Siddhartha Summary
Hermann Hesse

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Siddhartha Summary & Study Guide
1 eBook
15 Student Essays
1 Encyclopedia Article
22 Literature Criticisms
1 Book Notes
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Siddhartha Summary

Hermann Hesse referred to his novels as "biographies of the soul." In Siddhartha (1922), the title character is an exceptionally intelligent Brahman, a member of the highest caste in the Hindu religion, who seemingly has a well-ordered existence yet feels spiritually hollow. Siddhartha embarks on a journey of self-discovery that takes him through a period of asceticism and self-denial followed by one of sensual indulgence. An encounter with Buddha is intellectually meaningful but not...

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Encyclopedia Articles (1)

Siddhartha

3,638 words, approx. 13 pages

Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse Hermann Hesse was born in Germany in 1877 to an Indian mother and missionary father. Raised during the Romantic era in Europe-an artistic and cultural movement that emph... Read more

Project Gutenberg eBooks (1)

Siddhartha

45,131 words, approx. 151 pages

Title:  Siddhartha Author:  Herman Hesse Release Date:  February, 2001 [EBook #2500] [Most recently updated:  October 23, 2002] Edition:  10 Language:  English Character... Read more

Hermann Hesse Biographies (4)

Hermann Hesse

1,483 words, approx. 5 pages

The novels of the German author Hermann Hesse (1877-1962) are lyrical and confessional and are primarily concerned with the relationship between the contemplative, God-seeking individual, often an art... Read more

Hermann Hesse

4,903 words, approx. 17 pages

Hermann Hesse, the most widely translated German author of the twentieth century, authored what he liked to call "biographies of the soul." Though many of his best-known works were novels, they were l... Read more

Hermann Hesse

14,272 words, approx. 48 pages

Only a few German writers of the twentieth century have enjoyed worldwide acclaim. Undisputably numbered among these are Thomas Mann, Franz Kafka, Bertolt Brecht, and Hermann Hesse. Hesse's major work... Read more

Hermann Hesse

15,583 words, approx. 52 pages

Biography EssayOnly a few German writers of the twentieth century have enjoyed worldwide acclaim. Undisputably numbered among these are Thomas Mann, Franz Kafka, Bertolt Brecht, and Hermann Hesse. Hes... Read more

Essays & Analysis (37)

Critical Essay by Colin Butler

1,508 words, approx. 6 pages

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Critical Essay by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.

379 words, approx. 2 pages

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Critical Essay by Mimi Jehle

3,473 words, approx. 12 pages

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Critical Essay by George Wallis Field

6,133 words, approx. 21 pages

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Critical Essay by Colin Butler

3,847 words, approx. 13 pages

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Critical Essay by Roger C. Norton

2,833 words, approx. 10 pages

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Critical Essay by Madison Brown

5,253 words, approx. 18 pages

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Critical Essay by Joseph Mileck

5,887 words, approx. 20 pages

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Critical Essay by Sanjay Narasimhaiah

6,796 words, approx. 23 pages

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Critical Essay by Carlee Marrer-Tising

10,540 words, approx. 36 pages

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Critical Essay by David G. Richards

2,944 words, approx. 10 pages

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Critical Essay by Eugene L. Stelzig

6,490 words, approx. 22 pages

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Critical Essay by Bryan A. Bardine

4,076 words, approx. 14 pages

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Critical Essay by Johannes Malthaner

2,671 words, approx. 9 pages

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Critical Essay by Rudolph P. Byrd

5,890 words, approx. 20 pages

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Critical Essay by Leroy R. Shaw

9,817 words, approx. 33 pages

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Critical Essay by Robert Donald Spector

1,252 words, approx. 5 pages

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Critical Essay by Hans Beerman

4,426 words, approx. 15 pages

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Critical Essay by Ernst Rose

3,655 words, approx. 13 pages

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Critical Essay by Theodore Ziolkowski

10,241 words, approx. 35 pages

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Critical Essay by Mark Boulby

16,409 words, approx. 55 pages

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Critical Essay by Kenneth Hughes

