Hermann Hesse and Siddhartha

An Introduction

Hermann Hesse (1877-1962)

German painter, poet, and novelist, depicted in his works the duality of spirit and nature, body versus mind and the individual's spiritual search outside the restrictions of the society.

Hermann Hesse

Born on July 2, 1877, into a family of missionaries and religious publishers in the Black Forest town of Calw, in the German state of Württemberg.

His parents expected him to follow the family tradition in theology. Hesse entered Maulbronn Seminary in 1891, but he was expelled from the school in 1892.

Hermann Hesse

As a young man, he worked in book stores.

In 1899 Hesse published his first works. A visit to India in 1911 interested Hesse

in studies of Eastern religions. During World War I he joined pacifists in

anti-war activities.

1922 - Siddhartha

Hesse's ninth novel Written in German, in a simple yet

powerful and lyrical style. It wasn’t published in the U.S. until 1951

and became influential during the 1960s.

Hermann Hesse

In 1923 he became a citizen of Switzerland. During World War II Hesse opened his home

to intellectual emigrants who had to flee Nazi Germany.

Awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1946 (for his novel The Glass Bead Game).

After receiving the Nobel Prize Hesse wrote no major works.

Hermann Hesse

He died of cerebral hemorrhage in his sleep on August 9, 1962 at the age of eighty-five.

At the time of his death, Hesse, in addition to his countless novels and collections of poems, had written 3,000 literary reviews and 35,000 personal letters. He had painted about 3,500 watercolors.

He is still one of the best-selling German writers throughout the world.

Hesse and the Hippies

Following the death of Hesse in 1962 his novels saw a revival in popularity due to their association with some of the popular themes of the counterculture (or “hippie”) movement. Hesse became somewhat of a cult hero to the youth in the 1960s, who were searching for their place in a troubled, confusing world.

Siddhartha

An allegorical novel that deals with the spiritual journey of a boy known as Siddhartha.

The protagonist spends his lifetime searching for peace, faith, and meaning.

Siddhartha

The story takes place in ancient India around the time of Gautama Buddha, likely between the fifth and seventh centuries BC. (The Buddha's name, before his renunciation, was Prince Siddhartha Gautama. In Siddhartha, the Buddha is referred to as "Gotama".)

Siddhartha

The word Siddhartha is made up of two words in the Sanskrit language, siddha (achieved) + artha (meaning or wealth). The two words together mean "he who has found meaning (of existence)" or "he who has attained his goals".

A major preoccupation of Hesse in writing Siddhartha was to cure his “sickness with life” by immersing himself in Eastern philosophy. In order to complete the novel, Hesse lived as a semi-recluse and became totally immersed in the sacred teachings of both Hindu and Buddhist scriptures.

Structure of Siddhartha

The novel is structured on the three stages of life of traditional Indian philosophy: student (brahmacarin), householder (grihastha) and recluse/renunciate (vanaprastha)

AND on the Buddha's four noble truths (Part One) and eight-fold path (Part Two) which form twelve chapters, the number in the novel.

Why are we reading Siddhartha?

We have looked briefly at Greek religious beliefs and Hebrew religious beliefs, the bases of Western myth and religion.

We do not want to short-change the religious beliefs of the Eastern world.

Why are we reading Siddhartha?

The study of Siddhartha provides not only insight into Eastern religious thought but also a valuable representation of the influence of religion and culture on literature.

Why are we reading Siddhartha?

Further, it contains a theme related to the search for identity, a topic that we will be focusing on in our study of other literature.

Please pay attention while reading that Siddhartha does not simply look inside himself for the answers, but leaves a comfortable home and tries intellectual, sensual, and spiritual paths to self-identity.