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hermann hesse's siddhartha
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STRUCTURE AND SETTING OF NOVEL MORE READING QUESTIONS |
Siddhartha Study Guide Questions
Chapter 1 – The Brahmin’s Son 1. Why is Siddhartha unhappy? Why is his spirit like a “waiting vessel”? 2. Why is Govinda willing to follow him? 3. How are the Samanas described? From his description, how does the author feel about them? 4. How did Siddhartha convince his father? Why didn’t he just go? 5. Why, do you suppose, Siddhartha’s mother doesn’t have more of a role in the decision?
Chapter 2 – With the Samanas 1. How does he act when he is with the Samanas? 2. What is his goal? What happens when he reaches that goal? 3. How does Siddhartha meditate? 4. What frustrates Siddhartha? 5. Complete the quote: “I could have learned more quickly and easily ________________.” Explain this. 6. According to Siddhartha, what can one learn? Explain this. 7. Who is Gotama? What does the author think of him? 8. What does Siddhartha do with the oldest Samana? What does that feat show?
Chapter 3 - Gotama 1. How is Gotama different from the Samanas? 2. How do they recognize him? 3. Why does Govinda choose to join him? Why won’t Siddhartha join him? 4. According to Siddhartha, how will he find enlightenment? 5. Gotama asks him if his, Gotama’s, followers will also find enlightenment. Siddhartha dodges this question. How? 6. What has the Buddha robbed from him? What has he given?
Chapter 4 - Awakening 1. What does Siddhartha decide to study? How is that the one field he has been ignorant in? 2. Why does he feel an “icy chill”? He compares himself to a star. How is that so? 3. How is he different now? 4. What is the “Self”? Why has it occupied Siddhartha so? 5. When Siddhartha “awakes” from his dream, what does he see for the first time?
Chapter 5 - Kamala 1. How has his point of view changed? How does the writing style reflect this? 2. Complete the quote: “To obey no other eternal command __. Nothing else was necessary.” What does this quote mean? 3. What dream does Siddhartha see? Will this woman lead him to enlightenment? 4. What does Siddhartha think of the Ferryman and of the river? 5. Why doesn’t Siddhartha “ascend the tree” with the woman? 6. Hesse uses a simile to describe the woman’s (Kamala’s) mouth. What is it? What does that say about the woman? 7. How does Siddhartha prepare for Kamala? What does he want from her? 8. Why might the portrayal of Kamala be politically incorrect? 9. What three things can Siddhartha do? 10. When Siddhartha receives his first kiss, the style changes. How? Why? 11. Who is Kamaswami? 12. Siddhartha compares himself to a stone. How is this so?
Chapter 6 – Amongst the People 1. How does Siddhartha take control of the interview? 2. For all of his holy skills, in the end, why does Kamaswami hire him? 3. In your own words and thoughtfully, what did Kamala teach him? 4. What makes Siddhartha good at business? Why might he be an excellent partner for Kamaswami? 5. What does his four day trip to the village show about Siddhartha? How could that be good business? 6. What does Siddhartha’s inner voice say? How is life “flowing past” him? 7. What do you suppose a Samana heart is? 8. How are Siddhartha and Kamala similar?
Chapter 7 – Samsara 1. Does Siddhartha have a bad life? What is good about it? 2. What had Siddhartha learned “amongst the people”? 3. What happened when the property finally became chain and a burden? 4. How does his dice playing echo his real life? 5. What was his Kamala dream about? 6. What was the Bird dream about? What does it mean? 7. Why does he feel dead? 8. Why is it important that Kamala is pregnant? Why out of that last trip?
Chapter 8 – By the River 1. Why does Siddhartha wish to kill himself? 2. What is the tone of this section. is it entirely serious? 3. What sound does he here? How does he react? 4. How is he different when he wakes up? Who is sitting with him? 5. What does Siddhartha start lecturing his friend about?
Chapter 9 – The Ferryman 1. What does Siddhartha learn from the Ferryman? 2. How are the skills he is learning now important to him for life? 3. What do people say about Siddhartha and the Ferryman? 4. How are they becoming alike? Is this a good thing? 5. Describe the events surrounding Kamala’s meeting Siddhartha again. 6. How has Siddhartha changed since their last meeting? How has Kamala changed? 7. What happens to Kamala? How does this effect Siddhartha?
Chapter 10 – The Son 1. What about Siddhartha would make him a lousy father? 2. How does young Siddhartha take advantage of the father? 3. What does he try and do for his son? Why won’t it work? 4. Why doesn’t he punish the boy? 5. Why is the river laughing? How has Siddhartha gotten “his own”? 6. How can love be “Samsara”? 7. Why does the son hate the father? 8. Why did he break the oar? 9. In losing his son, what might Siddhartha have gained?
Chapter 11 – Om 1. What “wound” does Siddhartha have? What is the different light that he sees people in? 2. What has been his biggest change since becoming a ferryman? As a result, how does the tone of the book change? 3. What does the river do when Siddhartha goes to see his son? Whose reflection does he see? 4. Siddhartha and Vasudeva listen very, very closely to the river. What do they hear? Why is everything interconnected? 5. Where does Vasudeva go? (Hint: not just the woods)
Chapter 12 – Govinda 1. Why is there still restlessness in Govinda’s heart? 2. What is wrong with seeking, according to Siddhartha? 3. Why doesn’t Siddhartha have a doctrine? How can wisdom not be communicable? Can you communicate knowledge? 4. What is the symbolism of the stone? 5. How can Nirvana and Samsara be the same? 6. What does Govinda see Siddhartha do? What does this show about Siddhartha’s final change? |