Read "The Ferryman" and "The Son."
Please respond to the following prompts with paragraphs that are 4-6 sentences in length.
Due Dates:
A4 - Friday, 12/10
B1/B2 - Monday, 12/13
The Ferryman
1. Siddhartha finds peace with the Ferryman and his simple ways. However, in today's world non-professional occupations are typically looked down upon as being inferior. How does this chapter confront that stereotype and applaud the working man? Lastly, can you think of a contemporary film or TV series that celebrates blue collar workers?
2. The Ferryman says that his life "was also a river," how dos this metaphor make any sense(Hesse 107)?
3. Kamala was on a "pilgrimage to Gotama," but she finds Siddhartha (113). However, she feels meeting him was "just as good as if she had seen the other" (113). Does this equate Siddhartha with Gotama and therefore Buddha? Also, what do you think drove her to go on this pilgrimage?
The Son
4. How did Siddhartha's son bridge the gap between Siddhartha and "ordinary people"(122)? What was the emotion Siddhartha had never felt up to that point in his life?
5. Seeing as how Siddhartha ultimately sought salvation or enlightenment on his own, without the help of others, how does he apply this philosophy to his relationship with his son? In light of why does he ultimately leave his son in the town?
6. Some have argued that these two chapters are slightly too coincidental and are something you might find in a soap opera, rather than a respected novel. What do you think about this?
1. Siddartha has been taught many aspects of life from powerful spiritual leaders and the wealthy, such as his father, Kamala and Gotama. However, when he encounters the ferryman once again, he not only greets a familiar face, but he also finds himself a new tutor of life. This chapter applauds the ferryman, for he is able to guide Siddhartha onward for his search of enlightenment, and provides to be a fine role-model for living a simple yet 'rich' life. I think 'The Full Monty' and 'Flashdance' are some examples of films that celebrate the life of blue collar workers.
ReplyDelete2. While Siddhartha was still alone by the river, he becomes mesmerized by its "rushing water(s)" and finds joy in the fact that it is always there, constantly flowing by him (Hesse 68). The ferryman is just like a river, for he is just where Siddhartha left him twenty years ago, which indicates the continuity of his lifestyle. He is also similar to the river, for he is content with his life no matter what occurs, accepting changes and always advancing forward. The silent river teaches many new enlightening aspects of life to Siddhartha, as does Vasudeva with very few words.
3. For Kamala, seeing the 'new' Siddhartha must have been as satisfying as seeing Gotama, perhaps even more, for I think she had always respected his devotion to fulfill his desire, and was glad to see he had seemed much at peace with himself since they had last met. Although Siddhartha had once mentioned their incapability of loving someone, Kamala must have cared immensely for Siddhartha, for she had wished to bear his child. Thus, her quest of seeking Gotama may have been due to her affections for Siddhartha. Also, influenced by Siddhartha, she had begun to live like a pilgrim, which may have led her to want to meet the enlightened one, just as Siddhartha had wished to many years ago.
4. Siddhartha feels true love, "blind love" for his son, which was an emotion he had never before experienced in his life (Hesse 81). I think his son becomes a bridge between him and ordinary people, due to his son's intolerance with his father's lifestyle. Raised and pampered like a wealthy boy, he acts just like the childlike-people Siddhartha met in the city. He is stubborn, selfish and conceited, which are normal human emotions, yet which weren't seen here.
ReplyDelete5. Siddhartha wants to believe that his son will reciprocate his feelings someday as long as he treats his son with love, not force. He did not raise a hand to make the boy obey, nor did he request for Vasudeva to help him. However, seeing his son in Kamala's house, and being back in the city brings back memories in his mind, and he realizes he cannot chase his son anymore. Making his son love him would be forceful, and he realizes he cannot "help his son", and that his son must try to find enlightenment alone.
6. I think that this is somewhat true, that you could see this plot in numerous novels and films. However, I feel that this was an obstacle that Siddhartha should have overcome, and that loving someone yet letting go strengthens Siddhartha's character. It shows his determination of reaching his goal, and the amount of importance it is in his life. Although it may seem sad for some, I think Kamala's death separates this from a simple feel-good film or a gushy lunchtime soap opera.
Siddhartha is the happiest while playing the role of a professional working with the Ferryman. This, I suppose could be seen as looking down upon non-professionals in that Siddhartha is less happy as one; thus in some way, applauding the working man. That said, I don't think that this was the message this chapter was trying to convey in that Siddhartha was also at his saddest playing the role of a professional working for Kamaswami. One movie that comes to mind when thinking of a celebrated working man (or woman) is nine to five.
ReplyDeleteThroughout the book Siddhartha sees the river as being a metaphor for many different aspects of life. One of these metaphors being that the river, which, although always running, never changes despite its constant flow, it continues to be blue, liquid, absorbent of whatever comes. The river is also able to transmit feelings without actually doing anything. The Ferryman is in this way like the river; he has done the same thing his whole life and takes in whatever anyone says without speaking transmitting thoughts to others through his lack of speech.
Kamala at the time of seeing Siddhartha was sick not only from a snake bite but from living a life of corruption for so long. Because of this, I believe, that Kamala was seeking salvation through anyone with beliefs other than the ones she had lived by for so long. This is what I believe drove her on the pilgrimage in the first place. That said, although this may equate Siddhartha with Gotama to Kamala, I do not believe that it does to the general story in that this whole story, like many other stories, is about the changes someone (Siddhartha) goes through in life, changes that identical or not to Gotama’s, are just changes equating Siddhartha only to himself or people in general; not Gotama specifically.
Up until this point in his life, Siddhartha had never felt unconditional, blind love. Siddhartha found such love in his son. Having never truly loved before, Siddhartha considered himself to be unlike the “ordinary people”. By evoking this feeling in Siddhartha, Siddhartha’s son bridged the gap between Siddhartha and “ordinary people” in that by making Siddhartha feel unconditional love for him, Siddhartha is no longer absent of the feeling that separated him from the “ordinary people” before.
Siddhartha, at first, does nothing to discipline his son who is constantly rude and disrespectful towards Siddhartha. Siddhartha does this thinking that the power of kindness and compassion would prevail over harsh discipline when trying to teach his son. When Siddhartha’s son runs away, Siddhartha at first continues his kind and compassionate methods by trying to find his son and save him from a corrupted fate in the city. Siddhartha later, however, realizes that his son must face the harsh discipline of the world and like Siddhartha, on his own, find out what is right for him.
Some have argued that these two chapters are slightly too coincidental and are something you might find in a soap opera, rather than a respected novel. What do you think about this?
I’m not really sure what constitutes something as being coincidental as doesn't everything happen as a result of something thus making nothing coincidental? Or oppositely: doesn't everything just sort of happen completely out of the hands of anything? Also I’m not sure where coincidental has anything to do with respected; it is a story after all, can’t they just be occurrences? Rather than discussing whether or not the chapters were too coincidental, as I am undecided as to whether not coincidents even exist, we should discuss whether or not the book should be respected.
1. Siddartha gave many appearance of his ability to breathe, grow, reproduce which people, animals and plants have before they die and which objects do not have from powerful of relating to, or affecting the human spirit or soul as opposed to material or physical things the person who leads so commands a group, organization, or country and the wealthy, such as his father, Kamala and Gotama. Anyway, at what time he met the ferryman once again, he was not only greets a familiar face, but he also discover that he teach a new tutor of life.
ReplyDelete2. While Siddhartha was having no one else present by the river, he becomes very strong effect on him that he cannot give the attention to anything else by its to move or to do something with great speed, often too fast and finds joy in the fact that it is always there, constantly flowing by him (Hesse 67).
3. Kamala should be make somebody pleased by doing or giving them what they want as watching Gotama. Even though, this might be to think that something was the same as something else or was as important .
4. Siddhartha felt very connected with facts rather than things that have been invented or guessed " for his son, the emotion was had never before experienced in his life (Hesse 81). Siddhartha was very determined not to change his opinion or attitude, caring only about himself rather than about other people and ttoo much pride in himself and what he do, which are comforting to a standard human emotions, yet which weren't seen here.
5. Siddhartha wished to feel certain that something is true or that somebody is telling him the truth that his son will behave or feel towards somebody in the same way as he behave or feel towards him. He did not to lift or move something to a higher level a hand to make the him comply with the command, direction, or request of a per son or a law, nor did he the action of asking for something formally and politely for Vasudeva to help him.
6. I felt very hindrance that Siddhartha must have to succeed in daling with or controlling a problem that has been preventing him from achieving something, and that feeling or showing love and affection or someone yet letting go become more stronger, Siddhartha's character.
