The Siddhartha novel by Hermann Hesse shows the Siddhartha’s different life stages through archetypes. Siddhartha is a young Brahmin who leaves his home to experience new things and eventually becomes a Buddha. All of Siddharta’s experiences can be compared to archetypes that are present in the novel Siddhartha. These archetypes are the shadow, the wise old man, and the trickster. The character Siddhartha is often compared to his shadow self, which is his alter ego. Siddharta’s shadow side represents all of his negative traits such as greed, anger, lust and ignorance.
Siddhartha learns to transform these characteristics into positive actions by following the teachings of different spiritual figures throughout the book Siddhartha. Siddharta becomes a wiser person after going through struggles with these qualities and eventually leaves them behind at the end of the novel Siddhartha. To rebirth himself he must let go of everything that causes him pain or sorrow from his past life including people, places, and things Siddhartha learned to love.
Siddharta finally becomes one with his shadow at the end of Siddhartha because he has let go of everything that is holding him back from enlightenment Siddhartha. Siddhartha encounters many different spiritual figures along his journey Siddhartha. He learns valuable lessons from each person Siddharta meets but it takes Siddharta some time to apply these teachings to his life, Siddhartha. One of Siddhartha’s first teachers is Kamala who is a courtesan Siddhartha.
When they first meet she asks him what he knows about love Siddhartha. Being young and inexperienced, he tells her that he knows nothing about Siddhartha. At this Siddhartha is taught that he needs to learn more about love Siddhartha. Siddhartha becomes a man with a wife and child Siddharta but becomes a ferryman Siddhartha later so he can continue his spiritual journey, Siddhartha. Siddhartha learns from Vasudeva, an old ferryman Siddhartha, who helps him through many different hardships Siddhartha.
One of the most valuable lessons Vasudeva teaches Siddhartha is how to enjoy simple pleasures in life Siddhartha. After leaving Vasudevaaa, Siddartha encounters Kamaswami, a merchant who takes advantage of him because he is young and naive Siddhartha. Siddhartha learns from him not to be so blinded Siddhartha by greed Siddhartha. Siddharta continues his journey to Siddhartha and comes across the river, which becomes a final test for Siddhartha.
By using these specific symbols, Hesse is able to represent Siddhartha’s journey for self-realization. Trees are one of the main references Siddhartha makes throughout the novel. Siddhartha sees trees as symbols of knowledge and life. Siddhartha finds enlightenment under a Bodhi tree and finds happiness and sadness underneath other types of trees. The two most prominent examples Siddhartha finds himself under a tree come at either end of his journey: Siddhartha finds enlightenment under a Bodhi Tree, and later finds Siddartha finds himself underneath a Pipal Tree before he dies.
In both instances, Siddartha finds clarity by being beneath the tree; this understanding allows him to continue his path toward achieving an inner peace. Siddhartha’s journey for self-realization comes from a need to find an inner peace that Siddhartha has never experienced, and thus he is in search of knowledge that the trees represent. Siddartha believes that by learning under trees, Siddhartha will obtain this profound understanding. Siddhartha also finds himself underneath another kind of tree when he experiences sadness or grief during his young adulthood.
Siddartha sees sorrow when looking up at the branches of these trees; they are weighed down with fruit, which Siddartha links to all worldly pleasures. Siddhartha sees this as leading him nowhere because it does not help him achieve wisdom nor lead him on the path toward enlightenment; it only disturbs Siddartha and makes Siddhartha feel sorrowful. Siddartha sees trees as a representation of knowledge and life, but Siddhartha uses them to represent suffering and sadness in this case because Siddhartha does not believe that worldly pleasures bring happiness nor do they lend any assistance toward Siddartha’s ultimate goal: enlightenment.
Siddhartha also finds himself under a tree when he experiences happiness or joy. Siddhartha finds beauty beneath these trees; Siddartha links the shade that they provide to comfort and solace. Siddharth sees these trees as forms of knowledge because although the fruit from certain kinds of trees may be distracting, underneath the shade of a Bodhi Tree or another type of tree is where Siddhartha finds the meaning behind his existence. Siddartha believes that if Siddhartha can find solace and comfort beneath a tree, Siddhartha will be able to understand Siddhartha’s true purpose in life.
Siddartha sees trees as a representation of knowledge because Siddhartha finds enlightenment under a Bodhi Tree and this allows Siddartha to continue on his path toward achieving inner peace. Although Siddhartha is not always under a tree when he experiences happiness or joy, Siddharta links these feelings back to trees because Siddharta believes that they provide him with all of the things that he desires: understanding and peace. In addition to being used as symbols for knowledge and life, rivers are also representative of change and movement. Siddhartha sees the river as a representation of the world and Siddhartha’s place within it.
Siddartha feels as though Siddhartha is being carried along with the river as Siddhartha travels from place to stop during his young adulthood. Siddartha feels as though Siddhartha is experiencing moments one after another, never stopping to understand what Siddartha truly desires: enlightenment. This represents one of Siddharth’s biggest struggles throughout the novel: finding an inner peace so that he can feel satisfied by his life and journey toward self-realization. Archetypes are a recurring theme throughout Siddharta, which makes them incredibly important to Hesse’s overall message.
One archetype that Siddhartha encounters is the shadow. Siddhartha’s shadow is represented by Kamala, Siddhartha’s first love interest who was Siddartha’s age when Siddhartha met her. Although Siddartha does not initially believe that he will find peace within Kamala, Siddhartha falls in love with her because she is beautiful and represents what Siddartha believes to be the epitome of femininity. This forces Siddharta to acknowledge his desires for worldly pleasures; however, Kamala becomes Siddhartha’s downfall because she cannot provide him with the fulfillment of spiritual understanding.
Siddhartha enters into an affair with Kamala but soon leaves her after realizing that what he thought was love was actually lust due to Siddartha’s lack of experience. Siddhartha leaves Kamala because Siddastr feels as though Siddhartha is no longer the same person he was when he entered into this relationship and Siddhartha does not feel the same way about her anymore. Siddhartha believes that his desires have changed to a degree, which can be seen through Siddartha’s ability to separate himself from Kamala and Siddharath’s realization that their love affair has come to an end.