the representation of herrman hesse’s spirituality

THE REPRESENTATION OF HERRMAN HESSE’S SPIRITUALITY

IN SIDDHARTHA AS SEEN IN SIDDHARTHA

AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS

Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements

for the Degree of Sarjana Sastra

in English Letters

By

MARKUS IVAN HIMAWAN

Student Number: 114214083

ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAMME

DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS

FACULTY OF LETTERS

SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY

YOGYAKARTA

2018

PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI

i

THE REPRESENTATION OF HERRMAN HESSE’S SPIRITUALITY


AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS

Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements

for the Degree of Sarjana Sastra

in English Letters

By

MARKUS IVAN HIMAWAN

Student Number: 114214083

ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAMME

DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS

FACULTY OF LETTERS

SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY

YOGYAKARTA

2018


A Sarjana Sastra Undergraduate Thesis

THE REPRESENTATION OF HERRMAN HESSE'S SPIRITUALITY

IN SIDDHARTHA AS SEEN IN SlDDHARTHA

By

MARKUS IVAN HIMAWAN

Student~urnber:114214083

Approved by

Drs. Hinnawan Wijanarka M.Hum

Advisor

kr-Elisa Dwi Wardani S.S.. M.Hurn.

Co-advisor

ii

25 Juli, 2018

25 Juli, 2018


A Sarjana Saslra Undergraduate Thesis



By

MARKUS IVAN HIMAWAN

Student~urnber:114214083

Defended before the Board of Examinerson 31 July, 2018

and Declare Acceptable

BOARD OF EXAMINERS

,::f

Name

Chairperson : Drs. Hinnawan Wijanarka M.Hurn

Secretary : Elisa Dwi Wardani S.S., M.Hurn.

Member 1 : Dewi Widyastuti S.Pd., M.Hum.

Member 2 : Drs. Hinnawan Wijanarka M.Hurn

Member 3 : Elisa Dwi Wardani S.S., M.Hurn.

Yogyakarta, 31 July 2018

Faculty of Letters

Sanata Dhanna University

Dean

iii


iv

Out beyond the world of ideas

of right doing and wrong doing,

there is a field.

I will meet you there.

When the soul lies down in that grass,

the world is too full to talk about.

Ideas, language, even the phrase each other

doesn’t make any sense.

Rumi


v

This thesis is dedicated to my teachers and mentors


LEMBAR PERNYATAAN PERSETUJUAN

PUBLIKASI KARYA ILMIAH UNTUK KEPENTINGAN AKADEMIS

Yang bertanda tangan dibawah ini, saya mahasiswa Universitas Sanata Dharma:

Nama : MARKUS IVAN HIMAWAN

Nomer Mahasiswa : 114214083

Demi pengembangan ilmu pengetahuan, saya memberikan kepada PerpustakaanUniversitas Sanata Dharma karya ilmiah saya yang berjudul":



beserta perangkat yang diperlukan (bila ada). Dengan demikian saya memberikankepada perpustakaan Universitas Sanata Dharma hak untuk menyimpan,mengalihkan dalam bentuk media lain, mengelolanya dalam bentuk pangkalandata, mendistribusikan secara terbatas, dan mempublikasikannya di internet ataumedia lain untuk kepentingan akademis tanpa perlu meminta ijin dari sayamaupun memberikan royalti kepada saya selama tetap mencantumkan nama sayasebagai penulis.

Demikian pernyataan ini yang saya buat dengan sebenamya.

Dibuat di Yogyakarta

Pada tanggal24 Juli 2018

Yang menyatakan,

4Markus Ivan Himawan

vi


STATEMENT OF ORIGINALITY

I certify that this undergraduate thesis contains no material which has been

previously submitted for the award of any other degree at any university, and that,

to the best of my knowledge, this undergraduate thesis contains no material

previously written by any other person except where due reference is made in the

text ofthe undergraduate thesis

Yogyakarta, 24 Juli, 2018

~Markus Ivan Himawan

vii


viii

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The writer would like to send his gratitude to God the almighty. The writer

was very grateful to receive enormous blessing and many great things that God

has been done to make the writer able to work upon the thesis. The writer would

like to thank to his advisor, Drs. Hirmawan Wijanarka M. Hum., for all the

kindness and patience to guide every details of the writing process. The writer

would also like to thank his co-advisor, Elisa Dwi Wardani S.S., M.Hum., for

corrections to improve of the writer’s undergraduate thesis. It is the honour for the

writer to be involved under the guidance of great lecturers in this department.

The writer would like to acknowledge his parents for all the support to

finish the thesis. The writer would like to thank to family and friends whose

names cannot be addressed one by one. He felt very grateful to be among the

lovely family members and lots of precious friends. Thanks to all the best persons

that preserve the education process in Sanata Dharma University. The writer was

possible to study and done the thesis because of their excellent works.

Markus Ivan Himawan


ix

TABLE OF CONTENTS

TITLE PAGE ......................................................................................................... i

APPROVAL PAGE .............................................................................................. ii

ACCEPTANCE PAGE ........................................................................................ iii

MOTTO PAGE .................................................................................................... iv

DEDICATION PAGE ........................................................................................... v

LEMBAR PERNYATAAN PERSETUJUAN PUBLIKASI KARYA ILMIAH .. vi

STATEMENT OF ORIGINALITY .................................................................. vii

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................................................................... viii

TABLE OF CONTENTS ..................................................................................... ix

ABSTRACT ........................................................................................................... x

ABSTRAK ............................................................................................................. xi

CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION ........................................................................ 1

A. Background of the Study ............................................................................. 1

B. Problem Formulation .................................................................................. 3

C. Objectives of the Study .............................................................................. 3

D. Definition of Terms .................................................................................... 4

CHAPTER II: REVIEW OF LITERATURE .................................................... 5

A. Review of Related Studies ......................................................................... 5

B. Review of Related Theories ...................................................................... 11

1. The Theory of Character and Characterization ................................... 11

2. Theory of Representation ................................................................... 14

3. Theory of Eastern Spirituality ............................................................. 15

C. Review on Hesse’s Life .............................................................................. 16

D. Theoretical Framework .............................................................................. 18

CHAPTER III: METHODOLOGY .................................................................. 19

A. Object of the Study.................................................................................... 19

B. Approach of the Study. ............................................................................ 20

C. Method of the Study .................................................................................. 21

CHAPTER IV: ANALYSIS ............................................................................... 23

A. The Characteristics of Siddhartha ............................................................. 23

B. The Characteristics of Siddhartha which Represents Hesse’s Life ........... 32

C. The Significance of Siddhartha to Represents Hesse’s Life ..................... 39

BIBLIOGRAPHY ............................................................................................... 53

APPENDICES ..................................................................................................... 55


x

ABSTRACT

Markus Ivan Himawan. The Representation of Hermann Hesse’s Spirituality

in Siddhartha as seen in Siddhartha. Yogyakarta: Department of English

Letters, Faculty of Letters, Sanata Dharma University, 2018.

Siddhartha is Hermann Hesse’s novel that tells about spiritual journey of a

person named Siddhartha. He did his seeking with his friend Govinda as a

Brahmin, Samana, and follower of Buddha Gotama. Siddhartha left Govinda and

his entire spiritual world to taste glamorous life in town. Siddhartha managed to

become a rich merchant and lived happily with his lover, Kamala. Once again he

was not able to satisfy his deepest desire so that he gave up all his wealth and

went to a wise man Vasudeva. With Vasudeva he settled as humble ferryman but

his soul was liberated by the wisdom of hearing voices from the river. By

experiencing enlightenment, Siddhartha was able to take his old friend Govinda to

the realm he was in.

This thesis is aimed at (1) depicting the characteristics of Siddhartha, (2)

describing Siddhartha’s characteristics to represents Hermann Hesse, (3) find out

the significance of Hermann Hesse’s representation in Siddhartha’s

characteristics.

The writer used the library research method to answer the problem

formulation. The writer collected data and references to be elaborated in the

analysis. In this study, the writer used theory of character and characterization,

theory of representation, and theory of spirituality. The writer used the historical

and biographical approach to reveal Hermann Hesse’s representation in the

character Siddhartha and its significance.

The analysis can prove that the characteristics of the main character

Siddhartha are similar to the characteristics of Hermann Hesse. The indication of

the author’s representation in his novel is strong because of the characteristics’

similarity. The representation of Hermann Hesse was amplifying the eastern

spiritual values with the background of Indian tradition.

Hesse underlined the importance of spiritual seeking to get enlightenment

which considered as the peak of awareness and perception. Hesse’s spirituality

made him become more loving and compassionate towards others. He considered

every being as his part. His meditativeness can be seen from his stillness in

responding to the Western spiritual crisis. Indian spiritual philosophy in the other

hand also embraces duality of reality. The representation is able to broaden the

western perspective to live in harmony by the values of Eastern spirituality as an

alternative of wisdom and philosophy.


xi

ABSTRACT

Markus Ivan Himawan. The Representation of Hermann Hesse’s Spirituality

in Siddhartha as seen in Siddhartha. Yogyakarta: Jurusan Sastra Inggris,

Fakulta Sastra, Universitas Sanata Dharma University, 2018.

Siddhartha novel karya Hermann Hesse’s menggambarkan perjalanan

spirtual Siddhartha sang tokoh utama. Ia melakukan pencarian spiritualnya dengan

Govinda sebagai seorang Brahman, Samana, dan pengikut Buddha Gotama. Ia

beranjak dari dunia spiritual dan sahabatnya Govinda untuk merasakan

kenikmatan hidup di kota. Siddhartha sukses menjadi saudagar kaya dan hidup

bahagia dengan kekasihnya Kamala. Namun, keinginan dalam lubuk hatinya

masih tidak pernah tercukupi, maka Ia menanggalkan kemewahan hidupnya untuk

tinggal dengan Vasudeva. Dengannya Siddhartha hidup miskin sebagai

pendayung rakit, tetapi kaya akan kebijaksanaan yang ia dengar dari aliran sungai.

Setelah mengalami pencerahan, Siddhartha dapat membuat sahabat lamanya

Govinda melihat dimensi itu.

Skripsi ini bertujuan (1) menggmbarkan karakteristik Siddhartha, (2)

menjelaskan bagaimana karakteristik Siddhartha merepresentasikan karakteristik

Hermann Hesse, (3) menemukan makna representasi Hermann Hesse dalam

karakteristik Siddhartha.