1. The chapter challenges the stereotype and gives a compliment to the hard working ferryman by telling the story of Siddhartha who finds his way to go ahead of his life after he talked to the ferryman. The ferryman recognizes him, listens to him, teach him how to work with the boat, and many other simple ways to live, but most of all, he tells Siddhartha what the river has spoken to him. Siddhartha is accepted as a pupil of Vasudeva, the ferryman. “The rich and elegant Siddhartha is becoming an oarsman’s servant, the learned Brahman Siddhartha becomes a ferryman: this has also been told to you by the river.” (Hesse 71) I could not think of any contemporary films, so I thought of a book I was really impressed before. Although not as dignified as the ferryman, there are blue collar workers in India in a book called Nectar in a Sieve.
ReplyDelete2. The metaphor that the ferryman’s life is also a river means that there is only this moment for river for it is everywhere as a form of a sea, a waterfall, or something else. According to the ferryman, a life is the same thing, there is only present, not the past of the future. “Also, Siddhartha’s previous births were no past, and his death and his return to Brahma was no future. Nothing was, nothing will be; everything is, everything has existence and is present.” (Hesse 72)
3. Kamala is glad to see Siddhartha as much as she was to see Gotama, but in my opinion, this does not equate Buddha to him because he himself does not feel that he has enlightened. For Kamala, he might have been as sacred as the god because she gave a birth to a child of his, and she always has respected him as her life companion. That made her to be on a pilgrimage to Gotama.
4. Siddhartha’s son could be a bridge between Siddhartha and the ordinary people for the son is at the age of puberty and shares the same emotions as other human beings would naturally feel. Since Siddhartha loves his son dearly, he wants and tries to be a good father for his only son, but it seems like it does not work. “Had he ever lost his heart so much to something, had he ever loved any person thus, thus blindly, thus sufferingly, thus unsuccessfully, and yet thus happy?” (Hesse 81)
5. When you love someone so much, then you also have adherence and attachment for that person. Siddhartha is also an ordinary human being as far as this love is concerned. However, with the advice from the ferryman, he can let go of him. Vasudeva makes him realized that his son does not want to be followed and does his own thing, as Siddhartha was released from the control under his parents.
6. No matter whether we are watching a soap opera or reading a respected novel, there is a certain way of life of human being, as all people go through puberty and get old. I see it is the same deal that Siddhartha gets enlightened by a ferryman, whose occupation is considered trivial to many people, and loves his son so dearly that he was controlling over him without knowing it.
1) Siddhartha had lived a wonderful life where he was the best. He had lived a life that he is famous. But the life as the ferryman is a different side to him because he is living a simple and unknown life. A movie that sort of similar is “The Pursuit of Happiness”. The movie is a story that really reflects on a simple and struggling life.
ReplyDelete2) The river is a metaphor to Siddhartha life because in a river there is an obstacle and it still goes on. Siddhartha life is the same because there is ups and down but his life still goes on.
3) I think Kamala was surprise to see Siddhartha to simple because Siddhartha had always excel in his life. When she saw Siddhartha now, he is like an average joe. Siddhartha is on his journey to Pilgrimage so she also on the journey to pilgrimage so they went together.
4) Siddhartha is living his old life, where he was more into getting to enlightent. The gap is Siddhartha is ordinary and his son is just much better because he is more devoted to the religion.
5) Siddhartha is wishing that his son could have the same journey as him. The reason why is because Siddhartha had lived many level and he had learned many new things, and learn more about him self. He also had changed and become more devoted to the religion.
6) I agree because it something that sad, and there a lot of emotion. If it had been made into a Spanish soap opera because there family issue and there a time where people get together.
1) Siddhartha was able to find a new way to reach his goal of enlightenment through the way of the Ferryman. Ferryman was the opposite of what Siddhartha psyche aspect about enlightenment. The movie, “Dane in Real Life” was an example of an ordinary person that lives a really boring life and didn’t do something about it for several years.
ReplyDelete2) I think he wanted to say that his life has to go on without stopping, like the river. Weather he have to go through the good part of life or the bad, he still has to keep on going with his life, like the river.
3) Kamala thought, seeing Siddhartha has changed throughout these times was a bit of a shock. She had never knew that he would live a simple life, Siddhartha was always been a person that excel his life. Kamala would go to Pilgrimage because Siddhartha is planning to go as well.
4) Siddhartha’s son was able to concentrate on the religion better than his father. The gap between them was that Siddhartha was a normal person. Now, his son was like him in his old days.
5) Siddhartha would want his son to experience the same thing as he did throughout his life. The reason was because he believes that he had gone through great changes and learned much different knowledge. And these changes had made Siddhartha more into his religion.
6) Consider that his story was really depressing, I would have to agree that this story is like a soap opera. But at the same time, I would also agree that this is a respective novel, in some way.
A4
1.
ReplyDeleteIn this chapter Siddhartha lives a simple and normal life. Though living as a Ferryman it is very different because in the previous chapters he did not live a simple and normal life. A movie that I think is similar to Siddhartha is 17 Again although it is also really different but the main characters transition in the movie is a little similar.
2.
When the Ferryman says that his life “was also a river” (Hasse 107) he means that the river represents his life. It represents Siddhartha’s life and it represents his life by showing what he went through from this journey of his life and learning from his mistakes that he made.
3.
I think that when Kamala saw Siddhartha she was expecting him to see him live as he his old ways but instead she saw Siddhartha as a normal man. When she met him again they both learned that they were both going on the pilgrimage so they decided to go together.
4.
The emotion that Siddhartha had never felt before up to the point in his life was that he realized living his old life wan not the way you should live. Also he realized that the difference between him and his son is that he’s ordinary and his son he’s him from his old days and is way more passionate about his religion than he ever was.
5.
Siddhartha want his son to go through what he did because he knows that his son will feel the same thing he did. Also knows that if his son went through the same journey as him he’ll learn more about himself and learn about the outside the box that he lived in as he ever had in his life.
6.
I think that in these two chapters it is not like a soap opera, rather a respected novel because I feel is that a novel can be more realistic than a soap opera. Also it show of everything he went through and that a lot of people probably in a way went through some of the same things although it may have not been religiously but just as life in general.
The Ferryman
ReplyDelete1) Throughout the book, Siddhartha went through many extreme phases where he was either really rich or really poor; both extremities did not make him happy. As he began to live with the ferryman, he began to be happy because the ferryman lived a simple life; he taught many physical things (building and working) to Siddhartha, and most importantly, he told Siddhartha to learn from the river “to listen, to pay close attention with a quiet heart, with a waiting, opened soul, without passion, without a wish, without judgement, without an opinion” (Hesse 71). Siddhartha enjoyed living neutrally with the ferryman, both working hard single-handedly for their own benefits, in a peaceful environment, rather than being extremely money-obsessed, or extremely meditation-obsessed.
2) A river is ever-changing and yet it is always in the same place, “this water ran and ran, incessantly it ran, and nevertheless always there” (Hesse 68). The ferryman’s life is like a river because he always changes and moves on from problems and yet after twenty years, he is still there.
3) Although Kamala said that she does not love, I think that she really cared about Siddhartha because when he left, she let her “rare singing bird” free (Hesse 58), Kamala was also an escort, “from that day [the day Siddhartha left the city] on, she received no more visitors and kept her house locked” (Hesse 58). Therefore, I think that seeing Siddhartha was just as special, perhaps more, than seeing the real Gotama. Also, many years ago, when Siddhartha wanted to find enlightenment, she mentioned that after she grew old, she wanted to follow the Buddha, but now she thinks Siddhartha is just as good as Gotama, which therefore equates Gotama to Siddhartha and then to Buddha.
1. In this chapter Siddhartha decided to live near the river. Since he started to love there he felt love to everything and he realized that he is part of that place. This chapter is kind a complicated for him to live. There is a movie “Big”, has similar situation with this book that he tried his best.
ReplyDelete2. I think “was also a river” shows Siddhartha’s life. The life is everywhere around us and it certainly moves with same rhythm. What Ferryman wanted to say is even there is bad and good happening around him, life cannot stop.
3. Kamala is happy to see Siddhartha’s growth. I think when she saw him first she got surprised he thought he is a different person but after she realized that he is grown-up and she decided to go to pilgrimage with him.
4. I think Kamala was happy to see Siddhartha and he found true love because there was emotional feeling that he never had before. Siddhartha's son bridge the gap between Siddhartha and ordinary people that he is different as his son like his past and religion.
