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Siddhartha
Essay Topic Ideas
Describe
when & where the story is taking place, information about the
narrator, what you think the book is trying to achieve, what theme(s )
or life issue(s) the book focuses on.
Indian philosophy Siddhartha is told by an omniscient third person
narrator with frequent direct and indirect quotations of the words and
thoughts of various characters, especially Siddhartha. The narrator,
almost invariably, looks at things from Siddhartha's perspective A
mystical and lyrical book, Siddhartha is a beautiful story of a truly
personal quest towards the self-fulfillment we all must strive to
attain
Siddhartha's
life takes him on a journey toward enlightenment. Afire with youthful
idealism, the Brahmin joins a group of ascetics, fasting and living
without possessions. Meeting Gotama the Buddha, he comes to feel this
is not the right path, though he also declines joining the Buddha's
followers. He reenters the world, hoping to learn of his own nature,
but instead slips gradually into hedonism and materialism. Surfeited
and disgusted, he flees from his possessions to become a ferryman's
apprentice, learning what lessons he can from the river itself. Herman
Hesse's 1922 Bildungsroman parallels the life of Buddha and seems to
argue that lessons of this sort cannot be taught but come from one's
own struggle to find truth. But several years of prosperous worldly
existence dilutes his intellectual acuity, numbs his senses, breeds
tremendous ennui, and leads to a spiraling recrudescence of petty and
diluting human emotions. His flight from that comfortable living, his
meeting with his son (begottten of Kamala) who he is unable to relate
to
2. Describe
an important character: their appearance, actions, ideas, thoughts,
and interactions with other characters. The primary theme of Siddhartha is the individual's difficult and
lonely search for self-fulfillment. Both the means used by the hero in
his quest and the nature of his fulfillment are of prime importance
and reflect recurring themes that thread their way through all of
Hesse's work. A second important symbol in Siddhartha is that of the
smile. The characters in the story who attain a final state of
complete serenity are each characterized by a beautiful smile
reflecting a peaceful and harmonious state of being.
Siddhartha's time with the Buddha is very important since he (Siddhartha)
realizes that True Knowledge cannot be communicated, and that it has
to be experienced, that it cannot be taught by a teacher or written
down in a book; it has to be a lone spiritual journey undertaken by
the individual soul itself. Siddhartha spurns the Buddha's spirited
following and embarks very determinedly to immerse himself in worldly
experience
3. Describe
the setting, time period and geographical region. The
novel takes place in ancient
India around the time of the Buddha (6th century BC). It
starts as Siddhartha,
a Brahmin's son, leaves his home to join the ascetics with his
companion Govinda. The two set out in the search of enlightenment.
Siddhartha goes through a series of changes and realizations as he
attempts to achieve this goal. It
begins with Siddhartha's royal birth in India in the Sixth Century BCE
into a Brahmin's life of privilege and wealth, continues through
Siddhartha's traditional discovery of poverty, death, disease and pain
as he wanders outside the royal estates, and his consequent desire to
conquer or somehow come to terms with what he sees, things he had been
sheltered from since birth. Thus we have the fundamental tenant of
Buddhism: Life is suffering. The scene where the young Siddhartha
confronts his father and stands up all night to show his resolve is
one of the greatest "coming of age" scenes ever written.
4. Analyze
a conflict, life experience or turning point that has a major effect
on them.
Siddhartha's life takes him on a journey toward enlightenment how can the protagonist attain a state of happiness and serenity by
means of a long and arduous path?
lessons of this sort cannot be taught but come from one's own struggle
to find truth. Siddhartha insists upon the right to choose his
own path to fulfillment. Hesse's protagonist, however, seeks his own
personal path to fulfillment, not someone else's. It is one of trial
and error and he is only subconsciously aware of its nature
fasting
and living without possessions. Meeting Gotama the Buddha, he comes to
feel this is not the right path, though he also declines joining the
Buddha's followers. He reenters the world, hoping to learn of his own
nature, but instead slips gradually into hedonism and materialism.
Surfeited and disgusted, he flees from his possessions to become a
ferryman's apprentice, learning what lessons he can from the river
5. Describe
the similarities in themes or content between the book you read and
another you’ve read recently. How do the approaches differ?
The story is the classic journey, both outward into the world and
inward into the soul. Siddharta is reared in wealth and priviledge and
yet like many insightful persons, recognizes that this is a fragile
and illusory reality and social class construct. He breaks with his
father, an act that all of us must underdo to became truely
individuated adults. Gifted with male beauty, intelligence, and warm
charism, Siddharta makes his way into the world. He joins wandering
ascetics and masters hunger and cold. He becomes a hedonist and lover
to a beautiful woman while becoming a successful merchant. These were
not wasted years. In fact, Siddharta learned deep lessons in his soul
through his love-making. He learns the mystery of becoming one with
another body during passion. But he also learns that worldly sexual
love fades and attachements are hard to break. He becomes a ferryman,
gaining wisdom from the tides and river banks.
6.
The
ending: how does the author finish the book? What effect
does the ending have on the reader (you)? How does the ending
compare to another book you’ve read?
Although he is confused, he still managed to find peace from the
river. He decided to learn and become "one" with the river.
He became a ferryman who guides others across the river and gives
advice to others from the lessons he learned from the river. The story
ends with Siddhartha finding the peace that passeth all understanding,
learned from a simple ferry boatman as he listens to the timeless
voice of the river as it flows, expressing all that is or has been or
will be
fasting and living without possessions. Meeting
Gotama the Buddha, he comes to feel this is not the right path, though
he also declines joining the Buddha's followers. He reenters the
world, hoping to learn of his own nature, but instead slips gradually
into hedonism and materialism. Surfeited and disgusted, he flees from
his possessions to become a ferryman's apprentice, learning what
lessons he can from the river
the river is an age-old symbol of eternity and spiritual communion. A
mystical and lyrical book, Siddhartha is a beautiful story of a truly
personal quest towards the self-fulfillment we all must strive to
attain
7.
Comment
on what you’ve learned from reading this book.
Herman Hesse's Siddhartha is one such soul who was
born with an "unquenchable thirst" - in his own words - to
know and realize the meaning of life. Even his early childhood years
are spent with an acute suspicion and later - a deep belief that there
is more to life than just what one sees, eternal Truth beyond the
"Maya" or illusory world of sensory and sensual experience,
or even differently put, that realization of the True Self is the
ultimate goal of a human being.
Although Siddhartha
listens with great respect to the words of Buddha and does not reject
Buddhism as being right for others, he, himself, does not become
Buddha's disciple, but decides to pursue his goal through his own
effort, not by following a teacher The most important aspect of
Siddhartha's growing awareness, however, is an unselfish and
undirected love. he character of
Siddhartha himself. Hesse has created a seeker who is a real life
hero: kind, brave, strong of will and decisive, intelligent, modest,
confident, honest, hardworking, unprejudiced, self-questioning and
sometimes self-doubting, somebody we can identify with and admire.
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