for the future.
In this passage, anaphora combined with repeating short sentences create a sense of escalating tension between Siddhartha and his father. This happens because with short sentences, the audience reads faster. Siddhartha's father repetitive threatens Siddhartha of what will become of him standing there. With one exception, Siddhartha accepts the ultimatums. This emphasizes Siddhartha's resolve to the reader, and highlights the one point where Siddhartha disagrees. Siddhartha says that he will not fall asleep, and this is because he needs meaning to the point he cannot rest until he gets to the next step of his journey.
Thus, in this passage, Siddhartha is indirectly characterized to have perseverance.
I like how you included the author’s use of diction in that passage, because it was one of the things that I noticed about it as well. I also thought it was interesting how you pointed out the double meaning of his legs shaking—how it could mean both that he was fatigued and that he was nervous for his journey after leaving his family. I think it could also be fear along with nervousness, because although he remains strong, Siddhartha still is leaving behind the life he has known since he was born. However, I definitely agree in saying the passage depicts Siddhartha’s perseverance and willingness to go to extremes in order to achieve his goal. He also seems extremely sure of himself in all his replies to his father, saying things like “I will stand and wait” and “I will not fall asleep,” which characterizes him as someone who is clear on his goals and is willing to pursue them. However, the fact that he seems sure he will remain standing and yet his legs are shaking in the morning also shows how he is still susceptible to barriers along his journey, no matter how strong his will to push on is.
DeleteI think Hesse uses visual imagery of a new day combined with Siddhartha's father's statement of "day, noon, evening" to start the motif of Siddhartha's quest continuing through light and darkness. For example, Kamala says that deep inside, he was always a samana even when he was drowning himself in riches and that is why she knew he would eventually leave. Hesse's use of fatigued diction adds onto this by showing how strong his mind is, even if his body weakens at times. Siddhartha gives into his bodily desires in extreme proportions later, but his mind remains strong enough that he learns moderation.
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At the beginning of the second chapter of "Siddhartha" by Hermann Hesse, Siddhartha has just left home and is beginning his journey as a shramana. The author writes, “The flesh fell away from his cheeks and thighs. Fevered dreams flashed from his dilated eyes, the nails got long on his shriveled fingers, and from his chin grew a dry, scruffy beard. His eyes became hard as iron when he encountered women. His lip curled with contempt when he walked through town among well-dressed people…Siddhartha had one single goal before him—to become empty, empty of thirst, empty of desire, empty of joy and sorrow” (Hesse 11-12). The descriptive imagery used here by the author creates a vivid image of the person Siddhartha is becoming after leaving his home and family in order to pursue his own path. He uses the simile “His eyes became as hard as iron” to show how determined and committed Siddhartha is to shutting out the opulence of the outside world. However, the task proves later on to be much more difficult than imagined, and therefore this passage also marks the beginning of Siddhartha’s struggle to ignore the temptation of luxuries such as fine clothes and money. These luxuries are considered by Siddhartha to be abhorrent, and it is clear that he is willing to go to extreme lengths in order to distance himself from them. The author also uses anaphora in the last sentence, repeating the word “empty” to attract attention to the fact that Siddhartha is intent on reaching his goal. The repetition places emphasis on the aspects of life that are despised by Siddhartha and which he plans on abandoning. This anaphora, along with the pervious description of Siddhartha, characterizes him as a person with great perseverance and strength. When first reading about Siddhartha’s transformation from “the beautiful brahmin’s son” to a poor, shriveled man, the reader is likely to first feel pity for Siddhartha for leaving his home and going to such extremes in order to follow his path. However, it becomes clear through Hesse’s descriptive imagery and use of anaphora that Siddhartha is someone with immense strength who is capable of achieving his goal in his own way, no matter what obstacles he may face.
ReplyDeleteI like how you pointed out that the portion about his eyes becoming as hard as iron as having double meaning between determination and attempting to distance himself from normal flesh/human desires(iron being non living).
ReplyDeleteI like how you pointed out many different literary devices instead of focusing on just one. The paragraph is also very clear and has good transitions. This helps you prove your point about Siddhartha and his perseverance in his journey. I like that the quotes accurately support your analysis. I agree that leaving his family and his commitment to learning definitely influenced a lot of his journey. The beginning of his struggle against wealth also foreshadows the low point where he gives in to greed and makes the reader question is his strength that he shows in this paragraph will continue.
DeleteWhile reading the second chapter, one passage in particular caught my attention. Hesse illustrates how Siddhartha is filled with abhorrence for the people of a town in which he is passing through with the Samanas.
ReplyDelete“His glance became icy when he encountered women; his lips curled with contempt when he passed through a town of well-dressed people. He saw businessmen trading, princess going to hunt… prostitutes offering themselves,…and all were not worth a passing glance, everything lied, stank of lies…All were doomed to decay”(Hesse 13-14).
This passage stuck out as being very profound because it correlates to a modern fascination with purity. Just like Siddhartha wanted to eradicate his mind and body of any earthly pleasures, and felt as though he was above those that were not like him.
Throughout history, humans have had standards of purity to separate themselves from those that enjoy Earths bounty. We see this in dogmatic religious practices, uninformed ethics-related lifestyle groups (classist vegans), internalized misogyny (shaming other women for having sex to make yourself look more desirable), and racism (using white as a synonymous term for wholesome in an attempt to elevate yourself above people who aren’t white).
This is a very important point in Siddhartha because it is his first point of extremes where he ventures farther away from Nirvana. Just as we don’t experience harmony when we practice our beliefs dogmatically, we separate ourselves from those that don’t meet the standards we set for ourselves.
The theme of polarities in Siddhartha illustrates how taking beliefs to extremes will not lead one down the path to intended righteousness. The harmony between abstemious virtues and indulgent ones gives a person perspective on how people enjoy life in a wide range of ways, and the ability to sympathize with all walks of life existing peacefully within them.
DeleteI really like how you compare the value of not being extreme or dogmatic to such a variety of topics that, like Siddhartha's lessons, are extremely relevant in the public sphere today. It seems almost as though Siddhartha purges and then binges on riches and pleasures in life before finding a midground that is far more peaceful for his mind. When he is in either state of extreme, he was unable to focus on the meaning of his life, whereas at the river, his body was at peace(not hungry or anything) and his mind was able to focus on things besides warding off hunger or thirst or dealing with the effects of extreme pain.
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ReplyDeleteWhile reading through chapter 1 of Siddhartha, two sentences piqued my interest. In this section of the book, the reader has just been introduced to Siddhartha and his Hindu origins. The narrator described Siddhartha’s growing distaste for his birth religion before this specific passage, but the narrator reveals Siddhartha’s true desire for knowledge and enlightenment.
ReplyDelete“The ritual ablutions were good, but they were water-- they did not wash away sins, they did not heal the mind’s thirst, they did not resolve the heart’s fear. The sacrifices and the invocations of the gods were splendid, but was this all there was?” (5) This passage parallels the Herman Hesse’s (the author's) life as he begins to question his own beliefs and choose his own path through life. Though it may be a noteworthy and important key to understanding the text, this was not the reason the passage caught my attention. Hesse’s use of anaphora in the first sentence (they did not wash…, they did not heal…, they did not resolve…) emphasizes the seeming repetitiveness of the daily rituals as Siddhartha begins to lose his interest in them.
Hesse’s use of renewing diction in the anaphora (wash, heal, resolve) also gives a sense that while the rituals are supposed to heal and refresh, they do not do so for Siddhartha. In fact, they seem to do the exact opposite, as they raise more questions than answers. This is well supported by the second sentence in this passage. One thing I find a bit perplexing, however, is why Hesse uses “heal the mind’s thirst” instead of quench or another similar word? This could suggest that instead of simply filling a gradually growing mind that is simply seeking more knowledge, Siddhartha’s desperate desire to know more is beginning to tear him apart and eat into his conscience, much like a wound that must be healed.
Though this passage may be short, a lot of interesting information can be taken from it. As this section of the book begins to parallel Hesse’s own life when he was Siddhartha’s age, Hesse also describes Siddhartha’s deteriorating interest in his old faith as the daily rituals he once so diligently completed begin to lose their sacredness.