Penulis menerapkan studi pustaka untuk menjawab rumusan masalah.

Data dan referensi perlu untuk dikumpulkan sebagai bahan pembahasan. Dalam

penelitian ini, penulis memakai teori penokohan, teori representasi dan teori

spiritual. Penulis menggunakan pendekatan sejarah dan biografi untuk

menemukan representasi Hermann Hesse dalam karakter Siddhartha dan

pemaknaannya.

Analisis membuktikan bahwa karakteristik dari Siddhartha sang tokoh

utama mengandung banyak kemiripan dengan karakteristik asli Hermann Hesse.

Melihat kemiripan - kemiripan karakteristik maka semakin kuatlah indikasi

representasi pengarang di dalam cerita novel. Representasi dari Hermann Hesse

dimaknai sebagai penyalur nilai - nilai spiritual berlatarkan tradisi India.

Hesse menggaris bawahi pentingnya pencarian spiritual untuk mencapai

pencerahan. Pencerahan selama ini dianggap sebagai puncak kesadaran dan sudut

pandang. Spiritualitas dalam diri Herman Hesse mewujud dalam sikap welas asih

dan peduli pada sesama. Ia menganggap orang lain sebagai bagian dari dirinya.

Sifat meditatif Hesse tercermin dari ketenangannya menanggapi krisis spiritual

Barat pada masanya. Di sisi lain spiritualitas India mengakui dualisme dalam

realitas. Representasi dalam novel ini mampu menambah wawasan Barat untuk

hidup selaras dengan pengetahuan dan filosofi alternatif dari spiritualitas Timur.


1

CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

A. Background of the Study

Hermann Hesse’s Siddhartha invites readers to jump into spiritual

experiences of Siddhartha, the main character in the story. Siddhartha is the figure

in the novel that has many conflicts because his thoughts and deeds are different

than the common people. His life struggle throughout conflicts led him to find

Atman as his life goal. Atman in the story is described as transcendence inside

every creature in the universe. Many paths of life, he experienced may refer to

symbolize of the writer’s Hermann Hesse experiences to realize eastern spiritual

knowledge.

Hermann Hesse is known as a Nobel Prize awardee of literature in 1946

from Germany. He had been through his early life with strict observance to

religion because his parents were missionaries in India. Later, he found it difficult

to fit in pietistic education, so he went out from school to achieve his dream as a

poet. He published many works since his young age. Later his works influenced

so many young generations to believe in spirituality and act unsupportive against

violence.

A novel is an art which presents us a living world. Novel portrays the real

world but with its own identity (1969: 163). Therefore it can be concluded that the

novel is a fiction work that represents a miniature of human society. It can be said


2

as a representation of real life because novel displays experiences, problems, and

also meaning of the story.

The writer’s personal experiences may have a great impact to some literary

work he composed. Novelists may have the part of their life story placed through

their work. Siddhartha is one of many fictional works which contains much

writer’s personal identities in various forms within the story. The representation of

the author inside the novel seems appear often in the plot.

In literary work, there is also a category which composed the reality to write

fiction story. The real experiences of the author’s life are needed in

autobiographical fiction genre. Staton said that “It should become the real event of

the past encountered by the story writer before it composed into the part of a

fiction story” (1965: 65).

This thesis examines Hermann Hesse’s work Siddhartha which focused on

the main character, Siddhartha. The issue may become interesting to analyze

because partly of author’s factual story is represented in his fiction. Siddhartha’s

characteristics analyzed in order to see the representation of the author through his

characteristics in the story. By recognizing the characteristics of Siddhartha that

actually based on life events of the author, the spiritual substance from their

experiences may be revealed. Siddharta’s characteristics will be compared with

the real characteristics of the author. The similarity between the novel’s internal

elements and external elements could lead to the hypothesis of author’s

representation.


3

The study may reveal the significance of the main character in this story to

represent Hermann Hesse’s life. Spiritual elements appeared in both Siddhartha’s

life in the novel and Hermann Hesse’s real life become the bridge to find out the

significance of spirituality through Hesse’s representation in his work. It can be

hold by analyzing the hidden meaning behind the novel from the connection

between Hese’s lives through main character.

B. Problem Formulation

In order to analyze the work, two questions was formulated in this thesis:

1. What are the characteristics of Siddhartha in Hermann Hesse’s Siddhartha?

2. How does Siddhartha’s characteristics represents Hermann Hesse life?

3. What is the significance of the representation of Hermann Hesse in

Siddhartha’s characteristics?

C. Objectives of the Study

This thesis focuses on Siddhartha as the major character in the novel. The

main purpose of this study is to explain Herman Hesse’s representation in his

novel Siddhartha through the main character, Siddhartha. It can be held by

discussing the questions stated in problem formulation. Firstly, the writer analyzes

the characteristics of the main character, Siddhartha, in Hermann Hesse’s

Siddhartha which represent the author’s life. Secondly, the writer aims to analyze


4

the significance of Siddhartha’s characteristics to represent Hermann Hesse’s life

in the novel.

D. Definition Terms

The first term used in this reserch is representation because the theme of

this writing is representation of author’s life story in a fiction character. Peter

Barry said that representation in literary work is the imitation of a real which

commonly called by “the loss of the real” (2002: 87). Representation means the

imitation within two characters between real character / author and the imitation

character in such literary works.

The second term is sigificance which is the intention of the analysis to

unravel. Donald Keesey in Context for Criticism stated that significance means

the hidden meaning behind a novel (1994: 6-7). According to Culler, significance

means easily defined as a form which has a meaning (1975: 16-20). Significance

is used by the reader or researcher to see the deeper meaning behind the literary

works.

The third term is spirituality. Merriam Webster dictionary stated that

spirituality is the quality or state of being spiritual. Sadhguru said that spirituality

begin if a person begin to experience everything as a part of him or herself (2010:

27).


5

CHAPTER II

REVIEW OF LITERATURE

A. Review of Related Studies

One article about Siddhartha, “Hermann Hesse in the Service of the

Spirit” written by Martin Burber says the novel as a product of the First World

War years. The novel reveals question about the author’s spiritual life and also

focused on the ultimate of spiritual journey.

Siddhartha is designated as an “Indic Poem.” A product of the

first postwar years, it gives a new and significant twist to the great

question prevading all these works by Hesse – the question concerning

to the goal of the spirit. Siddhartha, a contemporary Buddha resist the

teaching of the master because it is one-sided. In Siddhartha’s oppinion

no single teaching can do justice to the reality of being. He wants only

to love the world, love it as it is, a world existing in and of itself (1973:

27).

Burber said that the main character was able to see beyond duality for

sin and grace is constantly embraced by Siddhartha as he maintains his stillness.

Meanwhile in reality, it is a fact that the bad side of human being can be

controled by the spirit even though in the fiction world, Siddhartha is still

worldly attached.

When it is no longer obidient to the spirit, rages self-

destructively against itself. As long as Siddhartha remains in constant

meditation, he can embrace sin and grace simultaniously. Siddhartha

will renounce his all-embracing love and take action against evil. In the

dimention of reality, if human evil is not to become overwhelming, the

spirit must time and again make the most rigorous distinctions within

the human world. As a human being, he became ever more intimately

acquainted with this dilemma of the world-loving man (1973: 28).


6

In another article, “Hermann Hesse: The exorcism of the Demon” by

Oskar Seidlin, There are some other perspective to see the novel. Seidlin saw

Siddhartha story is a quest of self realization and salvation. Even though solace

was the first he was seeking by being samana and follower of Buddha, but after

some time he went away and continue his seeking. The journey leads the main

character learned to listened the river from a ferryman the most fundamental

lesson which are paradoxical oneness of time and eternity.

The polarity of the hero in the story can be seen as a case of split

personalities of Indian gods. Seidlin comparing the character of Siddhartha

which had the elements of the preserver Vishnu and disolver Shiva. Both gods

were essentially one entity which manifested into two different

personifications. The conflict between the personalities is beyond solution, so

that the main character always contradicts himself.

It is again a quest of self-realization and salvation, and

Siddhartha travels lead through all the stages of self-fulfillment: life

among ascetic, life among courtesans and nabobs of the big cities, hope

to enter the essence. Then is the solution: the stream itself is the coeval

unity, the rhythm of fleeting moments is the everlasting presence ( 1973:

70).

This paradoxical oneness of the opposites, will show us again

how wrong it is to interpret the polarity of Hesse’s heroes in terms of

narrow Freudianism. (It would be about as fitting to discover in the

Indian gods Shiva and Vishnu “neurotic cases of split personalities.”)

That the tension between the poles is insoluble, that the problem of man

is beyond solution, can be learn from the very rhythm of Hesse’s work

( 1973: 71).

Besides articles about the novel, there are theses which analyse Hesse’s

Siddhartha. Thesis which analyse the novel, “Plot as a Symbol of the Spiritual

Quest of the Main Character in Hermann Hesse’s Siddhartha”, composed by a


7

student of Sanata Dharma University. F. Jati Nugroho in his conclusion stated

that the story develops chronologically and flows as the quest of Siddhartha.

Begin with the exposition when Siddhartha lives as a Brahmin in young ages,

the story went to the complication part which includes most of the chapters in

the novel. Hesse wrote the falling action and resolution in the chapter called

“Govinda”.

The analysis was done by Jati Nugroho leads to the conclusion that the

story event ordered chronologically to symbolize spiritual quest.

The plot of the novel is progressive or chronological. Starting

from exposition, that is, the picture of the life of Brahmins where the

main character Siddhartha lives, the story develops chronologically

following the quest of Siddhartha (2010: 72).

There is a “hidden” plot inside the story which is individuation of the

main character which go along with the plot of the spiritual quest. However, the

plot of the novel that is linear differs with the spiritual plot which is up-ward

spiral with repetitions. Siddhartha, the main character in the spiritual plots

experienced spiritual achievements that consist of five parts.

Those spiritual achievements are: the full recognition of Persona

(symbolized by Siddhartha leaves his life as a merchant), Ego

(Siddhartha awakened by the sound of OM), Shadow (Siddhartha has to

let his son be away), Anima (Kamala’s death) and Self (the unity or the

full recognition of the four stages) (2010: 72).

