Siddhartha

By: Herman Hesse

Ji-Won Park 7th Period Hines

Give a brief biographical sketch of the author. Herman Hesse, a German-Swiss poet, author, and painter, was born in Germany on July 2, 1877. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1946. Hesse failed in school, eventually dropping out and working several jobs instead. Later, Hesse became a writer, and married Maria Bernoulli. His interest in Eastern religions came with his visit to India in 1911. After his visit, he published numerous works, such as Siddhartha. After numerous wives, and winning the Nobel Prize, Hesse wrote no other notable works. At the age of eighty-five, Hesse died, but remains a best-selling author in the world.

Why did the author write the book? After his visit to India, Hesse became highly interested in the many religions. Hesse became especially fascinated with the Eastern religion of Buddhism. With this religion as a source, Hesse wrote Siddhartha in order to show numerous groups of people some aspects of Buddhism. Hesse also wrote Siddhartha as a parallel to his own journey to India, where he discovers Buddhism.

Is there a definite point of view or bias expressed in the book? There is, in my opinion, no point of view or bias expressed in this book. However, one could argue that the cultural viewpoint could be considered bias, as only the viewpoints of few characters from the same culture are present within the text. Besides this, however, there is no definite point of view or bias.

Describe the Historical and Geographical setting The setting of this story is in the subcontinent of India. The text most likely starts during the actual Buddhas travels within India as he spread his teachings on Enlightenment. This time period would range from 523 to 483 b.c.e. The entirety of the text occurs in 5th century India, a time period where certain parts of India, such as the north, were developing, while the southern areas were undeveloped. This period in time was also structured according to the Caste system, with the religious priests holding incredible influence over society.

Discuss the important world history events that surround or influence this story The most important historical event that influences this story is the travels of Buddha. As Siddhartha travels, he meets Buddha and attempts to understand his way to Enlightenment. Parallel to Buddha, Siddhartha is a high ranking person in society who leaves all the benefits of his life behind in order to pursue his own understanding of the world. Another historical event that affects this story is the establishment of the caste system. This system allowed for certain character traits throughout the text to be categorized into certain castes to better understand the social aspects of the plot.

What is the story in brief? The main character, Siddhartha, is the son of a Brahmin, a priest in the Hindu society. After numerous years of learning under Hinduism, Siddhartha decided to leave because he could not find true meaning of life within the realm of Hinduism. So, after speaking with his father, Siddhartha left with his friend Govinda to join the Samanas, the wandering priests. After a few years, they leave the Samanas, finding they do not have the way to enlightenment and continue

on, where along their travels, they meet Goutama, otherwise known as the Buddha. Here, Govinda leaves Siddhartha to become a follower of Goutama, while Siddhartha continues. Later, Siddhartha becomes a merchant and attempts to find enlightenment in the material world. This fails, and he begins to leave the city, but meets the ferryman of a river. It is here at the river where Siddhartha finally reaches enlightenment, as the river teaches him many of the hidden aspects about life. At the end of the story, Govinda is reunited with Siddhartha, and Siddhartha guides him in ways to reach Enlightenment, rather than to teach him.

What do you think can be learned in terms of world history and culture from reading this book? The most obvious aspect of culture that can be learned from reading this book is the culture of India. Although much of the text presents Siddharthas journey to enlightenment, the reader can see aspects of society through the cities, foods, as well as the people. The caste system is a major part of the culture that is seen through this book. Religion also is seen, with references to Hinduism and Buddhism. The most prominent aspect one can learn through this book is how Buddha went through his own path to enlightenment, as Siddhartha is a parallel of Buddha.

What part of the book, or quotation from the book, will be indelibly etched in your mind & heart In all honesty, no part of the book will affect my daily life. Although I seem to be the only person to enjoy reading this book, it will have no etching on my heart or my mind. However, I was still fascinated most by the aspect of time being comparable to a river, as well as the river being a constant flow of people and experiences.

What historical or human connections did the book help to make for you with other places, peoples, and times?

This book helped me understand how Buddha could have gone about his travels. It also showed a possible way that he could have reached enlightenment. Some of the more connective things I learned from reading this book are certain aspects of Hinduism and Buddhism, and it helped me see into the past to visualize how they could have gotten these ideas.

What makes this story a classic? What makes this story part of all our histories and of your life? A classic story, by definition, is a story that shows an expression of life, truth, or beauty, remains throughout time, is universally appealing, and can be connected with other influences. Siddhartha is a classic because it fulfills all these criteria. It shows an expression of life and truth through Siddharthas journey. It has remained throughout time, having been published in 1951. It has universal appeal, being widely read by people of all ages. And it can be connected with outside influences, such as Buddhism and Hinduism. This story affects part of history because it is a doorway that allows the reader to understand how India was like in the early years, as well as to walk with a parallel of Buddha along his journey to become enlightened.