Search/Recent Changes
DBTropes
...it's like TV Tropes, but LINKED DATA!

Siddhartha

 Siddhartha
type
TVTItem
 Siddhartha
label
Siddhartha
 Siddhartha
page
Siddhartha
 Siddhartha
comment
Siddhartha is a 1922 German novel by Hermann Hesse, about a young man's search for enlightenment. Heavily inspired by Buddhism and Hinduism, it is set in and near Kapilavastu, along the India-Nepal border.Among western literature, the novel is notable for its simple (but meaningful) prose and deeply philosophical tone — there is almost no violence, and the narrative is more focused on what the protagonist thinks or feels than on what he actually does.Contrary to what his title might imply, it is not a biography of Siddhartha Gautama, but one of a fictional boy also named Siddhartha. Gautama does appear in the work too, though.
 Siddhartha
fetched
2024-04-07T02:01:52Z
 Siddhartha
parsed
2024-04-07T02:01:52Z
 Siddhartha
processingComment
Dropped link to HistoricalDomainCharacter: Not a Feature - IGNORE
 Siddhartha
isPartOf
DBTropes
 Siddhartha / int_14ed6ab7
type
Does This Remind You of Anything?
 Siddhartha / int_14ed6ab7
comment
Does This Remind You of Anything?: While the novel is primarily influenced by (Theravada) Buddhism and Hinduism, Siddhartha's musings on the opposite of a truth also being true, along with his statement that every entity carries within it the seed of its inversion, echo another school of philosophy, Taoism, or maybe Zen Buddhism, which was very influenced by Taoism.
 Siddhartha / int_14ed6ab7
featureApplicability
1.0
 Siddhartha / int_14ed6ab7
featureConfidence
1.0
 Siddhartha
hasFeature
Siddhartha / int_14ed6ab7
 Siddhartha / int_1d2400e9
type
Green-Eyed Monster
 Siddhartha / int_1d2400e9
comment
Green-Eyed Monster: After Siddhartha's son abandons him, he feels bitterness whenever he sees ordinary people with their children. Unlike most examples of this trope, however, he is never inspired to hurt anyone. Rather, overcoming his heartbreak is one of the final steps of his journey to enlightenment.
 Siddhartha / int_1d2400e9
featureApplicability
1.0
 Siddhartha / int_1d2400e9
featureConfidence
1.0
 Siddhartha
hasFeature
Siddhartha / int_1d2400e9
 Siddhartha / int_1dfbbf31
type
Heterosexual Life-Partners
 Siddhartha / int_1dfbbf31
comment
Heterosexual Life-Partners: In Siddhartha's early life, Govinda is his companion and best friend, and the two of them are almost always together. Much later, Siddhartha becomes a ferryman alongside Vasudeva, living with him and eventually becoming so like him that other people often mistake the two of them for brothers.
 Siddhartha / int_1dfbbf31
featureApplicability
1.0
 Siddhartha / int_1dfbbf31
featureConfidence
1.0
 Siddhartha
hasFeature
Siddhartha / int_1dfbbf31
 Siddhartha / int_38f1a7ed
type
Defector from Decadence
 Siddhartha / int_38f1a7ed
comment
Defector from Decadence: Zig-zagged. Siddhartha begins by leaving his promising life to join the austere Samanas (and later the Buddhists) in search of enlightenment, but ultimately defects to decadence. In the end, though, he plays the trope straight, abandoning his (now meaningless) life of wealth to become a humble ferryman.
 Siddhartha / int_38f1a7ed
featureApplicability
1.0
 Siddhartha / int_38f1a7ed
featureConfidence
1.0
 Siddhartha
hasFeature
Siddhartha / int_38f1a7ed
 Siddhartha / int_5313c266
type
Bookends
 Siddhartha / int_5313c266
comment
Book Ends: Part 2 opens with Siddhartha meeting Vasudeva the ferryman, who proves to be the first step to a new stage in Siddhartha's life. It closes with Siddhartha having inherited Vasudeva's place as ferryman, and acting as the first step to a new life for Govinda.