5. I think Siddhartha didn’t want his son to regret what he is going to do because he believes his son and his son is leaning new things so he didn’t want him to stop his son. What is more he wanted his son to leave the town to do on his own skills.
6. I think about these two chapters can be found in soap opera, rather a respected novel because this story shows some sadness atmosphere and I felt so sad in these chapters.
The Son
ReplyDelete4) Siddhartha has never felt love before, he thought that love was for childlike people and now that he sees his son, he feels as if he is becoming one of these people. His love for his son is what links him to ordinary people. “Now, since his son was here, now he, Siddhartha, had also become completely a childlike person, lost to a love, having become a fool on account of love. Now he too felt, late, once in his lifetime, the strongest and strangest of all passions, […] he was nevertheless in bliss” (Hesse 81).
5) Siddhartha wants his son to return his love, however, he does not want to force his son to love him and therefore treats him with kindness and compassion. As a result, it was only natural for him to feel the need to go after his son, when he runs away. Siddhartha grew up being taught by many people on how to reach happiness, but he only found true happiness by himself, thus believing that in order for his son to truly be happy, Siddhartha must let him go.
6) I can see how people view these two chapters as coincidences found in soap operas, however, this book somewhat reminds me of a long fable, and fables are usually filled with coincidences. Therefore, I think these coincidences are crucial for the purpose of this book.
Mai Hiroyama
ReplyDeleteB2 Literature
1. In the chapter, Siddhartha goes along with the ferryman. Even though ferryman isn't high rank, Siddhartha asks to the ferryman, Vasudeva to stay with him. Vasudeva is very skilled on listening, and he Siddhartha is willing to learn things from Vasudeva. Vasudeva welcomes Siddhartha and Siddhartha finds his place. The chapter applauds this ferryman. "thank you for this, Vasudeva, for listening to me so well! These people are rare who know how to listen. And I did not meet a single one who knew it as well as you did. I will also learn in this respect rom you" (Hesse 71).
2."new in every moment!"(Hesse 72). Siddhartha realizes that every moment of river is new. Ferryman says that his life is also a river, which may mean that every moment in his life is new as a river.
3.In the sixth chapter, Kamala tells Siddhartha that he is the best lover she ever had. Since Siddhartha is the best lover, ofcourse Kamala will be happy to see him. Siddhartha is propbably the one who influenced Kamala to go on the pilgrimage indirectly.
4. Since Siddhartha's son has lived with Kamala and been spoiled, he is more likely to "ordinary people" (Hesse 122). Siddhartha is not ordinary at all, and because of his son, the bridge will be constructed between Siddhartha and ordinary people. Siddhartha has strong love toward his only son, and this is the emotion which he never experienced before.
5.Even though Siddhartha loves his son, he realizes that enlightment and salvation can only be experienced by own. Siddhartha wishes his son to get them by himself, and leaves him. Probably Siddhartha is calmed down when he does meditation on the road.
6.I slightly agree with the argument that this is too coincidential. Though to be honest, I don't care. If it really happened, that's fine with me.
1.Siddhartha view the Ferryman as a role model to follow, and decides to be his assistant. This scene was significant in this chapter, because it depicts how Siddhartha did not view non-professional workers as a lower class. Although he was wealthy in the beginning and also experienced being wealthy again when he was with Kamala, etc. he viewed the ferryman as a sage of life. This chapter shows how Siddhartha once again started to search for his new way for enlightenment through the “teachings” of the ferryman. The contemporary novel (I couldn’t think of any film) I can think about, that relates to this topic is “Of mice and men”, George who was a blue-collar worker lived a suffering life, and not only he was told by his aunt to take care of Lenni, but does because he loved him as a “brother”, therefore lived a harder life than expected. Although it was a tragic novel, it celebrates the blue collar workers as loyal and hardworking people.
ReplyDelete2. The river holds a metaphoric value in this chapter, which symbolizes Siddhartha’s continuity of life. His life never goes back in time, but will keep on moving forward like how river flows. The water was “new in every moment” like how Siddhartha and ferryman’s life was also new at every moment of the day (Hesse 68). This scene shows how Siddhartha, in his long years of pilgrimage, has changed as a person as he accepted and adopted new things that were going around him. The time never stops moving but moves forward.
3. Kamala, while she suffered from the venom, she sees Siddhartha, instead of Gotama, who has grown old and thought that “it was good as she” would see Gotama (Hesse 76). This was because she was surprised yet satisfied with how Siddhartha is like him in the old days when he still was on the pilgrimage with the Samanas, hoping for enlightenment. She overlapped Siddhartha as Gotama; while she asks Siddhartha if he has “achieved it”, she just supposed that Siddhartha has achieved enlightenment and said that she “too will find peace” very soon (Hesse 76). What made her start on her pilgrimage was the influence of Siddhartha, when they lived together, to visit the enlightened ones.
4. Although Siddhartha was not able to truly love Kamala, he soon finds himself in love with his son, the “blind love” towards him (Hesse 81). This was the first time in his lifetime when he was able to actually love a person; leads him into misconception about how his son should live his life. The son bridges the gap between Siddhartha and the “ordinary people”; as Siddhartha tried to be a good father of his son, he was becoming more childish and stubborn towards the ferryman’s advice. Siddhartha was now becoming like the “childlike people” he met in the city long time ago (Hesse 81).
ReplyDelete5. Siddhartha believed that his son will someday accept his love and will obey him, therefore did not ask for any help from Vasudeva; Siddhartha did not want to force his son to love him in return. The reason why Siddhartha decides to leave his son alone was because Siddhartha “realized that his desire” toward his son to love Siddhartha was foolish and will never happen, Siddhartha will not be able to help his son to achieve his ultimate goal, to be enlightened (Hesse 84).
6.I agree with this statement that these two chapters were similar to what we see in soap operas or films, yet this was necessary for Hesse to include in this respected novel to show us the suffering he went through and how Siddhartha overcome these problems. Because of these two chapters, we readers were able to see some changes in Siddhartha’s way of living and thinking; not only they were too coincidental, these chapters were there to support the novel to flow and to give realistic value to the story.
1. In this chapter, Siddhartha meets the ferryman again. Although this is the second time they meet, this time ferryman becomes a teacher. Through his experience, ferryman teaches how to listen to the river and tells the important lessons the river can teach to Siddhartha. The ferryman watches over Siddhartha’s spiritual progress and leads him to search more of them. Unlike the real world, in this book it applauds the blue-collar workers by showing the ferryman as a teacher or a spiritual leader for Siddhartha. I don’t know any blue-collar movie that has been released but I know that a movie about the Chile mining accident will be made and that movie will probably be about the blue-collar workers.
ReplyDelete2. This is the second time Siddhartha meets the ferryman. Now Siddhartha sees him as a role model but at first, ferryman was just a person he met during his long journey. Like river is just an obstacle for many of the travelers, ferryman was also just a person he met during his journey. Also like the river, the ferryman has been living at the same place, so he has been seeing the changes too.
3. Siddhartha was someone who Kamala really cared about. After Siddhartha had disappeared, “she received no more visitors and kept her house locked” (Hesse 58). Since she cared about him, for her, seeing him was just as special as seeing Brahman. Therefore, Siddhartha equated or was even more precious than Gotama and Buddha for her.
4. His son was the first person Siddhartha had ever loved. Until then he thought loving was for the childlike people but he had “lost to love” after his son came to his place (Hesse 81). His son was the one who connected Siddhartha with the ordinary people and with love, “Siddhartha, had also become completely a childlike person” (Hesse 81).
5. At first when his son ran away, he followed him. But as he reached to Kamala’s pleasure-garden, he remembered all his memories that he went through. “Siddhartha realized that his desire was foolish” and he knew that people can only reach enlightenment by yourself “he could not help his son” (Hesse 84). After he realized this, he let his son go although he wanted to follow him.
6. I agree that the events happened in these two chapters are things you might find in a soap opera, but these events were important events that supports Siddhartha’s growth and changes. Siddhartha became emotionally stronger throughout these two chapters and it was necessary to show that change since this book is all about Siddhartha’s life and his road to enlightenment.
1. Siddhartha throughout the book has experienced the life of the Brahmans, Samanas, the people, etc. Through these he has learned many things such as being wealthy and rich. Yet in this chapter Siddhartha through the Ferryman is able to learn a simple peaceful way of life and mostly to listen to the river. In this case the applauded working man is the Ferryman. I cannot really think of a contemporary film or TV show that celebrates blue collar workers right now.
