Thesis Proposal and Directional Statement
Siddhartha
Hesse, Hermann, and Kathleen Helal. Siddhartha. New York, NY: Pocket, 2008. Print. The protagonist in the novel Siddhartha is a man named Siddhartha in Ancient India who is on a journey to attain spiritual enlightenment. Siddhartha has many good characteristics which are displayed throughout the novel such as his intelligence, willpower, curiosity and independence. From the beginning of the novel, Siddhartha is seen as a very intelligent person. Throughout the novel, we see that he is able to discuss issues of philosophy with old wise men. He even challenges the teachings of the Buddha known as Gotama in the story to a certain extent. He states that “Wisdom cannot be imparted. Wisdom that …show more content…
I had to experience despair, I had to sink to the greatest mental depths, to thoughts of suicide, in order to experience grace.” Although he spends most of his lifetime suffering to achieve his goal, his willpower pushed him through his struggle and made it possible for him to attain Nirvana. This clearly reveals that Siddhartha has a strong will-power. Another characteristic of Siddhartha is his strong curiosity which helps drives him on his journey to attain Nirvana. Siddhartha is curious to such an extent, that he is willing to be an ascetic, a rich man, and then a ferry man in order to find the key to attaining enlightenment. His strong curiosity is shown when Siddhartha says, “I have always thirsted for knowledge, I have always been full of questions.” Siddhartha’s most potent characteristic which he learns is necessary to attain enlightenment is his independence. Siddhartha’s quest is based on those of an independent man who would rather learn for himself than accept the words of others. This is shown when Siddhartha says “I shall no longer be instructed by the Yoga Veda or the Aharva Veda, or the ascetics,
Siddhartha
Hesse, Hermann, and Kathleen Helal. Siddhartha. New York, NY: Pocket, 2008. Print. The protagonist in the novel Siddhartha is a man named Siddhartha in Ancient India who is on a journey to attain spiritual enlightenment. Siddhartha has many good characteristics which are displayed throughout the novel such as his intelligence, willpower, curiosity and independence. From the beginning of the novel, Siddhartha is seen as a very intelligent person. Throughout the novel, we see that he is able to discuss issues of philosophy with old wise men. He even challenges the teachings of the Buddha known as Gotama in the story to a certain extent. He states that “Wisdom cannot be imparted. Wisdom that …show more content…
I had to experience despair, I had to sink to the greatest mental depths, to thoughts of suicide, in order to experience grace.” Although he spends most of his lifetime suffering to achieve his goal, his willpower pushed him through his struggle and made it possible for him to attain Nirvana. This clearly reveals that Siddhartha has a strong will-power. Another characteristic of Siddhartha is his strong curiosity which helps drives him on his journey to attain Nirvana. Siddhartha is curious to such an extent, that he is willing to be an ascetic, a rich man, and then a ferry man in order to find the key to attaining enlightenment. His strong curiosity is shown when Siddhartha says, “I have always thirsted for knowledge, I have always been full of questions.” Siddhartha’s most potent characteristic which he learns is necessary to attain enlightenment is his independence. Siddhartha’s quest is based on those of an independent man who would rather learn for himself than accept the words of others. This is shown when Siddhartha says “I shall no longer be instructed by the Yoga Veda or the Aharva Veda, or the ascetics,