1. In the novel, Siddhartha encounters several people who aid him in one way or another toward achieving enlightenment. Can you discuss at least one important person on Siddhartha's journey who aids in his self-discovery?
(Source -- Mrs. Armstrong and Mrs. Braasch)
I don't have the answer to this one, despite having read the novel before. Obviously, it requires some more knowledge of the characters. I decided to include it anyway because it provides an interesting foil to our in class discussion. The moment of Siddhartha's awakening is accompanied by the realization that he is completely alone. Analyzing the people that used to be part of his life and why they are no longer there is a potentially enlightening (pun entirely intended) discussion.
The following questions are taken from here. They're (AP) student made, and there's a ton of them.
2. Some words to describe Siddhartha in Part One include arrogant, selfish, condescending, indecisive, manipulative, and mocking...Why would Hermann Hesse make the central character such an
unlikable guy?
Themes like transformation and enlightenment are central to Siddhartha, at least from what I remember of it. Making him particularly unsavory makes a transformation all the more dramatic. It is also important that Siddhartha may not even like himself. Self loathing is a powerful force that undoubtedly contributes to his quest for enlightenment.
3. Siddhartha notes that what distinguishes him from "ordinary people" is their capacity to love and to let it absorb them: "he envied them...the sense of importance with which they lived their lives, the depth of their pleasures and sorrows, the anxious but sweet happiness of their continual power to love" (62). Siddhartha is simultaneously criticizing people's obsession with themselves and how they allow daily life to faze them, and envying their ability to love; do you think that Siddhartha is better off for having this "awareness" that people live petty lives, or are the oblivious people better off for having this "sense" of importance that may or may not be real, but that they believe in?
Although this question does not directly lead to discussion of Siddhartha (it ultimately boils down to a question of personal beliefs), I thought that it highlighted an important part of the character well. As a philosophical novel, the themes of Siddhartha are not black or white statements, but rather prompts that allow the reader to do the questioning.
4. "Like a player who plays ball, [Siddhartha] played with his business, with the people around him, watched them, derived amusement from them; but with his heart, with his real nature, he was not there" (58). Siddhartha refers to his life with the merchant and Kamala as a game that he plays multiple times throughout part 2. Why does he refer to that life and his actions as a "game"? What's the connotation of the word, in general and in Siddhartha's usage?
Siddhartha feels a disconnect from his life, as if there are no consequences for his actions and he can quit at any time. This becomes much more clear once Siddhartha is enlightened and is able to view his life frankly. In general, a "game" connotes a fun, and whimsical nature. In Siddhartha's usage, much more of the focus is upon the futility of the game. It may be fun, but it is ultimately pointless.
5. Is Siddhartha wise? He's clearly adept in studying different spiritual creeds, but his arrogance and impatience are still major parts of his personality. Is his drive for spiritual enlightenment enough to make him a wise person? When (if ever) did he cross the line between a precocious young adult to a wise man?
I don't remember enough about Siddhartha's arrogance or "drive" to answer this, but the question promotes some intriguing lines of thought. Questioning whether it is possible to will oneself into wisdom is something I had never thought about.
AP level questions such as these suggest that there is a wide range of elements covered by AP exams. In general, analysis goes beyond the surface and addresses things such as character motivation or morality.
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