Call to

adventure
“He had begun to surmise
that his venerable father and his other teachers,
Siddhartha
that these wise Brahmins had already conveyed the majority and the best
part of their wisdom, that they had already poured their plenty into his
waiting vessel, and the vessel was not full, the mind was not satisfied, the
8 HEROES CYCLE STEPS
soul was not calm, the heart was not stilled.” (7)

This quote is a good example of the call to adventure because

Siddhartha realizes he is not content with his life as a Brahmin.
Siddhartha’s thirst for knowledge calls him to leave home and join the Crossing
srammana’s, beginning him on his journey. Hesse’s use of asyndeton in
the
this quote adds great emotion and highlights the aching thirst for
knowledge within Siddhartha. threshold supernatural

“ Siddhartha had a single goal before him, one and only one: To become
empty, empty of thirst, empty of desire, empty of dreams, empty of joy and
aid
pain.” (13)

Siddartha joins the sramana in hopes of gaining more knowledge and “ It is as I thought. The river has spoken to you.
reaching enlightenment. This is an example of crossing the threshold It is your friend as well, it speaks to you,
because Siddartha has shed his clothes, money, and food to venture too.”(84)

into the unknown. Siddartha has crossed over into an unfamiliar, not “You will learn how, Vasudeva said, “but not
yet comfortable world. The author’s use of anaphora in this quote from me. The river taught me how to listen,

Refusal of emphasizes the determination and importance of Siddhartha’s goal.

Repeating the word empty allows Hesse to drive to a point and
from the river you too will learn how.”(84)

In this quote, Vasuveda, an enlightened

the call creates a longer-lasting memory in the reader’s mind.

ferryman, invites Siddhartha to live with him

and learn from the river. This quote is the
“ And returned hour after hour, held his silence, looked
into the room, saw the figure standing there perfect example of a supernatural aid or
undisturbed, filled his heart with anger filled his heart mentor because Vasuveda ultimately leads
with worry, filled his heart with trepidation, filled it with Siddhartha to enlightenment. Vasuveda
woe.”(11) credits the river for all he has learned and

encourages Siddhartha to listen and learn
In this quote, Siddhartha has just told his father he from its wisdom too. Hesse's use of
plans to leave home to become a sramana. This is a personification gives the river human
good example of refusal of the call because qualities stating that the river has spoken to
Siddhartha’s father is not pleased with this decision Siddhartha. The reader feels almost as if
and denies Siddhartha permission to leave. Siddhartha, this river is alive. The river itself is also a
not wanting to leave without his father’s blessing waits spiritual aid to Siddhartha. Whenever
stubbornly all night for him to change his mind. The
Siddartha requires guidance or is full of
author’s use of anaphora in this quote displays the
uncertainty, he listens to the river's wisdom.
array of emotions Siddhartha’s father is experiencing
all at once. Despite being a concerned parent,

Siddhartha’s father realizes Siddhartha must take up

his own path and ultimately allows him to leave their
village with the sramanas.

 The Road of The Temptress

“But he kept coming back to beautiful Kamala” (73
Trials

Kamala plays the role of the temptress in Siddhartha because she

Kamaswami entered, a quick, lithe man with distracts him from his main goal, reaching enlightenment. Kamala
thick gray hair, with very clever, weary eyes, tasks Siddhartha with obtaining wealth and fine clothes. This task
with a covetous mouth.”(53) does not align with Siddhartha’s ultimate goal; however, he is

mesmerized by the beautiful Kamala and wishes to be her student.

This quote represents when Siddhartha goes
to visit Kamswami in an attempt to offer his This quote contributes to the truth that there will always be
service. This is a good example of the road of obstacles in order to reach your goal. Siddhartha teaches that it is
trials because Siddhartha is forced to go out of okay, and in some cases, necessary to veer off your path in order to
his comfort zone in order to learn the learn and grow.
business. The rules of this unfamiliar

materialistic world are foreign to Siddhartha.

He is faced with many trials that test
Siddhartha’s will and commitment to his
Belly of the
ultimate goal. The author’s use of imagery and
diction in this quote lets the reader know
whale
Kamswami is an important character. Words
kept in a golden cage...He stepped
“Kamala possessed a small rare songbird that she
such as clever, wary, covetous, and quick
up onto the cage and looked inside, where the little bird lay dead stiff at the bottom of
display Kamswami is a cunning businessman
the cage. He took the bird out, weighed him a moment in his hand, and then cast him
with years of experience, and a thirst for
out, and at that very same moment he was terribly frightened.”(66)
wealth.

Apotheosis At this point in the book, Siddhartha has just felt a tremendous swell of disgust for the
man he has become. Indulging in the world of the child people has consumed him
with greed and led him to misery. This quote represents the belly of the whale
because Siddhartha feels trapped in one of the lowest points of his life. Siddhartha
“Quotation from the
text: Fondly he gazed into the rushing water into the does not wish to continue on with his life and begins contemplating suicide. Hesse
uses Kamala’s songbird as a metaphor for Siddhartha’s entrapment. He is the
transparent green, into the crystalline lines of the mysterious design. He saw bright
songbird, and the cage is the town of Samsara.
pearls rising up from the depths, tranquil air bubbles swimming to the reflective
surface”(81)

Siddartha has just awoken on the bank of a river after almost driving himself to
commit suicide. After letting go of all of his riches and wealth Siddartha realizes he
allowed greed to consume and take him over. This is a good example of apotheosis
because when Siddhartha awakens from his nap he too spiritually awakens.
Siddhartha’s outlook on life is so different he even questions if he has died and gone
to heaven. He is overwhelmed with a sense of love and joy for the world and sees
the errors in his previous actions. Hesse’s use of imagery in this quote
demonstrates Siddhartha’s new enlightened outlook on the world. The author’s
detailed description of the river allows the reader to see the river through
Siddhartha’s eyes.