The Use of Symbols in Siddhartha, a Novel by Herman Hesse

A symbol is a noun that has a deeper meaning or intentionally represents another noun or concept. ”Things are going downhill for me!” laughing the while; and, as he said this, his glance fell on the river, and he saw the river going downward, too, moving constantly downstream, but singing merrily as it went.” Siddhartha, pg 51 In Siddhartha, the reoccurring river arguably represents many overall concepts, but the river especially serves to represent the path of Siddhartha’s enlightenment and the idea of time as a concept in relation to enlightenment.

Throughout the novel, siddhartha repeatedly comes across the river in the forest, both intentionally and unintentionally. At first, the river is a means of transportation, and it is not of any significance or importance to Siddhartha. However, in the last few stages of his life, Siddhartha spends his time with the river, learning from the natural body the importance of nature and the meaning of life.

Though a river is merely a flowing body of water, rivers often represent nature, a timeless entity, or a path of learning.

As Siddhartha constantly comes back to the river, the narrator is illustrating Siddhartha’s change of stages during the cycle of enlightenment he is forever coming back to reach the next stage until suffering is ended. He saw the river going downward, too, moving constantly downstream,” illustrates the consistency of the river, just as the cycle to enlightenment appears to be constant in Hesse’s work. Without the symbol, the significance of the river and its connection to strengthen the emphasis on the path to enlightenment would not be achieved, since the symbol serves to reinforce the reoccurring concept of enlightenment throughout Siddhartha.

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