Siddhartha Character Analysis

Siddhartha spends almost his entire life searching for enlightenment on a journey that brought him to become many different people and experience many different obstacles. As Siddhartha enters the different stages of his life he learns about not just the unity of all things, but he discovers himself and his place in the world. Going from being a Brahmin, to a beggar, to a wealthy merchant, to a ferryman instills perspective in Siddhartha. All of these obstacles and occurrences lead him on his path to enlightenment, but they are all different. Siddhartha began his journey as a Brahmin: wealthy, well-educated, and supported. His life was seemingly fine from the outside but Siddhartha was searching for more. He was dissatisfied with his religious teachings and felt the rituals and ablutions were not the key to enlightenment as he questioned “Why must he, the blameless one, wash away his sins and endeavor to cleanse himself again each day” (Hesse 5). Already Siddhartha is showing traits that he …show more content…
However, in comparison Siddhartha learned skills as a Samana he would not have learned otherwise. Siddhartha learned how to fast and live without possessions which made it so “he is not impatient, he is not in need, he can ward off hunger for a long time and laugh at it” (Hesse 52). The goal of the Samanas is to lose the ‘Self’ by denying it “‘of thirst, desire, dreams, pleasure and sorrow-to let the Self die” (Hesse 11). Just as he had been before, Siddhartha was doubtful and discontented with this method. He believed that he had not learned the path to enlightenment from the samanas. Looking at the eldest of the Samanas, Siddhartha decided that if he stayed they would “grow as old as he, and do exercises and fast and meditate, but we will not attain Nirvana, neither he nor we” (hesse 14). Like he had done before, Siddhartha knew that he had to leave in search for a better