Siddhartha Final Study Guide
Siddhartha 1-42
1. Who wrote Siddhartha?
2. What does Siddhartha identify as the enemy of knowledge?
3. Who is Siddhartha’s best friend at the beginning of the novel?
4. Why does Siddhartha leave his father?
5. How does Siddhartha respond to his father’s reaction in regard to his own departure?
6. What does Siddhartha hope to accomplish in the second chapter?
7. How does Siddhartha hope to accomplish this (in reference to the second chapter)?
8. Who is the “teacher” Siddhartha meets?
9. What is Siddhartha’s best friend’s reaction?
10. What is Siddhartha’s response to the teacher he encounters?
11. According to Siddhartha, what did the teacher give him?
12. What did Siddhartha decide that his teachers could not teach him?
13. What is Siddhartha afraid of?
14. Why did Siddhartha say he felt alone?
Siddhartha Pages 43-85
1. Where does Siddhartha go after he leaves the Illustrious One?
2. What is the name of the beautiful courtesan Siddhartha meets?
3. Why does she not accept Siddhartha into her house?
4. What is the name of the man Siddhartha works for?
5. What job does Siddhartha do for the man in question four?
6. What is Siddhartha’s reaction (specifically/textually) to this job?
7. How does Siddhartha feel about the courtesan?
8. Describe the dream Siddhartha explains to the courtesan.
9. What gift does Siddhartha leave the courtesan?
10. Name Four Noble Truths.
11. Name the tenants of the Eight Fold Paths to enlightenment.
Siddhartha 45-61
1. Why was the world now transformed for Siddhartha?
2. What voice must Siddhartha follow?
3. As stated by the ferryman, what did Siddhartha pay him for the ride?
4. What does Siddhartha ask Kamala to teach him?
5. What three things does Kamala tell Siddhartha that he must obtain?
6. What gift does Siddhartha give Kamala?
7. When Kamala asks what skills Siddhartha has, he identifies three things. What are his three skills?
Siddhartha Pg. 87-Conclusion
1. After leaving the village what experience renews Siddhartha’s spirit?
2. Who does Siddhartha work with and learn from in this portion of assigned reading? (name or description)
3. What “gift” does Kamala leave for Siddhartha?
4. In reference to the question above, how does the “gift” treat Siddhartha? J
5. What realization or epiphany does Siddhartha have over and over again?
6. In the last chapter what initially happens when Govinda encounters Siddhartha?
7. How does Siddhartha achieve Nirvana?
8. In the final paragraph of the novel how does Govinda respond to Siddhartha?
Discussion Questions
1-24
1. Who is Govinda? Explain his relationship with Siddhartha.
2. What did Govinda love most about Siddhartha?
3. Describe Govinda’s impression of an ordinary Brahmin.
4. Why was Siddhartha unhappy?
5. Why did Siddhartha choose to become a Samana?
6. How did Siddartha’s father react to his desire to leave? Why?
7. How did Siddartha change his father’s mind?
8. Explain the Samana rules for self-denial and mediation.
9. What is ironic about Siddartha’s attempts to flee from the self?
10. What is Siddartha abandonment of the body and what does he compare it to?
11. What are Siddartha’s views on learning?
87-115
1. Who dies?
2. How does the character die?
3. What gift does Siddhartha receive that makes him “richer and happier”?
4. What does Siddhartha almost do by the River that completely horrifies himself?
5. What word reaches Siddhartha’s ears and prevents him from following through with the action ?
6. Who does not recognize Siddhartha when he awakes from his sleep by the river?
7. Who is Vasudeva? Be specific.
8. What is the secret Siddhartha learned from the river?
117-137
1. What does his son represent or contribute towards Siddhartha’s journey? Explain.
2. What does Siddhartha compare his son’s departure to? Explain.
3. Why would this (the situation in question number two) be particularly difficult for Siddhartha?
4. Explain the depth of the relationship between Vasudeva and Siddhartha. How close are they? Why? Etc.
5. How had Siddhartha’s understanding of people changed? Why?
6. How does Siddhartha compare “men” and “thinkers”? Why this change in thought?
7. What does his reflection in the river remind Siddhartha of? How does this impact him?
8. Explain the simile comparing exposing his wound to bathing it in the river.
9. What might Vasudeva symbolize?
10. What is ironic about how Siddhartha finds “perfection”?