Comparing Social Norms In 'Siddhartha And The Stranger'

Dawson Dolesh

Mr. Vasilos

English II Seminar

May 21, 2023

Social Norms in Siddhartha and The Stranger

Social norms play a significant role in all societies as everyone is expected to act a certain way or to express themselves the same as everyone else. In the books The Stranger, by Albert Camus, and Siddhartha, by Herman Hesse, there are many points throughout both books where social norms are changed in relation due to the characters actions. Meursault and Siddhartha both use unusual norms, as seen at the beginning of each book. This is shown when Siddhartha decides to leave his family on another path, and in The Stranger, Meursault is seen to be different from everybody as he is emotionless at his mother’s death. Social norms have many causes

He starts going against norms when he decides to leave his family and the Brahmins. Siddhartha speaks of leaving the Brahmins to join the ascetics when he says, “with your permission, father, I have come to tell you that I wish to leave your house tomorrow and join the ascetics” (Hesse 10). This quote shows Siddhartha wanting to leave his father and his social norms behind to find a new way of life. His new life is different from most social norms and is considered an odd way of living. This lifestyle required him to renounce all worldly possessions, which most people could never even think about doing. Siddhartha is seen to wander, often finding new aspects of life. This leads him to trying to experience everything to find enlightenment which is unusual as many people are not nomadic in society. Another time Siddhartha goes against social norms is when he says, “That is why I am going on my way-not to seek another and better doctrine, for I know there is none, but to leave all doctrines and all teachers and to reach my goal alone-or die” (34). This shows that Siddhartha refuses the teachings of the Buddha and teachers, and now goes against social norms to carve his own path to enlightenment. Hesse intends for Siddhartha going against social norms to be a good thing as he goes through many experiences to find enlightenment which is a goal to escape from the cycle of life. Siddhartha reaches this important goal in the end and shows Govinda how he sees the world when the author writes, “He no longer saw his friend Siddhartha’s face. Instead he saw other faces, many, a long row, a streaming river of faces, hundreds, thousands, which all came and faded and yet seemed all to be there at once, which kept changing and being renewed, and yet which all were Siddhartha” (150). This quote shows how although going against social norms, Siddhartha found a positive meaning throughout