ReplyDeleteThe Ferryman states how his life “was also a river” (Hesse 107) for like a river flows on and on, his life moves on and on and yet he remains at the same place. The Ferryman like the first time Siddhartha meets him, remains there for a long period of time till they actually meet again. The river too flows on and on and yet it stays at the same place and I think this connected the Ferryman and the river.
3. I always thought that Kamala actually loved Siddhartha and due to this I think she was actually more satisfied in meeting Siddhartha than meeting Gotama himself. I think she was happy in seeing Siddhartha following a peaceful life. Still I do not think that Siddhartha was equal to Gotama for I did not think that he himself portrayed himself as equaled to the enlighted one (Gotama). I believe that Kamala decided to go on a pilgrimage due to the influence from Siddhartha. Like Siddhartha saw Gotama I believe that Kamala got curious about him and also like Siddhartha did, wanted to listen and to see Gotama with her own eyes.
4. Siddhartha`s son who is raised by Kamala with the child like people is “very different” from Siddhartha. Since his son is raised in the world of people he is selfish and greedy and has “human characteristics” that Siddhartha believes is childish. Still Siddhartha feels love for his son and this is the feeling he has never felt in his life.
5/ Siddhartha for most of his life has sought salvation or enlightenment on his own and has believed that he must overcome the problems that have faced him on his own. Siddhartha tries to show kindness and love to his son but gradually realizes that his son, like him, must find enlightenment on his one and go through the obstacles on his own. Therefore for believing that it is good and helpful for his son, he leaves the town.
6. I somewhat can understand that the two chapters are slightly too coincidental. Still, I think these two chapters and the events that happened were crucial in the story and therefore I would respect the novel. I think that it was important that Siddhartha went in these phases for they transformed and taught new things to Siddhartha.
1) Through the story, Siddhartha experienced through various paths: rich and poor. However, he wasn’t satisfied with his life until he met the ferryman. He respected the ferryman’s simple life. I think that this can be counted as looking down upon non-professionals. This chapter applauds the ferryman for teaching Siddhartha the significance of life by using river. Siddhartha felt the unity with the whole earth including the river, air, and land.
ReplyDelete2) The Ferryman compared his life as a river because river goes through various flow meaning that life is not always perfect. River contains happiness and sorrow, upward and downward. River is always running through with different aspects of life, it constantly changes like “new in every moment” (Hesse 68).
3) Kamala always respected and honored to Siddhartha’s dedication towards his desire. She was extremely delightful to see him. Kamala is still deeply in love with him and t was probably Siddhartha’s influence for Kamala to go for pilgrimage at the same time the preciousness of having a child made her feel very spiritual.
4) Siddhartha’s son bridged the gap between Siddhartha and ordinary people by making Siddhartha appreciate a new life and new love. Siddhartha feels unexplainable feeling that he truly found love towards his son.
5) Siddhartha’s son goes away from the town alone and he tried to go after him and stop him but he realizes that he cannot demand his son. Siddhartha remembers about himself when he was young. He disliked when his parent’s told him to follow their orders and how he felt superior about finding his goal in his way. “Siddhartha realized that his desire was foolish” (Hesse 84). Therefore he lets his son find his own enlightenment by himself.
6) I think that there are many coincidental situations but the events are occurred in a significant way showing various changes Siddhartha goes through. By showing Siddhartha’s growth, it makes the novel very respectful.
Farah Okada B1
Siddhartha struggled in understanding the life of people living in the town, but also finding the same kind of people like him. But when he meet Ferryman, he finally found the place where he belongs where his way of thinking and ideas were excepted. Siddhartha respected Ferryman very much because Ferryman lived a live that Siddhartha was searching for. I do not really have any movie titles or TV series in my mind that celebrates blue collar workers.
ReplyDeleteRiver is river, but water constantly flows in river and I guess that concept relates to how Siddhartha resets his mind in the story. Like in the chapter “By the River”, Siddhartha renews himself from this corrupted man to a simple and honest man while soaking in the river. The river washed away the old Siddhartha out of the vessel (His body) as it flow downhill and filled with new Siddhartha. Just like that Ferryman also had spent his life like that. Problems continuously flows in Ferryman’s life but Ferryman still stays the same as Ferryman.
Will I’m not really sure if Siddhartha equate with Gotama and also Buddha, but I’m sure that what Kamala said was not her really voice. Woman lies in front of a person she loves, just like Kamala. Siddhartha inspired Kamala in going on pilgrimage. Kamala taught many things to Siddhartha in the past and also Siddhartha taught Kamala about honesty and relation with spiritual world.
What Siddhartha felt was the fatherly love for his son. Siddhartha did experience love that he shared with Kamala, but this love he felt for his son was different. This bridge the gap between Siddhartha and ordinary people, because Siddhartha now experienced something that childlike people do which brought Siddhartha to the same level of mentality.
Although Siddhartha found enlightenment on his own, I don’t think he wants his son to do the same but simply listen to his heart and do what his son thinks is best for himself. Siddhartha went through hell because he lost the way of simple life. From that experience he understood that each person has a different way of living and cannot be forced by others, which he thought the same way for his son. He decided to leave his son because he loved him and did not want to interfere and ruined his son’s life.
I guess these two chapters are something I might find in a soap opera, however, that does not mean this novel cannot gain respect. I do not find this way of story being written a problem. Some might think the chapters could of written better in different ways, but I think Hesse had an idea and he understood that the story needed a balance where its simple and coincidental.
1. The Ferryman is a chapter that applauds the simplicity and devotion of the blue color workers. Those crude values may be considered inferior by the professionals of the modern world, who are perhaps proud of their skills and intelligence. However, Hesse describes how the blue color workers also have the same pride and passion for their special vocation through Siddhartha's refreshing encounter with the Ferryman. To be honest, I can't really think of any contemporary movies or TV series, but I think many of Dickens's books and Tolstoy's Ivan the Fool celebrate the blue color workers and appreciate their hard work. Also Charlie and Chocolate Factory, in my opinion, applauds the ingenuousness and purity of the hard working people.
ReplyDelete2. The river has a strong symbolic value throughout the book. "The river is everywhere at once, at its source and its mouth, at the waterfall, at the ferry, at the rapids, at he sea, in the mountains, everywhere, at the same time, and that it possesses only a present, without any shadow of a future" (Hesse 58). Similar to the river, Siddhartha explains how his life has been shifting from here to there, yet it doesn't break, but continues to flow. His past is what makes Siddhartha the present Siddhartha. Everything doesn't just end at the moment, but continues to stay there and shows perpetual effects in Siddhartha's life.
3. Siddhartha might not equate Buddha at the moment of Kamala's death, but how she felt about this reunion foreshadows Siddhartha's future enlightenment. What Kamala really felt good about at the moment was perhaps Siddarhta's refreshed intelligence and wisdom he has once lost among the child people. I believe Kamala decides to go on the pilgrimage because she sensed that her life is coming to an end. She might have sensed the coming up peril and probably wanted to see the Sublime One herself, before she would lose the chance at all.
4. What Siddhartha has never felt but now begins to experience is the emotion of love. "Siddhartha, had totally become a child-person, suffering for someone's sake, loving someone, lost through love, a fool for the sake of love" (Hesse 66). Young Siddhartha enables his father to feel this love and suffering, to experience of forgetting everything and becoming bound to something so mundane. Like ordinary people, like child people, Siddhartha, too, learns how to love and suffer not from his lofty goals, but something so casual and common.
ReplyDelete5. Siddhartha doesn't admonish his son no matter what young Siddhartha does. Siddhartha's philosophy of letting oneself to obtain one's goals by one's own means applies to his son as well; the father expects his son to learn from his own error and comes to his own conclusion and it's no use for anyone to advice Siddhartha for his method. "He remained silent and waited; daily he began all over again the unspoken battle of friendliness, the soundless war of patience" (Hesse 67). However, in the end, Siddhartha realizes that he is indirectly forcing his way on his son and lets young Siddhartha free, to the world where he belongs for now.
6. I am from the country of soap opera (Korea is full of soap opera dramas that many people love). I have seen many soap operas myself, but I don't really consider those two chapters are like soap opera. I believe Siddhartha's learning of true love was a necessary phase he must undergo before his salvation and perhaps the most natural way for him to experience this was through the encounter with his own son. I think Hesse has planned this out rather well and the flow is not that surprising since many other dramatic even has taken place in the previous chapters. Since the story has developed rather quickly and distinctly through each chapter, there's not much of resistance in perceiving events in these two chapters in particular. I'd rather call the chapter right before, the chapter where Siddhartha suddenly becomes saved by the sacred om, more dramatic and more likely to be found in a soap opera.
