Marsha Park
Mrs. McCarty
English 3 AP/IB
8 April 2016
Major Data Worksheet – Siddhartha
Title: Siddhartha
Author: Hermann Hesse
Date of Publication: 1922
Genre: Fiction; Philosophical Literature
Historical information about the period of publication:
During the years of publication, the novel was published before the world fell back into another World War. During the 1920s, Switzerland was living in great prosperity; the economy was booming similarly to the Jazz Age in America. Following the 20s, the world fell into a depression. In Switzerland, they suffered depression for the early 30s and in the later 30s, they prospered once more.
Plot Summary:
The novel opens with Siddhartha being the main topic of discussion in his town; known for his good looks, his “thirst for knowledge”, and being the son of a Brahmin. Although his days are full of learning and he is with his friend Govinda, Siddhartha is unsatisfied with the amount of knowledge he has gained during his learning.
When a group of Samanas; starved and naked; wander through the town, Siddhartha learns that they believe that enlightenment is brought upon a person through rejection of physical desires. Due to new findings, Siddhartha decides to follow the new path and goes to his father to let him know that he is changing his studies. Although his father was against the idea, seeing that nothing he does will change his son's determination, his father agrees to let him go.
When Siddhartha and Govinda joined the Samanas, their way of life adjusted quickly due to their knowledge from the teachings of the Brahmin. With the Samanas, Siddhartha learns how to free himself from the bonds that once held him back. Although Siddhartha has learned a lot through the time he was with the Samanas, he is dissatisfied with the teachings and once again decides to search out for the Gotama Buddha. Once again, Siddhartha meets with a barrier on his ideas of leaving. The leader of the Samanas disagrees, but Siddhartha uses one of his teachings against his leader, thus gaining freedom for both Govinda and himself.
As Siddhartha and Govinda head to the Gotama’s, Siddhartha is pleased with the teachings and Govinda remains behind to study with others. Although Govinda stays behind, Siddhartha begins to have his doubts and talks to the Buddha, asking questions, but not receiving the answers he wishes to hear. It is here that Siddhartha decides to leave Govinda behind in order to pursue further knowledge.
Along the way of his search, Siddhartha meets with a ferryman who was content with his life and learns that with the river, “everything comes back.” Coming into a city, Siddhartha meets Kamala and from her, he learns life as he has never before known. The life full of love, money, and materials. When he first meets with Kamala, she tells him that she would only teach him if he can prove that he belongs in the world of material. In order for Siddhartha to prove this, he gets Kamala’s help in finding Kamaswami and from him, he learns the world of being a merchant. In this city, Siddhartha learns about money from Kamaswami and love from the beautiful Kamala.
After years of living this life, Siddhartha realizes that he is no longer attached to life he originally followed from many years before. He was further detached from the world and with his realization, he decides that it was time for him to leave. As he left, Siddhartha is no longer thinking straight. He even had thoughts of drowning himself, but instead of carrying through with the deed, he falls asleep by the riverbank.
When he wakes up once more, he meets with Govinda, a past friend, who is now a Buddhist monk. Although the two have reunited, Govinda soon leaves Siddhartha and Siddhartha is once again alone, thinking about how life has taken its toll on him during his stay with money and love.
After some time of walking and thinking, Siddhartha returns to the ferryman he met the day before he fell into the hands of money and love. As he remains with Vasudeva, he learns that Vasudeva learned from the words of the river. This allows Siddhartha’s “thirst of knowledge” to once again awaken and from here, he begins to learn the ways Vasudeva had learned.
Biographical information about the author:
Hermann Hesse was born on July 2, 1877, in Calw, Germany to a family of Pietist theologians and missionaries. His parents, Johannes Hesse and Marie Gundert Hesse, and grandfather were missionaries who lived in India. During Hesse’s childhood, the family lives in Calw and in Basel, Switzerland.
Hesse was a good if somewhat inconsistent student; attending preparatory school in Göppingen and passing the notorious Swabian state exam. Although he was eligible to study for the Protestant ministry, he was unhappy with this decision and chose to run away after less than a year. His parents then enroll him in secondary school at Bad Cannstatt where he finished his formal education.
Hesse spent a year with a clockmaker in Calw before moving to Tübingen where he worked as a book dealer. Determined to become a writer, he spends his free time reading and writing. He then moves to Basel, Switzerland in 1899. It was during this year that Hesse published the first of his works. He achieved literary success in 1904 following the publication of Peter Camenzind.
In the same year, he marries, Maria Bernoulli and the couple moved to Gaienhofen on Lake Constance. In 1911, he took a trip to the East Indies thus marking the beginning of Hesse’s deep interest in Eastern religions and cultures.
By the start of World War I in 1914, he moved to Bern, Switzerland. He was rejected for military services and as the war progressed, he grew increasingly critical of widespread German nationalism. During this time period, he suffered from depression and stress, brought on by the death of his father, failing marriage, illness of wife and son. In 1962, August 9, Hermann Hesse died from cerebral hemorrhage.
Characteristics about the genre/period:
In 1919, Hesse moved to Switzerland and published Demian, a novel that had instant commercial and critical success. During this time period, Hesse was greatly interested in Eastern religions and his eagerness to learn more lead to his travels to Asia and the Middle East.
