What Does The Songbird Represent In Siddhartha

The novel Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse uses a lot of symbolism, one of the prominent symbols that Hesse uses in the novel is the songbird. The songbird is representative of Siddhartha and his feelings about himself, how trapped he feels, and even how other characters view him. Siddhartha is a constant wanderer, never being able to stay in one place for long and always searching for something new to learn. Siddhartha left his home as a teenager to join the shramanas and to learn their wisdom. He stayed with the shramanas for quite some time until he realized he no longer could learn anything from them, and then Siddhartha left to go seek out the Buddha with Govinda. After meeting the Buddha, Siddhartha realized trying to teach wisdom was useless

“Like a veil, like a thin mist, fatigue settled over Siddhartha slowly, each day a bit thicker, each month a bit drearier, each year a bit heavier. (61).” It was growing obvious Siddhartha was depressed and only growing more so with each passing day. Material possessions had no meaning to him so he gambled, and eventually became addicted to gambling. “By a strange and devious route, Siddhartha had fallen into the ultimate and most despicable of addictions - playing dice … He gambled out of an inner need- gambling away, frittering away, the miserable lucre brought him malicious pleasure… So he played for high stake, ruthlessly, hating himself, mocking himself. (62)”. Gambling was the one thing that brought Siddhartha any form of feeling. Siddhartha ends up hating himself for his addiction. One night when he was watching Kamala sleep he noticed age on her face, he then had freaked himself out. He has a dream later that night about Kamala's songbird in its golden cage dying. Siddhartha is forced to face his own mortality and realizes this is not the life he wants. “Waking suddenly from this dream, he was enveloped in profound sadness. It was all worthless! It seemed to him that he had led his life in a worthless and meaningless way. (64)”. Siddhartha misses what it was like to be happy, and after a long night and day of thinking about it, he

Kamala kept Siddhartha as a pet like she did her songbird, wanting him to change who he was into someone she wanted, “No, estimable friend, he is not good enough yet. He must have clothes, beautiful clothes, handsome shoes, plenty of money in his purse - and gifts for Kamala. Do you understand now, shramana from the forest? Are you taking this in? (44).” Kamala wants Siddhartha to buy her love, affection, and time, she is used to men showering her with gifts, clothes, jewelry, anything she wanted. Kamala could have any man she wanted, but she chose Siddhartha because he came to her begging to learn her secrets, he is someone she could mold into the perfect lover. “ ‘You are the best lover I have ever encountered,’ she said thoughtfully. … ‘You have learned my art well, Siddhartha. Some day, when I am older, I would like to have a child of yours. But in spite of all that, my dear, you have remained a shramana and you do not love me’(58)”. Kamala is essentially saying she likes who she made Siddhartha into being, and that he is worthy enough to father her children even though that is not the life either of them really want. Siddhartha feels incapable of loving anyone, and Kamala wants his love. Kamala did truly love Siddartha in the end though, instead of going out and looking for him like Kamaswami did, she freed the songbird in its golden cage. “When she first received news of Siddhartha's