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ReplyDelete“Soon, Govinda, your friend will abandon this path of the shramanas in which he has accompanied you for so long. I suffer thirst, O Govinda, and on this long path of a shramana, my thirst has not grown any less. I have always thirsted for understanding; I have always been full of questions. Year after year, I asked questions of the brahmins; year after year, I asked questions of the holy Vedas. Perhaps, O Govinda, it would have been just as good, just as clever, just as meaningful to address my questions to a tickbird or a chimpanzee. I have taken a long time-and I have not yet finished-to learn the following, Govinda: It is impossible to learn anything! in my opinion, that thing we call ‘learning’ does not exist. The only thing that exists, my friend, is a knowing that is everywhere, which is atman, which is in me and in you and in every being. And I am beginning to believe that this knowing has no greater enemy than wanting to know, than learning.” pg(16)
ReplyDeleteIn this passage, Hesse portrays Siddhartha as a dynamic character through his shift from learning from teachers to gaining knowledge through personal experience. Hesse uses diction to show Siddhartha's movement away from the Shramanas’ teachings. When Siddhartha is describing his experience with the Shramanas to Govinda, the word “thirst” appears multiple times and carries a negative connotation. It conveys that he has been suffering and is unsatisfied. Siddhartha has not been relieved and fulfilled by the teaching of the Shramanas, which foreshadows that he will seek knowledge in another way. Anaphora also shows Siddhartha’s frustration with the Shramanas and the Brahmins’ teachings. Siddhartha repeats, ”year after year, I asked questions.” He hasn’t advanced in his journey and he realizes that no matter how long he stays to learn, he will never fully achieve his goals. He says, “it would have been just as good… to address my questions to a tickbird or a chimpanzee.” Even the wisest teachers couldn’t enlighten Siddhartha. No matter who he goes to, the Shramanas or the Brahmins, his questions remain unanswered. He feels he has wasted time, so he will search for knowledge elsewhere. He says, “I have taken a long time...to learn… it is impossible to learn anything!... that thing we call ‘learning’ does not exist.” Siddhartha realizes he must learn through his own experiences rather than those of others. He feels,”knowing has no greater enemy than wanting to know, than learning,” After moving on from both the Brahmins and the Shramanas, Siddhartha no longer has faith in teaching. This passage reflects his life and journey as a whole, because in the beginning, he learned from the wise men and Shramanas, but after leaving and talking with the Buddha, he realizes he can’t be enlightened by others and sets off to find his own understanding of himself. He experiences Kamala, the child-people, the ferryman, and his son on his own. This shift marks a major turning point in his journey and beliefs.
In the novel Siddhartha, Herman Hesse uses visual imagery to describe Siddhartha’s journey through the town on the beginning of his path to becoming a shramana. “His lip curled with contempt when he walked through a town among well-dressed people. He saw merchants bargaining, princes going off to hunt, grief-stricken people mourning their dead, prostitutes offering their bodies, doctors working over the sick, priests determining the day of sowing, lovers making love, mothers nursing their babies – and none of it was worthy of his glance. It was all a lie, it all stank, it was all putrid with lies. Everything pretended to meaning and happiness and beauty, but it was all only putrescence and decay. The taste of the world was bitter. Life was pain” (Hesse, 14-15). In this passage, Hesse begins by describing the vivid imagery of the town by making it seem like an exciting place to inhabit, but immediately ends the beauty of the passage by metaphorically describing the world as bitter and describing the town as “…[P] utrid with lies.” This immediate change that Siddhartha has from viewing the town as exciting and bustling with life to just a place to selfishly satisfy the senses and worldly needs symbolizes the major life change that Siddhartha has just made by withdrawing from his former status as a Brahmin, a status that initially granted him a life of extreme privilege and material bliss, to become a shramana, a life that only offers him a chance to be pious to achieve enlightenment in exchange for renouncing all worldly pleasures. This immediate change in imagery that Hesse uses shows the reader that Siddhartha is a wise character that is able to see things beyond appearances for what they truly are.
ReplyDeleteIn the chapter entitled “Gotama”(or Gautama), Herman Hesse writes of how Siddhartha and his best friend, Govinda, reach the town where the Buddha is preaching and hear his words. Hesse writes of how Siddhartha says to Buddha, “The teachings of the enlightened Buddha embrace much, teach much-how to live righteously, how to avoid evil. But there is one thing that this clear, worthy instruction does not contain; it does not contain the secret of what the Illustrious One himself experienced-he alone among hundreds of thousands”(34). It seems to the reader that Siddhartha has found a fatal flaw in Buddha and that Buddha has not been disclosing as he must, but then the Buddha responds, “May you reach your goal! But tell me, have you seen my gathering of holy men, my many brothers who have sworn allegiances to the teachings? Do you think, O Samana from afar, that it would be better for all these to relinquish the teachings and to return to the life of the world and desires?”(34).
ReplyDeleteSiddhartha is on a quest for enlightenment, and believed he would find it within the teachings of the Buddha. However, he is disappointed with the lack of transparency within the Buddha’s teachings. The author uses anaphora in the passage to emphasize that the Buddha teaches of how to do many things, yet Siddhartha yearns for a reason why. It is ironic upon looking back that the reader realizes that the Buddha believed in what Siddhartha later found to be pleasing: moderation. The Buddha notes that although traveling with himself is not enlightenment, it is surely a more pure form of life than the endless pursuit of riches. This offers a midground, which Siddhartha had not considered before, having mostly been a samana in his quest for meaning.
It seems that Siddhartha sees the followers of the Buddha much like the samanas in the forest. He sees they are doing something with the same goal as himself of attaining enlightenment, but they are trusting their activities and actions in life to lead them there. In comparison, Siddhartha wants to know he has reached it with certainty and believes he will know such based on newfound understanding. Of the oldest samana Siddhartha and Govinda traveled with, the author writes, “He is sixty years old and has not achieved Nirvana. He will be seventy and eighty years old, and you and I , we shall grow as old as he, and do exercises and fast and meditate, but we will not attain Nirvana, neither he nor we”(18). This shows how Siddhartha sees samanas as better than those indulging in lively pleasures, but they still lack the understanding he wishes to achieve.
I find it interesting that you take that line to mean that Gotama could be hiding something from his disciples, one extra thing that could be vital to enlightenment. To me, it means that Gotama isn't necessarily hiding something, but his teachings of Buddhism are only a path to enlightenment-- nothing else. However, I do agree with you that to Siddhartha, it does seem like a flaw in the teachings. Gotama doesn't talk about his own path-- maybe this is to encourage his students to find their own path?
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ReplyDeleteIn the middle of Siddhartha, in the chapter Gotama, Herman Hesse writes about Siddhartha’s encounter with the Buddha himself and what Siddhartha’s reaction and feeling towards the advice that the Buddha has given him in order to help him advance on his path to enlightenment. “The Buddha has robbed me, thought Siddhartha, he robbed me, yet he gave me even more. He robbed me of my friend, who believed in me and now believes in him, who was my shadow and is now Gotama’s shadow. But he gave me Siddhartha, he gave me myself” (Hesse, 38). Hesse uses anaphora to emphasize Siddhartha’s conflicted feelings about the decisions he has made in his life and what will come out of it. At this point, Siddhartha has left his friend, Govinda, to begin his path to enlightenment alone, but after his meeting with the Buddha, he now feels that the one part of his old life left, his friendship with Govinda, has been taken from him by his desire for spiritual knowledge, similar to how it also took away his desire to remain a Brahmin. However, by taking away the last part of his old life that he still had with him, Siddhartha also realizes that the Buddha has given him another possibility to find the knowledge that he seeks. In addition to describing Siddhartha’s feelings, however, Hesse also foreshadows the future conflicts that he encounters when he briefly strays from his path before he becomes enlightened. Hesse introduces Siddhartha’s conflicting feelings from this point to show that while Siddhartha is a wise, dedicated man, he will still encounter some difficulties along the way before achieving the ultimate reward.
ReplyDeleteI really like how you pointed out that the motif of Siddhartha's difficulties in his journey. I think that Siddhartha's difficulties make the story feel more real to the reader because without conflict, there would be no point to any plot. I also liked how you pointed out that Siddhartha had lost multiple things in his life because he wanted so much to be enlightened. Do you think he felt lots of regrets after Govinda left him at this point in the novel, and to some extent, he tried to drown his sadness in material wealth and pleasures(after he met Kamala and such)? He had succeeded in basically everything he tried his hand at up until this point, and his whole home town practically admired him, but then he lost his best friend.. Perhaps it humanized him to an extent, just like after his son ran away and he realized that the troubles of everyday people were valid.. Just thoughts.
DeleteI agree that he began to regret leaving Govinda behind. After his meeting with the Buddha, Siddhartha seemed unsure about how to continue down his path that he finally began to reflect on his journey and his decisions for the first time since he left home. Upon reflecting, he finally seemed to realize everything and everyone that he had left behind when he decided to join the shramanas. Therefore, he begins to indulge in material wealthy to cope with his sadness and because it gives him a chance to return to the life of privilege that he was originally born into.
DeleteIt seems almost ironic that he attempts to return to the point of status he was born to as Siddhartha never considers how his father felt when he left until he has his own son who runs away.. Perhaps it is an unconscious desire to return to that safe, certain stage in his life where everything was perfect and about him?
