Siddhartha essay
Literary Analysis of Siddhartha
“Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better” (Albert Einstein). In Herman Hesse’s novel, Siddhartha, the main character takes a journey to find his self, and connects with the nature around him to do so. The trees are associated with Siddhartha’s meditation and spiritual journey. Another portrayal of nature is the animals that symbolize the transitions and changes that he undergoes. Finally, the river is symbolic of his source to connect him to all of nature and the energy of the universe. The aspects of nature such as the trees, animals, and the river become symbolic of Siddhartha’s quest for enlightenment.
In many ways, the trees in this novel have great significance to Siddhartha’s journey to find the self. Siddhartha and his friend Govinda “… went to the Banyan tree, and sat down… ready to pronounce the Om” (pg. 8). The Banyan tree is symbolic of his meditation. Siddhartha and Govinda sit under the Banyan tree to speak the Om and get closer to the self throughout their days. The Banyan tree isn’t the only significant tree to Siddhartha. The mango tree becomes a symbol when “sadly, Siddhartha went to [his] pleasure garden… closed the gates, sat under a mango tree, and felt horror and death in his heart” (pg. 82). It is under the mango tree that he realizes what he has become as he has been amongst the people. So the mango tree to Siddhartha represents finding himself again through meditation and self-realization of the error of his ways. Another time when the mango tree was of significance is when Siddhartha and Govinda heard his teachings and wise words of the illustrious one. The Buddha sat under the mango tree to preach his gospel and it is at this time that Siddhartha realizes that in order for him to achieve enlightenment, he must go on his own path. To sum it up, the Banyan tree and the mango tree represent Siddhartha’s meditation and the start to his spiritual journey.
There are many aspects of nature present in Siddhartha’s surroundings, such as animals that symbolize the transitions and changes he experiences throughout his journey. Siddhartha puts himself in the eyes of the animals so he can experience their life cycle. He does so with a “heron [flying] over the bamboo wood and Siddhartha took the heron into his soul, flew over forests and mountains, … ate fishes, suffered heron hunger, used heron language, died a herons death” (pg. 15). Siddhartha went through the changes in the heron to help him understand the transitions that he is undergoing in his own life. Along with the heron, the songbird shows importance to his journey. Siddhartha has a dream about the songbird and in this dream the bird dies. “he took it out, held it a moment… and then threw it away on the road, and at the same moment, he was horrified and his heart ached as if he had thrown away with this dead bird all that was good and of value in himself” (pg. 82). This shows how through the songbirds representation, he is changing and realizing how his values are changing for the worse. These are examples of how animals such as the heron and the songbird represent the changes that Siddhartha is undergoing.
The river, in Siddhartha, is symbolic of his source to connect himself to all of nature and the energy of the universe. It is at the river that Siddhartha connects to nature with a more profound understanding. As he learned from Vasudeva, “the river is everywhere at the same time, at the source and at the mouth, at the waterfall, at the ferry … everywhere and that the present only exists for it, not the shadow of the past, nor the shadow of the future” (pg. 107). Siddhartha learns from the river how to connect to all the nature around him. The river is an aspect of nature that teaches him the connectivity that he needs on his path to enlightenment.
In conclusion, there are many aspects of nature present in the world of Siddhartha that help him to better connect with the self. These aspects such as trees, animals, and the river are symbolic throughout his journey as guidelines to achieve enlightenment on his own path and in his own way of self-discovery. In order to find the self he must conquer these aspects of nature and use them to understand the meaning of life and what part he plays in this world and in his own life.
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“Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better” (Albert Einstein). In Herman Hesse’s novel, Siddhartha, the main character takes a journey to find his self, and connects with the nature around him to do so. The trees are associated with Siddhartha’s meditation and spiritual journey. Another portrayal of nature is the animals that symbolize the transitions and changes that he undergoes. Finally, the river is symbolic of his source to connect him to all of nature and the energy of the universe. The aspects of nature such as the trees, animals, and the river become symbolic of Siddhartha’s quest for enlightenment.
In many ways, the trees in this novel have great significance to Siddhartha’s journey to find the self. Siddhartha and his friend Govinda “… went to the Banyan tree, and sat down… ready to pronounce the Om” (pg. 8). The Banyan tree is symbolic of his meditation. Siddhartha and Govinda sit under the Banyan tree to speak the Om and get closer to the self throughout their days. The Banyan tree isn’t the only significant tree to Siddhartha. The mango tree becomes a symbol when “sadly, Siddhartha went to [his] pleasure garden… closed the gates, sat under a mango tree, and felt horror and death in his heart” (pg. 82). It is under the mango tree that he realizes what he has become as he has been amongst the people. So the mango tree to Siddhartha represents finding himself again through meditation and self-realization of the error of his ways. Another time when the mango tree was of significance is when Siddhartha and Govinda heard his teachings and wise words of the illustrious one. The Buddha sat under the mango tree to preach his gospel and it is at this time that Siddhartha realizes that in order for him to achieve enlightenment, he must go on his own path. To sum it up, the Banyan tree and the mango tree represent Siddhartha’s meditation and the start to his spiritual journey.
There are many aspects of nature present in Siddhartha’s surroundings, such as animals that symbolize the transitions and changes he experiences throughout his journey. Siddhartha puts himself in the eyes of the animals so he can experience their life cycle. He does so with a “heron [flying] over the bamboo wood and Siddhartha took the heron into his soul, flew over forests and mountains, … ate fishes, suffered heron hunger, used heron language, died a herons death” (pg. 15). Siddhartha went through the changes in the heron to help him understand the transitions that he is undergoing in his own life. Along with the heron, the songbird shows importance to his journey. Siddhartha has a dream about the songbird and in this dream the bird dies. “he took it out, held it a moment… and then threw it away on the road, and at the same moment, he was horrified and his heart ached as if he had thrown away with this dead bird all that was good and of value in himself” (pg. 82). This shows how through the songbirds representation, he is changing and realizing how his values are changing for the worse. These are examples of how animals such as the heron and the songbird represent the changes that Siddhartha is undergoing.
The river, in Siddhartha, is symbolic of his source to connect himself to all of nature and the energy of the universe. It is at the river that Siddhartha connects to nature with a more profound understanding. As he learned from Vasudeva, “the river is everywhere at the same time, at the source and at the mouth, at the waterfall, at the ferry … everywhere and that the present only exists for it, not the shadow of the past, nor the shadow of the future” (pg. 107). Siddhartha learns from the river how to connect to all the nature around him. The river is an aspect of nature that teaches him the connectivity that he needs on his path to enlightenment.
In conclusion, there are many aspects of nature present in the world of Siddhartha that help him to better connect with the self. These aspects such as trees, animals, and the river are symbolic throughout his journey as guidelines to achieve enlightenment on his own path and in his own way of self-discovery. In order to find the self he must conquer these aspects of nature and use them to understand the meaning of life and what part he plays in this world and in his own life.
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