Buddhism began with a man named Siddhartha Gautama. Over two thousand years later, Herman Hesse wrote a story with a protagonist who also happens to be named Siddhartha. The shared name was no coincidence as Hesse’s novel tells the tale of a man...

In the novels Invisible Man and Siddhartha, the protagonists find it necessary to completely isolate themselves from the influences of society in order to reach a stage of serene understanding, or "enlightenment." Both Siddhartha and the Invisible...

Hundreds of Buddhist monks try to attain Nirvana daily. They all follow the teachings of Gotama Buddha, but most fail to reach their goal and end up being reborn as new creatures. In Hermann Hesse’s book, Siddhartha, a young boy, Siddhartha,...

Hermann Hesse’s novel Siddhartha attempts to tell the story of one man’s journey to enlightenment. Siddhartha, a young Brahmin, leaves his comfortable home and family in order to learn more about himself. Throughout his journey, he overcomes many...

“Your soul is the whole world” (Hesse 7). While the value of a soul is something that cannot be understated, the belief that it is the whole world does not leave room for many other people. In Hermann Hesse’s Siddhartha the titular character...

The Different Paths

In the novels The Guide, by R.K Narayan, The Harp of Burma, by Michio Takeyama, and Siddhartha, by Herman Hesse, all of the main characters encounter issues regarding their identities. In The Guide, Raju tries to find his...

Throughout literature, nature imagery is used to depict a deeper meaning, and often insight into the protagonist’s thoughts and inner self. Nature imagery in the novel Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse reflects the evolution of Siddhartha’s self...

Symbolism is used commonly as a tool to express theme in Herman Hesse’s Siddhartha. The novel details the titular character’s search for enlightenment through experience and wisdom. It is when Siddhartha sees the smile of the Buddha that he...

Throughout A Small Place, written by Jamaica Kincaid and Siddhartha, written by Hermann Hesse, the concept of the home plays a central role to them both. This concept is explored by each text quite extensively, and it is very significant in them....

In Demian, Herman Hesse discusses the meaning behind an apparently futile war under the guise of one boy's search for personal identity. While Hesse spends much of the novel illustrating Emil Sinclair's search for meaning, the tying in of the...

The Forest Dweller, by Hermann Hesse, is a tale not only of the downfall of tyranny or the fall of the high priest it is a tale of existential enlightenment. The Forest Dweller stands as an allegory for existential thought and triumph. The story’s...

The preface of a piece of literature generally provides an introduction by the author to what will be discussed, and often, the purpose of this discussion. Similarly, in Herman Hesse’s Steppenwolf, the reader is introduced to the premise of the...

It is rightly said that what a man thinks, he becomes. In light of this, Herman Hesse’s novel Steppenwolf deals with Harry Haller, the protagonist who thinks himself to be divided between his human nature and an animalistic one, considering...

Within his fiction, German-Swiss author Hermann Hesse investigates a surprising, Eastern view on people’s perception of themselves. While traditionally Westerners describe each person with such definite characteristics as their names, appearances,...