Comparison Of The Heros Journey In Christopher Johnson's Siddhartha

1376 Words3 Pages

Joseph Campbell who is an American scholar identifies The Hero's Journey as a pattern of narratives that appear in the drama, storytelling, myth, religious ritual, and psychological development. In the film "Into the Wild" produced by Sean Penn, Christopher Johnson embarks on the hero's journey on the quest to rid the materialistic world and to seek adventure. In the novel Siddhartha, written by Hermann Hesse, the main character Siddhartha embarks on the hero's journey to achieve Nirvana. In the film "Into the Wild" and the novel Siddhartha, aspects of the Hero's Journey that most emphasize the motivation behind their journey to achieve their goals are the call to adventure, crossing the first threshold and belly of the whale
The authors in
In both cases, they are going on the hero’s journey to escape societal expectations, to rid themselves of the materialistic world or to experience adventure. For Siddhartha, he “had begun to feel that the love of his father and mother, and also the love of his friend Govinda, would not always make him happy, give him peace, satisfy and suffice him. He had begun to suspect that his worthy father and his other teachers, the wise Brahmins, had already passed on to him the bulk and best of their wisdom [but] his soul was not at peace.” (Hesse 3) Siddhartha has all the love he needs in life, yet he has a true to desire to understand the world around him. He feels like he needs to do more to live a fulfilled in life. His goal is to find true happiness by understanding the world around him and by achieving Nirvana. This desire and knowledge compel him to follow the Samanas on the journey to enlightenment. Likewise, in the film "Into the Wild" Christopher Johnson decides to embark on a journey to achieve true happiness outside of materialistic aspects. From a very young age, Chris’s parents always gave him things that he does not want and
For Siddhartha, leaving Govinda who is childhood friend was crossing the first threshold. He realizes that "He dwelt long on the words which Govinda had uttered. Yes, he thought, standing with a bowed head, what remains from all that is holy to us? What remains? What is preserved? And he shook his head." (Hesse 16) realizing the Samanas are not who he needs to follow to achieve Nirvana. To seek Nirvana, he must go on a journey to find it himself. Thus, leaving his best friend is the first step for Siddhartha being able to achieve Nirvana. In the film “Into the Wild”, Chris burns his social security card, money and abandons his flood-damaged car and heads off on an adventure into the wild to escape the materialistic world. After this, Christopher mails his final college transcript and a brief note to his parents’ home with a note saying that they will never hear from him again. Shortly after these events, Chris decides to call himself Alex, short for Alexander Supertramp. This represents the rejection of his parents, along with their values. With getting rid of his materialistic belongings and gaining a new identity, he decides to cross the first threshold and continue on his journey and plan to rid himself of the materialistic world and seek adventure. Chris decides to embark on a journey to achieve his goal of adventure. Although living this life is not always easy for

Show More
Related

  • Rhetorical Devices In Siddhartha

    1299 Words  | 3 Pages

    Hermann Hesse’s novel “Siddhartha” is one of spiritual renewal and self discovery. The novel revolves around the life of one man named Siddhartha, who leaves his home and all earthly possessions in an attempt to find spiritual enlightenment. The novel contains many themes, including the relationship between wisdom and knowledge, spirituality, man’s relationship to the natural world, time, love, and satisfaction. To portray these themes, Hesse employs many different rhetorical devices, particularly diction, symbolism, and point of view. These devices allow us, as a reader, to reevaluate our lives and seek fulfillment in the same way that Siddhartha did.

    Read More

  • Siddharth The Hero's Journey Of Sidddhartha

    1048 Words  | 3 Pages

    Siddhartha starts to get over the leaving of his son by learning the secrets of the river from Vesudeva. He understands the unity that Gautama taught, through the river. He learns 3 secrets from the river: time doesn’t exist, the river is always the same and the river has many voices. The world is like this river, eternal and whole. Now that Siddhartha can really listen to the river too, Vasudeva reaches Nirvana, and he leaves the river with Siddhartha and moves on. Govinda hears about a ferryman and goes to find him. He doesn’t recognize Siddartha and asks for help to achieve enlightenment. Siddhartha says that everything is part of a whole and is always in the present

    Read More

  • Siddhartha Hero's Journey

    521 Words  | 2 Pages

    Everyone has a hero’s journey, a path of life. The choices one makes are categorized into the stages of the hero’s journey. The stages of the hero’s journey are utilized in many different forms of literature. These stages are prevalent in the novel Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse. They are used to illustrate the transformation of a young naive Siddhartha, to an enlightened old man. The three most significant and recognizable stages of Siddhartha’s journey are the call to adventure, the belly of the whale, and the magic flight.