1. In the previous section of Siddhartha, Siddhartha is thrown into the life of business and is driven to want to commit suicide because of it. However, in this chapter, he experiences the life of the non-professional worker and is brought feelings of satisfaction. Though this we see that the life of the working man is more dignifying than that of the employees behind desks because the blue collar worker puts his body though natural labor and offers more wisdom because of his experiences. This is similar to how we see the blue-collar worker applauded in All in the Family
ReplyDelete2. The Ferryman’s life is described as a river because he lives the natural lives, advancing forward constantly moving though the torrents, vicious and calm. The Ferryman is the river for he also was present even after twenty years had passed since he last was with Siddhartha. The Ferryman, for this reason, seemed to have an eternal air about him as well, just as we think of rivers having flowed and continuing to flow for eternity, seeing all the changes around it and learning from whatever miscellaneous curiosity happens to fall into it, making it all the more wiser.
3. I feel that Kamala was on her pilgrimage, to escape the life that she had been living for the sake of her new child. Kamala must have realized the state of her lifestyle and how corrupt it really was, just as Siddhartha had realized previously, and must have wanted to escape and seek some sort of temple or a place of tranquility in which she could reorganize her life for the sake of her baby. I believe that when she found Siddhartha she felt that he was her temple of tranquility which whom she could trust rather than entrusting herself in the hands of Gotama.
4. The love that Siddhartha felt for his son is what finally allowed him to bridge the gap between him and the “ordinary people”. Until that point, Siddhartha had never loved another to the extent of the feelings he felt for his son. This love must have evoked feelings of fear within Siddhartha as well for he knew and understood that his son would have to undergo the pilgrimage that Siddhartha traveled by in order to create this bridge himself. The path that Siddhartha traveled was enlightening yet treacherous and he feared the outcome of his own son’s journey because of the love that he felt for him.
ReplyDelete5. Siddhartha’s son who is incredibly rude towards Siddhartha is not disciplined by Siddhartha though force, for Siddhartha refuses to use force against his own son and instead, continues to show compassion for the son that he loves so dearly. He also believes that he cannot make his son love him just as anyone cannot make another love them or another person, love is not a state that can be forced upon someone, it is a self, a state of mind. Siddhartha leaves his son in the town because he realizes that just like no one could make Siddhartha be enlightened, he could not enlighten his own son so he leaves his son to venture on the path himself to find his own enlightenment.
6. I do believe that these two chapters were overly coincidental, which made it easy to predict the general idea of what was to happen next but I suppose the coincidences have meanings of its own, coincidences happen and who are we to judge them. Coincidences are a part of everyday life, we just often miss them so maybe there really is no such thing as too many coincidences. Respected novels are respected for their quality not their coincidence count so who is to say Siddhartha cannot be a respected novel for it has too many coincidences.
1. In this chapter, 'The Ferryman', Siddhartha met a ferryman again. His name is Vasudeva, and they have met long time ago when Siddhartha was still a Samana. Until now, Siddhartha had lived two different kinds of life so far. He had lived life as Samana and life as wealthy man. But nothing could fulfilled him. However in this chapter, he started to work with ferryman, learn the skills and live as ferryman. His life had changed again, but this time, it wasn't extreme as lives he had before. It was a simple life. Work hard, listen to the river, learn from the river. With ferryman's assitance, he could learn many lessons from river, such as river doesn't have time and it makes all kinds of sound. I can't really remember a film about blue collar workers... sorry
ReplyDelete2. The ferryman told him that his not a teacher so he can't teach him lesson from the river. But instead Siddhartha learns lesson by himself. I think river metaphors people's life, inlude Siddhartha. River is something that keeps going around without stopping. Life is same as this. Life is just keep on moving on whether good things or bad things happen.
3. The rumors that Buddha is dying was spreaded out. And people in the world started to go to him. And Kamala was one of them. Kamala was going to Buddha, with her son. And she met Siddhartha by luck. And say "I'm seeing it. I too will find peace"(Hesse 76) while she was dyig. I think this quote meant that Siddhartha is becoming a Gotama, who found peace in his mind.
4. Siddhartha's son bridged a gap between Siddhartha and ordinary people. Siddarhta was a person who was living simple life until Kamala and her son came. And he again try to live simple life with his lovely son. But because his son is still young and all, he is really spoiled and refuse to live near river. He wanted to live like a wealthy man, like normal people would desire. But Siddartha just can't let him just do whatever he wants. He tries to change his son, and teach his son, but he can't.
5. As just like question, Siddartha tried to reach seek salavation or enlightment by his own way. He changed his mind several times to sek these. And he wants his son to walk same path as he walked. But his son claims that he just want to be a murderer rather than live like this. And he eventually ran away. Siddartha chased after him even though he knows he can't catch him, and when he reached the city, he realized that although his son would walk the same path as he did, he must find by himself and walk through it.
6. I didn't really feel it is coincidental while I was reading it. I mean, well it's a story. So coincidental things have to be in it anyway..? So I don't really mind it is coincidental or not.
1.Simple Ferryman, who worked hard and live simply through out his year, meeting the Ferryman also thought Siddhartha a lesson. Well, being inferior to Siddhartha is a new thing, but "simple" seems to be an important element to reach salvation.
ReplyDeletei think the movie "death of a sales man" welly, can suit the ferryman
2.metaphorically, the Ferryman was saying that his life was also a river that goes on no matter good or bad. Also like his way f like , plane and simple.
3.Kamala was influence by siddhartha, since kamala loves siddartha deeply, as a lover kamala went after siddhartha on the journey of pilgrimage
4.siddhartha, loves his son, but the gap between siddhartha, and his son, was siddhartha is way more independent than his son. His son was raised as "ordinary people", but that made siddhartha has connection with the "ordinary people"
5 siddhartha has realized the only way to reach enlightenment is by your very own self, siddhartha, tired to help his son and show love to him , but that made him realized that is only going to weaken his son.
6. Indeed, this novels makes me think of Korean Drama, which is full of love a tragedy, siddhartha wants to be with his son , but that does not help
1. All through Siddhartha's life, he is confronted with one teacher after another, and in this case it is no different, he takes whatever he is given and learns from it. The ferryman furthers Siddhartha's path to enlightenment and this is the way that the chapter inspires and applauds the ferryman for his many lessons. The movie that first comes to mind that relates to blue collared workers being celebrated is Pursuit of Happiness where Will Smith, through all his hardships and negative experiences, pushes through it all and strives to have a better life with his son.
ReplyDelete2. The ferryman saying that "his life is also a river" (Hesse 107), indicates that even though life is always moving forward, there are many obstacles and mistakes that one must overcome, which is how Siddhartha's life has been, and a river takes up these qualities as well, never being perfect and many bumps.
3.I think Kamala's encounter with Siddhartha was as satisfying as seeing Gotama since I believe that she must have still had feelings for him since she kept his child, and she really respected Siddhartha's thoughts and beliefs so it must have been a relief to see him again. I think she may have gone on the pilgrimage with influence from Siddhartha and this gave her courage to take it upon herself to go on this journey.
4. Siddhartha feels true love with his son, something he hadn't felt with anyone else, only feelings with kamala that were that of a sort of lust/sexual kind and just normal love for family and friends. I feel as though his so connected him with "ordinary people" because of his "ordinary people" type traits. He is selfish, mischievous and self centered, but that is just humans emotions that cannot be altered, so they brought some revelations to himself.
5. Siddhartha's ultimate rule is to not try and force his son into anything, just love him and convince him in ways that are unbiased to lead a better life. Through this all he raises this will not work as his son does not change or better himself and decides that the only way his son will learn is to find enlightenment and salvation on his own.
6. I understand how this statement is true, but I feel as though novels and soap opera's or movies are very different things. I think through a book, it is easier to see the right ways, and accept it and also put the lessons to good use. These incidents are also seen in real life, so it is not "too coincidental" in my opinion.
1. Siddhartha, a social elite, is finally awed and amazed by an ordinary hardworking ferryman. This overthrows the common stereotype that rich people are happier than poor, hard workers. Siddhartha mentions that his rich life has been an unhappy one, and that he wishes to follow the simple life of the ferryman. Similar to this section, The Emperor’s New Groove celebrates Panache’s humble hard work, by showing his happiness despite his poor economic situation.
ReplyDelete2. The ferryman is constantly grateful for what he has, and does not allow the past or wild dreams of the future affect his enjoyment of his life in the present. The river “is everywhere at once, and…there is only the present time for it, not the shadow of the past, not the shadow of the future.” (Hesse, 72) The metaphor that the humble ferryman’s life is like that of the river makes sense because they both represent cherishing the present, and being happy for what you’ve been given. This closely resembles the situation in Lilo and Stitch, where Lilo, Nani, and Stitch are happy and grateful for having “ohana” or family, even when they don’t have many toys or a nice car.