ReplyDeleteThe closing paragraph of chapter three (Gotama) happened to grab my attention a bit more than the rest of the chapter. It concludes Siddhartha’s conversation with Gotama along with his initial reactions to their philosophical debate. Siddhartha reveres the figure of the Enlightened one, yet feels ever more lonely with the loss of his friend, Govinda. However, he revels in an intriguing idea-- Gotama helped Siddhartha acknowledge his ego, his own self:
ReplyDelete“The Buddha robbed me, thought Siddhartha, he robbed me, yet he gave me even more. He robbed me of my friend, who believed in me and now believes in him, who was my shadow and is now Gotama’s shadow. But he gave me Siddhartha, he gave me myself. (Hesse, 29)”
Through this passage, Siddhartha’s constant use of “robbed” obviously suggests how close he and Govinda were until his disciple made his own choice. They way it’s used suggests that Siddhartha accuses Gotama’s teachings of stealing his one companion. However, he mentions earlier how he is proud of Govinda’s choice, stating “Is Govinda ever going to take a step on his own… And there it is: Now you have become a man and chosen your own path. (Hesse, 25)” This also could suggest that Siddhartha is still somewhat indecisive or unaware of what path he will walk next.
Another curious word choice was Hesse’s way of describing Govinda; as a shadow of a “higher being.” This is a clue into Govinda’s personality as, just like a shadow, Govinda always follows alongside someone else-- never passing ahead nor falling behind. The sentence structure of this passage also helps convey the feeling that the entire passage is one long, fluid thought, playing out in Siddhartha’s mind. The structure itself is made up of a few long, run-on sentences, connected fluidly by commas.
This passage concluding chapter three helps to shed light on Siddhartha’s mind and his potential path in the near future. It suggests that Siddhartha, though determined to understand his ego, may still be uncertain which way to go. It also characterizes Govinda as similar to a shadow-- always following in someone else’s footsteps. Finally, the sentence structure conveys one long, fluid thought brewing in Siddhartha’s mind.
In the final two paragraphs of the chapter titled “Gotama,” the author writes, “I have seen a man, one and only one, Siddhartha thought, before whom I had to lower my gaze. Before no other will I ever lower my gaze, no other. No other teaching will seduce me, since this teaching has not seduced me. The Buddha robbed me, thought Siddhartha, he robbed me, yet he gave me even more. He robbed me of my friend, who believed in me and now believes in him, who was my shadow and is now Gotama’s shadow. But he gave me Siddhartha, he gave me myself” (Hesse 29). This passage is from directly after Siddhartha left the Buddha and Govinda behind and decided to continue his journey along. The quote shapes the rest of Siddhartha’s journey throughout the book; it is after he heard the teachings of the Buddha that he realized he needed to follow his own path instead of adhering to the teachings of someone else. Siddhartha came to the realization that the Buddha achieved Nirvana without the help of anyone else, and therefore the only way for Siddhartha to do the same would be for him to do it alone. His problems with Gotama and his teachings help Siddhartha to step away from traditional teachings and begin a self-directed quest for enlightenment. Throughout the rest of the book, although he learns from others like Kamala and the ferryman, he remains intent on achieving Enlightenment in his own way. Therefore, this quote also foreshadows Siddhartha’s acheivement in the future. After learning from others his entire life (first the Brahmins and then the Buddha), Siddhartha’s decision to be his own teacher hints at the fact that he is going to achieve Nirvana without much guidance from others. From then on in the story, Siddhartha is able to draw strength and persistence from within in order to complete his goal.
ReplyDeleteAlong with the foreshadowing of Siddhartha’s future, the passage illuminates Govinda’s character further as well. When Hesse writes “He robbed me of my friend, who believed in me and now believes in him” (29), the reader gets the sense that unlike Siddhartha, Govinda is a follower and needs guidance in his life. First by following Siddhartha and then the Buddha, Govinda eagerly clings to the teachings of other people, and this idea of internal and external guidance is a recurring theme throughout the book.
Going slowly along his way, Siddhartha deliberated. He realized that he was no longer a youth but had become a man. He realized there was one thing he had left behind as a snake leaves behind an old skin,one thing that was no longer in him that had accompanied him throughout his youth and been a part of him-the desire to have a teacher and to hear teachings. The last teacher he had encountered on his way, he has left, even him, the highest and wisest teacher, the most holy one, the Buddha. He had had to part from him; he had been unable to accept his teaching.
ReplyDeleteSlower yet the pondering man walked asking himself: “But now what is it that you were trying to learn from the teachers and teaching, and what is it, though they taught you a lot, could not teach you?” And he found this: It was the ego whose meaning and essence I wanted to learn. It was the ego I wanted to get rid of, to overcome. But I was unable to overcome it, I could only trick it,could only elude it,could only hide from it. In truth nothing in the world has occupied my thoughts so much as my ego, this enigma that I am alive, that I am unique and separate and distant from all others, that I am Siddhartha! And there is nothing in the world I know less about than me, than Siddhartha.”(pg.30)
In this passage, Hesse shows Siddhartha’s transition from attempting to compress his ego, to fully embracing it. A shift is shown when Siddhartha thinks, “he was no longer a youth but had become a man.” He has moved on past his old life to greater understanding and a new focus. Hesse also shows this using figurative language. Siddhartha says,”there was one thing he had left behind as a snake leaves behind old skin.” This simile shows how Siddhartha no longer has the desire to learn from teachers whom his life has evolved around since now. He has completely left behind his old mindset. Next, Hesse shows Siddhartha questioning himself; “But now what is it that you were trying to learn from teachers and teachings, and what was it that they, though they taught you a lot, could not teach you?” This is important because it leads Siddhartha to an idea that will guide the rest of his journey. He realizes that he has spent the beginning of his life attempting to compress his ego, and that it is the one thing he has not learned. He says,”Siddhartha remains so alien and unknown...I was afraid of myself...I was determined to tear my ego apart... but in the process I myself got lost,” He was so focused on trying to rid of himself and now realizes that in order to find Atman inside himself, he must learn to understand himself through his own experiences. This transitioning of the mind from wanting to suppress his ego to wanting to learn about it is an essential part of his journey, because it determines the rest of his path.
In the chapter “Gotama”, the author writes, “I have never seen anyone smile, sit, and walk in such a way, he thought. In truth that is just the way I would like to be able to gaze, smile, sit, and walk-so free, so worthy, so hidden, so open, so childlike, and so mysterious. Truly only a person who has penetrated the inmost part of his self gazes and walks like that, I, too, shall truly try to penetrate the inmost part of myself,”(Hesse 29). This quote shows that even though Siddhartha has claimed that he will not take part in the Buddha’s teaching, he still respects him very much. The Buddha gave Siddhartha something great to achieve, and that was a goal to become enlightened, to become awakened, but by his own path. He looks at the Buddha and sees all he will ever want to achieve, and it is beautiful. While staying for the Buddha’s teachings, Siddhartha may have lost Govinda, but he gained himself. He found his own new path, and will now become awakened. He may feel remorse, but with in his heart he is content, because he is setting out on a much more exciting journey. In the last paragraph of the chapter, the author writes, “The Buddha robbed me, thought Siddhartha, he robbed me, yet he gave me even more. He robbed me of my friend, who believed in me and believes in me, who was my shadow and is now Gotama’s shadow. But he gave me Siddhartha, he gave me myself,” (Hesse 29). This is a very powerful quote. While Siddhartha feels saddened at the loss of his friend, there is also a certain sense of liberation. Govinda followed Siddhartha around like a hawk, basically worshiped him. Siddhartha did not wish for this, but he knew that Govinda was meant to follow, and that he eventually needed to find his own path. Now that Govinda has taken refuge in the Buddha, he is happy, on his own path. Siddhartha understands that he is on his own path as well now, and that he can begin his quest without being constantly questioned or criticized. He can be Siddhartha, and he can find his own path to enlightenment.
ReplyDeleteI like that you pointed out that Siddhartha admires the Buddha even though he doesn't want to follow the Buddha's teachings. I also like that you chose a major turning point in Siddhartha's life where he goes from wanting to learn from teachers, to wanting to find enlightenment from his own experiences. When I read the part in the book about the Buddha taking away Govinda but giving Siddhartha himself, I thought he was more sad then relieved. It seems as though he doesn't care very much, but I think he is just focusing on something else to take his mind off his friend. Even though, like you said, Siddhartha always knew Govinda had to eventually find another path to follow, I think he is still sad
Delete“That’s a beautiful river,” Siddhartha said to his companion.
ReplyDelete“Yes,” said the ferryman,” a very beautiful river. I love it more than anything, I have often listened to it speak, often looked it in the eye, and I have always learned from it. One can learn a lot from a river.”
