After reading the book, I discussed my opinions about various parts of the book with the person who recommended it to me, my older brother, Easton.
What do you think of Govinda as a character? How has Govinda been important as a character? What do you think the Author's purpose was in putting Govinda into the storyline?
I see a lot of myself in Govinda. He tends to not try to break the social mold and he adapts to each environment he is introduced to, whereas Siddhartha likes to push each situation to understand it's meaning and usefulness. I am sure that the author's role for Govinda was to establish an base of normality in which to compare Siddhartha.
I found while reading this book, that the story closely relates to the movie Big Fish. In Big Fish, a man leaves a town that he is "too good for" to achieve his ambitions. In Siddhartha, Siddhartha leaves the Samonas which he is one of the most respected people in to reach his ambition which is enlightenment. What is your view on this connection?
I agree that the movie Big Fish follows a similar story structure, but for different reasons. In Siddhartha, the point of the journey was to achieve enlightenment, whereas in Big Fish it was to satisfy curiosity. Also, one main purpose of the journey in Big Fish was to legitimize the "tall tales" that the old man told the boy growing up. The movie was more of a fairy tale than an actual depiction of the subjects journey.
Who was the most memorable character in the book in your opinion? Why?
I suppose that the most memorable character in the story was Siddhartha which is obvious because the novel was about him. His lifelong trek led him to many different places and changed his life so radically. I am jealous of his bravery and spontaneity. I think we all wish we could be as adventurous as Siddhartha.
The book explained just about everything that Siddhartha learned from different things in the various settings. Did you learn anything new from the book? What was it?
I learned a lot about the Buddhist perspective from this book. Before I read it, I equated Buddhism with Communism. I assumed their religion was based on making sure that the entire community was satisfied and equal. I see now that Buddhists are not completely selfless. In fact, some Buddhists spend their entire lives seeking understanding of ones self. Of course, the way you treat others directly influences the way you see yourself and that is what makes the story of Siddhartha such a powerful subject.
What do you think of Govinda as a character? How has Govinda been important as a character? What do you think the Author's purpose was in putting Govinda into the storyline?
I see a lot of myself in Govinda. He tends to not try to break the social mold and he adapts to each environment he is introduced to, whereas Siddhartha likes to push each situation to understand it's meaning and usefulness. I am sure that the author's role for Govinda was to establish an base of normality in which to compare Siddhartha.
I found while reading this book, that the story closely relates to the movie Big Fish. In Big Fish, a man leaves a town that he is "too good for" to achieve his ambitions. In Siddhartha, Siddhartha leaves the Samonas which he is one of the most respected people in to reach his ambition which is enlightenment. What is your view on this connection?
I agree that the movie Big Fish follows a similar story structure, but for different reasons. In Siddhartha, the point of the journey was to achieve enlightenment, whereas in Big Fish it was to satisfy curiosity. Also, one main purpose of the journey in Big Fish was to legitimize the "tall tales" that the old man told the boy growing up. The movie was more of a fairy tale than an actual depiction of the subjects journey.
Who was the most memorable character in the book in your opinion? Why?
I suppose that the most memorable character in the story was Siddhartha which is obvious because the novel was about him. His lifelong trek led him to many different places and changed his life so radically. I am jealous of his bravery and spontaneity. I think we all wish we could be as adventurous as Siddhartha.
The book explained just about everything that Siddhartha learned from different things in the various settings. Did you learn anything new from the book? What was it?
I learned a lot about the Buddhist perspective from this book. Before I read it, I equated Buddhism with Communism. I assumed their religion was based on making sure that the entire community was satisfied and equal. I see now that Buddhists are not completely selfless. In fact, some Buddhists spend their entire lives seeking understanding of ones self. Of course, the way you treat others directly influences the way you see yourself and that is what makes the story of Siddhartha such a powerful subject.
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