The first is persona for it symbolized by Siddhartha’s decision to leave

merchant business. Second, the ego, symbolizes by the awakened of the “Om”

sound. Third part is the part when he let his son go which is the symbol of

shadow. Anima phase is pictures on Kamala’s death. The last is self-


8

achievement for he had already in unity with universe and recognizes the other

stages he has been through.

Beside those five elements analysis, chronological order of plot

fragments shows the symbolization of spiritual quest of the main character.

Nugroho conducted analysis to elaborate the deeper meaning of th plot structure

in Siddhartha novel.

The events that are ordered chronologically are indeed the

symbolization of the spiritual quest of character Siddhartha. This claim

is what the second analysis tries to prove (2010: 72).

Besides F. Jati Nugroho, there is another study with the same literary

subject from Sanata Dharma University. Johanes Wisnu Permadi in his thesis,

“The Religious Experience of the Main Character in Hermann Hesse’s

Siddhartha”, emphasize Siddhartha’s transformation from an unfortunate

person becomes a person with transcendence consciousness.

In Permadi’s thesis, it is stated that transformation begins firstly when

Siddhartha feels ugly with himself by living with lots of pleasure. The second

event affected him is when his heart cannot bear the fact that his only son left

him. Transformation of his inner consciousness leads his mind to be awakened.

The transformation from wetchedness to transcendence occurs

two times in Siddhartha’s pilgrimage. The first occurs when Siddhartha

feels nauseated with himself after living in the worldly pleasures for

many years, and the second when his heart is deastated after failure to

win his son’s love at the end of story (2000: 44).

Permadi says in his work that the process of Siddhartha’s achievement

is when he goes through frequent introspective thinking while listening the

sound of the river. It guides him to a deeper self-awareness about life. The


9

transformation actualizes through acceptance of suffering, individuality and

independence. In his old age, he found the ultimate knowledge of supernatural

and life which is the goal of his quest since young age.

The transformations itself is initiated with something that

emanates from the main character’s inner world. The unconscously

pronouncing “Om” which leads Siddhartha to his first awakening and

also his fequently introspective contacts throuh listening river which

finally surpasses him to a deeper understanding about his life (2000:

44).

Permadi stated that Siddhartha’s finding does not exist in any religion or

dogma. However, Siddhartha in this novel symbolize The Buddha who has

united with inner deity so that he can achieve his wisdom.

The final truth of the diety according to Siddhartha does not

accurately exist in any religious institution along with its dogmas and

teachings. It dwells in everyone’s deep inside soul or the inner being. He

believes that every single person has the capability to be divine if only

they conduct a spiritual journet to themselves. It meabs that each human

possesses a potential deity in himself which Siddhartha symbolises as

the Buddha (2000: 45).

The third related studies the writer wanted to indicate is the thesis

related to the representation theory which still published by Sanata Dharma.

“The Significance of Hermione Granger to Represent Rowling’s School Life in

Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban” composed by Melia Hapsari

Sabarno describes the issue in her work with high details. She stated that the

reality might portrayed into fiction story.

The qualities of Hermione Granger, one of the main characters in the

novel, are the represent of Rowling’s experiences during her school era. The

thesis clarify that Hermione characterizations are diligent, clever, ambitious,

brave and obedient.


10

Both her diligence and her cleverness result in her hobby to stay

for hours in library. She was ambitious and forgiving girl. She was also

kind of brave girl. Behind her bravery, she was actually a sensitive girl

who was easy to feel sorry or to have tears if something bad happened

toward people she cared about. She was obidient girl who obeyed every

rule in order to have safety life (2006: 54).

It shows that Hermione likes to read many books in the library, as well

as Rowling who diligent to read the books too. Those natures have a lot of

similarity with the author’s life. The similarities in the natures of both

Hermione and Rowling indicate the representation of author’s school life.

Melia Hapsari’s thesis also analyse deeply the significance of the

representation. Hermione portrayed the position of the author inside the real life

society. She balancing the other characters with their own behavior among

themself and the way the other character treat themself and others. Rowling

creates Hermione in the story to shows her feminine side and give thought and

feeling of woman in the story. Hermione’s achievements above her ambition

show that a man should not underestimate woman. Melia stated that the novel

succeeds to represent her ideas and influence the reader.

She created the character of Hermione Granger to represent her

feminine side. Through the thirteen years old girl as her representation,

she may want to tell the reader about her ambition. Rowling also tried

indirectly to support the feminism world, that man still needs woman to

help him, as it seen in the novel. Yet, man shpuld not underestimate

woman. They needs woman to see the truth and to achieve their goals

(2006: 56).

After previewing study with the same theory, it is known that the

representation theory suitable to observes the deeper meaning of a literary work

from the author’s personal life perspective. The character inside a novel may

portray the author’s struggle inside the society and his idea he wanted to share


11

to the readers. Besides the same theory, the study with similar subject of work

shows that spiritual and religious issues from the novel has already been

proposed in many theses. This thesis examines spiritual case from Hermann

Hesse’s Siddhartha as well, but with the representation theory, the thesis may

fulfil the discussion in the previous study. That the messages from Hermann

Hesse through the novel are based on his experiences and ideas to solves

condition in society at the particular era.

B. Review of Related Theories

The theories reviewed in this study are related to the characterization,

representation, and spirituality. Theory of characterization is able to identify

and describe how the character Siddhartha develops his traits in the novel. The

representation theory can be used to see how Siddhartha characterizations

represent Hermann Hesse inside the story. Meanwhile the spirituality

perspective added the clarity about the significance of Hesse’s representation.

1. Theory of Characterization

Characterization is a method to conclude the traits of a character in the

story. Blair said that characterization is one of a technique for an author to sum

the traits of a character which is usually created with more than one (Blair,

1948: 53). The fact that author usually gives many characterizations for a

character can also be analysed through many perspectives which are stated in A

Glossary of Literary Terms by M.J. Murphy. The theory of characterization


12

inside the book clearly classified the way to describe characterization into nine

paths.

The theory uses to analyse Siddhartha’s characterization because

perspectives of the theory are suitable to describe Siddhartha’s nature through

the plot. The theory is able to classify which point of views that truly shows the

main character’s characterization. Those ways to analyse the characterization

are:

a. Personal Description

The character can be describes through his physical appearance. It

contains of the details of the clothes he wears, so that the attitude can be seen

from the appearance. Murphy said that the author can describe the character

presentation and outer looks (1972: 161). Character’s appearance can be used

as an important role to symbolize the characterization.

b. Character as Seen by Others

The other character also gives roles to describe the traits of a character.

Through the eyes and opinion of the others, Murphy believes that the author

can describes or reflects the image of the character (1972: 162). Those are the

part of the other character function in the story as characterization can be seen

through various perspectives.

c. Speech

The way a character speaks reflects the personality of the character.

According to Murphy, the author can describe traits through what the character


13

says (1972: 164). It covers in every opinion or conversation of a character

because character’s words can be used as a clue his or her natures.

d. Past Life

Past event which experienced by a character can be reviewed to explain

the characterization creates by the author. Murphy stated that experiences

possessed by characters will influence and shape their characterization. Past life

also indicates whether a character’s trait is flat or dynamic (1972: 166). Further,

he explains the form of past event of a character in a story shown. It may appear

in a conversation, direct comment, thought, or utterances by another individual.

e. Conversation of others

According to Murphy, characterization can also be seen through the

dialogue of a character with the others (1972: 167). The utterances show the

opinion and argument that can be analysed to find the natures of a character.

f. Reactions

Situations and event shown by the author gives effects to a character.

The reaction, according to Murphy, makes the readers to know and reveal the

characterization of individual in a story (1972: 168). The more various the

situation, the more traits can be revealed from a character.

g. Direct Comment

Author may directly give a description how does the characterization of

a person portrayed in the story (Murphy, 1972: 170). From the direct

description form the author, readers can grasp the idea from a character without

any assumption of their natures.


14

h. Thoughts

Understanding character’s thought, Murphy believes, gives us

knowledge of how differs a character is with the others (1972: 171). It means

various things that can only appear through an individual thinking. The

imagination, hope and intention in characters also show their characterizations

from the inner point of view.

i. Mannerisms

Murphy stated that the writer is able to describe mannerism and habit of

a character. Behavior of a character indicates traits given by the author. The

daily habit and deeds give a significance role to show the characterization of a

person (1972: 173).

Graham Little also writes the ways to see the characterization of a

character. There are three ways: basic characteristics, appearance from various

point of view and place in work (1981: 93).

2. Theory of Representation

A character in a story may represent others which can be seen through

the essence or features of the character. Representation is a term to explain

similarities of an image within literary work with another image inside or

outside the work. Representation in literary work is the imitation of a real

which commonly called by “the loss of the real” (2002: 87).

Andrew Gibson in his book, Towards a Postmodern Theory of

Narrative, divides the representation into two main kinds. Surface


15

representation is a kind of representation which can be seen obviously. For its

visibility, the surface representation does not have any masquerade in the eye of

readers. The visibility of the representation can be seen through senses.

Meanwhile, representation of depth included with many features and essences

to be interpreted by readers. The representation of depth cannot be seen from

the outside appearances, therefore the essence of a character’s inside is crucial.

(1996: 81).

The study uses the representation of depth because it is suitable to

compare characteristics of both Siddhartha and Hermann Hesse. Significance of

Hesse’s representation cannot be perceived through appearance or event that

related with the character Siddhartha. Meanwhile the representation of depth

may reveal the main analysis which is the value of Hesse and Siddhartha’s life

as seen in their characteristics.

3. Theory of Eastern Spirituality

The modern world has divided or disect spiritual seeking into many

categorization. Meanwhile in India, where the Hermann Hesse’s Siddhartha

story takes place, spirituality has taken hundred and thousand forms.

Spirituality has many interpretations because mainly the spiritual dimention

cannot be preceived through intelect or five senses. Sadhguru said that realized

people did not shaped by certain belief system according to their culture.

Somebody who realize that everything is existentially part of him or herself

means that the person is spiritual


16

A realized person is not coming from moralistic attitudes. He will

simply do what’s needed. He comes from his intelligence, not from

belief systems. The very fundamentals of spirituality are just this: if you

begin to experience everything as a part of yourself, then we say you are

spiritual (2010: 24).