“I thank you, benefactor,” said Siddhartha, as he climbed onto the far bank. “I have no gift for your hospitality, my friend, and nothing to pay your fee. I am a homeless one, a brahmin’s son and a shramana.”
“I saw that clearly enough,” said the ferryman, “and I wasn’t expecting any fee from you, nor a gift for my hospitality either. You can give me the gift another time.”
“You think so?” said Siddhartha amused.
“For sure. I have learned that from the river too-everything comes back again. You, too, shramana, will come back. Now, farewell! Let your friendship be my fee. Keep me in mind when you make sacrifices to the gods.”
In this paragraph, Hesse uses personification and irony to foreshadow Siddhartha’s eventual relapse to learning from teachers. Siddhartha is conversing with the ferryman who he has rested with for the last few days. He comments to the ferryman about the beautiful river they’re passing over and the ferryman replies, ”a very beautiful river… I have often listened to it speak, often looked in the eye, and I have always learned from it. One can learn a lot from a river.” The ferryman talks about the river as a friend or companion. When Hesse personifies the river, it enhances the idea that the river is a teacher with plenty of wisdom to share. This foreshadows that Siddhartha will learn from the river as the ferryman has. When Siddhartha explains that he possesses no gifts to give the ferryman, the ferryman is sure, “You can give me the gift another time...I have learned that from the river too-everything comes back again. You, too, shramana will come back.” This foreshadows that Siddhartha will return when he finishes his journey in the village. He will learn from the ferryman as well as the beautiful river. This is ironic, because Siddhartha believes his experiences with teachers are over. He has rejected the most perfect teacher, the Buddha’s, teachings, so he can’t imagine how he can find the knowledge he’s looking for from any other teacher. Siddhartha replies to the ferryman’s comment, ”You think so?” Siddhartha is slightly amused when he is told that he will find enlightenment from a teacher, because he has just set out on the opposite path to find knowledge through his own experiences. Personification and irony in this passage help foreshadow Siddhartha’s return across the river.
I like how you pointed out that Siddhartha eventually goes back to learning from teachers and that he eventually learns things from the river. Is it possible that the teachings of the river are able to appeal more to Siddhartha because, unlike the other teachers in his life so far, who have only taught him values that are open for anybody to listen, it requires more focus on his part to learn from it? Up until his arrival at the river, Siddhartha has always dismissed everybody else who has tried to teach him anything, and what all of these teachers have in common is that they all preach publicly about their beliefs in attaining enlightenment, encouraging anyone who listens to them to follow their path, but the river is not as open to sharing its wisdom to Siddhartha unless he fully concentrates on learning about attaining enlightenment. As we know from previous incidents, Siddhartha is stubborn and skeptical, and will try to avoid doing something that he doesn’t believe in, but because he now knows what he wants in life, now that he knows that he wants only to become enlightened, he must take on the challenges that will lead him to achieve what he has been striving for throughout the story.
DeleteAt the ending of the chapter “Samsara”, Hesse writes about Siddhartha’s departure from Kamala’s house. “When she first received news of Siddhartha’s disappearance, she went to the window where she kept a rare songbird in a golden cage. She opened the door of the cage, took the bird out, and let it fly away. She looked after the flying bird for a long time” (Hesse, 85). This is a symbolic moment in the story because it shows the reader that despite seeing him indulge himself in a life full of material wealth, Kamala notices that Siddhartha is unlike her other lovers, he stands out in a way that other men do not. Therefore, when she hears about his departure, she lets the songbird go. The bird symbolizes Siddhartha because, just like Siddhartha, the bird is rare, meaning that it has qualities that make it special and unique from other birds, similar to how Siddhartha is revered as special because of the excessive knowledge that he seeks in life that revealed his potential to become something great in life. However, earlier in the passage, Kamala remembers that Siddhartha came to her house from holy men, and therefore knows that he cannot stay with her forever. She recognizes the uniqueness he has in him, so when she hears that he has left her city, she sets the songbird free because she knows that things that are special cannot be hidden away forever because they have something great that can be revealed to the world. However, despite knowing this, her sorrow is shown when she continues to watch the songbird fly because, just like Siddhartha, Kamala wishes that it didn’t have to leave her. Kamala doesn’t take any more visitors after the departure of both Siddhartha because she knows now that her life will never be the same.
ReplyDelete[“You did want to, Listen Kamala: If you toss a stone into water, it takes the swiftest way to the bottom. And Siddhartha is like that when he has a goal, makes a resolve. Siddhartha does nothing, he waits, he thinks, he fasts, but he passes through the things of the world like the stone through the water, never acting, never stirring. He is drawn, he lets himself drop. His goal draws him,for he lets nothing into his soul that could go against his goal. This is what Siddhartha learned among the samanas. It is what fools call magic and what they think is worked by demons. Nothing is worked by demons, there are no demons. Anyone can work magic, anyone can reach his goals if he can think, if he can wait, if he can fast.”] (Hesse 56)
ReplyDeleteThis quote comes from the last page of the Kamala chapter. Siddhartha is explaining to Kamala why he knew she would help him learn to love because it was his resolve. Earlier, Kamala asks whether Siddhartha knows magic since so many doors are opening for him. If you evaluate this passage without linking it to Siddhartha, the person sounds very condescending, controlling and abusive. He insults Kamala and his statement about anyone being able to work magic is like his earlier statement about most being people able to read. Both say that not just him, but most people are better than Kamala. This is Siddhartha’s response to Kamala asking what he would have done if she didn't not want to help him. Siddhartha basically says it doesn't matter if she wants to help him or not because he wants her to, so then she must do it. Had this not been Siddhartha, anyone would have said that a person who thinks like that is abusive.
Siddhartha also repeats “anyone can reach his goals if he can think, if he can wait, if he can fast” when he meets Kamaswami. Although it sounds motivational at first, most people cannot wait or fast so it is yet another occasion where Siddhartha is boasting about being so much better than others. He accepted his ego during the awakening but it seems he is just using that as an excuse to openly boast to make himself seem better to get what he wants.
Near the end of chapter 6, “Among the Child People,” Siddhartha says something very deep and intriguing. Siddhartha had been learning the ways of merchants from the wealthy Kamaswami in order to impress the beautiful Kamala. Once he does earn enough riches to gain her interest, she relents to his advances and “teaches” Siddhartha what he wishes to know: love. Once their game is finished, Kamala asks Siddhartha why he seems to be incapable of love, “You love no one, is that no so?” Siddhartha then remarks:
ReplyDelete“‘That may well be,’ Siddhartha said tiredly. ‘I am like you. You too do not love; otherwise how could you practice love as an art? People of our type are perhaps incapable of love. The child people are capable of it; that is their secret.’ (Hesse, 58)”
Siddhartha brings up an important point-- is it really possible to truly love someone and turn love into a sport, a game? He also suggests people of “his type” are incapable of feeling love, as if he and Kamala are elevated above feeling its true emotions while others can feel it. This does bring up a question, however. Why are Siddhartha and Kamala supposedly incapable of love, while the so-called child people are? Siddhartha describes the child people as those whose thoughts are bound only to matters that concern them, such as Kamaswami and his business or a farmer and his crops. However, this could mean that Siddhartha considers the love between two people as an earthly matter, and therefore something of little importance to his search for enlightenment. So why would he be learning the art of love if it is not only of little importance to him, but even after he declared his distaste for the teachings of another? The answer is that he is on a quest to conquer his ego by becoming it instead of hiding from it.
There is a lot of interesting information in this passage, and it much speculation can be made from it as well. It can also easily leave someone with many questions if they have a difficult time understanding what is said. However, I think that Hesse did well writing much of the passage-- even the whole story-- in a way that makes enough sense for one to understand what is going on, but with enough mystery to truly make someone think.
I like how you mentioned that people of "his type" are incapable of feeling love, and that he was speaking as if himself and Kamala were separate from the child people. This brings an interesting question about though, why is Kamala of "his type"? What has she done that has granted her the ability of not being bound to the earth and all of it's suffering? Is it because she too has some powerful knowing like that of Siddhartha? Like you said this passage is extremely intriguing, and rises a lot of questions and mystery. But going back to Kamala, is she like Siddhartha because she is bound to matters that don't only concern her? From her practicing of the art of love? Has she become awakened because she shares her knowledge about passion with others, therefor being concerned with others as well? Perhaps she is not capable of loving because she has so much knowledge to give, just like Siddhartha does. Aside from Siddhartha wanting to learn the art of love so that he can face his ego instead of running from it, why would he choose Kamala? The answer is because he saw something of himself inside of her. He saw that she was above the standards of normal people around them, and that she would actually be worthy of learning from. Not just so that he can be a student, but also so he can be a teacher.
