Siddhartha, The Catalyst

In the novel, Siddhartha by Hesse 121 pages, Siddhartha changes the live
s of many characters that are close to him by teaching them the ways to live a b
etter life. Govinda and Kamala are both very close with Siddhartha and they are
a very big part in his life. Most of all, Siddhartha is very important in these
characters rolls throughout the story. Kamala evolves from being the girl who sl
eeps with all the guys in town to a whole new woman near the end of the novel. G
ovinda goes through a necessary change from being a strict follower of Siddartha
to a Samana monk after Siddhartha and him stay with Samanas for quite some time
. These changing factors are pretty much what these characters are all about and
these factors were catalyzed by Siddhartha.
The best friend of Siddharth, Govinda was changed in many ways because o
f Siddhartha. Before this change occurs Govinda is a dedicated follower of Siddh
artha since the beginning. He traveled and did everything with Siddhartha. “Govind
a, his friend, the Brahmin’s son, loved him more than anyone else”(Hesse 2). He trul
y believed that he would spned the rest of his life with Siddhartha. Hesse reall
y shows his love as eminent throughout the story.
The first sensual love of Siddhartha was Kamala, and she was a major inf
luence on Siddhartha’s life when he decided to follow the materialistic path. She
was a courtesan which was a prostitute and she lived a very materialistic life w
hen Siddhartha had met with her for the first time. The poor unfulfilled woman k
new that she was living a terrible life. She made him agree that he would have t
o live a materialistic life if they were to be together. Siddhartha accepts, but
in reality it is Kamala who is to go under a change in the future. “He learned th
at it was the grove of Kamala, the well known courtesan”(Hesse 43). This evidence
shows that the beginning Kamala’s character is known for being all about sex. Sidd
hartha was in search of love and this was the number one choice of woman he foun
d.
Later on as the story continues, the reader views many changes occuring
in Govinda. It is very apparent that Siddhartha is the cause to these difference
s in Govinda’s life. Govinda goes through his most obvious mutation when Siddharth
a takes him to the Samanas and leaves him to stay with them as Siddhartha contin
ues on his journey. This is crucial in the growth of Govinda because he had just
lost the relationship in which he had loved and dedicated most of his life to a
nd he knew that he had to move on from it. Govinda had reached his true place wh
ere he had found his inner peace, where he was surrounded by many people that we
re just like him and Siddhartha knew that Govinda had to stay. “Govinda had become
a monk and thousands of monks were his brothers, wore the same gown and shared
the same beliefs and spoke the same language”(Hesse 34). This then leads Govinda i
nto growing into a whole new person as he ages.
Kamala did change like Govinda, but it was not as long of a process of c
hange. This change occurred in a short period of time because she did not live a
long life after she had met Siddhartha but the change by the end of her life wa
s fairly substantial. Kamala orginally was this materialistic and sex crazed wom
an that had transformed into this religious mother who was going to unite her so
n with his father when she was killed in a fatal snake bite accident. Siddhartha
was the catalyst in her life changing events because first he got her pregnant
and also he made her fall in love with him. “‘One day, perhaps soon, I will also bec
ome a follower of this Buddha”(Hesse 65). This shows the emergence of Kamala’s chang
e foreshadowing when she was with Siddhartha. It is the first step to the change
s that occur later.
Kamala later begins to become what she wanted to be, a person with a ful
filled and meaningful life. By the end of the book she has changed so much its h
ard to comprehend. Kamala makes the effort to search out Siddhartha in order to
unite him with his son. She becomes this caring person who has fallen in love wi
th a man. Her life is changing rapidly to become closer to what Siddhartha is li
ke. “‘... you have become gray, but you are like the young Samana who once came to m
e in my garden, without clothes and dusty feet’” (Hesse 92). This quote shows how sh
e remembers her only true love and how much he really meant to her and how much
of an effect he had on her.
Siddhartha plays the role as the prime catalyst of change in most charac
ters in Hesse’s novel. The effects that he created in Govinda and Kamala were the
most substantial. These character developments were very important in the format
ion of the plot because it is what made the story ever changing and kept the rea
der guessing on what would change next. The character Siddhartha really portrays
the relationships we have in todays society. The wiser people you come in conta
ct with, the more of an influence they have on you. When people are around each
they become alike with the ones around them.
WORD COUNT: 917