3. Kamala defines Gotama and the Buddha as holy and perfect. In this sense, Siddhartha is the same as them. However, in reality, Siddhartha is nothing like them, for he does not teach people or show off his enlightenment to others, more over, he maintains his appearance of a peaceful ferryman. Kamala has been on this pilgrimage in order to find a caretaker, teacher, and father for her spoiled son.
4. Siddhartha allows Siddhartha Jr. to do anything he pleases, and dismisses all unpleasant behavior as a result of his mother’s death. He soon realizes that this is the unconditional and sometimes irrational love that he could never understand or feel. Twenty or so years ago, Siddhartha had dismissed love as one of the many emotions that only a child-person felt. Hence, Siddhartha Jr. slowly became the bridge between Siddhartha and “ordinary people.”
5. As a young Brahman, Siddhartha had chosen to leave his loving father in order to search for a life of enlightenment on his own, instead of being taught by teachers, which he deemed as impossible. Vasudeva tells him that his son, like him, will not be satisfied with enlightenment that is laid out for him, and will want to look for salvation on his own. Finally, realizing the reality of Vasudeva’s words, Siddhartha applies his philosophy of self-enlightenment to his son. He comes to realize that his flesh and blood son will search for an untrodden path of enlightenment on his own time.
6. To a certain extent, I agree that the events in this book are too coincidental to be believable, just like a soap opera watched by many bored obachans. However, I believe in synchronicity, and the truth is, sometimes these kinds of crazy coincidences happen, like the lives of celebrities who are discovered by mere “chance”. Also, the plot is not the main point of this novel, so I’m not bothered by the heavy and easily imaginable coincidences. Like The Sixth Sense, the setting and events are not significant, it is the idea and spiritual journey and growth that make the whole experience worthwhile and shocking
1. When Siddhartha meets with the Ferryman again, he started to respect and his simple lifestyle. Although he had lots of experiences, he finds that he should follow him. “That is another area in which I shall learn from you.”( Hesse 56).
ReplyDelete2. As Ferryman says that his life "was also a river," his life changes every second like the water flowing in the river. “it was always and at all times the same and yet new every moment!” (Hesse 55). He wanted to say that every moment of his life changes but at the same time, it still remains the same.
3. Siddhartha was the cause of Kamala to go on to the pilgrimage. Since she loved and missed him, I think when Kamala met Siddhartha, she was more than happy. And although she respects Gotama and the Buddha she also respected Siddhartha. “that it was good, just as good as if she had seen Gotama.” (Hesse 62).
The Son
4. Love was the emotion Siddhartha had never felt up to that point in his life. Although he loved Kalama, his love toward his son was different. This was the cause of making a bridge between Siddhartha and "ordinary people"(122) since Siddhartha was getting childlike person.
5. As Vasudeva told to Siddhartha that it is impossible to reach enlightenment with someone’s help, Siddhartha thought that his son should aim his own path to reach enlightenment. And although Siddhartha loved his son, he let him go to the town. “But as for him, you should let him go, friend; he is no longer a child, he can help himself.” (Hesse 67).
6. I think these two chapters are slightly too coincidental and are something you might find in a soap opera. But since these events that occurred in this chapter are huge step of Siddhartha’s life, this should be also found in a respectful novel. I respect Hesse, and his novel.
Kei Saya Datwani
ReplyDeleteA4 Literatyure
1. In this chapter Siddhartha observed new way of living from Ferryman, which was simple life. Before he lived with Ferryman he was meditating and gambling which was not simple at all. However by living with Ferryman he began to get happy by living simple. The movie that I think similar is “Harry Potter” because before Harry was asked to go to Hogwarts School he was normal, but after he goes to Hogwarts School his life changed.
2. I think what Ferryman was trying to say by using metaphor was that his life was never stopped like river. River comes from ocean and keeps running for ever, and when river is running there are many obstacles such as rocks. Therefore Ferryman was trying to say that he passed through many problems, but he never stopped.
3. Kamala was expecting Siddhartha with old way of what Siddhartha had lived. However now Siddhartha is living normal and simple life, which Kamala never expected Siddhartha to be. I think Kamala want to pilgrimage because she thought that there might be some chance to see Siddhartha.
4. The bridge between Siddhartha and his son is what kind of life they are leading. What Siddhartha and his son is leading is same except for his son is leading what Siddhartha was leading before, which is so in to religion. The emotion that he never felt was that the life he was leading was wrong.
5. Siddhartha want to his son to go thorough same life as him, because even though he realized that some of the part was wrong he still thinks that his son can learn a lot from it.
6. I’m not sure about soap opera, but I think this novel can considered as a respected novel. This novel has religious thinking which some people might be interested in. Also this novel can teach you about the way of leading life. Some times the life that your leading is wrong but some day you will know and you can learn from it.
1. Siddhartha’s new teacher and the man to look up to, was the ferryman, who he met for second time. Vasudeva was that ferryman’s name, Vasudeva started to teach Siddhartha from a simple things, such as, how to build an oar, how to mend the boat, and to weave baskets. But things were just something that he needed to know to live and to work with Vasudeva. Yet, the most important thing that Vasudeva wanted to let Siddhartha learn by himself was to, listen to the river, and understand what the water is saying. I do not really know any serious movie that celebrates blue collar, but there is one Disney movie that I think is similar to Siddhartha and Vasudeva is called, “Christmas Carol”.
ReplyDelete2. The river can be a symbol to both of their lives through this book. When Vasudeva says that the river is everywhere and never stops its rhythm, which shows the life that Siddhartha had gone through. “’Isn’t it so, oh friend, the river has many voices, very many voices? ... and a thousand other voices more?’” (Hesse 72). This quote shows the life that Siddhartha had until now, and also means that the river metaphors, both Vasudeva’s and Siddhartha’s life.
3. There is either one of two that I thing drove Kamala to go on the pilgrimage. The first one could be because Kamala knew that Siddhartha was once a Samana and she thought, he might be there, because she believed and thought that he continued to keep finding his enlightenment. The another one could be the same as the time that Siddhartha decided to change himself once more and leave the life that he was having with the childlike people. “... had given her garden to the monks of Gotama as a gift, had taken refuge in the teachings” (Hesse 74).
4. Because Siddhartha’s son was raised with Kamala, and the people in the city (childlike people), he does not believe that Siddhartha is his father. Another most effective word which his son shouted at him was that he would become a murder and go to hell, rather than becoming a person something to do with the religion. Also he is different in a way that he shouts at Siddhartha not to tell him what he should do, because he is not his servant. Therefore, he then realised that he was once a man like that, making people work for him, just think of becoming richer and richer, and run away from suffering.
5. Siddhartha wanted his son to go through things by himself, just like he, Siddhartha himself did. Siddhartha believed that way, he will learn and become a better person and simply get closer to the enlightenment. To compare a person with a little of sufferings and experiences, and a person who had many experiences and knows the weight of sufferings, definitely, the one with more experienced, and gone through many sufferings, have the more chance to think and decided which road should he/she would take at the end.
6. I do think that these two characters are a little too coincident, but because it is a book, it changes the understandings of the important events, and the ideas that the author wants us, readers to see. What I mean is, if it was a movie or play, there might be some parts that we could not actually get the meaning of how important that one event was. I think this “Siddhartha”, written by Hesse is a respectable novel.
1. When he met up with the Ferryman, he has found the way to accomplish enlightenment. Siddhartha’s life was full of luxury stuff; on the other hand, the Ferryman lived a simple life and unknown. Siddhartha learned many things from the Ferryman’s advice. One thing he learned was to listen to the river. This chapter is similar to the movie called Pursuit of Happiness. The story is about a little boy, mother and father living a simple life. However, when mother and father divorced, they started to struggle.
ReplyDelete2. The river is a metaphor. Life is permanent, endless, just like the river. Even if Siddhartha does not enjoy his life or wants to restart, he can always do that. No matter what happens, the river will always there.
3. I think meeting Siddhartha has changed everything about Kamala. She probably thought that she needs some advice from people, just like Siddhartha. Also, she wanted to meet up with Siddhartha, so she decided to go on pilgrimage as well.
4. Siddhartha’s son bridges the gap between Siddhartha and normal people. Siddhartha’s son was an ordinary person, who can concentrate on one thing; in contrast, Siddhartha was not ordinary at all. He always changes his mind and does random things.
