Honors 9- Notes - He doesn’t achieve enlightenment from the samanans - Sid doesn’t believe in following, Gov does - Any time Sid goes through a change, Gov is there - This is a didactic allegory What is the point of view of the story? - Third person single person POV Why does Hesse have the POV switch in the last chapter of the book? Hesse has been steeped in eastern philosophies; he sees a lot of truth in them Buddha serves as a foil for Sid and his theme - He comes back to the river at the end of the book, A comes back to A The ascetics are symbolic of his lack of enlightenment Sid wants to find peace and the true nature of the world: - He thinks he can find the truth in the world by understanding himself o If he understands atman then he understands the brahma o The Buddha tells him that (pg. 27) • You can not learn things vicariously, you have to experience this first hand o The connection of suffering and pain o Sid leaves again but leaves Gov behind - Truly nothing has occupied my mind as much of the self- a synthesis of the east west philosophy paradox: I am one with the world yet I am separated - Pg 31,”I am one and separated…” paradoxical - Pg 33, realized how alone he was; alienation. - Pg 39, introduced to the voice. He must teach himself and gain the experience - Voice is symbolic of authenticity, his genuine self - Pg 57 crosses the river - Pg. 59 Why is Kamala in the book? Maybe I am like you, we can no love, ordinary people can why does Hesse do this? - Pg. 62, he and kamala can not love - Pg. 63, Sid loses his voice in the samsara - Pg. 64, the dice game is symbolic of samsara - Pg. 64 the dream reminds him of his inner voice - Pg. 64, Sid remembers his mortality o The real Buddha was raised like a prince, he saw that there was age and he saw that there was death for the first time o When Sid, sees Kamala getting old o He has the dream of her song bird dying - Pg. 67 How long has it been since he had heard his voice? - Pg. 68 Sid leaves the village, because he has grown so sick, he has realized that the voice is dead. You can not find something unless its lost - Why does Hesse have Kamala become pregnant? o On pg. 71 he reaches the river again, he wants to make an end of his life. This is his abyss o This is the climax - Pg. 73. When goes through this change he sees Gov - Pg. 76 What are you now Sid? Sid says I do not know - Pg. 76 During his sleep he loves everything, sleep was permeated with OM, he loved everything - Pg. 78 he has to unlearn to learn - Pg. 80 you have to be experiencing to learn, he can not learn extrinsically o The Buddha’s wisdom is not transferable - Pg. 82 He heard the voice speak to him and tell him to love the river - Pg. 86 and 87 The river has taught me to listen o The river teaches him that there is no such thing as time o TIMELESSNESS Look up Heraclites - Pg. 88 The voices of all living creatures are in his voice, and the word he pronounces is om - Pg. 91 Kamala dies from a snake bite - Pg. 99 He learns to love his son from sorrow - Pg., 100 He had to experience it to learn, you have to end things or you will be caught in samsara - Pg. 107 - Pg. 108 He still rebelled against his fate o His fate is symbolic of our fate o Can he accept his fate? All parts of our fate? - Pg. 109 He hears the many voices of the river o The rivers voice was sorrowful, the voice was suffering - Pg. 110, 111 when he heard them all, the whole, the unity then the great song of a thousand voices consisted of one word. Om - He finds nirvana, he is one with everything Why does he have govinda in the novel?