Hesse,+Herman.+Siddhartha

//Siddhartha//

 * Hesse, Hermann. //Siddhartha//. New York: Barnes & Noble Books, 2007.**

 //Image from Google.com//

Hermann Hesse's //Siddhartha// was written in 1922 and won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1946. Hesse was inspired to begin writing this story after traveling to the East Indies in the year 1991 and developing an interest in Eastern cultures and religions. Originally written in German, //Siddhartha// was not translated into English until 1951. This particular translation was done by Rika Lesser.

//Siddhartha// is the story of a boy in search of truth and meaning. Siddhartha begins his journey with a departure from his family at an early age. As a respected young man with a bright future, he leaves to live a life in the woods with his good friend Govinda. This departure would set in motion his adventurous life of varying lifestyles and relationships he develops along the way. Throughout Hesse's poetic story, he creates a character (Siddhartha) who believes in finding peace and truth not through teachers and words, but through experiences which open doors to truly understanding the journey of life.


 * Recommendations for Teachers**

High school students may be able to relate to Siddhartha in the story as they think about graduating and moving away from home in the near future. It is common for students to say that they "hope to find themselves" while away at college. //Siddhartha// is a story entirely about a person finding himself. It can thus be a useful source for preparing students to graduate and make decisions about the direction in which they want to take their lives. While this story was written in an earlier time period and in a much different culture and setting than students experience in the United States, I believe that a creative teacher can help students find ways to relate to Siddhartha and draw important truths about searching and learning through one's own experiences.

An example of a good pairing with this book would be Albert Camus' //The Stranger//. The stories are very comparable to each other, but with obvious setting differences. Both of these books would allow a student to study the journey that humans travel to find meaning.

This text can also be used to good effect to highlight differences between Eastern and Western philosophy. Many of the happenings and actions that seem commonplace in the world of //Siddhartha// are greatly frowned upon in America. An example of this is how the characters Siddhartha and Govinda beg for food and wander around for periods of time without worrying about making a living.

Also, as previously mentioned, the text is a translation. An interesting discussion could be started with students about how they feel about translated texts, and how much students feel may be lost in a translation.

= =  Hermann Hesse, was born in 1877 in the German state of Württemberg. At the age of fourteen his parents, both of whom were missionaries, enrolled him in a protestant seminary in hopes that he would follow in their footsteps. Hesse was expelled from the school, and after multiple unsuccessful attempts at secular schools as well he abandoned his scholarly ambitions. He worked for some time doing odd jobs and eventually became involved in a local literature circle. It was his readings during this period that triggered his goal to become an author. Hesse was first published in 1899, but it wasn’t until 1919 with the publication of his novel “Demian” that he was celebrated as a breakthrough writer. 1922 saw the publication of “Siddhartha”, a novel based on the early life of Gautama Buddha, and Hesse’s personal experiences in his trips to India. Many of his subsequent writings reflect his interest in Eastern Religions and their ideas about spiritual oneness. During World War II Hesse would find himself confronted by the Jewish refugees in France as a Nazi supporter, and blacklisted by the Nazi’s for his published writings that spoke about Nazi programs and anti-Semitism. In 1943 he published one of his final novels “DAS GLASPERLENSPIE”, which is widely considered to be his masterpiece. In 1945 Hesse received the Nobel Prize for Literature, and subsequently published only a handful of poems and essays. His stories about enlightenment and the human journey have earned him a mass following from around the world, and he is widely considered to be one of the greatest German Novelists.
 * About Hermann Hesse**


 * Additional Resources:**


 * [|The Historical Siddhartha] - This website provides insight to what scholars know of the real Siddhartha and how he lived. It also explores some of the different facets of Buddhism.
 * [|The Life of Buddha] - Another website that probes the tale of Siddhartha's life from birth to death.
 * [|An introduction to Buddhism] - A stepping stone into the religion of Buddhism. Contains information about Siddhartha, the Eightfold Path, the Four Noble Truths, and more
 * [|Siddhartha Lesson Plans & Study Guides] - A site with different links to places to buy or view different lesson plans and study guides for //Siddhartha.//
 * [|Lesson Plans for Hermann Hesse's Texts] - Another site that has lesson plans for Hesse's texts //Siddhartha// and //Steppenwolf//

//Dustin Morley, Sean Haak, Robert Coffey, Scott Spitters//

.