SIDDHARTHA

"THE HERO WITH A THOUSAND FACES"

Throughout The novel we see how Siddhartha's journey is similar to what Joseph Cambell coined "The Monomyth"

MONOMYTH TRAITS

• Call to Adventure
• Seperation
• Inspiration to continue
• Tempatation
• Understanding/Freedom/Triumph

SIDDHARTHA TRAITS

• Leaving home and joining the Sadhus
• Parting ways with his life long friend and "security"
• Talk with Gotama Buddha to inspire along his path
• Indulging in temptation and desires with Kamala
• Finding freedom in the "Middle Way" and retiring by the holy river

In Hesse’s novel, experience, the totality of conscious events of a human life, is shown as the best way to approach understanding of reality and attain self realization or enlightenment – Hesse’s writing of Siddhartha’s journey shows that understanding is attained not through intellectual or conceptual methods, nor through immersing oneself in the ego-driven pleasures of the world and the accompanying pain of samsara; however, it is the completeness of these experiences and being able to live both extremes that allow Siddhartha to attain understanding and find his middle way.