Siddhartha Questions

1. Although Siddhartha is seen as the perfect son, he is not content, and it is his family's admiration which pushes him to begin his journey. As a child, he is loved by all: he makes joy " leap in his father's heart", and bliss "leap in his mother's breast". Most children would be thrilled with such praise from their parents, but Siddhartha is dissatisfied. He feels he is defined by the opinions of others. Since those around them feel he is perfect and beyond reproach, he cannot motivate himself to seek further enlightenment. As he grows older, he begins to sense that his family's blind admiration is a symptom of their simplicity, noting that they have already imparted to him the "best of their knowledge", and have nothing more to give. Siddhartha feels stifled by the contentedness of the those around them. They do not strive to better themselves, and so he feels he must leave them to achieve his full potential.

12. During his time in the town, Siddhartha both envies and despises the unenlightened common folk, who he refers to as the "child people". He is disgusted by their values, which he feels are shallow and unworthy. They desire wealth and prestige, and squabble over trivial issues. To Siddhartha, such superficial wants are beyond contempt. He feels that by striving for material gains, one cannot achieve mental well being. At the same time, Siddhartha envies the child people for their ability to love. Despite his intellectual prowess, Siddhartha is not able to achieve true happiness because he does not allow himself to care for other beings. Even with Kamala, he cares only for the teaching she can offer him, and not for her as a person. Siddhartha's mixed emotions towards the child people are indicative of his confused spiritual state, and foreshadow his eventual epiphany about the "oneness" of everything.

18. Siddhartha's feelings for his son lead to great inner turmoil, and eventual change his outlook on life. Prior to meeting his son, Siddhartha was leading an entirely rational existence. Everything he knew and believed was based on logical sequences of thought. When his son enters his life however, he experiences the completely irrational feeling of love. He loves his son despite the abysmal treatment he receives in return. His experiences with his son change Siddhartha's view on the child people. He now understands how they can allow themselves to be guided by pure emotion, whereas before, he was disgusted by their inability to separate themselves from their feelings. When his contempt for the child people disappears, Siddhartha is finally able to extend his love of the universe to people. Before, he was delighted by the beauty of nature, but disturbed by the weaknesses of people, but after his son arrives, he learns to accept these weaknesses. And by accepting the weaknesses of others, his is at last able to accept his own pitfalls, allowing him to be truly content.