Sidhartha And Night Essay

We go on and on about our differences. But, you know, our differences are less important than our similarities. People have a lot in common with one another, whether they see that or not” (William Hall). In both Night by Elie Wiesel and Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse, there is a great deal of self discovery that takes place. In Siddhartha, Siddhartha tries to do whatever it takes to reach enlightenment with obstacles along the way. However, in Night, Elie, the protagonist, works for a countless number of grueling hours so he can become free and leave the concentration camps. Along with that, their journeys are written in mostly dissimilar ways. Throughout these two texts there are similar elements displayed, including the theme of religion, the setting and the …show more content…
However, Siddhartha on the other hand, doesn’t have one specific religion. It has different spiritual beliefs, including enlightenment, and many of which align with Buddhism. Siddartha uses the idea of enlightenment to guide his life in order to successfully reach it. As previously mentioned, religion creates an obstacle because some outsiders disliked what the two religious groups in the books believed. The Jews in Night and the Samanas in Siddhartha, which Siddhartha was a member of, are looked down upon because they were considered either too radical or they just defied social norms. An example of this is when Siddhartha’s father did not want his son to join the Samanas. His father looked down upon them and wanted the best for his son. However, he soon realized that Siddhartha should do what he thinks is the most beneficial for his inner self. His father told him: “You will go into the forest and become a Samana. If you find bliss in the forest, come back and teach it to me. If you find disillusionment, come back, and we shall again offer sacrifices to the gods together” (Hesse 12). This showcases that Siddhartha’s