Isolation In Siddhartha

Throughout the classic Disney movie Cinderella, the title character is isolated from society. She is oppressed in her own household, and forced to comply with her cruel step-mother’s rules. Perhaps the most defining moment of the movie is the scene in which everyone discovers that the mysterious glass slipper belongs to Cinderella. However, Cinderella could not reach this moment without all of the struggles beforehand, for she had to undergo an excruciatingly long journey to prepare herself. In Great Expectations, a Victorian novel written by Charles Dickens, the protagonist, Pip, struggles to determine his morals as he becomes an educated, wealthy man. Siddhartha, an interwar novel written by Herman Hesse, focuses on the protagonist, Siddhartha, …show more content…
During this journey, he learns about the behaviors and morals of many varying groups of people. In the first part of the novel, Siddhartha requests his father’s permission to leave home to become a Samana. His father takes time to think about the prospects of such an action; the narrator describes the scene as Siddhartha waits for his father’s decision, stating, “In Siddhartha’s face he saw no trembling, his eyes were fixed on a distant spot. Then his father realized that even now Siddhartha no longer dwelt with him in his home, that he had already left him” (Hesse 11). As he observes the Brahmans around him, Siddhartha realizes that he can no longer learn from them. Others are complacent, willing to complete the ritual religious activities although they may not lead to knowledge of the workings of the world. However, Siddhartha can no longer wait; he has a deep need to learn that can only be satisfied by leaving and experiencing new adventures with the Samanas. Siddhartha yearn s for something greater than he may find at home: greater wisdom, greater peace, greater understanding. He is fully committed to this goal, and he will not halt until he reaches it. Alienation comes with this dedication, though. Isolated from the actions of those who are content to wait for a teacher to gain knowledge, Siddhartha must be on his own. Siddhartha knows that these people may …show more content…
The narrator describes the transition that takes place within Siddhartha, stating, “Slowly blossomed, slowly ripened in Siddhartha the realization, the knowledge, what wisdom actually was, what the goal of his long search was. It was nothing but a readiness of the soul, an ability, a secret art, to think every moment, while living his life, the thought of oneness, to be able to feel and inhale the oneness” (Hesse 92). Siddhartha has a breakthrough, a breakthrough that could only come about by feeling alone and depressed from Kamala’s death and his son’s disappearance. Siddhartha finally understands that those who live by the ways of the world are wise, but in a separate way. These people know the value of love, sacrifice, and time, concepts Siddhartha himself does not always fully understand. While Siddhartha may suffer physically by fasting, others suffer emotionally through sacrificing time to remain loyal to their friends and loved ones. Amidst the sadness, Siddhartha is finally at peace, for he realizes that his painful journey was well worth it since it culminates in this moment. The moment changes Siddhartha for the better; he is able to communicate more effectively, to talk to all people regardless of their background. At last, he has succeeded in learning that while people may be different, they all work together as part of one body, one