The Hero Cycle

IN SIDDHARTHA
BY
HERMANN HESSE
PRESENTATION
BY
EMILY JONES

Call to Adventure
1
In the evening, after the hour of contemplation, Siddhartha said to Govinda: Tomorrow
morning, my friend, Siddhartha will go to the samanas. He will become a samana (5).

This is Call to Adventure because

Siddhartha feels dissatisfied with his
current way of living, and feels that the
Brahman sages have taught him all they
know. He remembers some samanas that
passed through town and he remembers
their hot smell of silent passion, of
destructive duty, of pitiless liberation of
self (5). He realizes that the Brahman
sages cannot teach him anything else,
that they are still seekers too, and he
realizes that he must leave to learn how
to reach enlightenment. Thus, he starts
his quest for salvation and perfection.

The Call to Adventure in the Hobbit.

Refusal of the Call

2
Then the father said: It is unseemly for a Brahman to speak violent and angry words. But
indignation stirs my heart. I should not like to hear that request from your lips a second time
(5).

This is Refusal of the Call

because his father doesnt allow
Siddhartha to start his quest.
When his father refuses,
Siddhartha stands and waits.
His father tells him that he will
die if he continues to wait and
Siddhartha agrees with him,
proving to his father that the
fathers refusal will only result
in Siddharthas death.
Spidermans Refusal of the Call.

Supernatural Aid
3
You are clever, O samana, said the Venerable One. You can speak cleverly, my friend. Beware
of too much cleverness!But [Gotama] has bestowed on me Siddhartha, myself (20).

This is Supernatural Aid because Gotama,

while not being a mentor to Siddhartha, does
offer him a lot of advice and guidance. It is
through Gotama that Siddhartha learns that
he cannot gain salvation through teachings.
He also realizes that in his thirst for
knowledge, he was losing himself. After
meeting with Gotama, Siddhartha
experiences his first rebirth or awakening,
gaining a new perspective on the world and
life, which to Siddharthas Crossing of the
Threshold.

Dumbledore,
Dumbledore, Harry
Harry Potters
Potters Supernatural
Supernatural Aid
Aid (mentor).
(mentor).

Crossing the Threshold

4
Siddhartha opened his eyes and looked around him; a smile spread over his face, and
a profound sensation of awakening from lengthy dreams flowed through him down to
his toes.He looked around as if he were seeing the world for the first time (21).
This is Crossing the Threshold because
Siddhartha has entered a new realm of
thought. Before he thought that self was
something to be freed from, something to
overcome, and that the world was a horrible
place, an illusion that one should try to
escape. Now, he sees the world as beautiful
and magical, and he embraces his self and
seeks to know his self. He has overcome his
old way of thinking and living and has
crossed from his known life to a new one.

The Crossing the Threshold in Harry Potter

Belly of the Whale

5
He looked down and discovered that he was totally imbued with the desire to let
himself go and sink in that water. He saw a frightful void reflected in that water,
corresponding to the terrible void in his soul (47).

This is Belly of the Whale

because Siddhartha comes close to
killing himself, but stops at the
last second and falls asleep. When
he reawakens, he is a new person.
His old, despairing self died, and
he was resurrected as a new,
loving Siddhartha. This moment
also incorporates dark diction, like
void, obliterate, and death,
not really womb-like, but a dark
endless blackness.
In the Belly of the Whale

The Meeting with the Goddess

6
Siddhartha
Siddhartha remained
remained standing
standing at
at the
the entrance
entrance to
to the
the pleasure
pleasure grove,
grove, watching
watching the
the procession;
procession; he
he saw
saw the
the servants,
servants, the
the maids
maids the
the
baskets;
he
saw
the
sedan
chair
and
saw
the
lady
in
the
chair.
He
saw
beneath
high-piled
black
hair
a
very
fair,
very
soft,
baskets; he saw the sedan chair and saw the lady in the chair. He saw beneath high-piled black hair a very fair, very soft, very
very
clever
clever face,
face, bright-red
bright-red lips
lips like
like a
a newly
newly opened
opened fig,
fig, eyebrows
eyebrows well
well tended
tended and
and painted
painted in
in the
the form
form of
of high
high arches,
arches, dark
dark eyes
eyes clever
clever
ad
alert,
a
long
fair
neck
emerging
from
the
green-and-gold
outer
garment,
fair
hands
at
rest,
long
and
narrow,
with
wide
ad alert, a long fair neck emerging from the green-and-gold outer garment, fair hands at rest, long and narrow, with wide gold
gold
bracelets
bracelets at
at the
the wrists
wrists (28).
(28).

