Siddhartha Analysis

Siddhartha grows up in a upper class Brahman family, but despite his popularity, he is unhappy. Siddhartha convinces his best friend Govinda to accompany him in joining the Samanas. Although the two friends learn quite a bit from the Samana way of life, they are unsatisfied and decide to hear the teachings of Buddha. Govinda is impressed and chooses to join Buddha’s monks, however Siddhartha wants to find his own enlightenment, therefore he leaves Govinda and Buddha to search for himself. Siddhartha travels to a nearby town where he is entranced by a beautiful woman named Kamala. He soon goes to work for a wealthy merchant where he eventually makes a lot of money and develops a high-stakes gambling habit. One morning, overwhelmed by depression, Siddhartha walks out of his lavish lifestyle and never returns. Siddhartha briefly considers suicide before encountering his old friend Govinda, he then finds

Kamala explains to Siddhartha that he isn’t suitable for her when she says, “No, he is not yet good enough. He must have clothes, fine clothes, and shoes, fine shoes, and plenty of money in his purse and presents for Kamala. Do you know now, Samana from the woods? Do you understand (Hesse 54)?” Similar to almost all men, Siddhartha is now striving for materialistic possessions. Hesse uses this to relate back to the reader that even the people who seem to not want wealth and fame, usually have a desire within them that still yearns for these things. After Siddhartha becomes rich he starts to gamble away his possessions and the only thing that seems to have meaning in his life are his conversations with Kamala. He eventually falls into a depression and Hesse uses this to explain to the reader that money can only cause short term happiness and sometimes those who are very wealthy are not happy at all. Siddhartha then, once again, leaves the town in search for