As written in Enlightenment, Life the Way it is, Jaggi Vasudev stated

that the fundamental fact about spirituality can be seen from observation in the

nature of life. Even modern science has perceived that every life form is

worked as if it is one mechanism of energy. One cannot realize the oneness of

existence without putting aside the natures of comparison which comes from

five sensory organs.

Modern science is proving to you beyond any doubt, that the whole

Existence is one energy. There is no doubt about it anymore. The same

energy is manifesting itself as mud; the same energy is standing there as

a tree. This is what even modern science says (2010: 27).

Everything that you experience through the sense organs is only in

comparison with something else. Once you are enslaved to the sense

perceptions, you experience the world as fragmented into a million

pieces. You do not see the oneness of the existence (2010: 29).

C. Review on Hesse’s Life

Hermann Hesse was a German poet who’s born on July the second 1877.

He spent his youth in India for his parent’s had been work in a missionary in

India. Six years, since 1880 until 1886 he spent his life lived in Basle, therefore,

he and his family learnt different cultures in many country.

Hesse passed his young age by studying in Wuerttemberg and Maulbronn

theological seminary. Even though he was a good learner, pietist education did

not fit him. At that time he found it subduing and breaking individual

personality. Later, he decided to become a poet to follow his passion.


17

In 1899 for the first time his poem appeared in public. He continued his

work until he became a successful writer. According to Ziolkowski, Basle was

the city where he got married and had a son. The country which far from town

was the place he liked to live with his family. They moved several times and

settled for a long time in Switzerland since 1912. Hesse held Swiss

cintizenship since 1923. He liked to travel a lot around these years. Italy and

India were places he memorize and study his childhood in foreign countries

(1973: 8).

From Switzerland Hesse publish many writing to protest the violence and

cruel nationalism which support the First World War. Letters of hatred

continued to be sent to him from the Germany government. Works of Hesse

was banned or destroyed during Hitler’s era. Hesse did not afraid and continues

his resistance against violence. Then, in 1923 he resigned his German

citizenship became the people of Swiss. Beside pressure from his homeland,

Hermann Hesse had to go through hard time of his divorce. Hesse lived by

himself for several years, yet he decided to marry another woman later.

Surviving from crisis, Hesse passed World War and had done composed

many books such as Demian (1919), Siddhartha (1922), Steppenwolf (1927).

He stated that western philosophers influenced his literary works, but not as

much as Indian and Chinese philosophy. Prize in Literature 1946 was awarded

to him for his inspired works which have great ideals and style quality. Hesse

was the second German author who receive Nobel Prize after Thomas Mann in


18

1929. He considered to be the best custodian of German spiritual heritage in

contemporary literature (1973: 8).

D. Theoretical Framework

As the guidance of the thesis the limitation of the discussion needed to be

limited. Firstly the writer needs the theory of characterization to explain the

nature of Siddhartha. M.J. Murphy’s theory of characterization is able to

analyze Siddhartha from many perspectives such as utterances and appereance.

This theory also able to clasifiy stages of Siddhartha’s life whether he was

samana, beggar, or merchant. Representation theory becomes an important

knowledge in this thesis. It is used to be the tool to find out the similarity of

Siddhartha’s characterization as the representation of Hermann Hesse’s

imitation life. Even though in the basic image of the novel the representation of

author is blurred, representaton theory can be used to discover the essence or

depth meaning in Hermann Hesse’s Siddhartha. The theory of spirituality is

also important to find out the spirituality between the major character and the

author. It is how spirituality grows and creates the personality of the major

character. The last is Hermann Hesse’s life review. It is used as a background

of the author to find out the imitation between the major character and the real

character. It is to compare the real and imitation character in the novel

Siddhartha. Many sources from books, essays, and official online media are

used to complete the base information of this study. Those stated theories are

finally combined to solve the problem formulation composed by the writer.


19

CHAPTER III

METHODOLOGY

A. Object of the Study

This thesis explains the novel Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse which was

first published in 1951 by New Directions. Actually this novel was written in

1919. He started to write Sidhartha when he traveled to India in 1911. He wrote

his novel based on his own experiences. Beside as a novelist, he was known as

Swiss poet and painter. Hesse wrote novels that explore self authenticity from

spirituality and knowledge such as: Steppenwolf, Siddhartha, and The Glass

Bead Game. He received Nobel Prize in Literature in 1946

(www.gss.ucsb.edu/projects/hesse/life/jennifer, par 36, 1996).

The novel contains twelve chapters. The main character of this novel is

Sidhartha while the minor characters are Govinda, Kamala and Vasudeva.

Siddhartha tells the story of a young man who made a lifetime journey for his

own spiritual seeking. Firstly, Siddhartha was actually lived with his father

which was a Hindu Brahmin. Then, he went with Govinda to learn more about

spirituality with Samana across the street and forest. After some years, they

heard about wise man named Buddha Gaotama.

Sidhartha and Govinda decided to join the group of Samana to meet the

wise man. As time went on, Siddharta agreed with Buddha’s teaching, but he

didn’t seem like to carry his teaching. He escaped again from the Buddha and

lived in town with Kamala. But then, material world in town never gave him


20

peace and solace. He left his succesfull and glamorous life and went to

Vasudeva.

Meeting with Vasudeva, he became a ferryman. By lived as ferryman

with Vasudeva, Siddhartha got his realizaton which he seek consciously all the

time in his life. Sidhartha was a kind of spiritual seeker. One day he

accidentally met Govinda again, he was loyal friend who he had never met for a

long time. Suddenly, Sidhartha’s mind showed his realization within his entire

life. Finally, Siddhartha became conscious of his existence and realize the truth

of oneness in every moment in his life.

B. Approach of the Study

A Handbook of Critical Approaches to Literature elaborates Hippolyte

A. Taine’s historical and biographical approach that used in the thesis.

Biographical approach is a method to analyze literary work from the

perspective of author’s biography which is based on the reality. The theory also

says, literary work is able to reflect historical moment that which has

significance to the world in which the author lives.

Actually, poets have from earliest times been the historians, the

interpreters of contemporary culture, and the prophets of their people.

Take,for example,a poet as mystical and esoteric as William Blake.

Many of his best poems can be read meaningfully only in terms of

Blake's England. His "London" is an outcry against the oppression

human beings by society. (1992: 53)

The historical and biographical approach sees literature work or the

characters in writing as a reflection of its author’s life and era which he lives in.

The approach can be used as a tool to show the connection between the author’s


21

life and their literary works. This thesis uses historical and biographical

approach to explore author’s life and understand his literary work that presented

in a form of novel.

The knowledge from Hermann Hesse’s life becomes an important part

to grasp the idea which he tried to communicate to the reader. Biographical and

historical materials are essential for the audience to appreciate the literary work.

In the thesis, the writer explored the real life of Hermann Hesse from books,

essays and credible online sources as the background knowledge to analyze the

novel. Historical and biographical approach helps the writer to grasp the

significance of the representation of the author’s spirituality in character

Siddhartha inside the novel.

C. Method of the Study

This study applies library research method to find data to be analysed.

The novel Siddhartha and Hermann Hesse’s biography are the primary sources

in the study. The secondary sources in the study are printed materials in the

form of theories and essays as the reference to analyse the novel. The theory is

taken from approach and criticism of literature in the library. The writer also

uses another data which taken from essays and journals from trusted data in the

internet.

Firstly the writer read Siddhartha as the primary source. From the data,

the characteristics of hero in the novel, Siddhartha, could be revealed. This step

answered the first issue of the thesis which is characteristics of Siddhartha.


22

The next step was comparing the data gathered from the first step of the

analysis with the biography of Hermann Hesse. Representation theory became

the basic of the second phase of analysis. Representation theory was the

suitable tool to analyse the character Siddhartha as a portrayal of Hermann

Hesse’s life. Many aspects of Hesse’s real life was reflected in the character of

Siddhartha in the novel through biographical and historical approach. Theories

were taken from An Introduction to English Literature, Reading and Writting

about Literature, An Introduction to Literature Studies, and A Handbook of

Critical Approaaches to Literature.

The last step of the study was elaborating the significance of Hermann

Hesse’s representation in Sidhartha’s character. The novel Siddhartha and

Hermann Hesse’s biography become the main source to analyse. Since the

hypothesis in the study was aiming at Siddhartha and Hesse’s spirituality,

Historical and biographical approach was suitable to the writer to find

significance of author’s spirituality value life, especially the experiences and

personalities which were reflected in his main character, Siddhartha. The real

events of Hesse’s life and its context from historical background were analyzed

with theory of Eastern spirituality. The theory applied in the data to explore

significance of the representation from the Eastern spirituality point of view.

The analysis of the thesis was patterned by following the guide line from

problem formulation and suitable approach to the study.


23

CHAPTER IV

ANALYSIS

A. The Characteristics of Siddhartha

A character is the important thing in the part of the fiction. There are

several characters in Siddharta, such as Siddhartha, Govinda, Vasudeva, and

Kamala. Some of them are classified as a major and a minor character. In this

thesis, the writer focuses on Siddhartha as the main character to be analysed.

In order to analyse a character deeply, Murphy states nine methods to

analyse characteristics which are the personal description, speech, past life,

character as seen by the other characters, conversation of other characters, direct

comment of the author, character’s reaction to various situations and events,

thoughts, and mannerism (1972 : 160-173). The writer uses some theories above

that will be applied to understand the main character in Siddhartha. In first part,

the major character is analysed in more detail. Some quotations are used to

support the study. These are the characteristics that can be seen in Siddhartha:

a. Smart

Siddhartha was a smart child and a good learner. Since young age,

Siddhartha grasped many religious scripture such as Rig Veda and Sama Veda.

Even though he was a Brahmin student, he had been told to be qualified as the

future Brahmin teacher. “Joy leapt in his father's heart for his son who was quick

to learn, thirsty for knowledge; he saw him growing up to become great wise man

and priest, a prince among the Brahmans.” (1951: 5).


24

“He loved everything Siddhartha did and said and what he loved most was

his spirit, his transcendent, fiery thoughts, his ardent will, his high calling” (1951:

5). Govinda liked Sidhartha as a smart child because he had high spirit in learning.

Siddhartha passionately explored all the knowledge that he could learn.

b. Ambitious

As an ambitious young boy, Sidhartha always had some goals to be

achieved. As a young learner, he wanted to be free from every form of desire. It

seems that holy books that he learned from Brahmin tradition had a great impact

on the young Siddhartha. To liberate himself from surface world Sidhartha should

be empty of thirst, wish, dream, joy and sorrow, the things that are related to

worldliness.