5. Siddhartha hopes that his son would do and experience the same thing as he did. Siddhartha believes that changes will make a person experience many different things. These changes made Siddhartha made more religious.
6. I think that these two chapters are like soap opera. There are too many changes in people’s emotions that make the readers extremely emotional. The changes affected Siddhartha’s life a lot.
1. This chapter applauds the ferryman Vasudeva, for he was able to bring Siddhartha back to life and lead Siddhartha to enlightenment. Also Vasudeva became a role model for Siddhartha. Ferryman's job is to give a ride for people who needs to go across the river, and if there wasn't any ferryman, people wouldn't be able to go across. I couldn't think of any film or novel that are related to the theme.
ReplyDelete2. For the Ferryman, his life is like a river since he does not stop or goes back to his past, he keeps going forward like the river. "Vasudeva lives his life as it is, there aren't any shadow of the past nor the shadow of the future" (Hesse 72). During life time, you learn from people or things around you and the river taught various aspects to Vaseduva and Siddhartha.
3. Probably seeing Siddhartha was pleasing and satisfying fro Kamala as seeing Buddha. They've been together for several years, and then suddenly Siddhartha disappeared and parted. Another several years have past, and finally Siddhartha and Kamala met again. Kamala was influenced by Siddhartha's way of fulfilling his life and enlightenment therefore she began to live like Siddhartha and led to the pilgrimage to meet Buddha.
4. Siddhartha's son bridge the gap between Siddhartha and the "ordinary people" since he was raised as a wealthy boy and he is "stubborn and disobedient" (Hesse 82). Siddhartha "loved him" (Hesse 78). This was his first true love which he never experienced before. Even the love toward Kamala wasn't real, but the love toward his only child was a true love.
5. Siddhartha treats his son with love, not by force, so that the son would change his attitude toward Siddhartha and Vasudeva. Siddhartha waited for his son to understand him, to accept his love, to perhaps reciprocate, but it did not happen (Hesse 78). Siddhartha realized that waiting for the son to love him was also forcing him, so he decided to leave his son in the son.
6. I think there are similar plot in numerous novels and films. But I guess Siddhartha had to overcome the obstacle in order to fulfill his enlightenment. By overcoming these obstacles, Siddhartha became strong mentally. He had several hard times during his life by being a Samana, by following Buddha, but losing Kamala and his son was the most hardest time in his life. By going through this, he became the person who he is in the end of the chapter.
Risa Nikel B2
The Ferryman
ReplyDelete1. Despite, meeting so many sages and prosperous merchants throughout the life of seeking enlightenment and self-delight, Siddhartha had interestingly found the answers to all, in the simple life of a Ferryman. In the ferryman’s eyes, Siddhartha saw something that he greatly envied, which were peace and true happiness. After waking up from his long slumber and feeling a whole new life, Siddhartha came to adore the river and feel pleasure in the way it flowed.
When he met the ferryman, he learned more from him than anyone else he had ever encountered. However the ferryman told him that the secret was all in the river. Siddhartha gave up his former prosperous life to live with the ferryman and to learn what he had from the river by listening. It was through this lifestyle that he found true happiness and felt more delight and richness than he ever felt. Although outsiders viewed the two as normal old folks living a boring life, many others that came across them saw two saints instead.
Although I can’t remember any particular movie that celebrates blue collar workers, the movie I thought of was “Slumdog Millionaire”. The protagonist was poor throughout his whole life and never took proper education, yet he was able to answer all the questions on the quiz show and win a million dollars due to the life he had experienced. This related to how the ferryman gained knowledge from the river rather than being rich and maintaining ignorant.
2. The river was just like their lives because it “is everywhere at once” and “possesses only a present, without any shadow of a future” (Hesse 58). Both of them realized that their lives contained neither past, nor future but the present. People were suffering because of time and if they managed to conquer time, it would also mean in succeeding and controlling their own lives. (Hesse 58). And indeed this was true because after so many years, Siddhartha returned to the river and found it still there, as well as the ferryman that had taken him across when he was still young.
3. When kamala saw Siddhartha and felt like it was as good as meeting Gotama, she saw truly in Siddhartha’s eyes that he had transformed back to a calm man of peace with knowledge. She realized something different and realized that Siddhartha had surpassed the samana she had met long ago. However, I believe that this does not equate him to Gotama yet, because he still had much to learn despite being near perfect.
Kamala had taken off on the pilgrimage in the first place because of Siddhartha. If it weren’t for Siddhartha, she would have never known the concepts of life, or Gotama.
The Son
ReplyDelete4. Siddhartha had always separated himself from the “child-people” (Hesse 66) because he thought that he was incapable of loving. However, when his son came to him unexpectedly, he realized that he too “had totally, become a child-person, suffering for someone’s sake, loving someone” (Hesse 66). He had never been able to understand how anyone can “lose himself completely in another person”, “to commit loving follies for the sake of another” (Hesse 66), yet now he was doing the same thing, feeling the great passion for his own son. Although he suffered from the pity that his son did not accept him or love him back, he felt blessed and “some way richer” (Hesse 66). This was something he had never felt before.
5. Siddhartha had once fled from his homeland to seek enlightenment alone without the help of others, and now his own son was in the same situation. His son did not belong with him and his friend because he was not used to the lifestyle he shared and because he had not suffered and experienced enough to know the sweetness of life. Although Siddhartha knew this, he still wanted to protect his son from getting hurt and from going through the same useless phase that he had gone through. Vasudeva persuaded him that whatever path his son chooses and goes through, it is inescapable and no one can save him from it. In fact, Siddhartha was burdening his son with his love, kindness and patience. This lead Siddhartha to think over and finally when the young Siddhartha fled from the two old man, he decided it was time to let go. There was no way to stop his son now and, although it hurt his heart more than he ever imagined possible, he needed to let go.
6. Yes, I agree that these two chapters were a bit coincidental considering the fact that Siddhartha returned to the river bank so many years later to still find the same old ferryman that had taken him across the river so long ago. To top it off, he was able to reunite with Kamala and meet his son just before she died. However, I don’t think this novel was meant to be read that critically in those aspects, because its intention is to show the life of Siddhartha and his spiritual changes. Therefore, I think that these coincidences are acceptable because it is crucial to the psychological transformations of Siddhartha.
1, Siddhartha taught many good aspects of living to his father and people around him, but he was able to find new way of teaching and reaching his goal by going through the way of Ferryman. Ferryman had totally opposite.
ReplyDelete2, Ferryman says that his life “was also a river” this means that his life was flowing like a river with many obstacles just like Siddhartha’s hard and rough life.
3, Kamala was deeply influenced how Siddhartha lived, and Kamala thought he changed a lot compare to the past. Kamala is going to Pilgrimage because Siddhartha is planning to go.
4, Siddhartha’s son could focus on his religion better than his father, and Siddhartha realizes that difference between Siddhartha and his son is that he’s regular. Siddhartha also begins to experience feeling of love. “love someone, lost through love, a fool for the sake of love” (Hesse 66).
5, Throughout Siddhartha’s past, he learned so many changes and learned much different knowledge about religion. His idea is that he wants his some to experience same thing he did in his life.
6,These two chapters are very coincidental in my opinion, and they can be found in soap opera but what happened in this chapter meant a lot to Siddhartha
1) The ferryman’s business was small and provided little income but despite the ferryman’s meek life style, he has attained knowledge and gained skills that most people with big occupations don’t have. The ferryman had the ability to listen very well. “As he listened, he absorbed it all” and he could comprehend what the speaker was indirectly trying to say (Hesse 56).
ReplyDelete2) I believe that the ferryman said that his life was a river because he always moves lower and seeks the depths. Hesse says to Siddhartha “it is good to make your way downward” and “to move lower, to seek the depths” (Hesse 57). The ferryman has heard the sacred work “om” through being by the river. Just like Siddhartha, in hearing that word, he was enlightened and realized that life was a continuous circle.
3) Yes it does. The reason why I think this is due to the passage where Kamala says that “She thought about her intention to journey to Gotama” to see the face of a “perfect man,” but “found Siddhartha instead” and it was just as good (Hesse 62).
4) Siddhartha “had never been able to lose himself completely” to “another person (Hesse 66). In other words he couldn’t learn to love anybody else. But now with the presence of his son in his life, he feels the feeling of love toward him. This ability to love is the bridge that links him to “ordinary people”.
5) Siddhartha had decided that his own destiny and his son’s destiny might be two different places. The ferryman explains to Siddhartha that his son “is used to a different life” and a “different nest” (Hesse 64). After thinking it over, Siddhartha agrees with the ferryman’s saying and decides to let his son chose his own destiny.
