Siddhartha

Siddhartha Author: Hermann Hesse

The passage I chose was part of the chapter “Awakening”…..

 “Out of this moment, when the world melted away all around him, when he stood alone like a star in the sky, out of this moment of a cold and despair, Siddhartha emerged, more a self than before, more firmly concentrated. He felt: This had been the last tremor of the awakening, the last struggle of this birth. And it was not long until he walked again in long strides, started to proceed swiftly and impatiently, heading no longer for home, no longer to his father, no longer back."

The meaning of the passage is that Siddhartha is no longer living in the past he is trying to find himself. Siddhartha feels as if he is being reborn again and sees the world differently and more clear. He feels this is his last chance to realize what surrounds him and what path he needs to take in order to fulfill his goals. He states that he will no longer return home or to his father because he feels like he can’t learn from his past anymore. This chapter is an important portion of the story because it means there’s a new beginning for Siddhartha in which he feels determined and focused to a new path.

I chose this passage because I thought it was very interesting how Siddhartha realized that his life needed a change. He wanted to find his inner self and was no longer afraid to make a first move. Siddhartha did not want to learn from others but himself. In this last chapter the awakening, he woke up from all the experiences he was going through. He did not want to rely on any teacher but learn from himself. Siddhartha doesn’t want to go backwards but move forward. It is a new Siddhartha with a clearer mind, determined to accomplish his goals and conquer any obstacles that comes his way. It is an inspiring passage because he realizes enlightenment doesn’t come from learning from others but from within. A person can only learn so much from someone else. In order to find yourself and purpose in life, individuals have to make their own decisions. Learn from their mistakes and have their own identity.