 Siddhartha / int_5313c266
featureApplicability
1.0
 Siddhartha / int_5313c266
featureConfidence
1.0
 Siddhartha
hasFeature
Siddhartha / int_5313c266
 Siddhartha / int_5b96128d
type
Helping Would Be Killstealing
 Siddhartha / int_5b96128d
comment
Helping Would Be Killstealing: A key point of Theravada Buddhism is that each person must find enlightenment by themselves, and there is only so much that others can do to help. In this novel, the Buddha, in a way perhaps meant to reflect early, pre-Theravada Buddhism, teaches a one-size-fits-all philosophy of controlling desire and working towards enlightenment. However, when Siddhartha tells him that this instruction (worthy as it is) does not satisfy him, the Buddha is content to let Siddhartha follow his own path with just a warning against being too clever.
 Siddhartha / int_5b96128d
featureApplicability
1.0
 Siddhartha / int_5b96128d
featureConfidence
1.0
 Siddhartha
hasFeature
Siddhartha / int_5b96128d
 Siddhartha / int_5d41eb9
type
Figure It Out Yourself
 Siddhartha / int_5d41eb9
comment
Figure It Out Yourself: The novel ends with Siddhartha telling his friend Govinda that he cannot teach him enlightenment - Govinda has to figure it out himself. Yet the final moment turns this on its head, as Siddhartha seems to grant all of his wisdom to Govinda with a kiss.
 Siddhartha / int_5d41eb9
featureApplicability
1.0
 Siddhartha / int_5d41eb9
featureConfidence
1.0
 Siddhartha
hasFeature
Siddhartha / int_5d41eb9
 Siddhartha / int_60b21fa3
type
The Lancer
 Siddhartha / int_60b21fa3
comment
The Lancer: Govinda. Doubles as The Watson.
 Siddhartha / int_60b21fa3
featureApplicability
1.0
 Siddhartha / int_60b21fa3
featureConfidence
1.0
 Siddhartha
hasFeature
Siddhartha / int_60b21fa3
 Siddhartha / int_61a12ee2
type
Eccentric Mentor
 Siddhartha / int_61a12ee2
comment
Eccentric Mentor: Both Gotama (the Buddha) and particularly Vasudeva, who are eccentric but both (in their way) grant Siddhartha valuable clues on the nature of enlightenment. They know that they cannot force wisdom onto Siddhartha, and that he must attain enlightenment on his own.
 Siddhartha / int_61a12ee2
featureApplicability
1.0
 Siddhartha / int_61a12ee2
featureConfidence
1.0
 Siddhartha
hasFeature
Siddhartha / int_61a12ee2
 Siddhartha / int_63267b15
type
Theseus' Ship Paradox
 Siddhartha / int_63267b15
comment
Theseus' Ship Paradox: Touched on towards the end. One of the keys to Siddhartha's (eventual) enlightenment is coming to understand that "you cannot step into the same river twice" (because the water which makes it up has kept flowing downstream).
 Siddhartha / int_63267b15
featureApplicability
1.0
 Siddhartha / int_63267b15
featureConfidence
1.0
 Siddhartha
hasFeature
Siddhartha / int_63267b15
 Siddhartha / int_6bda9a30
type
Meaningful Name
 Siddhartha / int_6bda9a30
comment
Meaningful Name: Siddhartha means "he who has found what he searched for" or "he who has achieved his goal". It is also the birth name of the Buddha, and Siddhartha's life mirrors that of the Buddha in many ways. Kamaswami's name means something like "Mr. Pleasure" or "Master Pleasure", which is what Siddartha finds with him.