A goal stood before Siddhartha, a single goal: to become empty,

empty of thirst, empty of wishing, empty of dreams, empty of joy and

sorrow. Dead to himself, not to be a self any more, to find tranquillity with

an emptied heard, to be open to miracles in unselfish thoughts, that was his

goal (1951: 12).

One day, Sidhartha started to silence himself from his senses and his

memory. He experienced another dimension of life so that he perceived thousand

forms of animals, plants, and other things. Finally, Sidhartha succeeded to

experience his journey until he woke up as a normal human being.

He could escape from the cycle, where the end of the causes, where

an eternity without suffering began. He killed his senses, he killed his

memory, he slipped out of his self into thousands of other forms, was an

animal, was carrion, was stone, was wood, was water, and awoke every

time to find his old self again, sun shone or moon, was his self again,

turned round in the cycle, felt thirst, overcame the thirst, felt new thirst

(1951: 13).


25

Sidhartha main goal was actually to be free from self or identity he took

upon. He was able only to deceive it because by when stopping doing spiritual

practices, identities were back again to his mind. However, the young Siddhartha

did not give up to the circular motion of his life. Siddhartha’s ambitions revealed

from his acts and accomplishments.

Sidhartha is hard learner type of person. He was very ambitious to

get what he wanted. Day by day, he learned to be non-self although it led

back to himself in the end. “These and other ways he learned to go, a

thousand times he left his self, for hours and days he remained in the non-

self. But though the ways led away from the self, their end nevertheless

always led back to the self” (1951: 13).

“It was the self, I wanted to free myself from, which I sought to

overcome. But I was not able to overcome it, could only deceive it, could

only flee from it, only hide from it” (1951: 29).

c. Diligent

Siddhartha also had diligent characteristic. When he was already an adult,

he was fasting in most of the days. Not only did he pay attention to the scriptures

carefully, Siddhartha also went to several spiritual practices from Brahmin

tradition. He was fasted until his thighs and cheeks were waning. “He ate only

once a day, and never something cooked. He fasted for fifteen days. He fasted for

twenty-eight days. The flesh waned from his thighs and cheeks” (1951: 12).

On another day, Siddhartha burned himself directly under the rays of the

sun. The teaching of Samana took him deep into severe penances. He also stood

up when the rain came up. He tried to not feel any cold in his entire body anymore

until he found composure.

Silently, Siddhartha exposed himself to burning rays of the sun

directly above, glowing with pain, glowing with thirst... Silently, he stood

there in the rainy season, from his hair the water was dripping over


26

freezing shoulders, over freezing hips and legs, and the penitent stood

there, until he could not feel the cold in his shoulders and legs any more,

until they were silent, until they were quiet (1951: 12).

Again, Sidhartha learned to crawl between thorns. He kept up to be

strong, unmoved, till there was no blood flowed from his bodies. Silently,

he cowered in the thorny bushes, blood dripped from the burning skin,

from festering wounds dripped pus, and Siddhartha stayed rigidly, stayed

motionless, until no blood flowed any more, until nothing stung any more,

until nothing burned any more (1951: 13).

d. Critical

Siddhartha’s mind never stopped doubting and questioning. He was a

sceptical person who was always curious for what has been taught to him.

Siddhartha at one moment doubted whether sacrifices in religious rituals

determined future happiness. He also found that every text he learned never

contained any idea as how to experience peace within himself. Later, these

matters drove him to seek for an answer through journeys with his friend,

Govinda.

Dreams and restless thoughts came into his mind, flowing from the

water of the river, sparkling from the stars of the night, melting from the

beams of the sun, dreams came to him and a restlessness of the soul,

fuming from the sacrifices, breathing forth from the verses of the Rig-

Veda, being infused into him, drop by drop, from the teachings of the old

Brahmans (1951: 6).

When Sidhartha wanted to go to hermits together with Govinda, then he

started to ask himself about what life is. He thought about the creator of this world

which he sceptical about it. He carried those questions in his journey with his

fellow spiritual seekers. “Did the sacrifices give a happy fortune? And what about

the gods? Was it really Prajapati who had created the world? Was it not the

Atman, He, the only one, the singular one?” (1951: 6-7).


27

e. Sarcastic

Sidhartha was sarcastic and many times mocked his friend, Govinda. It

occurred when they were arguing in Samanas’s place, whether they wanted to

continue living as Samana or attempted to see the wise man Gotama. Sidhartha

thought that learning among the Samanas was not satisfying because he did not

get what he wanted from Samana’s teachings. Siddhartha laughed when he

remembered how hard they strived in Samana’s spiritual practices as if the

training did not have any meaning.

You're mocking me. Mock me if you like, Siddhartha! But have

you not also developed a desire, an eagerness, to hear these teachings? At

this, Siddhartha laughed in his very own manner, in which his voice

assumed a touch of sadness and a touch of mockery (1951: 19).

f. Religious

“Often he spoke to himself from a Chandogya-Upanishad the words:

Truly, Brahman is satyam verily, he who knows such a thing, will enter the

heavenly world every day" (1951: 7). Since Siddhartha studied holly texts such as

Veda from the elders, his mind set was quite religious. He had a longing to seek

the source of creation which was called Atman.

His questions of life arose in his young age and by the time those thought

only multiplied. Becoming more confused after some time, Siddhartha frustrated

for not experiencing salvation for the answers in Brahmin path. He made a new

effort to seek the Atman by leaving his parents and joined a group of Samana.

“Now it is beginning, now Siddhartha is taking his own way, now his fate is

beginning to sprout, and with his, my own” (1951: 9).


28

Sidhartha joined Samanas to follow his own fate on that path. Through the

journey, he did practice art of self-denial. Since went to methods and belief of the

Samana, Siddhartha and Govinda felt that it was suitable for them. Therefore, they

were able and enjoy lived with the group of Samana for many years.

In the evening of this day they caught up with ascetics, the skinny

Samanas, and offered them their companionship and obedience. They were

accepted (1951: 12).

g. Stubborn

Sidhartha was so stubborn when it came to his willing to explore. First

time he asked to join the Samana, Sidhartha’s father did not want him to go. At

that time, Sidhartha was so mean. He waited his father with arms folded, standing

there until his father agreed with him. He did not make any movement before he

had permission from his father.

Through the small window of the chamber he looked back inside,

and there he saw Siddhartha standing, his arms folded, not moving from

his spot (1951: 10).

He came back after an hour, he came back after two hours, looked

through the small window, saw Siddhartha standing, in the moon light, by

the light of the stars, in the darkness. And he came back hour after hour,

silently (1951: 10).

His stubborn characteristic can be seen by the other character, and thought.

Many teachings from Brahmin and Samana belief system were not suitable to

fulfil Siddharta’s thought process. Sidhartha went in Gotama’s place several

times. Again, he thought that Gotama’s teaching was not the best teaching for his

mind. Sidhartha would like to continue his seeking in order to reach his goal for

the rest of his life.


29

This is what I have thought and realized, when I have heard the

teachings. This is why I am continuing my travels not to seek other, better

teachings, for I know there are none, but to depart from all teachings and

all teachers and to reach my goal by myself or to die (1951: 27).

h. Respectful

Sidhartha was a respectful disciple of many great teachers. He found

Gotama Buddha, the holy wise man he ever seen. Gotama was full of knowledge,

so that he has large group of followers along his journey. Siddhartha’s heart

bowed down to the holly man. Whenever Sidhartha met Gotama, he greeted

Gotama respectfully.

Then he happened to meet Gotama, the exalted one, and when he

greeted him with respect and the Buddha's glance was so full of kindness

and calm, the young man summoned his courage and asked the venerable

one for the permission to talk to him (1951: 25).

i. Thankful

Siddhartha’s other characteristics was thankful. Siddhartha was very

grateful to hear that near the forest there were Gotama’s group of followers passed

by. If supposed Siddhartha never heard about his followers passing by near his

place in the forest, he might not want to escape and leave his Samana companions.

Gotama’s wise words attracted him to go beyond Samana’s way of life and grasp

more awareness and clarity from Buddha himself. "Let us eat this fruit and wait

for the rest, oh Govinda! But this fruit, which we already now received thanks to

the Gotama, consisted in him calling us away from the Samanas!” (1951: 19)

j. Loving

Siddhartha had so much care for others. It can be seen as he treaed his son

very well when his wife, Kamala passed away. In the bank of the river


30

accidentally Siddhartha found Kamala and his son Little Siddhartha. Although the

son never met him before, Siddhartha still loved his son very much. “Siddhartha

spared him and let him do as he pleased, he honored his mourning. Siddhartha

understood that his son did not know him, that he could not love him like a father”

(1951: 84).

At the past, his son lived with all his glamorous life style with his mother,

Kamala. Surprisingly, his mother died bitten by snake near the river, so that his

son did not know where to stay. He came to his father, but he hate to live there

because Siddhartha lived in poverty.

“He did not force him, he did many a chore for him, always picked the

best piece of the meal for him. Slowly, he hoped to win him over, by friendly

patience” (1951: 85). Siddhartha coddled his son so much. He let his son do

whatever he wants. Even though his son disliked the way they lived as a ferryman

with Sidhartha, the father accepted his son’s mad behaviour.

k. Forgiving

Siddhartha forgiving characteristics portrayed when he cared of his son

even though his son do not loved him. As time goes by, his son felt a huge

inconvenience living with Siddhartha. Little Siddhartha saw that Siddhartha live a

miserable life. He was bored with Siddhartha even though Siddartha answer his

mad act with kindness and friendliness.

He was bored by this father, who kept him prisoner here in this

miserable hut of his, he was bored by him, and for him to answer every

naughtiness with a smile, every insult with friendliness, every viciousness

with kindness, this very thing was the hated trick of this old sneak (1951:

88).


31

l. Meditative

Old age brought Siddhartha meditativeness because he had been through

peak of his experiences. Near the river, Vasudeva told him to listen to the river to

hear answers for many questions he had been asked for many years. The

realization happened to Siddhartha when suddenly he understood the meaning of

syllable Om in relation with his life. Siddhartha was able to precipitate his life

experiences to the sense of oneness. He embraced peace out of his clarity of

perception.

