"Siddhartha"

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses how Herman's Hesse's important 1922 novel, "Siddhartha" not only exposes western thinking to eastern spiritual philosophy but does so with an emotive and humanizing narrative. It looks at how, by contextualizing the modern search for spiritual completion and wholeness in ancient India, Hesse succeeds in drawing a parallel between the emotional needs of modern man and those same which stimulated the discovery of Buddhism. The paper specifically examines how the protagonist is based on pre-existent mythology on the human prophet of Buddhism as well as offers an extremely relevant case study in individual alienation in the face of modern material society.

From the Paper:

"This is a story which drives the philosophical impulse of Hesse's novel. To this extent, Siddhartha is an emblematic novel, designed not just to approach an historical inflection point with a humanist's eye, but also to engage a discussion on the human condition as a whole. As the Garzilli (1972) text tells, the Hesse novel may be understood as a story of the search for self and unending need to fill a yearning or a void within one's self. The suffering and need which is promoted by this sensation is the very same which contributes to the Buddhist revelations which Siddhartha finds in his journey. His quest to better understand humanity and to come to terms with the self dispatches him to his pursuits all on his own. Indeed, there is a sense of social discontent demanding this type of purifying detachment. "

Sample of Sources Used:

• DeLong, Brad. (1997). Restoring the Pre-World War I Economy. Slouching Towards Utopia? The Economic History of the Twentieth Century. Online at http://econ161.berkeley.edu/TCEH/Slouch_Restoring11.html.
• Fielding, M. (2001). Target Setting, Policy Pathology and Student Perspectives. Routledge.
• Garzilli, E. (1972). Circles Without Center: Paths to Discovery and Creation of Self in Modern Literature. Harvard University Press.
• Hesse, Herman. (1922). Siddhartha. Courier-Dover Publications.
• Hooker, Richard. (1996). Buddhism. World Civilizations. Online at <http://www.wsu.edu/~dee/BUDDHISM/BUDDHISM.HTM>

More papers on "Siddhartha":

• Term Paper # 144528 : "Questions and Answers on Siddhartha"
• Persuasive Essay # 124125 : "Hesse's "Siddhartha"
• Essay # 32722 : "Siddhartha's Path to Oneness"
• Book Review # 113355 : "Siddhartha"

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