Siddhartha

first set of struggles are inner conflicts and conflicts with society.  Through Siddhartha’s the reader can easily see Kamala is the catalyst for Siddhartha’s inner-conflict struggle.  After all it is Kamala who corrupts Siddhartha by teaching him how to gamble and lust, which “his heart rejoiced” (28) after their meeting.  Through Siddhartha we can see his character lessens due to this and his moral and intellectual achievements begin to come undone.  Siddhartha also encounters Vasudeva, who teaches Siddhartha to listen to the river’s voices.  Via Siddhartha the reader learns of the mystical powers of the “beautiful” (55) river, the river comes to symbolize the entire existence of the universe.  Here Siddhartha receives his revelations and becomes one with nature, allowing the reader to enjoy in his accomplishments aswell.          Religious conflicts also create turmoil for Siddhartha.  An outcome of the religious conflicts is the joining of the Samanas by Siddhartha.  However, just as he did his father, he left the Semanas after realizing it was not the correct path for him to achieve complete fulfillment. “‘I do not desire to walk on water,’ said Siddhartha. ‘Let old samanas content themselves with arts of that kind’.” (14)   Upon escaping structured religion Siddhartha achieved his initial goal.  Once he left structured government Siddhartha was able to find the spirituality he had been searching for.  Through his viewpoint the reader is able to observe the journey and meet the characters which influence and impact Siddhartha’s journey. Ultimately Siddhartha has a catharsis and solves the recurring dilemma of believing spiritual achievement is the only way to reach fulfillment.  The catharsis is portrayed through the title of the section “Kamala,” which has the prefix kama meaning the hindu god of love and desire, representing the connection he has made with the spiritual world. (25)         Siddhartha’s final conflict is also an internal struggle.  Despite many failed attempts Siddhartha continues inorder to fill his spiritual void.  Nothing satisfied his quest for spirituality until he meets Vasudeva, who introduced him to the river, which is where Siddhartha achieves his spirituality.  The “beautiful” river is a symbol for life and when he is near it Siddhartha becomes one with life. (55)  Despite this recurring conflict, which appears several times throughout the novel, Siddhartha finally finds a solution.  Due to his point of view, the reader is able to experience Siddhartha’s struggles just as he does.         All in all, Siddhartha is the antagonist of the story and the archetypal quester.  Through his point of view the reader is able to experience the many quarrels and struggles which Siddhartha encounters and is eventually able to overcome despite negative influences.  However, characters like Vasudeva are able to counteract the negative impact of other characters and drive Siddhartha in the right direction on his journey.