Then said Siddhartha: "Isn't it so, oh friend, the river has many

voices, very many voices? Hasn't it the voice of a king, and of a warrior,

and of a bull, and of a bird of the night, and of a woman giving birth, and

of a sighing man, and a thousand other voices more?" (1951: 78).

"what word it speaks, when you succeed in hearing all of its ten

thousand voices at once?" Happily, Vasudeva's face was smiling, he bent

over to Siddhartha and spoke the holy Om into his ear. And this had been

the very thing which Siddhartha had also been hearing (1951: 78).

Govinda, his old friend who was the follower of Gotama since young age

begged for his help to enter the passage to the state of Nirvana. Siddhartha told

him to kiss his forehead to see what he grasped from life, so that Govinda see

peace as Siddhartha experience.

And, Govinda saw it like this, this smile of the mask, this smile of

oneness above the flowing forms, this smile of simultaneousness above the

thousand births and deaths, this smile of Siddhartha was precisely the

same, was precisely of the same kind as the quiet, delicate, impenetrable,

perhaps benevolent, perhaps mocking, wise, thousand-fold smile of

Gotama, the Buddha, as he had seen it himself with great respect a

hundred times. Like this, Govinda knew, the perfected ones are smiling

(1951: 106).

Govinda still stood for a little while bent over Siddhartha's quiet

face, which he had just kissed, which had just been the scene of all

manifesta- tions, all transformations, all existence. (1951: 106).


32

The characteristics of Siddhartha in the novel are portrayed descriptively

by Hermann Hesse. The author mentioned characteristics of Siddhartha implicitly.

The characteristics can also be seen through other characters point of view. The

analysis found that there are at least thirteen characteristics in the main character

Siddhartha.

B. The Characteristics of Siddhartha which Represents Hesse’s Life

Siddhartha is one of many Hermann Hesse’s novel which contains a lot of

author’s experience in the story. In a way, the personal life of Hesse is reflected

through events occurred to the character in the novel. Based on the historical

background, the writer is able to collect the data from Hermann Hesse’s biography

to be compared with the main character Siddhartha.

The perspective of surface representation is seeing the author’s

representation in the story through the similarity of visible elements such as

appereances and life events. While the surface elements were visible from the

description and clearly exist within the story, the elements of depth was invisible

(1996: 81).

The discussion in this writing compares the characteristics of both

Siddhartha and Hermann Hesse which were excluding from the visible

description. Therefore, the characteristics of Siddhartha and Hesse which came

through the analysis of characterization and the context in historical and

biographical aproach is considered as representation of depth. The following

similarities focused to mental qualities of Siddhartha and Hermann Hesse.


33

Siddhartha’s smart characteristic can be compared with Hesse’s

achievements in his career. Hesse’s first two books appeared in 1899. Six hundred

copies of his writing printed at his own expense. Giving up his job in a Basel

bookstore, Hesse is able to support himself through his writing (1973: 5).

According to the terms of Nobel Prize award, Hesse considered as the best

keeper of German spiritual heritage in contemporary literary work. Thomas Mann

as a German mate could see his spiritual awareness from his kinship with Hesse.

Martin Buber had similar respond to Hesse, which he also concerned to the crisis

of spirit in Western civilization. He greeted Hesse as one who preserves the value

and meaning of the human spirit (1973: 8).

Both Siddhartha and Hesse were stubborn person. Siddhartha’s stubborn

qualities can be seen when he was very mean to leave the Brahmanistic tradition

to join Samanas. Hesse was a smart student but he was so individualistic. He

escaped from school once and expelled to another school. It happened because he

had some kind of illness in his mentality since childhood.

Hesse ran away for twenty three hours, on March 7, 1892, and

following this escapade began to suffer from headaches and insomnia. On

May 7, he was withdrawn from Maulbronn and taken directly to Pastor

Christoph Blumhardt of Bad Boll for a cure. (www.gss.ucsb.edu/

projects/hesse/ life/ jennifer, par 7, 1996).

Hesse's early life was considered to be precocious, enthusiastic, and

rebellious. Young Hesse escaped from the school, but later he was found and

moved to the other school. Similar thing happened for many times. Here is the

following quotation from his father Johannes Hesse:

"Humiliating though it would be to us, I am nevertheless seriously

wondering if we should not put him into an institution or farm him out to


34

strangers. We are too nervous and too weak for him ... He seems to have a

gift for everything." (www.gss.ucsb.edu/ projects/hesse/ life/ jennifer, par

4, 1996).

Once there was an opportunity to be cured by his friend Carl Jung. Hesse

had been through psychological analysis by Carl Jung. Oscar Seidlin was one to

analyse the sense of metaphysical anxiety in Hesse’s work. In his investigation, he

founded the mythical dimension of Hesse’s writing and its relationship between

Hesse and Jung.

Another similarity is that Hesse and Siddhartha were religious character.

Both of them were taught with strict religious education. Siddhartha was taught in

Brahman’s scholarly tradition. Siddhartha was learning Holy Scriptures from

Brahmanism and learned to practice rituals with Samanas. In the other hand,

Hesse’s childhood was influenced by Eastern culture, especially India. He was so

familiar with Indian scriptures. Hinduism was based on Vedas and Upanisadh and

many other holy texts. Meanwhile, Buddhism relies on Buddha’s teaching. Hesse

studied both religions as the common wisdom and tradition in India.

After left his parents for ten years, Hermann Hesse went back to India in

1904. He began to study Indian religious scripture such as Bhagavad Gita

which remind him of spiritual world in his childhood. At that time when

Hesse was 27, the Indian philosophy and belief system began to affect his

characteristic. Hesse realized that western philosophy, Schopenhauer, that

stated about maxim of world was reflected through human consciousness

has relation with Indian idea that the factual appearance of world is not

real or has a lot of illusory substance (2002:2).

According to Gunter Baumann in his essay, Hermann Hesse and India,

Hesse’s way of thinking was based on various ideas but mostly came from Indian

religion and philosophy. Hesse also admitted that Indian ideas have strong


35

influence for his writing and work of art. Novel Siddhartha was considered as the

summary of his deep relation with Indian culture.

“Nevertheless Hesse himself always pointed out that the ways of

Indian thinking had strongly influenced his basic ideas and his work of art

and they were as important as Christianity and Taoism to him” (2002:2).

Hesse himself said the book was the fruit of "nearly twenty years of

familiarity with the thought of India and China.” (www.gss.ucsb.edu/


The next similarity is Hesse’s and Siddhartha’s side as loving person.

Hesse’s first two books appeared in 1899. Hesse became widely known but his

works was rarely discussed. World War I brought large change in Hesse’s life. As

a German people in Switzerland, he worked for German internees through

newspaper and books.

World War 1 brought sharp change in Hesse’s fortunes. As a

German citizen living in Switzerland, he put himself at a service relief

work for German internees and prisoners of war, whom he nounced

pacifism, Hesse felt that the war was the ineviteable product of European

spiritual crisis. He shared Romain Rolland’s conviction that writers and

intellectuals should remain au-dessus de la melee in order to work toward

a new and cosmopolitan Europe of the spirit (1973: 5).

Herman Hesse pronounced himself as a pacifist in war issues. Hesse’s

compassion didn’t let him support the violence in the name of nationality. Even

though many critics came from the supporter of Germany, humanity in his soul

was never let him encourage the war propaganda propounded by his own nation.

These feelings prompted Hesse to write a series of articles on war

and politics that won him a few allies but ruined his reputation with the

generally conservative and nationalistic public that had bought his books

up to that time. Indignant book dealers notified Hesse that they would no

longer carry the writings of a coward and traitor (1973: 5).


36

War was the inevitable outcome of European spiritual crisis. Hesse gained

few allies but also enemies because of his article which unsupportive to war and

politics at that time. His old friends were turning against him because they feared

of Hesse’s influence among the young Germans.

To compare the compassion of the author and the main character, it can be

seen how Siddhartha inclusively love the people around him. Whether a sage,

merchant, drunkard, or courtesan, they are all equal in Siddhartha’s eye. He never

look up or look down to anybody because the arise of humanity in his heart.

Siddhatha realized that anywhere he met any person, he should accept and love

the person as they naturally are.

“He did not force him, he did many a chore for him, always picked the best

piece of the meal for him. Slowly, he hoped to win him over, by friendly

patience” (1951: 85). His son, the little Siddhartha is the clearest example of

Siddhartha’s love to his surroundings. Even though his son was so rough to

Siddharha, he never treats the son with violence. Siddhartha was so patient and

really wanted his son to accept his parent’s condition to live without any wealth.

The other issue to compare is forgiving characteristics. Both Hesse and

Siddhartha was forgiving person. Some book dealers notified Hesse’s literary

work to be no longer carried and marked as writings of coward and traitor. Hesse

quotes from a typical communication he received at that era. “We hate writers,

even if they offer us an art that is tenfold mature, who try to make women out of

men, want to internationalize us and pacify us and make us shallow” (1973: 6).


37

Major of his work were generally not available in Germany. The Journey

to The East after printed nine thousand copies was not released even after the war.

The discrimination to Hesse never let him respond in a violent way.

Hesse's call for peace was returned with alienation and hate. The

German press called him a "traitor" and a "wretch", things which needless

to say hurt Hesse very deeply. (www.gss.ucsb.edu/ projects/hesse/ life/

jennifer, par 31, 1996).

After that, we can look again to Siddhatha when he was rejected and

mocked by his son. The little Siddhatha was bored with his father because he was

always responding every single naughtiness with a smile, every insult with

friendliness, every viciousness with kindness. From these evidences, forgiving

qualities in Hesse and Siddhartha is connected to each other.

The next characteristic is meditative. Hermann Hesse meditativeness can

be seen through the novel Siddhartha. The main character Siddhartha journey was

merely his effort to turn inward and found the source of life by straight path and

also crooked path. Siddhartha went to both of them with such stillness or

awareness within him, which is considered as the flower of his meditativeness.

Hesse admitted to his friend that he once composed such fiction with the theme of

meditativeness. In 1923 shortly after publication of Siddhartha, Hesse wrote to

Rolland that none of his works had ever fallen into such a profound silence (1973:

7).

Images from his novels have shaped the consciousness of young

Americans in the sixties and early seventies and provided them with

signposts of orientation in a reality that ofter imitate his art (1973: 1).

