Mature Vs. Imature

    Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse possess a motif of the idea that, people are children. Throughout the book Siddhartha constantly describes the average people he meets as immature and ignorant. Siddhartha first makes this metaphor after meeting the ferryman. “ All are grateful, although they themselves deserve thanks. All are subservient, all wish to obey and to think little. people are children.”(49) In this scene, Siddharth is pleased of the kindness of the ferryman and it reminds him of Govinda. In return of the ride, the protagonist gives friendship to the ferryman. This scene is a reference to how everybody wants to be Siddhartha’s friend. In this case people are like children because children who meet are almost instantaneous best friends. They are ignorant without a care in the world. and just go with the flow, much like the people Siddhartha encounters. The second time Siddhartha makes this analogy when he has become disgusted with what he has become,” This wish, this childish wish had grown so strong within him: to find peace by destroying his body.” (89). Siddhartha acknowledges the fact that it wasn’t himself to act this way, drunk, and obsessed with money. This is childish because maturity comes out of realizing what is truly important. Not money, nor power is important and Siddhartha fell down this path. “I changed from a man into a child”(96) Here, Siddhartha is again questioning himself. He has lost the power to think, to wait, to fast.  These were the signs of his maturity and now he has become and average person but with absolutely nothing to give, but the clothes off his back. This motif reveals a theme that with maturity come the realization that more is not better in the tangible world.

Siddhartha’s Many Motifs

        There are many motifs that occur in Siddhartha, but none other motifs are as important as the motifs of the ferryman and the river, the bird in the golden cage, and the reoccurrence of Om. On page 88, it states, “A chilly emptiness in the water reflected the terrible emptiness in his soul.” This represents cleansing of the soul from the river and how it represents the creation of a new p.  son (not literally but more spiritually). This was placed in here because during this scene in the book, Siddhartha is overcoming a realization of what he has become and how he would like to return to his former self which is why the river is there; to represent a recreation of the old Siddhartha. Another reoccurring motif is the bird in the golden cage. “This bird which usually sang in the morning became mute, and as this surprised him, he went up to the cage and looked inside. The little bird was dead…” page 82. This motif represents change not only in the environment, but also in Siddhartha’s character which he soon realizes which occurred in the above motif. The last major motif is Om. ”Softly he said the word Om to himself, over which he had fallen asleep and it seemed to him as if his whole sleep had been a long deep pronouncing of Om, thinking of Om, an emersion and penetration into Om, into the nameless into the divine.” page 90. This motif represents a goal for Siddhartha which is what keeps him going, because he wishes to achieve Om which is also what got him out of his slump when he was feeling nauseous when he recognized the changes he had faced.

Spiritual Guidance

There are many different kinds of Motifs represented in the book Siddhartha, but the most prominent one I see is the motif of spiritual guidance. This idea of guidance is mentioned many times during the novel because the protagonist Siddhartha is struggling with finding spiritual guidance throughout the story, especially at the beginning.  At the beginning Siddhartha is a simple Brahmin who worshiped his gods and obeyed his father, but he was not happy or content with the life he was living. In the first chapter Siddhartha starts questioning his happiness and his religion, “The sacrifices and the supplication of the gods were excellent- but were they everything? Did the sacrifices give happiness?” (Hesse, 6) He starts to wonder if worshiping the gods is important.. This is significant to the story because it pushes Siddhartha to begin his journey of spiritual enlightenment with his friend Govinda. The second place I see the idea of spiritual guidance is when Govinda and Siddhartha visit the Jetavana grove to hear the Illustrious One, Gotama, talk about his ways of worship and guidance. Siddhartha is not impressed with his teachings. He explains to Gotama that a person cannot reach enlightenment through verbal teachings, that a person must find it by themselves without external guidance. He tells Gotama, “You have learned nothing through teachings, and so I think, O Illustrious One, that nobody finds salvation through teachings.” (Hesse, 34) Finally, another example of this motif of spiritual guidance is towards the middle of the story. At the beginning of his solo adventure he finds out why he has been struggling with guidance, because of his loneliness he is finally able to listen inside of him. The spiritual guidance within him is able to come out and he doesn’t have to listen to anyone else but himself. “I will no longer study Yoga-Veda, Atharva-Veda, or asceticism, or any other teachings. I will learn from myself, be my own pupil; I will learn from myself the secret of Siddhartha.” (Hesse, 39) As you can see there are many different places the motif of spiritual guidance comes up in the story of Siddhartha, and the struggle is brings the protagonist.

