Pecola, Frieda and Claudia have a unique quality in their relationship. They seem more than simply characters in the book. Their innocence is so realistic that I believe them to be real. Their dynamic interactions make me feel as if Morrison gave these girls the character of some girls she met during her life. I must say that the plot is a bit intriguing. I was lost for a while; the writing style threw me off completely. In fact, I might still be lost! Professor Bump's paper helped me make some sense of what was going on. It's the power of bonds that people share amongst each other that makes Morrison's writing style a bit difficult to grasp right from the start.
The Essence of Family
There's one quote from the book that I really like. It revolves around the Breedloves' coal stove "which lived independently of everything and everyone... in spite of the fact that the family fed it and knew all the details of its regimen... The fire seemed to live, go down, or die according to its own schemata" (Morrison, 37). The spirit of the fire resembles the spirit of family to me. Everybody lives their own lives, and everybody, most of the time, knows what's going on with the other members. Family members are connected through a strong bond which matches the fervor and intensity of a fire. This is seen within the relationship of Pecola, Frieda and Claudia, even their relationship with Mrs. MacTeer. They have strong feelings for each other and they yell and fight, but they care for one another, and that's a sort flame they have burning within their hearts.
Bonds Can Be Created with Anyone
And as we see in the novel, this bond isn't limited to family members. The professor explains this with some clarity. "African American family includes 'fictive kin': 'unrelated individuals who often provide more family support services than blood kin'" (Anthology, 350). The McTeers' take in Pecola and treat her as if she was family. Pecola is able to share the warmth of a family spirit with Claudia and Freida, and in doing so, she forms a bond with the entire family which will forever burn within her heart!
Bonds Are Everywhere
The writing style of the Morrison is a bit confusing, but the very spirit of family prevails and manifests itself even from underneath an avalanche of language. So, this is the verisimilitude of familial bonds. Bonds between family are evident even in the most tumultuous and unpredictable of situations. The power of these bonds is so great that their essence is indescribable through language, and that's why I believe that I was lost in the start of the plot. Morrison's writing style isn't confusing, but rather what she's describing is so grandiose that it forces the language to betray its own rhetoric, only the emotions seep through.
After I finished the reading, I decided that I'm way too much of an optimist! After all the failures in the story, I asked myself about what I could learn from this? I just automatically responded to this question with positive examples. Maybe it's just a mental model that developed because in a practical environment a failure can not stop you. At most, failures are speed bumps, so I'm absolutely driven to get over these bumps, so even within Black Elk's story, I found a ray of light, three rays to be specific. They're kind of practical lessons that I've taken by really taking the whole sentence in the intended meaning; these are lessons of interdependence, adaptability (change and creativity) and the concept of cycles and roles.
Pragmatism
Let's start off with interdependence. In today's day and age, nobody can succeed in any field without the help of those that are already established within that industry. One person is only one person, so everyone needs to rely upon one another. Plus, there is a certain sense of accomplishment that is achieved through an interdependent group. I know in theory this sounds like a sweet and square chocolate cake, but there's another advantage of this process. Interdependence is the key to confidence. When someone leads, they have a vision and people buy the story! Black Elk puts this with great simplicity, "When I was still young, I could feel the power all through me, and it seemed that with the whole outer world to help me I could do anything" (xxi). When it seems as though the power of the cosmos is driving you forward, then nothing is impossible, no bar is too high, and greatness transforms into a trivial trait.
Adapt like the Chameleon
Another practical lesson that fills me with enthusiasm is a reference towards change and creativity. Basically, Darwin hits the home run again with his 'survival of the fittest!' People that are able to adapt have an astonishing quality to succeed. So let me share with you a portion of Black Elk's story while he's lamenting, "Then suddenly the butterflies changed, and were storm-driven swallows, swooping and whirling in a great cloud behind the charging riders" (xxiv). The first point of observation is to notice that change is unpredictable and guaranteed. So, now I know that butterflies can change into anything at whenever so now the butterflies in my stomach are making me sick! The obvious hits me, "What now?" And, there Darwin triumphs with his notorious 'survival of the fittest.' Adaptation is the key to success. When events take an unexpected turn, adaptation is required for anybody to even expect success or, as Darwin insists, to survive.