Theodore Ziolkowski regarded Hermann Hesse’s influence on the young

American. Stephen Koch similarly said that even young generations adopted him


38

as their spiritual leader. George Steiner gave impression on Hesse’s literary work,

“Hesse seems to offer ecstasy and transcendence on the easy-payment plan.”

(1973: 2). Hesse’s writings were considered as great inspirations to the people

because the ability to broaden human perspective in various dimensions of life.

The common reaction also came from Hesse’s colleague, Jeffrey L

Sammons. “The purity of Hesse’s high-mindness and character undoubtedly

accounts in part of his appeal to young American, who in literary matters have a

great opinion of quality they call sincerity (1973: 2).

American young generation which is interested in spirituality embraced

Hesse’s works as their encouragement towards their way of life. Ziolkowski noted

that Hesse “cult” was appraised by Time, Life, Look, The Saturday Review and

other popular cultures media.

After a fair amount of searching they finally discovered a simple

farmhouse in the village of Gaienhofen on the Untersee. It was a simple

life with a small amount of amenities. Yet at the time it was just what they

wanted, a private abode amid beautiful nature (www.gss.ucsb.edu/


By comparing the characteristics of Siddhartha with Hesse’s real life, there

are a lot of similarities of both mental qualities which strengthen the indication of

Hermann Hesse representation in Siddhartha character. Beside the representation

of depth through the characteristics, there are some representation of surface by

comparing visible elements. The hipothesis of author’s representation is prooved,

therefore it is possible to explore about what are the representation in Siddhartha

signified.


39

C. The Significance of Siddhartha to Represents Hesse’s Life

In this part, the writer would like to elaborate on the significance of the

whole representation of Hermann Hesse in Siddhartha character. In Context for

Criticism, Keesey stated that significance could be defined as the depth meaning

in a novel (1994: 7).

There are many fragments of the tradition in society shown throughout the

story, especially in the context of Indian spiritual tradition. Even though Hesse’s

birth place was in Germany, he did quite lot of gathering into the essence of

Indian spiritual teaching since his young age and relates his life with those

philosophies. However, he did not put aside Christianity as his religion.

The name of Siddhartha in this novel cannot be unconnected with the

theme of spirituality. Siddhartha is a Sanskrit personal name which means "he

who achieves his goal". Besides that fact, the spiritual paths in Siddhartha include

many signs of Indian spiritual world such as Brahman, Samana, and ordinary wise

ferryman Vasudeva.

Hesse’s representation in the story can be assumes as a longing to attain

the consciousness of Siddhartha Gautama the Buddha in his own way of

understanding. However, Hesse’s life was not simultaneously related to eastern

spiritual value. He probably drew the picture about how far he took an effort

relating his life with eastern spiritual values through Siddhartha fiction character.


40

The next question that may arise from the analysis is about what kind of

knowledge or information Siddhartha story is trying to amplify to the readers.

Besides the perspective from Siddhartha’s name, there are some particular values

appear in Hermann Hesse’s representation in the novel. One of which is the

enlightenment of Siddhartha when he was listening to the river.

Enlightenment means everything that is worth knowing about life

has been known. That again means heightened state of awareness or a

heightened state of perception (2010: 42).

Mumon described enlightenment as the moment of total self-

oblivion, of knowing without knowing and seeing without seeing, in which

being is born out of nothingness (1974: 49).

Jaggi Vasudev in Enlightenment - Life the Way it is defined enlightenment

as the peak of awareness and perception. Yamada Mumon in Christianity Meets

Bhuddhism described enlightenment state as knowing or seeing what is beyond

physical or intellectual realm. Siddhartha and Hesse’s characteristics are

indicating their realization of perception above material world. Characteristics

such as forgiving, meditative and loving lead the character Siddhartha to perceive

the reality beyond the realm of the physical and intellectual. Hesse’s life events

and personality are proven to be in synchronized with what he portrayed in the

character Siddhartha.

If only one learns to keep one’s instinct of self-preservation just

within the body and not extend it to other aspects of life, every human

being in the planet will naturally be spiritual, will naturally get to his

Ultimate nature (2013: 50).

The book Life and Death in One Breath said that spiritual process

naturally functioned from within whenever one may put aside the human survival

instinct. Both Hermann Hesse and Siddhartha had one similar way to live outside


41

the glorification of economy, politics and common modern life style at that time.

What signified from such way of life is considered as one human quality of

spiritual maturity.

Indian spirituality see that overly glorified material, mental or social

mechanism processes will not lead people to peace and solace of the inner state. It

stated that the nature of life gives human being a continuous longing for

something more. One form of spiritual practice of a person is to raise their

perception above the physical.

It raises your perception beyond the physical so that you can

experience that which is not physical. Only when you experience that

which is not physical, we can say you are spiritual. You will become

spiritual only when the realm of your experience transcends the physical

reality, and you begin experiencing that which is not physical (2010: 32).

The representation of Hesse is actually showing to the readers about

Hesse’s own perspective and idea of his spiritual seeking. To become enlightened,

human must constantly seek and broaden their perspective. Siddhartha and Hesse

life events might also signify the importance of spiritual seeking.

Hesse might grasp something from psycho analyses and journeys that he

did with his friends. The writer is not going to see the issue from the

psychological realm point of view. The thesis is rooted to Indian spiritual

philosophy as the core of Hermann Hesse’s representation in the story. Spiritual

values of Hesse and Siddhartha are still relevant in modern era.

Hesse was intensely drawn in his exploration to many places and solitary

works at home. His priority to get spiritually grown was shown through

Siddhartha’s continuous longing to find Atman or the source of creation within


42

every being. Spiritual seeking became the priority of Siddhartha and Hesse even

though enlightenment has to be experienced and related continuously. Hesse was

aware of the issue so that he made the seeking as if that was a life time process.

One way of Hesse’s exploration was reflected as he chosen to stay in

village because he wanted to live close to the nature. He lived far from the town

crowded atmosphere even though it was easy for him to live glamorous life after

his success. The red line between spiritual processes and character’s personality

strengthen the hypotheses of Hesse’s spirituality.

In 1946, Hesse was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature. In his

speech of thanks he said: "I feel united to you all, but primarily through the

fundamental notion that inspired the Nobel Foundation, the idea of the

supranationality and internationality of the spirit and its duty to serve not

war and destruction but peace and reconciliation" (www.gss.ucsb.edu/


Spirituality also makes people to become more loving and compassionate

towards others. Hermann Hesse might get positive response if he joined the

propaganda of his nation in the time of war. In spite of that, Hesse chosen to

empowered love and compassion to young generations which was against the

nation’s interest. Humanity can be considered as part of spirituality because it

includes other as part of her or himself. Hesse’s works against the violence might

make some of writer partners angry, but he made clear statement about the right

thing to do.

“Relationships are a longing for inclusiveness, and if you approach

it as such and include the other as a part of yourself, then however they

are, whichever way they are, they will be just fine with you.” It is

inclusiveness that you are seeking in a relationship (2013: 23).


43

Inclusiveness is one important aspect of Indian spirituality whether it

comes in form of affair, business, organization or another scheme. Therefore,

accepting others in order to reverberating love and compassion becomes utmost

necessary value to be maintained. To resist the war agenda that was propagated at

that time, Hesse must have brought his humanity beyond race, nationality, party

or religion. In parallel line with Hesse’s inclusiveness, Siddhartha character

experienced and accepted everything that came on his way. Especially, when

Siddhartha became ferryman, various people from caste, creed, profession,

religion became his passengers to deliver across the river.

Meditation means to know life beyond the limitations of the five

sense organs; to know life beyond the sphere of that which is physical; to

know life and experience it at the source, not at the surface (2010: 36).

The fundamental difference between prayer and meditation, or

dhyana, is that when you pray, you are making an attempt to speak with

God. So in all these years of speaking, you probably never allowed Him to

speak. You speak throughout the day, but at least for some time in a day,

allow Him to speak (2010: 37).

Meditation is one part of eastern spirituality’s uniqueness. The practice

became important aspect to be seen from Siddhartha and Hermann Hesse. In

Indian spiritual tradition, listening to the cosmic reality can be done through

meditation in whichever way. Siddhartha’s meditation technique might be

different from the reality in Hesse’s life events. However, the meditativeness

within Hermann Hesse can be seen from his stillness responding to the Western

spiritual crisis. Siddhartha that he created also contained meditation techniques

and its mystical theme.


44

Meditative state is most potential dimension to seek peace and even

inspiration. How do crossing legs and sit with eyes closed may become the source

of peace may be questionable for the western society at that time. Even nowadays

making meditation as routine to common people is still a millennial goal.

If we look at the industry going on today, the top businesses are of lethal

weapon, liquor and pharmacy production. Considering the fact that the current

society of the world is still far from the peace and balance of emotion, meditation

theme in Siddhartha may become an encouragement to the readers.

When you experience the Divine within you, you definitely would

not have any need to belong to any group. You can just exist here as life.

Life is sufficient unto itself (2010: 27).

According to Indian spiritual philosophy, it is important to realize the

source of life that functions from within every being. In a constant meditativeness

state, the realization may happen to people in their daily activity. In a way the

only matter in life is the effort itself to be in tune with the source of creations,

while the possibility and impossibility are for the nature to decide.

Spiritual perspective sees that people need not to be worry about the

external situation which can be handled or not by human being. Both Siddhartha

and Hessse method to be in continuous meditativeness was to maintain their inner

dimension untouched by the external reality. Though Siddhartha was not get

enlightened by the wise man Gotama Buddha, young Siddhartha was grateful for

Gotama’s influence to evolve his perspective. Most events in Hesse’s novel

portrayed the main character in high emotional stability.

If you transcend your sense perception, naturally you feel and

experience everything as a part of yourself. Once you experience


45

everything and everybody as a part of yourself. That is what spirituality

means. (2010: 29).

Oneness of the creations was becoming the ultimate icon of Hesse’s

representation in the novel. Siddhartha realized it by listening to the river, and

then he lived as ferryman. Hermann Hesse did journeys across the east to absorb

the organic intelligence of Indian spirituality. Experience of listening and

inclusively include others as part of himself became a one of Hesse’s nature.

Those methods of including existence as part of one self are considered as a way

to realize the spiritual value of oneness.