With his studies, he eventually began to write Siddhartha and published it in 1922. The novel was written in order for Hesse to explain his studies through the Buddhist point of view and with the novel’s success, it became one of Hesse’s famous book
Describe the author’s style:
Hermann Hesse writes with formal diction and prose that has a Biblical tone and simplicity. His style is very descriptive, in particular when he talks about the scenery around Siddhartha during different parts of the novel. In addition to this, Hesse has places where he is repetitive; especially when he talks about the events that hold the novel together.
Give an example that best illustrates the author’s style:
“[Siddhartha] was a joy to all, in his own heart he still bore no joy.” (S 1.6) He uses parallelism in this quote in order to bring a completion between two different ideas; one completes the other. Throughout the novel, there are many parallel idea is when Siddhartha is rejected by his son; just like when his father rejected him. Another idea would be when Siddhartha smiles at Govinda just like the Gotama Buddha smiled at him near the middle of his journey.
List four memorable quotes and the significance of each:
“‘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 grow tired.’
‘You will fall asleep, Siddhartha.’
‘I will not fall asleep.’
‘You will die, Siddhartha.’
‘I will die.’” (S 1.11)
This is an important quote because it shows Siddhartha’s father, reluctant in letting his son leave his side. His father knew the potential his son had and wasn’t looking to let him go just yet. This quote parallels, in a way at the end when Siddhartha and his son have the same course of action.
“Siddhartha learned a great deal among the samanas, he learned to walk many paths away from the I. He walked the path of self-distancing through pain, through voluntary endurance of suffering and vanquishing of pain, of hunger, of thirst, or exhaustion.” (S 1.14-15)
This quote is important because it reveals the moment when Siddhartha realizes that the amount of training he had been through hasn’t benefited him at all in his pursuit of knowledge. During this moment, Siddhartha is trapped in a never-ending cycle of suffering as he learned to be a Samana.
“Silently, he stood there in the rainy season, from his hair the water was dripping over freezing shoulders, over freezing hips and legs, and the penitent stood there, until he could not feel the cold in his shoulders and legs any more, until they were silent, until they were quiet.” (S 2.4)
This quote is important because it explains the nature of the Samanas; what they go through in order to learn their ways.
Name the major and minor characters in the work, his/her role in the story, his/her significance (changes, observer, stagnant), and two adjectives that describe the character:
Siddhartha – protagonist; changes from different teachings in the pursuit of knowledge; focused and thirsty for knowledge
Govinda – protagonist’s friend; follower of Gotama Buddha; cames back to Siddhartha; loyal and optimistic
Siddhartha’s Father – Brahmin; reluctant to let Siddhartha go on his adventure; let him go in hopes for him to return later on in the future as a new person; strict but open to new ideas
The Samanas – travelers who are deprived of clothing and food; greedy and frail
Gotama – spiritual person; Siddhartha praises his teachings; humble and good-natured
Kamala – teaches Siddhartha about love; Siddhartha’s lover; mother of the young Siddhartha; beautiful and enchanting
Kamaswami – teaches Siddhartha about money; Siddhartha’s teacher for merchant; wise and reliable
Vasudeva – ferryman; teaches Siddhartha about Om; river; friendly and honest
Young Siddhartha – son of Siddhartha and Kamala; lives with Siddhartha; runs away; defiant and modern
Give the setting:
The setting of Siddhartha is India. Although the regions differ due to each form of teachings Siddhartha learns, the general location of the events is India. Since this was during the time when Buddha was in India, it is around 625 B.C.
Name the major symbols and explain each:
The River: the river represents rebirth and life. It represents rebirth because Siddhartha was lost for some time after having left Kamala and his riches behind. During his time to himself, he was planning to end his life with the river, but was unable to do so. When he woke up once more, he realizes that dying wasn’t the answer and he becomes the person he was before. The river also represents life because it; although ended up taking the life of Kamala (figuratively; she died beside the river and with its current, she was swept with it); it brought Siddhartha a new life; his son’s.
The Ferryman: Vasudeva is, not only a character in the text, but also a symbol. He is a symbol because he guides Siddhartha to the path to find his answer to his troubles. Although Vasudeva took Siddhartha in, he didn’t teach him anything. Instead, he lets Siddhartha find the answer to himself.
What is the significance of the opening scene?
The significance of the opening scene is used in order to explain the Siddhartha of the past. Although the point of view is third-person; it explains what Siddhartha looks like and the reason for his adventure. The opening scene was the beginning of a separation between two friends from when they met under the Brahmin teachings.
What is the significance of the ending/closing scene?
The significance of the closing scene is used in order to explain that at the end, although the two friends had been separated, they came back together and were united with the vast amount of knowledge each of them had. Siddhartha with the most knowledge shared his knowledge to Govinda with a kiss. The closing scene was the reunion.
Name the possible themes and explain each:
The search for knowledge/enlightenment: The main theme throughout the novel has to be Siddhartha’s search for knowledge. In the beginning, he was a follower of the Brahmin, but when he met the Samanas, he realizes that his knowledge had just only begun to be filled. When he went to the Samanas, he gave up a majority of his being in order to find this truth that they were talking about. Although he did what he has been told, he wasn’t able to find what he was looking for. Due to this, he went to the Gotama Buddha. With him, he was taught some ideas, but it wasn’t enough. He then went to Kamala and Kamaswami in order to learn how to love and money. Although he learned from them, he had to lose himself in order to learn.