    Read More

  • Chris Tolstoy Quotes

    821 Words  | 2 Pages

    In one the passage was highlighted in the book “Family Happiness” that Chris brought with, the author Leo Tolstoy talked about how a person's life should be. “I wanted movement and not a calm course of existence. … which found no outlet in our quiet life.” (p.15) Tolstoy explained how a life should be excited and interesting not just living day by day without any enjoyment. Chris followed his beliefs. He believes that he should live a life that he would not regret later on. That could be one of his reason he was going into the wild to make an excited life. Another passage was also found with McCandless’s belongings is from Henry David Thoreau’ “Walden”. “All nature is your congratulation, and you have cause momentarily to bless yourself. … a segment of the rainbow which I have clutched.” (p.47) This passage explains the fact that happiness can found in nature. McCandless wanted to found his purpose of his life and Thoreau stated about the importance of the nature. And McCandless believed Thoreau. If Chris McCandless had believed some authors, he would follows that in his whole

    Read More

  • Hermann Hesse’s Use of Literary Devices in Siddhartha

    633 Words  | 2 Pages

    Siddhartha is a much respected son of a Brahmin who lives with his father in ancient India. Everyone in their town expects Siddhartha to act like his father and become successful. Although he lives a very high quality life, Siddhartha is dissatisfied and along with his best friend Govinda- wants nothing more than to join the group of wandering ascetics called Samana’s. This group starves themselves, travels almost naked and must beg for the food they survive on. This group of people believes that to achieve enlightenment and self-actualization: body image, health, physical and material desires must be thrown away. Although this is the life Siddhartha wished for himself, he soon discovers that it is not the right choice for him. Near desolation, Siddhartha happens upon a river where he hears a strange sound. This sound signifies the beginning of the life he was born to live – the beginning of his true self. Hesse uses many literary devices to assure Siddhartha’s goal of self-actualization and creates a proper path for that success.

    Read More

  • Humility In Jon Krakauer's Into The Wild

    981 Words  | 2 Pages

    He went through many obstacles that could have proved fatal. From canoeing in the Colorado River to picking the right berries, he was testing his intelligence. Chris had a true confidence in the land and in himself to set out on a mission so dangerous. “Wilderness appealed to those bored or disgusted with man and his works. It not only offered an escape from society but also was an ideal stage for the Romantic individual to exercise the cult that he frequently made of his own soul. The solitude and total freedom of the wilderness created a perfect setting for either melancholy or exaltation” (Nash; Krakauer 157). Chris longed to escape from society and rely on only mother nature. An innumerable amount of people desire to withdraw from society as Chris did; but they are so comfortable and secure with a normal life they do not dare take such a gutsy

    Read More

  • Uniting Mind, Body, and Spirit in Hermann Hesse's Siddhartha

    764 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the first part of the book, Siddhartha is consumed by his thirst for knowledge.  He joined the samanas and listened to the teachings of the Buddha in attempt to discern the true way to Nirvana.  Though he perfected the arts of meditation and self-denial, he realized that no teachings could show him the way to inner peace.  While with the ascetics only a third of his quest was accomplished.  Siddhartha said, "You have learned nothing through teachings, and so I think, O Illustrious One, that nobody finds salvation through teachings" (27).  His experiences with the samanas and Gotama were essential to his inner journey because they teach him that he cannot be taught, however this knowledge alone would not deliver him to enlightenment.  Siddhartha had taken the first step in his quest but without the discovery of the body and spirit, his knowledge was useless in attaining Nirvana.

    Read More

  • Siddhartha’s Influences

    431 Words  | 1 Pages

    Siddhartha’s childhood friend, Govinda, educated him about the importance of choosing a path in his own life. Govinda had always been a step behind Siddhartha, following every decision he made. The one time he stepped out on his own, to accept the Buddha, he was merely following the path of thousands of others. Siddhartha saw this and he learned that he had to listen to himself even if he wound up making a wrong decision. Meeting with Govinda at the end of the novel reinforced his thought that one had to have experience in order to attain Nirvana -- not someone else’s knowledge. After following Gotama for years Govinda still hadn’t reached peace although Siddhartha had. Siddhartha had done things many would consider wrong and immoral and yet he reached something that many others wanted so desperately because he had experience.

    Read More

  • The Search for Wisdom in Siddhartha, by Herman Hesse

    947 Words  | 2 Pages

    The novel, Siddhartha, by Herman Hesse focuses on a young man named Siddhartha and his lifelong pursuit to attain enlightenment. Throughout his endeavor, Siddhartha follows the way of rejection and doctrines from the Samanas and Gautama the Buddha, respectively. Soon enough, however, Siddhartha realizes that following the path of others is hopeless, and he starts to look within himself to gain wisdom and become enlightened. By looking at and listening to the river, Siddhartha begins to realize who he actually is through the visions and voices that appear from the river. This helps bring Siddhartha to the conclusion that gaining wisdom is completely different than gaining knowledge. Hesse suggests, via Siddhartha, that wisdom, unlike knowledge, cannot be passed on or taught. Siddhartha’s character serves to display how wisdom can only be found through the self.