DeleteIn the opening paragraphs of the chapter entitled "Kamala", Herman Hesse writes of the richest leg of Siddhartha's journey. Hesse writes, "The days and nights were short, every hour passed quickly like a sail on the sea, beneath the sail of a ship of treasures, full of joy. Siddhartha saw a group of monkeys in the depths of the forest, moving about high in the branches and heard their wild eager cries. Siddhartha saw a ram follow a sheep and mate. In a lake of rushes he saw the pike making chase in evening hunger. Swarms of young fishes, fluttering and glistening, moved anxiously away from it. Strength and desire were reflected in the swiftly moving whirls of water formed by the raging pursuer. All this had always been and he had never seen it, he was never present. Now he was present and belonged to it"(46).
ReplyDeleteHesse utilizes visual imagery to tell the reader of the wonders of nature which Siddhartha sees and never saw before. It is a key point in Siddhartha's journey when color is poured into what he sees, rather than simply the black and white pages of good and evil. The author emphasizes the change in how Siddhartha views the world when he writes that the days and nights were short. This shows how Siddhartha was finding more enjoying already as it is said that "time flies when you're having fun".
Furthermore, the various things that stand out to Siddhartha foreshadow later events. Hesse writes of a group of monkeys in the depths of the forest with wild cries, perhaps like how Siddhartha joins a group of businessmen that are completely different than the type of people Siddhartha had previously associated with. However, with time, Siddhartha began to sound like them in terms of getting angry when people did not pay on time and such. Hesse also writes of a ram following a sheep, like how Siddhartha chases after Kamala. Siddhartha then notes of a pike chasing in evening hunger, with young fishes running away and leaving whirls of water. This foreshadows Siddhartha chasing after his son, who works to antagonize Siddhartha and steals.
In the chapter titled “Kamala,” Hesse writes, “One night, sleeping in the straw hut of a ferryman by a river, Siddhartha had a dream. Govinda stood before him in a yellow ascetic’s robe. Govinda looked sad, and sadly he asked, ‘Why have you adandoned me?’ Then he embraced Govinda, threw his arms around him, and as he held him to his breast and kissed him, it was no longer Govinda but a woman, and a full breast popped out of the women’s garment, on which Siddhartha rested his head and drank. The milk from this breast tasted sweet and strong. It tasted of woman and man, of sun and forest, of beast and flower, of every fruit, of every desire. It made one drunk and unaware” (Hesse 39). At this point in the book, Siddhartha has been living and traveling on his own for a while after parting with Govinda and the Buddha. In the quote above, the author uses several examples of foreshadowing in order to hint and events that are in Siddhartha’s future. First, Govinda appears in Siddhartha’s dream and the two friends embrace, which signals that Govinda is likely to reenter Siddhartha’s life in the future (when the two reconnect later on, Govinda is wearing a yellow robe like the one in the dream). However, when Govinda turns into a woman and Siddhartha drinks milk from her breast, the author is foreshadowing Siddhartha’s meeting with Kamala in the future. Hesse specifically uses words like “sweet” and “strong” and “desire” to hint that Siddhartha will soon be engulfed in these emotions himself. The last line of the quote is particularly important; when it states that the milk from the breast made one drunk and unaware. In the future, when Siddhartha has been spending more and more time with Kamala and Kamaswami, he begins to lose himself and the path he has been following. The lure from luxuries such as money, food, and women overpowers him, just like the milk does in his dream.
ReplyDeleteAfter awakening from his dream, Siddhartha meets with a ferryman and asks him to take him across the river. Hesse writes, “‘That’s a beautiful river,’ Siddhartha said to his companion. ‘Yes,’ said the ferryman, ‘a very beautiful river. I love it more than anything. I have often listened to it speak, often looked in in the eye, and I have always learned from it. One can learn a lot from a river’ (40). This is another example from the same chapter of foreshadowing by the author. In the end of the book, Siddhartha reunites with the ferryman and is able to find Enlightenment through the river. Although he doesn’t know it at the time, the words of the ferryman are somewhat of a teaching to Siddhartha that will guide him on his journey in the future.
In the opening paragraph of the chapter "Kamala" Hesse uses an extensive amount of visual imagery to symbolize Siddhartha's awakening to a new way to receive knowledge and possible enlightenment. Hesse shows this when writing on page 37, "He saw trees, stars, animals, clouds, rainbows, rocks, herbs, flowers, streams and rivers, dew glittering on the brush in the morning, distant lofty peaks blue and pale; birds and bees sang their songs, the wind blew silver in the rice fields. These myriads of colorful things had always been there; the sun and moon had always shone, rivers had always rushed and bees hummed. But in former days all this had been nothing". In this passage the author uses an expansive amount of visual imagery to shock the reader's senses and overload them visually. Hesse does this to make the reader feel something similar to waking up from a sleep and then seeing your surroundings for the first time similar to Siddhartha's figurative awakening from what he views as past ignorance. Siddhartha realizes that all the wonderful things had always been around him he just hadn't noticed or utilized them before to sleeping when a person's surroundings are still there they just aren't taking advantage of them or recognizing them. The author also uses this imagery to describe Siddhartha's awakening because in the past the author would usually describe Siddhartha's thought process to show why he would be pursuing a new path of knowledge but in this case the author shows us the world from Siddhartha's point of view giving the reader an almost surreal experience. Seeing things from Siddhartha's point of view also forms a connection between the reader and the main character making the reader feel closer to the main character as well as more a part of the story. When the author uses the main characters point of view it creates a unique relationship with the reader because the reader then feels as if they are apart of the story and experiencing it themselves rather than just watching the situation unfold. This makes the story more interesting as well as it creates more emotion for the reader because while a person can be sympathetic to a character's situation the emotion isn't real or genuine until they feel they are experiencing what the character is experiencing. The use of visual imagery is the first paragraph of the chapter "Kamala" does not only symbolize Siddhartha's awakening to a new path of knowledge but it also creates a profound emotional connection between the character Siddhartha and the reader.
ReplyDeleteIn the beginning of the chapter entitled "Kamala", Siddhartha had a dream when he was sleeping in the straw hut of the ferryman. Hesse writes, "Govinda stood before him in a yellow ascetic's robe. Govinda looked sad, and sadly he asked, "Why have you abandoned me?" Then he embraced Govinda, threw his arms around him, and as he helf him to his breast and kissed him it was no longer Govinda but a woman, and a full breast popped out of the woman's garment, on which Siddhartha rested his head and drank. The milk from this breast tasted sweet and strong. It tasted of woman and man, of sun and forest, of beast and flower, of every fruit, of every desire. It made one drunk and unaware," (Hesse 39). This is a very powerful quote because it is one of two that foreshadow to Siddhartha's time with Kamala. Kamala teaches him the art of love, and teaches him many other things within that field. The way the milk in the dream was described proves that the dream Siddhartha had was more than just that of a lonely young man. Siddhartha describes the milk as "sweet and strong", which is describing Kamala, and the path that lay before him. Kamala is caring, but she is also very strong willed and proud. The next part of the quote which states, "It tasted of woman and man", is describing Siddhartha and Kamala. Alluding to the fact that they both learn from each other, and that it is not a one way path in Kamala's teachings. Siddhartha learns the art of giving back from her, he learns some humility. The last part of the quote, which is written, " of sun and forest, of beast and flower, of every fruit, of every desire. It made one drunk and unaware," This means that his time with Kamala is about more than the art of love, lust, and hunger. It is a time of understanding and growth, understanding another person in their most intimate and deepest depths.
ReplyDelete“When she heard the first news of SIddhartha’s disappearance, she stepped over to the window, where she kept a rare songbird in a gold cage. She opened the door of the cage, took out the bird, and let it fly. She watched and watched it, the flying bird. From that day on she received no visitors and kept her house locked. After a time she realized that she was pregnant from her last meeting with Siddhartha.” (Hesse 76)
ReplyDeleteThis passage is a result of earlier foreshadowing and shows foreshadowing for the future. Siddhartha dreamed of Kamala’s songbird dieing, throwing it in the street and his heart aching as if he had thrown away all value and goodness. Since a bird is never just a bird,the songbird represents Siddhartha and way the Kamala just lets him go. Her watching the bird after it flies off is foreshadowing that Siddhartha will not die like the bird in his dream because he has Kamala longing after him. The part about Kamala being pregnant at the end is symbolic of SIddhartha being a bird because birds are delicate and the baby will be too. Mother birds return to with food to to their babies when they are hungry so this foreshadows Siddhartha will return to the baby when it needs him.
The bird that was described as rare and was kept in a valuable gold cage is symbolic of SIddhartha . Kamala not receiving visitors and keeping her house locked shows how she will value the baby as being even more special than the song bird and will do everything to provide and protect it. This will play a part in the nature of the boy which will affect his and SIddhartha’s relationship later in the story.
