Herman Hesse’s novel Siddhartha affected me in a very meaningful way. I was immediately stricken by the illustrious and often multilayered text, but that was not what made this story so special. Even though I often had to read sections over and over to comprehend them, the symbolism and philosophical concepts were very enlightening to me. I do not think that you are supposed to just accept all the abstract ideas Hesse throws at you. Conversely, I think the reader should analyze the journey that Siddhartha makes in his own spirituality. To clarify, Siddhartha’s ideas about life and purpose differ greatly from when he is practicing Hinduism to when he is living with the child people to when he actually attains nirvana. I am sure the reader could
