Gender Roles In Siddhartha

The novel Siddhartha, by Hermann Hesse, presents a diverse portrayal of women. Set in Ancient India, the main character Siddhartha partakes in a journey to find enlightenment. Discontent with his comfortable life as a Brahmin, he leaves home to seek enlightenment, and in the process meets many spiritual teachers. While most of the characters in the story are men, a few key female characters show the different types of women prominent during Siddhartha’s time. In the novel, Siddhartha’s mother is portrayed as simplistic in contrast to Kamala’s role as teacher of Ahtman and student of Brahman.

Throughout the story, Siddhartha’s mother is portrayed as simplistic and of less importance than Siddhartha’s father. In the beginning of the book,

When Kamala first meets Siddhartha, she is oblivious to her spiritual self. She is very wealthy from the money and gifts that men give her, and believes that she is content with her life. However, when Siddhartha enters Kamala’s life, Siddhartha respects her and teaches her about finding enlightenment. After spending some time with Siddhartha, Kamala even comments, “One day, perhaps soon, I'll also follow that Buddha. I'll give him my pleasure ­garden for a gift and take my refuge in his teachings.” (34) Her perspective on the importance of enlightenment has changed completely through Siddhartha’s teachings, and she even sees herself following Buddha in the future. If Siddhartha did not respect Kamala and see her as an equal, he would not have taught her about Brahman. As the story continues, Siddhartha and Kamala’s talks get deeper. Siddhartha says, “Most people, Kamala, are like a falling leaf, which is blown and is turning around through the air, and wavers, and tumbles to the ground. But others, a few, are like stars, they go on a fixed course, no wind reaches them, in themselves they have their law and their course.” (31) This deep statement is Siddhartha’s validation that Kamala is worthy of being taught. Even though she is a woman, Siddhartha has a deep respect for Kamala and teaches are about Brahman, making her a deep and important character in the

When Kamala and Siddhartha first meet, she kisses him to teach him about sexuality and physicality. Siddhartha describes, “For a long time, Kamala kissed him, and with a deep astonishment Siddhartha felt how she taught him, how wise she was,” (24). From the first day of meeting Kamala, Siddhartha realizes that she is knowledgeable and powerful. He is able to see that Kamala has a lot to teach him about Ahtman, and that without satisfying physical self, finding enlightenment will be difficult. Additionally, Kamala helps Siddhartha find a job to make money. Before finding Kamala, Siddhartha had little experience involving work. However, in order to give Kamala gifts, he would have to make money, so Kamala explained to him that it is necessary to be polite but powerful when interviewing for a job. Through her guidance, Kamaswami, a successful businessman, offers Siddhartha a job. Towards the end of his life with Kamala, Siddhartha reflects on what he has learned. He realizes that he “had learned to trade, to use his power over people, to enjoy himself with a woman, he had learned to wear beautiful clothes, to give orders to servants, to bathe in perfumed waters.” (32) All of these aspects of his new life in society are a result of Kamala educating Siddhartha about Ahtman. Until beginning a life with Kamala, Siddhartha never gave himself the opportunity to satisfy his physical