SIDDHARTA

BOOK REVIEW PRESENTATION

BY: Hermann Hesse

Hattaf Ayub Fatima tuz Zahra Khan Ghulam Rasool

AS # 87 AS # 79 AS # 83
 Introduction of Author

Main Character & Theme

Sequence of
Presentation
Summary of the Book

Relevance of the Book to

Human Life and Society

Criticism
Herman Hesse
• Born: 1877 – Calw, Germany
• Died: 1962 - Montagnola, Switzerland

• Nobel Prize in Literature (1946)

Other Key Works:

 (1904)Peter Camenzid
 (1919) Demian
 (1927) Der Steppenwold
 (1943) The Glass Bead Game
Influences on Herman Hesse
• Difficult childhood & struggle with depression
• Grandfather’s service in India

Revival of Herman Hesse’s work

in US and the world
1. Counter-culture / Hippie movement of 1960s
2. Writings of Timothy Leary & Colin Wilson
“Before your LSD session, read ‘Siddhartha’
and ‘Steppenwolf”
 Samanas

Quest for Enlightenment

Siddharta's Siddharta Govinda

Father
 Buddha

Govinda
Siddharta

Left Samanas

Nobody will obtain salvation by

means of teaching
 1. Wait
2. Fast
3. Think

Kamaswami
Siddharta meets Vasudeva

Meeting Kamala
Material Gains
Siddharta Reunites with
Govinda

Knowledge can be
conveyed but not wisdom
Relevance of the Book to
Human Life and Society
 Spiritual Awakening vs. Materialistic
Gains
• Siddharata struggled to achieve spiritual
awakening
 Enlightenment and Salvation
 Self-Actualization and Self-Realization
• Today’s common man works for materialistic
Gains
 Physical Needs
 Societal Recognition
 Lust of Power
Quest for Satisfaction

• Siddharta’s satisfaction is to achieve spirituality

• Common man’s satisfaction is material gains

• Unsatisfied satisfaction
Methods of Learning

• Siddharta’s Methodology
• One’s own self
• Experiences
• Common Man’s Methodology
• Learned and knowledgeable teacher
Stoicism and Common Man

• Courage
• Temperance
• Wisdom
• Justice
• Steadfastness
• Experiences
Criticism