AP Prep Post 1: Siddhartha

1. What does enlightenment look like in Siddhartha? Is it a feeling? An attitude?

2. What purpose does self-denial serve in Siddhartha? What about self-indulgence?
3. Siddhartha features substantial activity and narrative action. At the same time, it is about one man's largely internal spiritual quest. What is the relationship between the internal and external worlds of Siddhartha? How does Siddhartha negotiate these worlds?

4. Discuss the ways Siddhartha attempts to attain spiritual enlightenment. Which approaches are successful? Which ones are not successful, and which ones have limited effectiveness? How does Siddhartha progress from one approach to the other?

5. Consider Siddhartha’s relationship with Govinda. How are they similar, and how are they different? What are the narrative functions of Govinda’s reappearance throughout the novel? How does their relationship impact the novel’s ending?

1 & 2: www.shmoop.com/Siddhartha/questions.html

3, 4, & 5: http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/siddhartha/study.html