6) For Kamala to see Gotama, the river is an obstacle that she would have had to cross. So in that since, I think that they would have eventually met up any way. I do not see these two chapters as a big coincidence.
Daniel Snow B1
Seiya B2
ReplyDelete1. In the chapter The Ferryman, Siddhartha meets the Ferryman, one that he met years ago when he crossed the river as a Samana. Although, this time as a guidance to the world of river. Unlike the real world, it applauds the non-professional occupation by having ferryman as a role model and a spiritual leader of Siddhartha. Siddhartha connects so well with the Ferryman of the understanding of the river. I don’t know contemporary film or TV series that celebrates blue collar workers. But I heard that there is going to be a film made about the Chile mining accident that happened this year, starring Harrison Ford as the leader of the mining group. It will definitely about blue collar workers.
2. River always flows forward and never turns back. As in life you can’t go back to the past, life just goes on in time as river does. The continuity of life. Ferryman says that his life “was also a river” by the fact that he is at the same place for many years. Also the river is always there at the same place, flowing continually.
3. Kamala says Siddhartha and Gotama are both perfect and reached peace. From her point of view they are the same, but Siddhartha is totally different. He does not teach his understandings to others and just stays a ferryman. Not as a religious leader as Gotama is. I think what drove Kamala on her pilgrimage is from Siddhartha’s influence. To see what Siddhatha used to believe in.
4. Siddhartha is now part of the childlike people because of “this blind love for his son” (Hesse 81). Siddhartha had never “able to lose or devote himself completely to another person” (Hesse 81). He was never able to love someone else that he went crazy. This was always something that made him separate and apart from the childlike people. But the love toward his son filled the gap between the childlike people
5. Siddhartha who has reached enlightenment on his own does not force his son to do something. He believes that someday his son will understand him if he be patience and treat him with love. Siddhartha leaves his son in town because he realizes that no one could teach him enlightenment. That goes same with his son, his son had to venture himself.
6. I found these two chapters slightly too coincidental. Somewhat easy to predict what was going to happen. I don’t find any difference between soap opera and a respected novel. Siddhartha is still a great novel and I respect it. I would never be able to write such thing. I wish I had more talent in language.
1) The ferryman lead him to the world of the normal. Not like it’s a bad thing, but as Siddhartha was a high class elite it never struck him to have a life of the normal. He soon feels the most normal, and notices he has been to the highest and to the lowest with his power and yet he was not as happy.
ReplyDelete2) The river resembles how life is never ending. How it flows rough and smooth, just like the mountains in life. Life is endless just like a river, when Siddhartha looks at his past and goes into the river to kill himself. He notices that the river would not stop for him. But he himself will have to stop himself.
3) Kamala want to pilgrimage since Siddhartha left kamala, and to leave his own path to start a new life. It only came to kamala that Siddhartha would go back to his old path. But instead the ferryman has changed him, into living in a normal life. Kamala want to pilgrimage
4) His love did not grab any heart of his son. His son does not believe that Siddhartha is his father, since he was brought up as a city boy. Although this also means he has no idea how to care for someone, or to give up himself for a person. Lack of social skills is a killer.
5) Siddhartha’s love to his son was not clearly pronounced as love. His love did not reach the heart of his son; he tries to convince his son to understand, but to only fail. I think this is best described as a son fallowing the father’s foot steps. Siddhartha wanted his son to know, and to feel what he felt though his journey. His way of teaching only shows the reality that you can only feel it, when you are in it.
6) I think this should trigger the social skills to care for others. Although this does seem like a classic soup opera, I believe many of out lives are just like a soup opera, even if it is a reading a life should be a full of twists and turns. We know how it will and end, and how it will begin, just not what’s in side the whole story.
1. This chapter contradicts the normally held stereotype that blue-collar workers are inferior and unworthy of proper attention, through Siddhartha becoming a pupil of the ferryman. Siddhartha, a elite brahman listening to the common ferryman's teachings about the river and adoring his simple yet happy lifestyle, shows that this chapter celebrates the blue collar workers. A few movies that popped up in my mind are 'Ghostbusters' and 'Ramen Girl'. Ghostbusters show the happier lifestyles of the former parapsychologists, who after quitting their jobs at Columbia University starts a Paranormal investigation business without proper licenses. They eventually find success in their new business and become renowned ghost busters! Ramen Girl follows a American girl called Abby finding interest in becoming a Ramen chef after eating at a local Ramen shop owned by Maezumi and his wife. This movie celebrates the life of a ramen chef, a blue collar job in Japan.
ReplyDelete2.The ferryman refers to his life as 'a river' because his life has virtually been constant. Like a river he followed the same path, operated his boat everyday and went to sea and back for the past 20 years. Siddhartha found Vasudeva right where he saw him 20 years ago. Siddhartha adored the river, "love this water! Stay near it! Learn from it! (Hesse 68). Just as he adored the river he felt the same for Vasudeva as his life was just like the river.
3. Siddhartha does not equate to Buddha in the eyes of Kamala. She was just happy to see the newly transformed Siddhartha and since she loved him, her initial goal to meet Gotama became peripheral. Kamala was satisfied enough by meeting Siddhartha, who had changed her ways of thinking and inspired her to go on a pilgrimage.
Kristi S.
B2 English
4. Siddhartha had never felt true love before in his life. Even with Kamala he stated that he was never able to love her truly, but with his son "stronger than the knowledge was his love for the boy, his fear to lose him" (Hesse 80). The gap between Siddhartha and the childlike people was filled when his son displayed the typical behaviors of the childlike people. His son "did not want to do any work, did not pay his respect to the old men" and made Siddhartha resort to sending him to the city to his mother's house to help him change. SIddhartha's plan failed, as his son ran away.
ReplyDelete5. Siddhartha's philosophy of raising his son was to "not force him, he did many a chore for him, and hoped to win him over by friendly patience" (Hesse 78). He never ordered his son or physically abused him into doing things, he let love guide his interaction with his son. He never asked Vasudeva to help him raise his son, just like his independence in trying to reach enlightenment. Siddhartha realizes that he cannot make him love his son, and must send him off to the city.
6. I do not think these 2 chapters are like soap operas. They are rather dramatic and coincidental but the flow of the story was natural from my point of view. Kamala meeting Siddhartha before her death and Siddhartha getting to see his son was a naturally planned plot.
1. Ferryman was in a way, a savior to Siddhartha. That is because he was a teacher for being a good listener of river. Siddhartha had to learn the voice of river because river tells everything, thats what Ferryman says. By reading this chapter, there was one movie in my head and it is "The Karatekid". This movie was popular, and it was showed around 1990's, and this movie is about a boy who is bullied by other kids, but he wants to beet them up, and then he meets his "sensei", which is the teacher of karate. The teacher teach him from the really basic stuff like washing his car, cleaning up the deck and other thing. In this chapter Siddhartha started by riding boats, which is the basic of learning of the river's voice.
ReplyDelete2. I think the river symbolizes the life of Ferryman, because the had listened to a lot of voices of other people and experienced a lot of sections of life of himself. Same as river; river has a lot of voice and has a lot of sections to go over to step up and to go forward in the river's life.
3. I think meeting Siddhartha was very good opportunity to Kamala, because she looked very happy to see him. But in the same time, I think Kamala was surprised because he was not the man who she expected, he was normal. I think the reason she went to pilgrimage was because, " Yesterday, I told you I knew how to think, to wait, and to fast, but you thought this was of no use. But it is useful for many things, Kamala, you'll see that the stupid Samanas are learning and able to do many pretty things in the forest, which the likes of you aren't capable of" (Hesse 43). In this quote, siddhartha is telling that samana is not stupid to Kamala, since she told that not eating and suffering yourself is a stupid thing, and those sentences effected her and led to go to a pilgrimage.
4. His son was opposite from Siddhartha; he has a lot of desire and likes to use people to do something for him, so he orders people even that person is older than him. The son has no respect to people and uses them all for his own. Looking at his son, Siddhartha was very upset and wanted him to change, but in the other hand Siddhartha understands how his son feels because he has seen a lot of people and had experienced more than the normal people.
5. I think those experiences of Siddhartha is the experiences that Siddhartha wants his son to do, but he will never do that kind of adventure, and so Siddhartha left his son on his own to make his son know more about outside world by him self, since he does not know anything about the town.
6. I disagree with the opinion because that kind of chapter is included in the "respected novel" so that part makes the novel respected, by including the none respectable chapter too.