5,389 words, approx. 18 pages

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The River in Siddartha

251 words, approx. 1 pages

What does a river stand for? What does it symbolize? To Siddhartha, from the book Siddhartha, by Hermann Hesse, the river symbolized a teacher. The first incident is when Vasudeva, the ferryman, tel... Read more

Siddhartha

835 words, approx. 3 pages

"You are clever, O Samana," said the Illustrious One, "you know how to speak cleverly, my friend. Be on your guard against too much cleverness" (page 35). This quote was made from the great Gotama... Read more

A Comparison of Character Development in "The Stranger" and "Siddhartha"

1,235 words, approx. 5 pages

The main characters of The Stranger and Siddhartha, Monsieur Meursault and Siddhartha, respectively, each have a unique progression in the nature of their lives, and upon close contact with death con... Read more

The Role of Sex in "The Outsider" and "Siddhartha"

1,276 words, approx. 5 pages

Both Albert Camus and Hermann Hesse have rooted their novels in profound philosophical themes. Even more absorbing than the actually philosophies presented in "The Outsider" and "Siddhartha" is the ... Read more

Siddhartha-the Shape of Time

1,697 words, approx. 6 pages

For many Westerners, more specifically the driven citizens of the United States of America, time is viewed as a straight line. Our children realize this, consciously or not, early... Read more

Songbird or Siddhartha Himself?

525 words, approx. 2 pages

In the story of Siddhartha, the author, Herman Hesse, uses a very important and recurring symbol, a rare songbird, to symbolize the `self', or soul of Siddhartha. This bird is very important, shown... Read more

A Siddhartha Reading Journal

2,333 words, approx. 8 pages

Siddhartha Reading Journal, by chapter The Brahmin's Son: My favorite quote from this section is: "He had begun to suspect that his worthy father and his other teachers, the wise Brahmins, had... Read more

Siddhartha Chapter Summary

940 words, approx. 4 pages

Becca Bubier Plot outline by chapter The Brahmin's son This is the crossing of the first threshold. Siddhartha asks his father if he can go and become a Samana. Obediently Siddhartha waits for... Read more

Siddhartha, A Review

823 words, approx. 3 pages

Hermann Hesse expresses how people play roles through out their lives through the character Siddhartha in the novel. The character, Siddhartha goes through his life playing many different roles, as ... Read more

Siddhartha's Journey: Trail of Enlightenment

606 words, approx. 3 pages

In many literary works, characters search for a different or better way of life. In Herman Hesse's novel, Siddhartha, the protagonist Siddhartha wants to achieve Nirvana. This desire leads him on a qu... Read more

Siddhartha's Journey of Realization

1,849 words, approx. 7 pages

In the beginning of the book, Siddhartha is defined as the Brahmin's Son. His actions and thoughts show that he is nothing more than a typical teenager, he may be athletic and book smart, but he sti... Read more

Siddhartha

734 words, approx. 3 pages

The struggle to find enlightenment is ever present in Hesse's Siddhartha. Siddhartha wanders the land in search of enlightenment over the course of years, but is never satisfied with what he finds. ... Read more

A Comparison of Metamorphosis and Siddhartha

503 words, approx. 2 pages

"The Rose that Grew from Concrete," from Tupac Shakur's poetry anthology The Rose that Grew from Concrete emphasizes the prosperity and productivity of a flower that lacks the nutrients, water, and pr... Read more

Siddhartha's Road to Enlightenment

493 words, approx. 2 pages

Prince Siddhartha Guatama was the scion of a family of warrior-kings in northern India. He was being indoctrinated for the time when he would assume his father's throne. Growing up in an atmospher... Read more

The Path to Enlightenment in "Siddhartha"

542 words, approx. 2 pages

In Herman Hesse's Siddhartha, there are three sentences that summarize the path that Siddhartha takes on his road to enlightenment. These paths that Siddhartha took to clarification are how every pe... Read more

Free Book Notes (1)

Siddhartha

21,121 words, approx. 71 pages

Siddhartha Book Notes is a free study guide on Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse. Browse the summary below:   Author Biography / Context of the Work   One-Page Plot Summary   Character ... Read more

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