There's Always a Bigger Fish!
The last pragmatic lesson to take from Black Elk is the concept of roles and cycles. So, "Everything the Power of the World does is done in a circle" (xxvi). This is like the headline from this part of the Black Elk story. There are a copious amount of cycles within the world, and within each cycle, people play different roles. This is kind of deep, and I don't know if this was the intended meaning, but this is what my optimistic mental model picked out from the whole cycle of life scenario that Black Elk portrays. As people live their lives, they have to change their roles to fit the cycle of their life, to change their role to play the character of their lives. This character can be whoever you need it to be... mean, angry, happy, ecstatic, enthusiastic, appreciative, dumb or brilliant!
A Few Different Roles..
So let's see how all of these three lessons come together. People change their roles throughout their lives. In a sense they are adapting to the unexpected changes that have come about during the course of their lives, but how do people change themselves without affecting their entourage? Everybody has connections, people are interdependent, so when one person changes roles, it affects everyone in their entourage and they affect the other people in their entourage, and so this change spreads like a contagious disease, and there's no cure! Change happens. Black Elk carries the stories of lessons that are most practical and most useful for life!
Life is basically a game. More specifically, life is an M.M.R.P.G., a massively multiplayer role playing game. Role playing games are so addictive; they’re a virtual extension of reality. People change roles so many times throughout their lives: from child to adult, from taker to giver, from follower to leader… etc. Herein lies the addiction with games of this sort, their relative verisimilitude strikes the fundamental chord of curiosity present within everyone, and the vibration of this chord is amplified by the highly populated and diverse or massively multiplayer environment of the world! Unfortunately there is one key discernable difference between games and life. Games can be reset; with the press of a button the entire journey through a game is restarted. Life isn’t so simple. Mistakes happen, and they don’t disappear. Everyone gets just one shot, so I’ve made a resolve; I’ll take my shot and make it count. I’ll change the world, no matter how small a difference I make. What will I do? How will I go about doing it? When’s my deadline? I’m not sure if I really know these answers at this point in time, but I will reach new heights.
This Essay Contains My Rules [1]
So, hypothetically, if I will work towards the top of some ladder of success and get there, the obvious question for me is what then? I would think, “I just finished the work-really-hard stage of my life, what do I do now? What is the next role for me to play?” As much as I’m in love with the idea of reaching new heights and being at the top of a chain of command, I don’t want to be at the top without purpose. A lot of people want to be at the top, so it’s not like I can just wish myself there. Getting to the top will take a lot of hard work and time, so all that hard work and time has got to mean something. In games, if you get stuck on a level, then all your time and energy is going to waste. If that happens, you need to try harder or change characters or do something different to clear the level. There is no such thing as stagnation, not in games, not in life.
A True Path to Success [2]
So with this in mind, I want to start my life today with one very specific goal. Most people “give back” when they’ve established some sort of financial stability in their lives; whatever I do, I want to “give back” as I acquire financial stability. The problems that exist in the world - disease, poverty, the environment, terrorism… etc. – don’t just put themselves on hold, so there is no incentive to put the solutions on hold, but the world continues to do so. I must lead the world out of such beliefs, and the only way to lead is by example. As soon as I thought about this, I just froze… My consciousness, it seems, had ceased; my soul and my mind separated. I’m just a college student for crying out loud! This is a major step up, but faintly, my enthusiasm and motivation to succeed came back when I heard a distinct ‘POP!’ Then, again, ‘POP!’ Once more, ‘POP!’ The three magic questions -what, how, and when- had popped into my mind, and simply ‘reset’ my entire system! In the game of life, I had just been awarded with a second chance; a chance to change my role from ‘just a college student’ to a ‘global catalyst.’