If you begin to experience everything as a part of yourself, then we

say you are spiritual. Today, modern science is proving to you beyond any

doubt, that the whole Existence is one energy. There is no doubt about it

anymore. The same energy is manifesting itself as mud; the same energy is

standing there as a tree. This is what even modern science says (2010: 27).

The spiritual person considered every reality of creations as her or his part.

The mind set of oneness becomes important if the person has large influence to

her or his surroundings. One may give positive impact to others a lot more easily

if they become aware and receptive wherever she or he does his works.

There is no question why Siddhartha or Hesse wanted to be in nature and

avoid the glorification of life in town. If they also realize the nature is also giving

energy to life surrounds it, then they must made a priority to be in touch with the

pure source of energy, whether in the side of river or village across the forest.

You root yourself in that dimension which is non-dual, which is the

source of creation. But being rooted in this, you play with dualities. Once

you are rooted in the non-dual and play with the dual, the dual has no

impact upon you. You can play with it and enjoy it whichever way you

like, but it doesn’t take toll on you (2006: 7).


46

In From Creation to Creator Indian spiritual philosophy in the other hand

also embrace opposite side of oneself to works in the mechanism of life. Hesse

described the phenomenon in Siddhartha’s realization. In the beginning

Siddhartha can never settled with his way of life, whether as a Brahmin, Samana,

Buddha’s follower or wealthy merchant. In the end he got enlightened because of

Vasudeva’s suggestion to listen to river. The river made Siddhartha saw every part

of his life was actually not fragmented. The duality of here and there, then and

now vanishes when it came to his inner reality. Finally Siddhartha could embrace

every part of his life and lived a peaceful life by the river.

Everybody was talking about “I am doing all kinds of spiritual

sadhana, I want to go to heaven.” Gautama said “I don’t want to go to

heaven” because anyway I am beyond all suffering, wherever you put me,

this is how I will be. Anyway I have made myself in such a way that I

cannot suffer (2006: 13).

One of Gautama Buddha teaching is the state of inner liberation from

suffering. Hesse gave a picture of his method to free from worldly attachment by

Siddhartha decision to let the little Siddhartha go. Even though he gave the utmost

love and compassion to the son, Siddhartha still gave freedom and forgive his son

for whatever he did wrong to him. Similarly the country Hesse was born made

him disappointed because of mass destruction it created in World War. For

whatever reason, Hesse did his duty to the country in nonviolent way and did

campaigning against the war through the writing.

Indian spirituality uses lotus flower as a symbol for spiritual

processes, because once you live in the world of duality, filth is

unavoidable. If you are sincere with yourself, whichever way you step into

your mind, you cannot avoid filth (2006: 10).


47

Lotus flower is a beautiful symbol in Indian spirituality. The plant that

rooted in the duality makes people embrace the filth of the reality and still

untouched. It transforms the mud to fragrance of the flower. When First World

War broke, some people could stay untouched by the hatred that spreaded through

nationality. Hesse was against the violent act of his nation even though many

Germany writers opposed his vision.

The Western spiritual crisis led the mental expansion of human being

expressed in the form of global conflicts. In the duality of violence and peace,

Hesse volunteered and assigned to the Prisoners of War Welfare Organization. He

encouraged people to see from the spiritual values of love and compassion.

Siddhartha’s fragment story also saw the limitation of material world. As a

material person Siddhartha went drunk in tavern and enjoyed gamble to spend his

wealth. Siddhartha could detach from it and accidentally got clarity of perspective

from Vasudeva the ferryman.

With those spiritual values, Hesse was also inspired western people to look

up to the eastern wisdom and philosophy. Hesse realized that physical or material

attainment that very rooted in western society was heading to disastrous

consequences such as global war. The representation through the character

Siddhartha offered Indian spirituality as an alternative way to live in harmony

with the nature and others. Therefore the novel Siddhartha at that time might

broaden the western perspective.


50

CHAPTER V

CONCLUSION

The thesis analyze the representation of Hermann Hesse in Siddhartha

through the main character of the novel. Besides the representation of Hesse, the

thesis also aims to discuss the significance of the author’s representation which

reflected through Siddhartha. Hesse representation can be proved by comparing

the characteristics of Hermann Hesse with the characteristics of Siddhartha. The

comparisons considered as the representation of depth because the data comes

from both of their mental qualities or personality.

Characteristics of Siddhartha were smart, and diligent if the character seen

from the perspective of his spirit of learning. He was also ambitious and

stubborn because of his focus towards his goal. Since young age Siddhartha was

very critical and never stopped questioning about the truth of life. To his friend

Govinda, he often sarcastic and mocked him through their spiritual journey.

Siddhartha and Govinda had through intense involvement to study holly texts and

spiritual practices which made them religious. Siddhartha was a respectful person

to whom he was learning. After some times learned from Brahmins, Samanas,

Gaotama Buddha, Siddhartha had good characteristics such as thankful, loving,

forgiving, and meditative.

Much of Siddhartha’s characteristics described implicitly by Hermann

Hesse. Besides the direct mentions of the characteristics, the story also stated

Siddhartha’s characteristics through his actions, dialogue, and others point of


51

views. From those characteristics the writer compared to the real characteristics of

Hermann Hesse with historical and biographical approach.

Siddhartha and Hesse were smart. Nobel Prize award gave Hesse

recognition as the best keeper of German spiritual heritage in contemporary

literary work. Both of them was stubborn person. In his childhood Hesse expelled

from his school to study at another institution. They were also religious, especially

since early age Hesse was taught in strict religious education.

Both of them was a loving person. In the time of war in Europe, Hesse

amplified the message of peace and compassion to the young generation. Hesse

was a forgiving man like Siddhartha. Even though his literary work to be no

longer carried and marked as writings of coward and traitor after the World War I

ended, he still did forgive them. Both of them had meditative characteristics.

Siddhartha is portraying Hermann Hesse’s meditativeness and spirituality.

Stephen Koch said that young generation who read his works considered him as if

Hesse was spiritual leader. The similarities of Siddhartha and Hermann Hesse’s

prove the representation of the author in the novel Siddhartha.

Keesey stated that significance could be defined as the depth meaning in a

novel (1994: 7). The representation used Siddhartha character as the tool to give

picture to the readers about Hesse’s spirituality. Indian spiritual values became the

main perspective in the thesis.

Hesse tried to describe the importance of enlightenment which considered

as the peak of awareness and perception (2010: 42). Such perception beyond the

phisical or intelectual realm made Siddhartha and Hesse able to live outside the


52

glorification of material, social and mental preservation. In order to experience the

enlightenment, Hesse gave picture of his own spiritual seeking through

Siddhartha fiction story.

Spirituality makes people to be more loving and compassionate towards

others. In the time of World War I, Hesse chosen to empowered love and

compassion to young generations which was against the nation’s interest.

Inclusiveness is one important aspect of spirituality, therefore accepting others in

order to reverberating love and compassion becomes utmost necessary value to be

maintained (2013: 23). To resist the war agenda that was propagated at that time,

Hesse have brought his humanity beyond race, nationality, party or religion.

Meditativeness within Hermann Hesse can be seen from his stillness

responding the Western spiritual crisis. Meditative state is most potential

dimension to look at life and experience it at the source, not at the surface (2010:

36). Oneness of the creations is also one spiritual value in Hesse’s

representation. The spiritual person considered every reality of creations as her or

his part (2010: 27). Hermann Hesse did journeys across the east to absorb the

organic intelligence of Indian spirituality.

Indian spiritual philosophy in the other hand also embraces duality of

oneself to works in the mechanism of life (2006: 7). Even though the World War I

was dissapointing him, Hesse still did his duty to the country while promoting

love and compasion in nonviolent way. The representation through the character

Siddhartha is able to broaden the western perspective to live in harmony with

Indian spirituality as an alternative wisdom and philosophy.


53

BIBLIOGRAPHY

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APPENDICES

1. Summary of Siddhartha

Siddhartha is the major character in the novel Siddhartha. He was smart

and handsome young boy who lived among from vedic tradition. He was the only

son of Brahmin. Everyone saw young Siddhartha would be a great Brahmin as his

father, yet Siddhartha was not satisfied by only accumulating vedic knowledge.

What he truly aimed for was finding Atman, the source of creation inside every

human being.

One day many Samanas visited his village. Samana is a group of ascetic

which fast and wander. Even though Siddhartha’s father didn’t give him

permission, Siddhartha and Govinda still wanted to go with a path of Samana.

Siddhartha wanted to find atman by following Samana’s traditions. Samana’s

methods lead Siddhartha and Govinda experiencing life as another life form

through mysticism. Because Siddhartha cannot go further to his goal, he asked

Govinda to go to another path.

Because they heard the news about wise man, they went to Gautama

Buddha. Govinda told him that Buddha is the one who has reached the liberation

with his all knowledge. Then, Govinda wanted to follow him. However,

Siddhartha didn’t get what he wanted. Siddhartha argued that Gautama’s

disciplines cannot reach enlightenment because it cannot be learnt but by personal

experiences.


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At the moment, Siddhartha know that he must found out the enlightenment

by himself. He left Gautama and Govinda. Then, he went to the city meet Kamala.

In the town, Siddhartha met Kamala, she was beautiful and rich with material life.

Siddhartha asked her to teach himself about materialism. Suddenly, she refused

him because Siddhartha didn’t have much money to pay Kamala. Siddhartha got a

job from Kamaswami the wealthy merchant, with Kamala’s help. Then,

Siddhartha became a trusted person of Kamaswami because Siddhartha was smart

and loyal with him. Therefore, Siddhartha got much money from Kamaswami and

very closed with Kamala. She taught him about art of love. He trapped in material

world that made him blind and posses with wealth and love. Finally he realized

that he just had fallen to suffering. Then he left town and Kamala including his

material life.

When he walked reach the bank of the river, he meet ferryman named

Vasudeva. Vasudeva was a kind man who help him and give him food, clothes,

and place to live. Vasudeva told him about the wisdom about river, Siddhartha

should heard the river that it revealed the peaceful and serenity. From the thing he

experienced, his life recovered and found out the serenity of his life.

Siddhartha met his son but he found out the misery of life that he cannot

change his son as what he wanted. Siddhartha was very desperate and he came to

the river. Then, he heard a great and unique sound “Om” that full of peacefulness.

This sound remained him about the unity of all the things begin with his life,

rejecting, suffering, and wisdom.


the representation of herrman hesse’s spirituality

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