Analysis of Hesse's "Siddhartha"

Siddhartha is a novel detailing the life and times of a man named Siddhartha. The novel can be read on two levels, a literal interpretation, or a general guideline to "decent" behavior. Throughout the novel, the hero Siddhartha is confronted with obstacles that seem to hinder him on the path toward salvation. However, one of the obstacles that "hindered" him actually turned out to help him. When Siddhartha became a rich man, he lost sense …

…Samana but turned to high living and finally found peace after giving up his possessions once more. Siddhartha acted almost if not exactly like Sakyamuni. Siddhartha is different from most other books in the fact that it is very philosophical. It teaches almost like the Bible about life lessons. Siddhartha is written quite differently from many other books. People frequently refer to themselves in third person not unlike Hemingway's The Old Man and the Sea.