This World is Mine to Heal [3]
However, even by R.P.G. standards, this role change is a bit extreme! I had to set up small manageable goals to work towards. This leads me to the first step in my ladder of success. Instead of completely stepping away from my role as a college student, I will embrace this role and utilize the tool of education towards my advantage. I’m enrolled as full time student at the University of Texas at Austin, and I’m able to take advantage of vast array of opportunities available to me through the McCombs School of Business and the Plan II Honors Program within the College of Liberal Arts. These colleges offer a variety of different courses that will help me reach my role of a global catalyst. Primarily, the variety of business courses (management, accounting, supply chain… etc.) are so rich and the professors are so knowledgeable that all I have to do is sit in such a classroom and absorb the wisdom. It’s “an assemblage of learned men, zealous for their own sciences…” [1]. I might even be able to start an entrepreneurial venture before my senior year. People follow results, and I’ll show the world my worth with my Plan II senior thesis. It’s a required course to graduate, and it provides me with a grand stage to exit my student role with a bang! Sort of like Henry Ford’s marketing strategy when the production line just started, “You can have any color you want as long as it’s black” [2] You have to be able to sell your product regardless of what people are buying. I will be able to showcase my vision and articulate upon a topic of my choosing so as to enlighten my community. These results will be my tools and my foundation with the help of which I will inspire the planet.
The First Production Line [4]
So, I got to thinking about the most valued tool in the game of life. The obvious kicked me in the head. The world values material objects, intangible objects, and most importantly, the ability to acquire, move or showcase these two objects at will, and this ability is made possible by money. Furthermore, the material and intangible objects are often constructed as a means to acquire money, so the most valuable tool in the world is money! Yet there’s also a popular notion that time is money, so in order to get people to follow me, I need to prove to people that I’m worth their time. Meaning I need to pay attention in my reading and writing courses. When people interact with me, I need to have enough rhetoric to comprehend their speech. My answers to any questions they might have need to concise, and everything must be well unified. I must also hold the utmost standards with regards to ethics. I know it’s hard to believe, but it all comes from my World Literature class. These are the highlights of how the course helped me, and I don’t think it’s detracted me from my goal at all. Another valued tool in life is perspective or as my M. I. S. professor would put it, “It’s all about mental models.” If you try to learn, you will. Learning seems hard, but it’s just a mental model, sort of a discipline that must be developed within complex adaptive systems of life’s M.M.R.P.G. Eventually with that mental model, I’ll develop my worth as a leader; I will engender a sort of following, and people will want to do some great things alongside with me, and that will is essential to fulfilling that one very specific goal that I started off with today.
I still need to know how I’ll accomplish that. As I mentioned, I am enrolled in the business school, and some of the biggest philanthropists in the world are entrepreneurs of some sort. My solution is to mix entrepreneurism and philanthropy into a new business model that has been coined by many as “Social Entrepreneurship.” The exact operation of the firm is irrelevant. Social entrepreneurism can be practiced by accounting firms to entertainment corporations, by small businesses to governments, or by manufacturing/producing firms to simple merchants. That’s the beauty of businesses that practice social entrepreneurship. Such businesses are engineered to cater a social problem of any sort. I don’t know what exactly my business will do, but that will be determined by surveying which industries have potential when I acquire the capital to bring my vision to reality. I pay attention in my business classes, particularly accounting and management, so that I can develop the skills necessary to run a successful business.
And now, I start thinking about which social problem I will help resolve. Without even having done anything, I feel like I’ve been given an enormous task already. I’m fresh out of high school; I just started establishing my independence and my identity away from my parents. The freedom to simply manage my time productively has been a handful, but now I’m wondering about how I’m going to define an enterprise which isn’t even in existence yet! In a way, this will define me, and “the freedom to define [that] is a challenge” [3]. I defined myself as an individual who goes beyond what’s required and tackles all the issues that need be addressed, so my socially entrepreneurial firm must reflect this quality. Just like that, I picked three social problems that I believe need to be addressed now. If life is indeed a game, then these three problems are the “Boss ” stages. The bosses that I have to beat are educational reform, poverty, and the environmental problems. They seem to be quite a handful, but I’m sure that I’ll beat them. However, when I will conquer these bosses is extremely speculative. Who knows what the future will hold? Maybe we’ll encounter an alien and intelligent life form that will help rid our environmental problems, or maybe I will have my entire plan for a business in actionable terms before this year ends. Wonderful and absolutely uncertain, the future is pure skepticism. Today is the only day that’s certain. So I try to learn something every day, even if it’s just one thing. In a sense it’s a mental model, a role and a perspective, and with an uncertain future, these roles and perspectives must be robust.
