Symbolism in Siddhartha

[Jieleen]

Hermann Hesse utilizes plenty of natural symbolism throughout the storyline to not only push the plot forward, but also to emphasize the strong connection between the earth and oneself. One interesting piece of symbolism as pointed out by Aksa in her own thread is Kamala's songbird which "[s]he opened the door of the cage, took the bird out and let it fly" (89). As explained by Aksa, the songbird is freed from his lifestyle in order to achieve his goals. The bird becomes a symbol of moving forward, refusing to be left shackled in a cage. Another interesting piece of natural symbolism we see is the river that Vasudeva rows along, the river which Siddhartha and Vasudeva praise for being, "... always
there, was always at all times the same and yet new in every moment!" (105). Their appreciation for the river goes so far as even "consulting" and "listening" to the river for guidance. Perhaps the symbolism we see in the river is that the river itself represents the Samsara? That what we are seeing in the river is the ultimate attainment of the enlightenment, that by listening to it as guidance is akin to listening to Govinda or another Buddha. The Samsara is defined as being "circuitous", and what we all probably remember from AP Lang last year is that water is circuitous; it is a cycle. Have you guys found any other interesting pieces of symbolism? Do you either agree or disagree with the perspectives of me and Aksa?

[Mickaela]

A symbol that stuck out to me while reading is mentioned by Siddhartha as he says, "This stone is stone; it is also animal, God and Buddha. I do not respect and love it because it was one thing and will become something else, but because it has already long been everything and always is everything" (145). With this quote in mind, it can be inferred that Siddhartha believes everything is connected. I would disagree that the river is a symbol of samsara. Samsara is usually associated with dissatisfaction and suffering, which is the opposite of what Siddhartha finds during his time with the river. However, I do agree that water, stone, and animal are all circuitous as the quote suggests.

[Tanvir]

A symbol that I found in the book was the ferryman. He serves as guide to Siddhartha with his knowledge about the river and the path to enlightenment. The ferryman is places between the normal world and enlightenment, and whoever wants to attain enlightenment are able to find guidance through him. Many instructors of knowledge pop up along Siddhartha’s search, but every one fails to guide Siddhartha to enlightenment. However, the ferryman shows Siddhartha how to find enlightenment within himself. Vasudeva is not a teacher who tells Siddhartha what he should know, but rather a mentor who leads him where he wishes to go; Vasudeva helps guide Siddhartha by telling him that “‘The river has taught me to listen; you will learn from it, too. The river knows everything; one can learn everything from it’” (Hesse 105). Siddhartha himself becomes a ferryman after he attains enlightenment. He escorts people back and forth across the river and eventually helps Govinda attain enlightenment. Only the ferrymen are able to assist others attain enlightenment. On the topic of the river I agree with Mickaela about how the river in fact is the thing that helps and pushes Siddhartha into attaining enlightenment because the river does not tell Siddhartha to do something a specific way, but rather it utters "Om" and that is what connects with Siddhartha and helps him get closer to reaching enlightenment.

[Jackie]

A symbol I found to be very interesting was the smile. The smile represents someone who has found enlightenment. Siddhartha encounters this smile when he meets first Gotama, "With a half-smile, with unshakable brightness and friendliness, Gotama looked the stranger in the eye and sent him on his way with a barely visible gesture. 'you are clever, O samana,' said the Venerable one. 'You can speak cleverly my friend. Beware of too much cleverness!' The Buddha walked away, and his gaze and half-smile remained engraved in Siddhartha's memory forever." (Hesse 20.) Gotama's enlightened soul is not even in the slightest, phased by Siddhartha's earlier ramblings, so much so he respionds to Siddhartha with a smile everytime.
Vasudeva, also another character that exhibits that same peaceful smile has found enlightenment as well. He is the one who tells Siddhartha to listen to the river because he himself was able to learn from it and find his peace. " 'Yes' said the ferryman, 'a very beautiful river; I love it above all other things. I have often listened to it, I have often looked into it's eyes, and I have always learned from it. You can learn a lot from a river.' " (Hesse 27.)