Siddhartha: The Hero's Journey Essay

English 10H
Siddhartha Essay: The Hero’s Journey    


In many novels, the protagonist partakes in a journey also known as the hero’s journey. In the novel Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse, Siddhartha represents the protagonist setting out on that quest or hero’s journey. Siddhartha’s quest is about finding spiritual enlightenment and it follows the format of a hero’s journey.
In the beginning of a hero’s journey, there is always a call to adventure. The call to adventure is the point in the protagonist’s life when they first realize that everything in their life is going to change. Young Siddhartha grows up in the world of Brahmins and has already mastered all the rituals and wisdom of the Brahmin religion; but despite all of his spiritual influence with the Brahmins, Siddhartha feels that the meaning of life is still out there and he has yet to discover it. He realizes that the Brahmins’ practices do not fulfill him in the way they should and he should have questioned their methods long before. Thus e takes his first step on the journey to enlightenment, deciding to follow the path of wandering priests, known as the Samanas. The Samana believe they can achieve enlightenment through rejection of the body and physical desire, or asceticism. In the hero’s journey, many times when there is a call to adventure, the protagonist rejects or ignores it. This is known as refusal of the call. In Siddhartha’s story I don’t believe this took place because when he decided to follow a different path than that of his father and the Brahmin’s wishes, he did not think twice and he was not going to change his mind about it. One thing I do believe that Siddhartha possesses is a supernatural aid. In a hero’s journey, when the protagonist commits to his quest, consciously, or unconsciously, his guide or magical helper becomes known. I believe that Siddhartha’s supernatural aid lies in Govinda because from the start, Govinda never doubts Siddhartha and is always by his side....