Charmander's Quote
"Which father, which teacher, could prevent him from living his own life, from soiling himself with life, from loading himself with sin, from swallowing the bitter drink himself, from finding his own path" (Hesse 121)?
What is the significance of this line?
Works Cited
Hesse, Hermann. Siddhartha. New York: New Directions, 1951.
posted by The Hulk @ 4:42 AM
2 Comments
2 Comments:
I agree with this quote. This is a recurring theme throughout the book, Siddhartha wants to learn on his own. Every time Siddhartha has a teacher he begins to resent them after a while because he knows that the only way to enlightment is to learn it on his own. Since he has done this, he has been able to have many experiences throughout his life, which have helped him achieve wisdom. After his son leaves, which is when this quote occurs, Siddhartha becomes resentful because he was trying to teach him the best way to live. Even though he has all the experience, the boy still wants to learn on his own, but Siddhartha does not realize this. Once Vasudeva reminds him that he did the same thing once, it helps him but he is still upset. Essentially it is the idea that whatever a parent thinks is cool, their children are going to despise.
This quote is vital to understanding Siddhartha's feelings towards his son. Siddhartha does not return his son to Kamala's grove because he wants to protect him from failure and misfortune. Siddhartha fears his son will commit the same mistakes that he has previously made and hence decides to try to make him stay. Vasudeva says this quote to Siddhartha to convince him that he cannot protect his son from sorrow, pain and disillusionment. He cannot stop his son from getting lost in Samsara or becoming engulfed with possessions or power. Vasudeva explains to Siddhartha that he must return his son to the village because he does not belong or want to be there. Siddhartha cannot keep his son captive along the river, nor will it save him from his destiny. Vasudeva's conversation with Siddhartha is vital in understanding why Siddhartha does not want to let go of his son. Unfortunately, Siddhartha does not listen to Vasudeva and his son leaves him in result of it.
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home