This is Meeting with the Goddess because

this is when Siddhartha first encounters
Kamala, who is the goddess. She teaches him
the art of love and leads him to the next stage
of his quest, which teaches him how to be a
child-person so he can gain a new perspective
on life. She is the person Siddhartha feels
closest to, and the one that he feels is most
alike him. She also has a description of
roundness, as Siddhartha describes her lips
as like a newly opened fig (pg.28).

Sita, the Goddess for Vishnu

Atonement with the Father

7
that
that face
face resembled
resembled another
another that
that he
he had
had once
once known
known and
and loved
loved and
and also
also feared.
feared. It
It resembled
resembled the
the face
face of
of his
his father,
father, the
the
Brahman.
And
he
recollected
how,
long
ago,
as
a
youth,
he
had
compelled
his
father
to
let
him
join
the
penitents
Brahman. And he recollected how, long ago, as a youth, he had compelled his father to let him join the penitents how
how he
he had
had
taken
taken leave
leave of
of him,
him, how
how he
he had
had left
left and
and never
never returned.
returned. Had
Had not
not his
his father
father suffered
suffered the
the same
same sorrow
sorrow over
over him
him that
that he
he was
was now
now
suffering
suffering over
over his
his son?
son? Had
Had not
not his
his father
father died
died long
long ago,
ago, alone,
alone, without
without ever
ever seeing
seeing his
his son
son again?
again? Did
Did not
not he
he too,
too, have
have to
to expect
expect
that
that same
same destiny?
destiny? (71).
(71).

This is Atonement with the Father

because Siddhartha is a father now,
and has suffered the loss of his son.
When Siddhartha looks into the river,
he sees his fathers face in his
reflection and for the first time
wonders about the pain he caused his
father with his leaving. Seeing his
fathers face in his own reflection
shows that Siddhartha has become
more similar and alike to his father.
Following this atonement is when
Siddhartha finally let go of his
suffering and reached perfection.
Lukes first meeting with his father, Darth Vader.

The Ultimate Boon

8
Gradually there blossomed, gradually there ripened within Siddhartha the realization, the knowledge, of
what wisdom really was, what the goal of his long quest was. It was nothing but a preparedness of the soul,
a capability, a secret art of conceiving the idea of oneness at every moment, in the midst of lifes activities:
the ability to fell and absorb oneness (70).

This is the Ultimate Boon

because Siddhartha finally
achieves the oneness he
has been searching for. He
has not reached perfection
yet, but he has attained the
wisdom he has been seeking
and suffering for. He also
gains the ability to feel and
absorb oneness (70).
The Ultimate Boon in the Avatar: TLA; the
unification of the 4 nations.

Master of Two Worlds

9
Although he was close to perfection and was suffering from his final wound, he nevertheless felt that
these child-people were his brothers; their vanities, desires, and laughable qualities lost their laughable
side for him, becoming understandable, becoming lovable, even becoming worthy of respect for him (69).

This is Master of Two Worlds

because while he is close to
spiritual perfection, he can
still understand the human
ways of people. He has
achieve a balance between his
spiritual/sage/samana self
and his child-people self.
He no longer views the childpeople with contempt, but
with respect and love.
A master of the land and the sea.

Rescue from Without

10
Do you hear? Vasudevas eyes asked again. Vasudevas smile beamed brightly, a glow
hovered over every wrinkle in his aged face, just as the om hovered over all the rivers
voices (73).

This is Rescue from Without

because Siddhartha is close to
perfection, but his wound has yet
to blossom. Vasudeva helps him
by urging Siddhartha to listen to
the river. This causes Siddharthas
wound to blossom and his self to
flow into oneness. And, unlike the
rest of his journey, where he has
to travel and suffer, all Siddhartha
has to do is listen hard enough to
the river.
The Rescue from Without in the Princess Bride;
four horses appear to give the heroes a ride.