I think across the course of Siddhartha we see a man moving further and further away from the enlightened state. While he is worshiping rivers and thinking Giovinda is a girl, he forgets many important life lessons. This leads to Siddhartha to become isolated from reality, and ignore facts of life such as the truth of his life jacket being under his seat. When Siddhartha is at the purple airport of love he becomes entranced by a demon named Kamala. They travel together all over the country, and as they near the end of their journey Siddhartha realizes that the Lord doesn't want him. So Siddhartha returns to the sound of the city, and finds he can no longer function in modern society. So Siddhartha then loses track of his ability to recognize all forms and distinctions, and ends up falling into a catatonic state. Siddhartha dreams of himself as a bird and flies beyond the sea to Kamala's home. Once he arrives at Kamala's home, he looks up and see's all the planets of the universe, and discovers he has become unenlightened. His life becomes a twisted wreckage, and attempts to find one last chance of survival in the cold universe. As Siddhartha starts fading away he gains a hold on cosmos, and tries to pull himself to safety. Once he realizes he is in the Strangelands he enters the endless sleep, never to return. As we see Siddhartha is actually a ghost in the last few chapters of the book, and this is proven by the last page of the book which reads: " You are I or I am you You I am or I am you You am I or am I you You are Maya Ram are you You are my Hiram are you You am I or I am you You are Maya I am you You am I as I are you You are Maya's eye are you You are I or I am you." And thus with this final unrevelation, Siddhartha leaves to go to hell where all the unenlightened spawn of the earth go.
ReplyDeleteMe too
DeleteOn the third page of the chapter, ‘The ferryman’, Siddhartha discusses his newfound love for the river with the ferryman,“’…and take my clothes instead’. ‘And will the gentleman continue without clothes?’ ‘I should prefer not to go further. I should prefer it if you would give me some old clothes and keep me here as your assistant, or rather your apprentice, for I must learn how to handle the boat.’”(Hesse 103)
ReplyDeleteWhen Siddhartha says that he ‘should prefer not to go further’, Hesse is showing the reader that Siddhartha has learned from his experience as a Samana. He knows now that making himself completely devoid of all feelings and pleasure is not the path to Om, his nakedness being a symbol for the path of the Samana. This shows he has learned and rejected the extreme doctrines of living in pain.
He also learned that indulging himself with pleasure rather than feeding his soul is not the way to Om either, his lavish clothing being a symbol for his experience with Kamala. Which is another example of rejecting extremes, he knows that what others have taught him about how to live and make himself rich and happy is not the way to attain Om. Instead, Siddhartha chooses the middle way, which is symbolized by the humble clothing he wishes to dress himself with.
He asks to be his assistant instead of becoming his student because the ferryman has learned from the river through experience. Siddhartha does not wish to learn from the ferryman but rather is wise enough to know that he can learn to live Om from the river. He knows that by being on the river and experiencing it for himself he can learn to handle the boat. He would not be able to do that if he just had the ferryman tell him how to. Instead, they work together on the boat and in the fields to coexist. He learns from experience and by observing his friend how to work with the water. The boat, symbolizing his existence, which he must learn to navigate through the river, which symbolizes all the life and frequencies he occupies the universe with.
At the beginning of the chapter “By the River”, Siddhartha has just left the city where he was staying, living the life of material wealth that he had originally tried to break away from. Despite running away from this life yet again, Siddhartha still feels guilty that he allowed himself to get distracted by worldly pleasures. “Siddhartha wandered in the forest. He was already far from the city. He knew only one thing - that he could not go back, that the life he had led for so many years was over and gone. He had sucked it and drained it to the point of revulsion” (Hesse, 86). In this passage, Hesse uses metaphors to describe the immense guilt that Siddhartha feels for all of the decisions he has made up until this point in his life because he ended up going back to what he was trying to avoid. This shows that Siddhartha is diverging from the path of enlightenment because he cannot except that he made a mistake in his life, as many people do, because he believes that becoming enlightened means that he must be perfect in all ways. This contrasts to what the future holds for him, when he eventually learns from the river, because Siddhartha is currently only reflecting on everything that he has done wrong, rather than thinking about how he can better himself later so that he can put himself back on track to the path of finding enlightenment. This shows another example of Siddhartha diverging from the path of enlightenment because he has not yet diminished his ego because he still expects that he must be perfect in everything if he ever wants to obtain Nirvana. Despite everything he has been through, Siddhartha still has a long way to go before he can achieve the ultimate goal.
ReplyDeleteAt the beginning of the chapter titled “Samsara,” the narrator describes Siddhartha’s slow descent into the realm of worldly pleasures. He depicts Siddhartha’s yearning for knowledge as it slowly fades into a ghost. The passage states:
ReplyDelete“The Sublime, brilliant wakefulness he had once known-- in the prime of his youth, in the days following Gotama’s discourse, following the separation from Govinda-- that tau expectancy, that proud independence beyond learning and doctrine, that adaptable readiness to hear the divine voice in his own heart, had gradually become a memory, something transient. (Hesse, 59-60)”
The translator’s use of words like “sublime” and “wakefulness” help convey the complexity and immensity of Siddhartha’s quest for enlightenment. Hesse also uses taut to describe Siddhartha’s anticipation of the potential new knowledge, almost as if he were a bow about to snap. This could also refer back to one of his lessons as a Brahmin earlier in life-- “Om is the bow, the arrow is the soul, Brahman is the arrow’s target. One should strike it without wavering.” One difference, however, has to do with Siddhartha’s new-found independence lets him direct himself (as the bow) instead of letting the Om, an outside force, control the way his thoughts develop. This idea is supported in the passage in “...that proud independence beyond learning and doctrine.”
Herman Hesse also describes the process of enlightenment as the “divine voice” one hears in their heart, their entire being. This could be anything from an all-powerful being guiding one along their path simply to one’s inner conscience telling them where to go. In Siddhartha’s case, this is probably merely his own inner voice reminding him what path he is trying to follow. In either case, however, it seems Siddhartha’s lost this path as he becomes accustomed to the life of worldly desires, as the path becomes “a memory, something transparent. (Hesse, 60)”
In the chapter “The Ferryman,” Hesse writes, “Happiness shone in Vasudeva’s face as he laughed. He leaned over to Siddhartha and whispered the sacred OM into his ear. And that is just what Siddhartha had also heard. And from one occasion to the next, his smile came more and more to resemble the ferryman’s. It became nearly as radiant, nearly as aglow with happiness, shone in the same way out of a thousand little wrinkles, was just as much like a child’s and just as much like an old man’s” (84-85). At this point, Siddhartha is sitting near the river with Vasudeva, the ferryman he had met earlier along his journey. In the passage, a motif appears that is present throughout the book: smiling. When Siddhartha first encountered the Buddha, the author described his face as giving “the impression of a slight inward smile” (23), and again when Siddhartha parts with him, stating that “with half a smile, with an unshakable brightness and kindliness, Gotama looked the stranger in the eye and dismissed him with a scarcely visible gesture” (29). Siddhartha noticed and was pleased with the smile of the Buddha; it gave him happiness and strength to push on. Later in the book, when Siddhartha first parts with the ferryman, Hesse writes, “Smiling, they said their goodbyes” (40). When they reconnect later in the book, Hesse puts emphasis on the smiling and happiness of Vasudeva, stating, “Smiling, the oarsman swayed back and forth” (80) and “A bright smile came over Vasudeva’s face” (83). Like the Buddha, Vasudeva has also reached Nirvana. It appears that the characters whose smiles are emphasized throughout the book are the only characters that have achieved Enlightenment. Smiling elicits inner peace and happiness, and only those who have truly reached Enlightenment are able to smile with such authenticity. Siddhartha notices the slight but radiant smile of the Buddha first, and then again in the ferryman, and takes great joy from them. In the passage above, once Vasudeva whispers OM into Siddhartha’s ear, a smile begins to spread across Siddhartha’s face as if it were transferred from Vasudeva to him. The author compares his smile to both a child and an old man, because both have the same smile; a child smiles because everything in the world is new and exciting, and an old man smiles because he has experienced all life has to offer. The author states that Siddhartha’s smile begins to resemble the ferryman’s, because he is reaching the same level of understanding and enlightenment as the ferryman himself. Siddhartha’s smile represents him finally reaching Nirvana and creating a melodious relationship with the world around him.
