Hermann Hesse's Siddhartha : a passage of initiation

Abstract

Hermann Hesse uses the theme of initiation in Siddhartha. The structure of the novel is an archetype demonstrating different phases of the initiation procedure beginning from the protagonist's voyage, his entering a new society, learning and testing and finally changing into a new person through the experience of death. As the protagonist, Siddartha's life resembles Buddha's biography : he travels for his quests and then finds his way to paradise, atman or nirvana. Hesse presents a vision of the existence of life by combining eastern and western philosophy.