- Published: August 1, 2022
- Updated: August 1, 2022
- University / College: University of York
- Level: College Admission
- Language: English
- Downloads: 48
Brahmans had already … was not satisfied’. This quotation from ‘ The Son of the Brahman’ throws light on the personality of Siddhartha that he was brought up among wise people and at a very young age he was full of knowledge that Brahmans possessed which proved to be insufficient for him. He lived in a pure atmosphere, performed holy deeds and enjoyed tranquillity but he remained incapable of satisfying his discontent heart, evoking his Atman at his will and approaching his ultimate part. This failure leads him to rebel his Brahman ways and explore the world to answer a trail of ambiguous questions he suffers from.
“ We find comfort, … we will not find”.
The above lines, spoken by Siddhartha in ‘ With the Samanas’, illustrate the consistency of Siddhartha’s character. After living three years of practicing Samanas’ ways and fighting hard to abandon the physical self and empty himself from the worldly wishes, desires and pains Siddhartha realizes that it was all earthly and deceptive and thus a waste. This quote brings the theme of restlessness and Siddhartha’s immense aspiration to satisfy his quest for the path of immortality.
“ Thus Gotama walked … light and peace”.
This quote taken from ‘ Gotama’ presents an idea of a new twist in the novel and we are introduced with a new glorious character that brings a new air of solemnity with it and impresses the readers as well. Gotama, the Buddha, the enlightened and the perfected man brings peace and calmness to his followers and show a way of salvation from suffering. The appearance of this man makes the readers curious of Siddhartha’s further decision regarding his quest.
“ Now, he was nothing … nothing else was left”.
This line is quoted from ‘ Awakening’ which shows a noticeable progress in the novel. It is the realization that Siddhartha encounters which speaks of his mature approach towards his self and compels him to opt new ways of advancing towards the ultimate truth. Here, calmness seems to replace the restlessness we encountered previously.
Hermann Hesse is a marvellous writer, who presents the internal and external self of his characters using simple language. Abundance of interrogative sentences and repetition of phrases intensify the quest and restlessness of the protagonist. The use of imagery of nature enhances the spiritual effect.
