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

The River in Siddhartha

A major motif that occurs in Herman Hesse's Siddhartha is the reoccurance of the river. several times within the text the river occurs, in both symbolic and literal occurance. At the beggining of the first chapter of part two of the book, the river first makes it's main appearance. "When Siddhartha awoke, the pale river shimmered past the door of the hut, and in the forest the cry of an owl rang out, deep and clear" (Pg.48). The first thing he visits after his parting from Govinda is a river, where he meets a kind ferryman. His crossing the river was like a metaphor for his crossing the "boundary" from his life of spirituality to his new life of material. It symbolizes a transfer of himself from a knowing "adult" in his eyes to a normal person, or a "child" in his eyes. The river then appears again when he realizes his material life is not providing him adaquete happiness and that he is not coming close to achiving true knowledge. He wanders to the river, and there he  "reached the long river in the wood, the same river across which a ferryman had once taken him when he was still a young man..." (Pg. 88). It is at this river, before which he wishes for seperation from his material life, that he falls into a deep sleep muttering the word Om. His sleep is like a purgery of his senses and material life, and returning him to a life of potential spirituality. It seemed to him as if he had become a different person completely, and had now returned to the correct path, as if a child, learning spirituality anew. after his great revelation, he decides "I will remain by this river... A friendly ferryman took me across... my path once led from his hut to a new life which is now old and dead. May my present path, my new life, start from there." (Pg 101). Siddharthat sees that his life is beginning new, and just as it did so long ago for him at that river, he would like annother rebirth to occur at the river metaphoricly.

A recurrence in Siddhartha

Siddhartha, the book, implements many different motifs such as pilgrimage, the self, and deserting loved ones. The one that specifically is identified throughout the whole book is deserting loved ones. One such example of this motif is near the beginning of the text when Siddhartha leaves his father to start his experience as a Samara. "The Brahmin saw that Siddhartha's knees trembled slightly , but there was no trembling in Siddhartha's face; his eyes looked far away. Then the father realized that Siddhartha could no longer live with him at home-that he had already left him." This explains that Siddhartha is leaving his much loved father.  This recurring symbol is also present in the chapter "Gotama" when Siddhartha leaves his best friend Govinda to continue on his journey. Siddhartha says "You have heard my blessing, Govinda. I repeat it. May you travel this path to the end. May you find salvation!" Siddhartha is saying goodbye to Govinda and saying that their paths separate here. This relates to the motif of deserting loved ones because he is leaving a friend that he has cared for since they were children. Finally, at the end of the chapter "Samsara," Siddhartha leaves the town that he had made his permanent home for many years. "When she heard the first news of Siddhartha's disappearance, she went to the window where she kept a are songbird in a golden cage." This goes back to the motif because it says that he left Kamala, the women he loves so much.

Dreams of Knowledge

               A motif that occurs throughout Siddhartha is Siddhartha having dreams that relate to Kamala which lead him to the next event that happens in his life. The vivid dreams he has, makes the reader question whether he has achieved Nirvana because of him knowing ahead of life through sleep. “He dreamt that Govinda stood before him, in the yellow robe of the ascetic. Govinda looked sad and asked him, ‘Why did you leave me?’ Thereupon he embraced Govinda, out his arm round him, and as he drew him to his breast and kissed him, he was Govinda no longer, but a woman” (Hesse 48.) This dream is telling the next step of Siddhartha’s life. After he leaves his friend of youth, Govinda, meets Kamala, a woman who becomes his new closest friend. “Then a dream once reminded him. He has been with Kamala in the evening, in her lovely pleasure garden. They sat under a tree talking. Kamala was speaking seriously, and grief and weariness were concealed behind her words. She asked him to tell her about Gotama,” (Hesse 80.) During this dream, Siddhartha was telling Kamala about Gotama and she seemed interested to one day become a follower of him. This is what Siddhartha does again by leaving the riches and wealth he had to become happy again. “During that time he had a dream. Kamala kept a small rare songbird in small golden cage. It was about this bird that he dreamt. This bird, which usually sand in the morning, became mute, and as this surprised him, he went up to the cage and looked inside. The bird was dead and lay stiff on the floor. He took it out, held it a moment in his hand 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.” (Hesse 82) When Siddhartha leaves his wealth, Kamala sets the bird free and it dies. This motif symbolizes Siddhartha’s knowledge from what he has previously learned, and what he will soon learn.