Resumo de Siddhartha - Hermann Hesse

'Siddhartha' (1922) is probably Hesse?s most popular
novel, as it has a theme with universal appeal. The main
character must follow his own path, however painful that
might be, to find his inner self and he takes a lifetime to
find it.

The novel, like a lot of Hesse?s work,
is heavily autobiographical. Having been born into a
family of missionaries, Hesse rejected a religious life in
favour of writing. Through travelling and exhaustive study
of western and eastern philosophy he sought to find a path
towards discovering his true self, whatever the
cost.

In the novel, Siddhartha firstly leaves his
parents who expect him to follow the righteous career of
the Brahmin priest, the highest caste in Indian society
into which he is born. His friend Govinda, another young
Brahmin, joins him. They enter into the world of the
Samanas, ascetic, wandering monks who hope to attain
Nirvana through acts of self-denial and meditation. After
three years with the Samanas they meet Gotama, the Buddha.
Govinda stays with him to seek enlightenment but once again
Siddhartha moves on to continue his own path and to look
inside himself.

He meets the beautiful courtesan
Kamala and, through working with the rich merchant
Kamaswami, he becomes worldly. He learns the art of love
with Kamala and becomes rich. The years go by but he
doesn?t feel a sense of belonging to this life and he
falls into a dissolute life of drinking and gambling. He
has learned a lot from Kamala but after twenty years he
must leave once more and goes to the river.

With
the ferryman Vasudeva he learns what the constant flowing
river has to teach him: that there is a simple unity to all
things past and present. Kamala appears at the river with
their son and when Kamala dies from a snakebite Siddhartha
is left with the son he had never known. He has to endure
the loss of his son as he runs away, never to be seen
again. Vasudeva also departs, into the forest, having
attained wisdom and happiness.

The ageing
Siddhartha meets Govinda once more and tells him how he has
gained wisdom, not through teaching and words but through
pain and experience and learning to love the world.

'Siddhartha' has a simple lyrical beauty, while its
message is profound and reads somewhat like an epic poem.
The tracing of Siddhartha?s story from childhood to old
age is a gentle reminder of how transient life is.

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