 Siddhartha / int_6bda9a30
featureApplicability
1.0
 Siddhartha / int_6bda9a30
featureConfidence
1.0
 Siddhartha
hasFeature
Siddhartha / int_6bda9a30
 Siddhartha / int_6d332aea
type
Driven to Suicide
 Siddhartha / int_6d332aea
comment
Driven to Suicide: Narrowly averted. After twenty years of living in decadence, Siddhartha feels so spiritually empty that he almost allows himself to drown in a river. Thankfully, he is saved at the last minute by remembering the holy Om.
 Siddhartha / int_6d332aea
featureApplicability
-1.0
 Siddhartha / int_6d332aea
featureConfidence
1.0
 Siddhartha
hasFeature
Siddhartha / int_6d332aea
 Siddhartha / int_8c170cb1
type
Ethical Slut
 Siddhartha / int_8c170cb1
comment
Ethical Slut: Kamala, the courtesan who becomes Siddhartha's lover and guide into the world of wealth and privilege.
 Siddhartha / int_8c170cb1
featureApplicability
1.0
 Siddhartha / int_8c170cb1
featureConfidence
1.0
 Siddhartha
hasFeature
Siddhartha / int_8c170cb1
 Siddhartha / int_8e20ae0d
type
Child Prodigy
 Siddhartha / int_8e20ae0d
comment
Child Prodigy: Siddhartha as a child, as he is handsome, intelligent, talented, and otherwise The Ace. The only one who isn't happy with Siddhartha is Siddhartha himself.
 Siddhartha / int_8e20ae0d
featureApplicability
1.0
 Siddhartha / int_8e20ae0d
featureConfidence
1.0
 Siddhartha
hasFeature
Siddhartha / int_8e20ae0d
 Siddhartha / int_90b98fbb
type
The Needless
 Siddhartha / int_90b98fbb
comment
The Needless: The Samanas (and, while he is with them, Siddhartha) aspire to this, fasting and exposing themselves to the elements in pursuit of enlightenment. Gotama's followers also touch on this, as Gotama himself is described as being able to function despite eating less than a bird.
 Siddhartha / int_90b98fbb
featureApplicability
1.0
 Siddhartha / int_90b98fbb
featureConfidence
1.0
 Siddhartha
hasFeature
Siddhartha / int_90b98fbb
 Siddhartha / int_aed65980
type
All for Nothing
 Siddhartha / int_aed65980
comment
All for Nothing: Ultimately defied. Again and again, we see Siddhartha abandon everything he has worked for to seek a new path to enlightenment. His promising childhood with the Brahmin, his years as a poor Samana, his life of wealth and decadence — none of it seemed to be the path to his ultimate goal. In the end, however, Siddhartha realizes that all of these experiences together did help him find enlightenment.
 Siddhartha / int_aed65980
featureApplicability
1.0
 Siddhartha / int_aed65980
featureConfidence
1.0
 Siddhartha
hasFeature
Siddhartha / int_aed65980
 Siddhartha / int_bdf0640e
type
You're Not My Father
 Siddhartha / int_bdf0640e
comment
You're Not My Father: Siddhartha's son takes this stance towards him, and he never lets up.
 Siddhartha / int_bdf0640e
featureApplicability
1.0
 Siddhartha / int_bdf0640e
featureConfidence
1.0
 Siddhartha
hasFeature
Siddhartha / int_bdf0640e
 Siddhartha / int_cc1bd54d
type
Non-Action Guy
 Siddhartha / int_cc1bd54d
comment
Non-Action Guy: Siddhartha himself, unusually for a main protagonist. His entire narrative passes without a single act of violence on his part, and his lifelong quest is much more about the spirit than finding anything or defeating anyone.
 Siddhartha / int_cc1bd54d
featureApplicability
1.0
 Siddhartha / int_cc1bd54d
featureConfidence
1.0
 Siddhartha
hasFeature
Siddhartha / int_cc1bd54d
 Siddhartha / int_d73f1bba
type
Enlightenment Superpowers
 Siddhartha / int_d73f1bba
comment
Enlightenment Superpowers: Touched on when Siddhartha and Govinda abandon the Samanas. The elder Samana is unhappy with their desertion, but Siddhartha manages to hypnotize him into letting them go. On their way out, an impressed Govinda jokes that had he remained with the Samanas, Siddhartha would have soon learned to walk upon water.