ReplyDeleteIn the chapter "Samsara" Siddhartha has a dream about a songbird that Kamala owns Hesse writes on page 64, "In a golden cage Kamala had a small, rare songbird. He dreamed about the bird. He dreamed the bird, who otherwise always sang in the morning was silent. Noticing this, he went over to the cage and looked inside. The little bird was dead and lay stiff on the bottom of the cage. He took it out, weighed a moment in his hand, then threw it away". In this passage the author uses the bird as a symbol of Siddhartha's freedom and independence from the world not requiring anything from anyone because he was a free spirit. However this freedom and independence dies when he comes to the city and becomes addicted to many of the worldly pleasures that he is experiencing such as wealth, gambling, and drinking. Siddhartha becomes addicted to these things especially gambling after staying in the city for a while and now works only to satisfy his addiction. In the past chapters Siddhartha had always been a free spirit with nothing tying him down or restricting him to any one place or to anyone but he is now not only addicted but he is dedicated to Kamala and Kamaswami. The cage is also a symbol for his relationship to Kamala and Kamaswami as well as his commitments in the city because he is no longer allowed to as he pleases and can no longer seek for enlightenment because of his need to tend to his duties now. The bird dies in the cage because even though initially Siddhartha only was doing the things he was in the city as part of his search for himself and knowledge he eventually forgets that and becomes enthralled with the city life killing his free spirit searching for enlightenment. This symbol also proves the maxim that "flight is freedom" yet again.
ReplyDelete“Fear struck deep into Siddhartha. So this was the way things stood with him! He was so lost, so confused and forsaken by all wisdom that he has been able to seek death. His wish, the wish he had had as a child to find peace, had grown so large he had sought it in the dissolution of his body. That wisch all the pain-all the disillusionment and despair- of his recent life had not achieved had been brought about by the moment in which om penetrated his awareness: He recognized himself in the midst of his misery and delusion.”(pg.70)
ReplyDeleteIn this paragraph, Hesse uses irony to show Siddhartha’s complete circle back to being a child who learns from teachers and to set a humorous tone for the reader. The very first word of the paragraph, ”fear,”suggests that Siddhartha has become childish even by his own standards, as he believes that wise men and shramanas never feel fear. This is ironic because Siddhartha has always viewed himself as advancing and growing more wise and never thought he would act as a child does. After he tries to drown himself, Siddhartha realizes,”he was so lost, so confused and forsaken by all wisdom that he has been able to seek death.” This is ironic, because his whole life, he believed wisdom would bring him enlightenment, but he almost kills himself because of the drowning, overwhelming knowledge. Siddhartha so desperately wanted to find peace through wisdom, that he became narrow minded, much like a child, and saw suicide as the only way to find peace. Thinking back to his goal, he remembers,”his wish, the wish he had had as a child to find peace….” He believes he has grown from a youth to a man during his experiences, but this is ironic, because he has never been able to move past his wish he had as a child, which shows that he is still stuck in his childhood foolishness. He loses his strength and tries to take what seems to be an easy path, but saves himself when he remember the perfect “OM” which he had learned from his childhood and from his teachers. This is ironic, because what saves him is not his own experiences, but the knowledge he carries from his youth. It is also ironic that his first experience back from the village is a suicide attempt as he has finally escaped the foul ways of the child people. Only after he his “baptized” by the river does he feel new and clean and free from the greed and filth of the last years of his life. The river gives him ”rebirth” and he becomes a child, experiencing the world for the first time again. This leads the reader to question: was all his pain and suffering worth it just to start over on his journey as a child again? He had found comfort and answers in his childhood teaching, which foreshadows that he will return to a teacher, the river, to find awakening. The irony of the event shows Siddhartha’s return to a teacher while giving a humorous mood.
In chapter seven of "Siddhartha" by Herman Hesse, Kamala sets a song bird free after hearing of Siddhartha's departure. She was not surprised by his departure, she expected it. It is interesting though how Siddhartha dreamed of the same song bird, but in his dream, he threw the song bird out the window because he though it was dead. In his dream, he felt despair for throwing the song bird out, because he felt as though part of him had been severed. When he awoke from his dream, he felt dread, as if he had made a mistake in discarding the bird. If the song bird has been a representation of Siddhartha the entire time,then how is it that the songbird was dead in his dream but alive in real life? The answer is it was the voice of knowing inside of him that made him have the dream. The bird in real life was representation of Siddhartha as well. Rare, and above everyone and anything else. Like the bird, Siddhartha can not be caged, he must be free.
ReplyDelete“Kamala gazed steadily into his eyes. She recalled wanting to go on a pilgrimage to Guatama, to see the face of the Perfect Man, to breathe his peace. And now instead she had found Siddhartha and that was good, it was just as good as if she had seen the other. She wanted to tell him, but her tongue no longer obeyed her will. Silently she looked at him, and he saw the light fading in her eyes. When the final pain filled her eyes and broke, when the final shudder ran through her limbs, his finger closed her lids.” (Hesse 100)
ReplyDeleteThis quote is from towards the end of Guatama after Kamala has been bitten by the snake and is brought into the hut by Vasudeva. Siddhartha tells Kamala that he has found peace before this passage. During their youth, Siddhartha had talked about learning from himself instead of the samanas but ultimately, he still wanted to find peace. During the beginning of the novel, Siddhartha wanted to become enlightened like the Buddha but he decided he couldn't learn the Buddha himself after seeing him in person. It’s interesting how Hesse decides to say It was just as good as if she had seen the Buddha. Siddhartha experienced the awakening but he was not enlightened into a world without thirst yet he is describes as being parallel to the Buddha.
SIddhartha closing her lids shows his godliness and how merciful he is since he is leading her into death. Others have always seen Siddhartha as being blessed or god-like but does Siddhartha himself feel like that aswell? This also adds to Siddhartha telling the Buddha he cannot learn from him to his face which any regular person would not have been able to do and the way Siddhartha always believes he is above others.
In the final chapter of his novel “Siddhartha”, Herman Hesse writes, “... I have found: Wisdom cannot be communicated. Wisdom that a wise man tries to communicate always sounds foolish.’ ‘Are you joking?’ asked Govinda. ‘I am not joking. I am telling you what I have found. Knowledge can be communicated, but not wisdom. We can find it, we can live it, we can be carried by it, we can work wonders with it, but we cannot utter it or teach it. That was what I sometimes sensed in my youth, what drove me away from the teachers... When the sublime Gautama spoke and taught about the world, he had to divide into samsara and Nirvana, into illusion and truth, into sorrow and salvation. There is no other choice, there is no other way for the man who wishes to teach. But the world itself, the Being around us and within us, is never one sided. Never is a man or a deed all samsara or Nirvana, never is a man all saintly or all sinful”(124).
ReplyDeleteIn this passage, Govinda asks Siddhartha what he has found that led him to be enlightened. Govinda has been previously characterized as a shadow of wise characters and a person who follows in the footsteps of others rather than leading. As Siddhartha and Govinda are best friends, Siddhartha is ironically opposite in character because he realized that he would not be able to learn enlightenment from a teacher but needed to achieve it on his own. Govinda asks Siddhartha of enlightenment but Siddhartha is unable to convey enlightenment to Govinda. This is different than the young Siddhartha who conveyed most of his thoughts to Govinda on enlightenment, such as those on the samanas. It is also different than the Buddha who teaches to many followers. Govinda, who is not dumb, is not accustomed to being denied the simple request of knowledge. Govinda’s frustration is demonstrated says ‘Are you joking’. This response of his is notably similar to modern society in which the younger generations are berated for their lack of patience. There is the expectation that people will be very willing to invest years into an effort, which Govinda has done with the samanas and in the service of the Buddha. However, it seems that he has lost some portion of his patience in the years that passed by whilst he continued to want enlightenment. Many, such as the samanas, would say that the search is unending and he needs to fully commit his life. However, Govinda truly has dedicated his life because visiting Siddhartha shows that Govinda questions the value of the Buddha’s teachings in comparison.
In the final chapter “Govinda”, Hesse finally writes about the long-awaited reunion between Siddhartha and Govinda. During this meeting, it takes some time for Govinda to recognize his old friend, but nevertheless, he eventually recognizes him. After a series of events, Govinda pays homage to his friend by bowing down to him and kissing his brow. Once Govinda kisses his brow, he sees great visions in Siddhartha. “...Govinda saw the smile of the mask, the smile of unity over the flowing forms, the smile of simultaneity over the myriad births and deaths. This smile of Siddhartha’s was exactly the same, resembled exactly the still, refined, impenetrable, perhaps-kind-perhaps-disdainful, wise, thousandfold smile of Gotama the Buddha, just as he himself, awestruck, had seen it a hundred times. So Govinda knew, this is the way the Perfect Ones smile” (Hesse, 148). In this passage, the author uses imagery to imply that Siddhartha has finally achieved enlightenment, and that his friend Govinda is the first person to discover this. The imagery also implies that by kissing the brow of Siddhartha, Govinda himself has been revealed to the path to enlightenment. This revelation sums up the message of the book, that in order to search what you are looking for, you must follow your own path, and only then will you find it. For Siddhartha, this meant following multiple paths to find which one would lead him to enlightenment, and for Govinda, this meant following Siddhartha until he finally achieved knowledge on how he could also achieve Nirvana. By choosing their own paths and following their hearts, both Siddhartha and Govinda found what they were both looking for.