Recurring Images in Siddartha

In the novel Siddartha, multiple motifs occur. One of the main motif's in the novel includes the needing to be satisfied. Siddartha is a smart and handsome young man but no matter what he does, he is not satisfied with his amount of knowledge. He wants to gain enough knowledge to be enlightened, and satisfied with his life. At one point in his Brahmin life, he questions the teachings of the Brahmin: "He lived a good life, his words were wise; fine and noble thoughts dwelt in his head - but even he, who knew so much, did he live in bliss, was he at peace (Hesse 7)?" Another example of this motif being used in the novel is where Siddartha takes action for his thirst of knowledge, and chooses to become an ascetic, to learn from the Samanas. "' Tommorrow morning, friend, Siddartha is going to join the Samanas. He is going to become a Samana' (Hesse 9)." In the novel, it described Siddartha's leaving home to become an ascetic as something Siddartha was doing to satisfy his own desires.He became a Samana to satisfy his thirst for knowledge. "How many long years had he spent spent without any lofty goal, without any thirst,without any exaltation,content with small pleasures and yet never really satisfied (Hesse 83)!" This quote describes how Siddaratha had wasted so much of his life and had realized that his satisfaction had not been fulfilled. That his why he left his life of riches once again, to try and be satisfied.

Flowing Knowledge

In "Siddhartha" the river is a recurring motif that represents knowledge. The first time that Siddhartha went to the river he was a young Samana and had talked to the Buddha about life. He had just been awakened but was unsure where he should go next. The ferryman had told Siddhartha "One can learn much from the river"(49) and then told him "I have learned that from the river too; everything comes back. You, too, Samana will come back."(49) Siddhartha at this time realised he would learn much from the river and the first thing was that he will come back around. Siddhartha did come back around to the river just as the ferryman had said. The second time he came to the river he had just realised he turned into something that he did not like and was contemplating suicide when the river caused him to have an epiphany and change his mind."At that moment when the sound of Om reached Siddhartha's ears, his slumbering soul suddenly awakened and he recognized the folly of his actions." (89) In this moment the river helped save Siddhartha's life and he learned that he needs to be more open to listening and he needs to move forward with his life in a new state of mind. Then he moves forward and meets the ferryman again. Siddharhta asks, "Has it (the river) not the voice of a king, of a warrior, of a bull,of a night bird, of a pregnant women and a sighing man, and a thousand other voices?" (107) and the ferryman replies " The voices of all living creatures are in its voice." (108) This conversation proves that river has vast knowledge to share with all those who will stop and listen because it has so many perspectives.

The River Motif in Siddhartha

“One can learn a lot from a river” (Heese, pg 40). The river is a very important motif in the novel because it helps Siddhartha to realize what he really wants to do with his life. Siddhartha learned a lot from the river. Every time that Siddhartha visited the river he recognized something new about himself. The first time that he came to the river he didn’t know what he wanted to do since he left the Samana’s. But then after seeing the river and talking with the ferryman, he realized the happiness nice people can bring him. These made him want to go and visit the big city. This quote does raise questions about the confidence of Siddhartha because he is never sure what he wants to do. He is always questioning himself. “He recognized himself in the midst of his misery and delusion” (Heese, pg 70). This is a quote from when Siddhartha tried to commit suicide in the river. At first he thought that his choices in the city gave him nothing to live for. But then when he was down in the river he realized that he still had the inner mind of a Samana. And that is why later he repeatedly said the word “OM” in his head. The river helps the reader to fully understand and connect with what Siddhartha does and says and that is why the author tried to use this motif. This part of the book again raises questions about what Siddhartha is going to do next and how long he will do it. Even though the river does help the reader to understand what is going on, it will still leave them wondering what is to come. “Farewell Govinda” (Heese, pg 72). This is a very important part of the book because it is the first time Govinda and Siddhartha meet since they decided to go and learn in different ways. It is very suiting that they meet by the river because of the meaning the river has. They were both off learning many things for a very long time but since they saw each other, it makes them remember all that they had going for them before they split up. So not only does the river motif affect Siddhartha, but it also affects people like Govinda.

Enlightment

A motif is a recurring image, symbol, or idea in a work of literature. A motif in Siddhartha is enlightment. Elightment is constant happiness. Siddhartha is not satisfied when he left home.“You will go into the forest, and become a samana (12).” Siddhartha’s father said this to him when he asked if he could leave home a become a samana to find enlighment. Also he will try to find enlightment when he decides not to go with the Buddhas and leaves Govinda. “You have heard my blessing, Govinda, I repeat it. May you follow this path to the end. May you find salvation(30)!” Siddhartha leaves because he believes that he won’t find enlighment if he follows the Buddhas. "He rose, said farwell to the mango shower and the pleasure garden... He smiled wearily, shook his head and said goodbye to these things(84)." Siddhartha once again left because he is not satisified and knows he will not find enlightment. Enlightment is a motif in Siddhartha because Siddhartha is trying to find enlightment and is not getting it.

 

-Mark Guiterrez