 Siddhartha / int_d73f1bba
featureApplicability
1.0
 Siddhartha / int_d73f1bba
featureConfidence
1.0
 Siddhartha
hasFeature
Siddhartha / int_d73f1bba
 Siddhartha / int_e003c829
type
History Repeats
 Siddhartha / int_e003c829
comment
History Repeats: As a young man, Siddhartha leaves his father to seek his own path (much to the heartbreak of the latter), and the two never see each other again. Decades down the line, Siddhartha's own son abandons him (much to Sid's heartbreak), and the two never meet again. In the years after Siddhartha and Govinda part, Govinda occasionally encounters Siddhartha again, but only after Sid has drastically changed his life since their previous meeting. As a result, Govinda always fails to recognize Siddhartha at first.
 Siddhartha / int_e003c829
featureApplicability
1.0
 Siddhartha / int_e003c829
featureConfidence
1.0
 Siddhartha
hasFeature
Siddhartha / int_e003c829
 Siddhartha / int_e567510d
type
Determinator
 Siddhartha / int_e567510d
comment
Determinator: Siddhartha may not be a violent man, but there is nothing he will not sacrifice, be it allies, lovers, wealth, beliefs, or years of his life, if letting go of it will bring him closer to enlightenment.
 Siddhartha / int_e567510d
featureApplicability
1.0
 Siddhartha / int_e567510d
featureConfidence
1.0
 Siddhartha
hasFeature
Siddhartha / int_e567510d
 Siddhartha / int_ede89ad6
type
Parental Hypocrisy
 Siddhartha / int_ede89ad6
comment
Parental Hypocrisy: Somewhat justified — while Siddhartha leaves home against the wishes of his father to seek enlightenment, he is heartbroken when his own son leaves him to follow his own path.
 Siddhartha / int_ede89ad6
featureApplicability
1.0
 Siddhartha / int_ede89ad6
featureConfidence
1.0
 Siddhartha
hasFeature
Siddhartha / int_ede89ad6
 Siddhartha / int_ee7a60e9
type
One-Steve Limit
 Siddhartha / int_ee7a60e9
comment
One-Steve Limit: Subverted. The Buddha's real first name was Siddhartha, just like the book's protagonist, but this is never brought up, and instead the Buddha is solely referred by his surname, Gotama.
 Siddhartha / int_ee7a60e9
featureApplicability
-0.3
 Siddhartha / int_ee7a60e9
featureConfidence
1.0
 Siddhartha
hasFeature
Siddhartha / int_ee7a60e9
 Siddhartha / int_f0fe7e80
type
But Now I Must Go
 Siddhartha / int_f0fe7e80
comment
But Now I Must Go: After Siddhartha experiences his final moment of illumination and perceives the unity of all things, Vasudeva states that his work is done and departs into the woods, never to be seen again. The final words describing his departure imply that he would soon Ascend to a Higher Plane of Existence.
 Siddhartha / int_f0fe7e80
featureApplicability
1.0
 Siddhartha / int_f0fe7e80
featureConfidence
1.0
 Siddhartha
hasFeature
Siddhartha / int_f0fe7e80
 Siddhartha / int_name
type
ItemName
 Siddhartha / int_name
comment
 Siddhartha / int_name
featureApplicability
1.0
 Siddhartha / int_name
featureConfidence
1.0
 Siddhartha
hasFeature
Siddhartha / int_name
 Siddhartha / int_name
itemName
Siddhartha

The following is a list of statements referring to the current page from other pages.

 Siddhartha
hasFeature
Theseus' Ship Paradox / int_df95e9d7