ReplyDeleteI like your analysis of the imagery in the passage, but I also think another idea is present within it. In one of my blogs, I talked about a smile being symbolic of enlightenment and inner happiness, and that same idea can be seen here in the quote. Hesse uses anaphora when he repeats the words "the smile of" in order to emphasize their importance. When Govinda and Siddhartha reunite, Govinda is still seeking enlightenment, but he can tell that Siddhartha has achieved it based on his observation of Siddhartha's smile as "the way the Perfect Ones smile." This smile represents an inner sense of content and peace with the world that can only be found from following one's own path and using inner guidance as a teacher, and I like how you added this into your analysis as well. Govinda also talks about being "awestruck" when he sees the smile of Siddhartha, which highlights another important idea throughout the book. Govinda always stood in awe of others and wanted what they contained, and because of that he attempted to base his journey off of others'. Siddhartha, on the other hand, refused to commit to a single person, no matter how wise or venerable they were. This difference in characterization throughout the story and how Siddhartha is ultimately the one to achieve enlightenment before Govinda emphasizes Hesse's ideas about following one's own path as well.
DeleteIn the final chapter of the book, when Govinda and Siddhartha reunite, Siddhartha tells Govinda, “‘Knowledge can be expressed, but not wisdom. One can discover it, one can live it, one can be borne along by it, one can do miracles with it, but one cannot express it and teach it…The opposite of every truth is also just as true! It is like this: A truth can be expressed and cloaked in words only of it is one-sided. Everything that can be thought in thoughts and expressed in words is one-sided, only a half. All such things lack wholeness, fullness, unity’” (Hesse 110). Throughout Siddhartha’s journey over the course of the book, he consistently denied all teachings that are introduced to him. From his father to the Buddha to Kamala, every person who had an influence on Siddhartha’s knowledge was eventually left behind. Hesse uses Siddhartha’s actions and his words in the passage above to convey his ideas about wisdom and knowledge. While anyone can retain knowledge through a teaching, the true guide to a deeper and more conceptual understanding of the world is through one’s own actions and thoughts. Siddhartha speaks about how everything has two sides, and how these polarities are the barrier between knowledge and wisdom. Instead of attempting to master one-sided ideas, such as the spiritual and material worlds, Hesse argues that enlightenment only comes to those who find a balance between the two. He uses anaphora in the first few sentences of the passage above to emphasize that while one can find knowledge every day, it takes a much deeper and more internal process in order to find wisdom. Siddhartha pursues Nirvana relentlessly throughout the novel by attempting to first conquer the spiritual world through fasting, praying, and eliminating his entire being. He then attempts to conquer the material world while he is with Kamala and Kawaswami by indulging in luxuries such as women and money. It is only when Siddhartha finds a common ground between the two worlds that he is able to achieve enlightenment.
ReplyDeleteIn the chapter entitled “Om,” Siddhartha lives with the ferryman, named Vasudeva, by the river. They ferryman, having just found enlightenment, decides to head into the woods to be released from the cycle of rebirth. The specific passage reads:
ReplyDelete“Siddhartha bowed low before the leave-taker.
‘I knew it,’ he said softly. ‘You will go into the forest?’
‘I am going into the forest. I am going into the unity,’ said Vasudeva, beaming.
Beaming, he went his way. Siddhartha looked after him. With profound joy and profound seriousness he looked after him, observed his tranquil walk, saw his countenance aglow, saw his form full of light. (Hesse, 106)”
Vasudeva states “I am going into the unity, (Hesse, 106)” which suggests his desire to entire into the realm of nirvana after finding his enlightenment. After years of meditation on the banks of the river, he is finally free of samsara and the worries of the child people he regularly assists.
Herman Hesse also uses inspiring diction, such as beaming, profound joy, and a countenance aglow to show Siddhartha’s admiration for Vasudeva. His use of words such as a countenance aglow and a form full of light also help emphasize Vasudeva’s new-found holiness-- not unlike Gotama the Enlightened One, whom Siddhartha met many years before.
While seemingly unsuspecting, this passage and the surrounding context helped prove a point Siddhartha had known for a long time-- you will never find enlightenment through just the teachings of another man. Gotama found enlightenment through his own meditation of the 4 Noble Truths, and Vasudeva found his by the banks of the river, with no one else by his side. Now it was Siddhartha’s turn.
In the chapter "Om" Siddhartha finds respect and humility to another man for the first time. In the novel Siddhartha is a very proud person and considers himself superior and wiser than everyone, even the Buddha, as he dismissed him after meeting him saying he could not teach Siddhartha anything. Throughout the story Siddhartha is humbled by no one except for the ferryman, named Vasudeva, as he is the one who leads Siddhartha to enlightenment. Hesse writes on page 105, "Bright shone Vasuveda's smile; it hovered, glowing, in all the wrinkles of his aged countenance, just as the OM hovered over all the voices of the river. Bright shone his smile as he gazed at his friend, and now the same smile shone brightly in Siddhartha's face. His wound blossomed, his suffering was radiant, his ego had dissolved into the unity". This is the moment after Siddhartha reaches enlightenment by Vasudeva's instruction and direction and also the moment all his pride "dissolves". Siddhartha hadn't been able to find enlightenment his entire life even though it had been his goal for the entirety of it, and it wasn't until he respected another man and truly followed another man's teachings that he was able to do so. Hesse is instructing the readers that the only way to true happiness and knowledge is through humility. In order to gain a true understanding of things a person must be humble to the teacher who is teaching them these things, whether that be life or a physical teacher, which is why Siddhartha can't reach enlightenment and full understanding until he acknowledges the fact that someone knows more than him and is showing him the way which is what was lacking in his other experiences. Hesse is not saying that all the other paths are wrong and the only way to find knowledge is by living and listening to a river but is making an example of all of Siddhartha's failed attempts that eventually led him to happiness and enlightenment.
ReplyDelete“This,”he said playfully,”is a stone, and after a certain length of time, it will perhaps be earth, and from the earth a plant will come, or an animal or a person. Formerly I would have said: ‘This is just a stone, it is worthless, part of the world of Maya. But in the cycle of transformations it can also become human and spirit, and so I attribute value to it.’ That is perhaps how I used to think. But today I think: ‘This stone is a stone, it is also a beast, it is also God, it is also Buddha.’ I do not venerate and love it because someday it may become this or that but because it long since is and ever will be everything-and just in this account: that it is a stone, that it appears to me here and now as a stone-just because of that I love it and see value and meaning in its veins and pits, in its yellow, in its grey, in its hardness, in the sound it makes when I give it a knock, in the dryness or moistness of its surface. There are stones that feel like oil or soap, and each one is unique and prays the OM in its own way. Each one is Brahman, but at the same time and just as much, it is a stone, oily and soapy-and just that is what pleases me and seems wonderful to me, worthy of veneration”(pg.111)
ReplyDeleteIn this passage, Hesse uses symbolism of a rock to reveal Siddhartha’s beliefs at the long awaited finish to his journey and to create a relieved, peaceful tone for the reader. As Siddhartha and Govinda meet for the last time at the ferryman’s hut, Siddhartha explains his idea of enlightenment to his friend. He picks up a stone from the dirt and begins to share his old, childish beliefs. He says,”This is just a stone, it is worthless, part of the world of Maya. But in the cycle of transformations it can also become human and spirit, and so I attribute value to it.” This shows Siddhartha’s past Buddhist belief that humans are above all else and separate from the world around them. He believed those seeking enlightenment through knowledge were far superior to those who lived a life simply interacting with the world. This led him to a very lonely and distant life. He could not appreciate and love the animals, people, emotions around him, the world that he was simply floating in. He moves on quickly from this and shares his current beliefs. He explains to Govinda, “This is a stone, it is also a beast, it is also God, it is also Buddha.” After listening to the wise river’s voices, he realises that time and separation does not exist, that everything is all the same, all one, unified through the perfect OM. He says, “There are stones that feel like oil or soap, and each one is unique and prays the OM in its own way. Each one is Brahman, but at the same time and just as much, it is a stone, oily and soapy…” Siddhartha is saying that all people, childpeople, brahmin, or shramana, are still people. The life and energy around them flows through all the people and creatures of the earth. Siddhartha listened to all the voices of the river combined into the perfect OM to realize that all parts and people of the world flow together endlessly to create perfect harmony. He uses the symbolism of a stone to simply say:all objects and creatures of the world are all equal. A human had no different purpose than any other creature or object. Everything is all connected create the calm, perfect OM. This conclusion to Siddhartha’s endless search for enlightenment gives the reader a peaceful, happy tone using symbolism of a stone.