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Siddhartha

This book follows a spiritual journey of the lead character through four stages of life: a Brahmin’s son, an aesthetic in the woods, a merchant/gambler, and finally a wise ferryman. In the end, the wisdom reached by the titular character is a hybrid of Buddhist and Hindu teachings.

I absolutely loved this book in college and have been drawn back to read it several times since. My recent mature reading was the least satisfying. The end particularly troubled me. The complete selfishness of this supposed wise man truly renders him a stunted hero.

I noticed several morally problematic scenes that are not well answered in the novel. For example, the Ferryman tells Siddhartha that his 12 year old son can fend for himself in the forest and world. Even in the world Hesse has constructed here, Siddhartha’s actions are nothing short of criminal negligence. When you step back and look at the entire book, you realize the immense selfishness of Siddhartha in relation to his friend Govinda, his parents, his mistress, his fellow merchants, and even his son.

Siddhartha makes no real sacrifice in his quest for wisdom. He chooses his path and runs roughshod over the lives of those around him. When his son unexpectedly appears, the Ferryman tells him to let his son go (which he does) because his son will not be happy raised by two old men by the river. Never for a moment does Siddhartha consider giving up his Ferryman existence and moving back into the town to raise his son. He doesn’t even really care about his son FOR his son. He spends most of the time worrying about his own bruised heart caused by the son’s rejection of his “love.”

When I was young, I completely identified with the lead character on his spiritual quest. You pursue your goals with determination and ignore the consequences. Now I see how empty a life Siddhartha created for himself. Who would find a life without friends and family rewarding? Not many.