Self-Discovery In Hermann Hesse's Siddhartha

Hermann Hesse, the author of Siddhartha, describes the title character’s first experience with self-discovery. The theme the author conveys in the first passage is spirituality and enlightenment. One way he achieves this is by using imagery and diction of Siddhartha’s surroundings. Firstly, Siddhartha’s diet was explained, where he fasted for day, to a point when his “flesh melted from his thighs and cheeks.” Also, Siddhartha saw the world around him continue to progress, with merchants, hunters and priest all living their lives, but Siddhartha never once paid attention or acknowledged this fact. As described by the author, “the taste of the world was bitter. Life was affliction” This use of diction shows Siddhartha’s progression with spirituality,
and that he only had one goal which was to be absolved of all dreams and desires. In addition to diction and imagery, Hesse also uses symbolism to show the themes of enlightenment and spirituality for Siddhartha. While meandering, Siddhartha found a dead jacket, and his “soul slid inside the corpse.” Hesse describes the corpse as decayed, dismembered, and turned to dust. This symbolism directly relates to Siddhartha’s journey for self-discovery. Siddhartha, “died, decayed, turned to dust.” The death of the random animal symbolizes the death of Siddhartha’s former self, and shows the main theme of spirituality and enlightenment, by showing the recreation of Siddhartha’s new self.