Character Relationships

Just as each character has his or her own effect on the journey toward Siddhartha's enlightenment, Siddhartha also influences each of the major characters. The novel assumes a third-person omniscient point of view that follows Siddhartha on his journey. Siddhartha's point of view on his relationships with the other characters is thus expressed to the reader. Hesse also incorporates a tone that is methodical, spiritual, and timeless into the novel. The tone makes it easy for the reader to understand Siddhartha's weaknesses, strengths, and obstacles and meditate upon them.

When Siddhartha finally achieves enlightenment himself, he begins a new cycle of time in which he takes the place of Vasuveda. Siddhartha has already lived the lives of his father and his son, and now he relieves the ferryman of his job and allows him to go into the woods--into "the unity of all things" (137).

Without Siddhartha, his old friend Govinda would not achieve enlightenment at the end of the novel. Siddhartha takes his own discoveries obtained along his own journey and relays them to Govinda, expressing that enlightenment can only be found within one's own self and that a mentor is not the answer. There is a difference between knowledge and wisdom in that knowledge can be passed from person to person, while wisdom takes on a more personal characteristic. Govinda does eventually achieve enlightenment with Siddhartha's tacit guidance.

Because of Siddhartha, Kamala is able to die with the dignity and satisfaction that she sought to achieve in the eyes of Gotama. She does not make it to him, however, but finds what she is looking for in her former lover. Siddhartha is almost at the point of enlightenment and is holy enough to satisfy Kamala's needs while she is on her deathbed.

Buddhism in the Novel

The religion of Buddhism forms the foundation upon which Hesse's novel, Siddhartha, is built. Just as the Buddhist religion centers on the teachings of Gautama Buddha, the character of Gotama in the novel is the one who has achieved enlightenment and who has many followers, including Govinda. Hesse connects Siddhartha to the actual Buddha through name; Gautama Buddha was also given the name Siddhartha.

The Middle Way is the center practice upon which Buddhism surrounds itself, and it was discovered by Gautama Buddha. It means taking the middle path, or finding a balance between self-mortification and self-indulgence, in order to achieve Nirvana (the end of all suffering and the understanding of the true nature of all things). In the novel, Siddhartha eventually takes this path in the third part of the novel and attains enlightenment by the river.

In real life, the Buddha taught the Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path as a cure for these truths. The truths consist of suffering, the cause of suffering, the cessation of suffering, and the way leading to the cessation of suffering (the Noble Eightfold Path). In the novel, Gotama teaches these concepts to his followers. The chapters in the novel mirror this idea as well. The first four chapters follow the four noble truths, and the last eight parallel the Noble Eightfold Path as Siddhartha travels through these concepts toward enlightenment.

Enlightenment at Last

Siddhartha becomes the embodiment of hypocrisy when he tries to impose his views on his son. He does not realize that he left his own father and future as a Brahmin for the group of Samanas. Siddhartha's central belief when it comes to enlightenment is that it must be found within one's own self. His son, however, is not being given this opportunity because his father's love is getting in the way. Siddhartha influences the character of his son through a lack of discipline. This results in the stubbornness, unhappiness, and downright depression that characterize the son's life and ultimately lead him to stealing the ferrymen's money and running away. However, this wound to Siddhartha's emotional health results in his enlightenment of the idea that all time is captured in the present moment. In himself, Siddhartha sees both his father and his son and realizes that life is a unity of all time, space, and experience. This brings in another theme in the novel--one of a recurrent cycle of time--a unity of all time that makes up the present. Not only does all time become one entity, but so do the all of the different voices of the river. When Siddhartha listens to them, he hears voices "entwined in a thousand ways . . . the great song of a thousand voices consisted of one word: Om--perfection" (135-136). It is at this point that Vasuveda leaves Siddhartha in Siddhartha's newly found "serenity of knowledge" (136).

Transition into a Third Stage

Siddhartha's epiphany that marks the entrance into the third part of the novel consists of the entity of "Om" permeating into his being by the river. Om makes him realize that there is still hope for enlightenment and that suicide is not the answer. The river and Om are symbols of another one of Siddhartha's rebirths into a new state of being- a state of joy. Siddhartha is a new man who has emerged stronger from his past mistakes. He "was transitory, all forms were transitory, but today he was young, he was a child--the new Siddhartha--and he was very happy" (100). Although Siddhartha has learned from his past journeys through asceticism and pleasure, he has not achieved an ultimate awakening, and he thus starts another cycle in his journey trying to find a balance between the two in his life on the river with Vasuveda. The chapter "By the River" thus serves as a transition chapter into Siddhartha's third stage in his process toward enlightenment. This new tranquil life as a ferryman teaches Siddhartha many lessons, including how to listen with an open mind and heart, time does not exist, and the river echoes a potpourri of voices that result in Om when put together.

Pleasure-Seeking in Part 2

The second part of Siddhartha's quest for enlightenment consists of the seeking of pleasure. This new obsession of Siddhartha's contrasts sharply with his previous spiritual and ascetic life. He now leads a life of desire and even transforms his physical body in order to fit into the material world. Kamala, the courtesan, and Kamaswami, the businessman, are mediums through which Siddhartha expresses himself in the material world. Kamala teaches him the art of love, and Kamaswami teaches him the art of business. Although Siddhartha finds success in the material world, he ultimately decides that this part of his journey has not been productive. He has another awakening similar to the one in Part I (in which he realizes that enlightenment comes from within the self) symbolized by the death of Kamala's songbird in Siddhartha's dream. The reality of the situation, however, is that the songbird is set free by Kamala, meaning that Siddhartha has released himself from the reins of pleasure before they have completely hindered his path toward enlightenment.

Theme, Symbols, and Characterization Established in Part I

Part I of Siddhartha initiates a theme that continues throughout the rest of the novel- one of a quest for enlightenment. Hinduism and Buddhism provide the foundation of the novel by which all characters are characterized. The quest for Nirvana, or the ultimate understanding of life and the end of all suffering (a spiritual enlightenment) is sought out by Siddhartha and his friend, Govinda, when they first leave the Brahmins to join the Samanas. They then leave the Samanas to listen to the teachings of Gotama, an enlightened one. It is here that the two friends part as Govinda pledges himself to Gotama. Siddhartha, however, discovers throughout his journey thus far that enlightenment can only come from within his own self. No matter how much he learns from the teachings of others and no matter how much he detaches his soul from his body through asceticism, the trivial enlightenment offered is only temporary. Siddhartha seeks something deeper than this- an eternal enlightenment. Part I sets the stage for the rest of the novel by establishing this quest that will govern Siddhartha's actions, relationships, and spiritual journeys. It is clear that Siddhartha is much further along than most others in the community when it comes to achieving this spiritual salvation in that he understands the meaning of Om and comprehends its place in life. He is also able to hypnotize the eldest Brahmin, illustrating that he is closer to enlightenment than this man of sixty years. The entities of Om and hypnosis can be considered symbols of checkpoints of Siddhartha's journey. It is at these two checkpoints that the reader is able to analyze Siddhartha's spiritual progression and prepare for further development of the main character's spiritual disposition.