Kamala In Hermann Hesse's Siddhartha

In the course of our lives, we will encounter a diverse group of others and experience a variety of events releasing various emotions and responses. These experiences and encounters may be beneficial while others could potentially have a negative impact. All of these external factors help shape and determine who we become as based on the lessons we learn from those around us and the discoveries we make from our experiences. Siddhartha, by Hermann Hesse, a modern novel that relates Siddhartha’s life from a child to an adult on a journey to enlightenment, built on Buddhism and the idea of escaping the endless cycle of rebirth. Siddhartha experiences many contrasting events throughout his journey, shaping his values in life and how he views the

With the success of business amongst the common folk, Siddartha earns Kamala’s interest, and the two consent to partake in more intimate and personal activities: “[Siddhartha] returned to the lovely Kamala, learned the art of love, practiced the cult of pleasure, where more than anywhere else giving and taking became one…” (Hesse 59). The “art of love” that Siddhartha discovers derives from his intimate relationship, and the erotic “giving and taking” that he experiences with Kamala (Hesse 59). Through his interactions with Kamala, Siddhartha learns about the abstract idea of love; he becomes educated on the desires of others and what they find enjoyable. Siddhartha discovers value in this new idea of love created by the common folk. His discovery, and further development of the emotion opens up his mind and allows him to begin to love other humans and objects around him. Siddhartha desires become more emotionally attached due to love, and he begins to experience life in a new perspective, by giving more value to his surroundings. This new value is evident when he encounters his son in the future. Despite the son’s ungratefulness and

Interacting with a variety of characters, all of whom possess various beliefs, Kambili discovers the true values she desires for herself and her immediate family. With one force in the novel supporting expressiveness and independence, while the other force restricting Kambili, forbidding the values that she craves, the young Nigerian girl interprets the polar opposites to draw conclusions. Eugene, Kambili’s father, agrees to allow Kambili and her brother to visit Aunt Ifeoma and their cousins. Kambili describes, “Laughter floated over my head. Words spurted from everyone, often not seeking [, nor] getting a response. We always spoke with a purpose back at home, especially at the table, but my cousins seemed to simply speak and speak” (Adichie 120). At this point in the novel, Kambili is unfamiliar with the standard family, due to her father depriving her of these experiences. Now, Kambili discovers the daily ritual of family dinners where everybody enjoys themselves and laughing, key concepts Kambili has yet to learn. Confusion falls upon Kambili from the laughter at dinner, but eventually she realizes that laughing must be a standard activity to partake in, and also wants to be included in the experience as later seen when she has a dream where her laughter sounds strange.