    Read More

  • Siddhartha - The Three Stages

    557 Words  | 2 Pages

    "On the great journey of life, if a man cannot find one who is better or at least as good as himself, let him journey joyfully alone."  The story of Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse makes this point true.  The main character Siddhartha dealt with the Samanas and Gotama Buddha, the second with Kamala and then the ferryman. The three parts correspond to the three stages though which Siddhartha passes on his journey to enlightenment:  The stage of the mind; the stage of the flesh; the stage of transcendence.

    Read More

  • Siddhartha

    546 Words  | 2 Pages

    Siddhartha and Govinda journeyed to the town where the illustrious one lived. The two men listened to his words of wisdom and Govinda considered this way of life. Govinda believed Buddha was his teacher that would lead him to nirvana. Siddharth...

    Read More

  • Meaning of the River in Siddhartha

    1196 Words  | 3 Pages

    Siddhartha, in Herman Hesse's novel, Siddhartha, is a young, beautiful, and intelligent Brahmin, a member of the highest and most spiritual castes of the Hindu religion, and has studied the teachings and rituals of his religion with an insatiable thirst for knowledge. Inevitably, with his tremendous yearning for the truth and desire to discover the Atman within himself he leaves his birthplace to join the Samanas. With the Samanas he seeks to release himself from the cycle of life by extreme self-denial but leaves the Samanas after three years to go to Gotama Buddha. Siddhartha is impressed by the blissful man but decides to lead his own path. He sleeps in the ferryman's hut and crosses the river where he encounters Kamala, a beautiful courtesan, who teaches him how to love. He is disgusted with himself and leaves the materialistic life and he comes to the river again. He goes to Vasudeva, the ferryman he met the first time crossing the river. They become great friends and both listen and learn from the river. He sees Kamala again but unfortunately, she dies and leaves little Siddhartha with the ferrymen. He now experience for the first time in his life true love. His son runs away and Siddhartha follows him but he realizes he cannot bring him back. He learns from the river that time does not exist, everything is united, and the way to peace is through love.  Siddhartha undergoes an archetypal quest to achieve spiritual transcendence. During his journey, he both embraces and rejects asceticism and materialism only to ultimately achieve philosophical wisdom "by the river".

    Read More

  • Nirvana, A Universal Understanding Of Life In Siddhartha, By Siddhartha

    1160 Words  | 3 Pages

    Sometime after this discovery, Siddhartha falls into a deep sorrow due to the loss of Kamala and the running away of his son, young Siddhartha. He doesn’t know what to do any more until he finally accepts the fact that his son ran away on his own journey in a similar way that he did, leading him to accept the fact that there is nothing else he can do to hold back his son. He realizes that he was doing what his father had done to him, forcing him to become a mirror image of himself. When he puts into perspective what he was doing, he decides it’s okay for his son to also venture out and experience life for

    Read More

  • Learning From Siddhartha

    1013 Words  | 3 Pages

    Siddhartha, written by Herman Hesse, is a novel about a man's progression towards his goal to center his life with a combination of peace and balance. Many of the displayed philosophies can be applied to today's world. Through my reading, I noticed many similarities between my life and Siddhartha's. First, Siddhartha felt a need for independence, that to truly be happy with his success, he must attain his achievements in his own way, and not others. Even though, he feels he must acquire this by himself, he tries to be as removed from his human side as possible. Only later does he learn that individuality and freedom from necessity must be united to procure his objectives and free him from his imperfections. Second, Siddhartha discovers that things and riches do not bring happiness. They are only temporary. No matter the extent of wealth a person has this never satisfies the insatiable need for possessions. Lastly, Siddhartha found that balance is the key to peace and happiness. Although a simplistic teaching, it is very complex to learn and apply. In my life, I can relate to his path and lessons, because I feel the same struggles and battles with attaining serenity.

    Read More

  • Summary Of Siddhartha

    1321 Words  | 3 Pages

    Siddhartha is a son of Brahmin who lives with his father in a village. Siddhartha has a friend called Govinda. Siddhartha has been joining in the discussions of wise men, practising debate with Govinda in spiritual subjects, they both are practising the art of reflection, meditation, speaking Om silently in a particular manner etc. this way, he tries to feel Atman- the joy which would last forever. His father wants him to become great wise man and priest among the Brahmins as Siddhartha was much desired to gain knowledge. His mother also loves him so much. But Siddhartha is loved the most by Govinda. Govinda knew that Siddhartha is not going to become as common as others.

    Read More

More about Comparison Of The Heros Journey In Christopher Johnson's Siddhartha

Open Document