Siddhartha (Masterplots II: World Fiction Series)
At a glance:
- Author: Hermann Hesse
- First Published: 1922
- Type of Work: Bildungsroman
- Time of Work: The sixth century , at the time of the Buddha
- Setting: India
- Principal Characters: Siddhartha, Govinda, Kamala, Kamaswami, Vasudeva, Gotama
- Genres: Long fiction, Bildungsroman
- Subjects: Self-discovery, Perception, Traveling or travelers, Philosophy or philosophers, Nature, Religion, Spiritual life or spirituality, India or East Indian people, Rivers or waterways, Mysticism, Hindus or Hinduism, Enlightenment, Visions, epiphanies, or revelations, Pilgrims or pilgrimages, Sixth century, Buddha, Buddhism, Yoga, Happiness, Senses or sensation
- Locales: India
The Novel
Siddhartha centers on the lifelong search of Siddhartha, the young son of a Brahman, for enlightenment. As a boy, he is trained in the traditional rituals and meditations of the learned, but there is a restlessness in his soul. He cannot stop questioning and speculating, and he doubts whether any of his teachers is truly enlightened. Against his father’s wishes, he decides to join a group of Samanas, wandering ascetics, and his friend Govinda accompanies him. For three years, Siddhartha lives the ascetic life of self-denial. He cultivates a dislike of...
[The entire page is 2288 words long]
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