Everybody has Different Perspectives [5]
Adapting the mental model that life is a game does wonders to simplify its complexity. In the game, it’s just one role at a time and one stage at a time. I can be in college with a simple learn-as-much-as-humanly-possible mindset, and as soon as I switch roles to a business man, I can put on the let’s-solve-all-the-problems-in-society mindset. I hope to actually solve a societal problem using this MMRPG analogy. There are so many roles to play, but the most frequent of them are going to be the roles of the “giver” and the “taker.” I can use these roles to beat the three ‘bosses’ and to run my social entrepreneurship firm, so I need to play the game of life for a while. Get lost in the massively multiplayer environment created by it. We all have the freedom to experiment with different roles; this freedom is a challenge that will define who we are. If you want to play the role of “Master Chief,” you’ve got to put your time into the game. There are no shortcuts in life and the same goes for the MMRPG’s, and if you ever freeze up, just break your task into small manageable goals. To be successful in the game you can’t get stuck, you have to keep moving. A most appropriate quote of success comes to mind, so here’s the mantra by Conrad Hilton: “Success seems to be connected with action. Successful people keep moving. They make mistakes, but they don’t quit!”
Word Count = 1905 Word Count – Quotes = 1875
End-Notes:
[1] John Henry Newman, The Idea of a University (Austin: Jenn’s Copy & Binding, 2009)166 [2] Al Ries and Jack Trout, Marketing Warfare,(New York: McGraw Hill, 1986), 4. [3] Ram Dass and Paul Gorman, How Can I Help? (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1985), 22.
Multimedia: [1] http://www.drcherie.com/Books/if_life_is_a_game_these_are_the_rules_audio_book_large.jpg (accessed April 6, 2010). [2] http://www.youtube.com/v/CijsH1mkCFI&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x234900&color2=0x4e9e00 (accessed April 5, 2010). [3] http://globalcatalystgroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/world-in-hand.png (accessed April 6, 2010). [4] http://static.howstuffworks.com/gif/automotive-production-line-1.jpg (accessed April 7, 2010). [5] http://canopicjar.com/Canopic11/perspectives1.jpg (accessed April 7, 2010).
Alice has a keen interest in the characters she meets. She tries to be nice; she tries to be civil. She's a peculiar character to everyone she meets and they are the same to her. It's interesting to notice how Alice tells the group of birds about Dinah (her cat that eats birds); she, at first, is oblivious to the relationship between birds and cats. Another interesting part is when Alice discovers all of the flowers that talk; they critique Alice, but she's not too fond of this concept. Diversity is a practical experience that Alice goes through. At first, she inflicts emotional harm upon others, and then, karma catches up with her; the experiences, no doubt, make her wiser as she ends up as queen!
Birds & Mouse
Let's consider the events one at a time to examine how exactly Alice deals with diversity. Before telling the birds about Dinah, Alice is caught in the pool with the mouse and runs the Caucus Race. Through both of these incidences, Alice wishes that the creatures she meets "wouldn't be so easily offended" (Dodgson, ). Alice isn't her normal size, so she might be in a different mind-set, but still, she disregards the creatures and is only concerned with her own issues. When people are in an environment that's uncomfortable, it's common for them to get concerned with their own issues, but we musn't follow Alice's example. Alice is caught up with the emotional distress caused by her feelings for Dinah. tells the birds about her (Dodgson, 35):
Dinah's our cat. And she's such a capital one for catching mice, you ca'n't think! And oh, I wish you could see her after the irds! Why, she'll eat a little bird as soon as look at it!
Obviously this causes great distress amongst the birds, but Alice failed to be aware of her surroundings. She was lost in her own wonderland within wonderland, and if you can relate to that, then you know what not to do.
You might know this song; feel free to sing along
Carroll also portrays the opposite end of this situation. Alice is back her normal size at the start of the looking glass, and she stumbles into a garden of live flowers. Soon enough, she begins to engage the flowers in conversation, but only the Tiger-lily seems to be of any help. This is similar to when people enter new social environments; most of the people try to engage the new members in conversation, but end up having a discussion amongst themselves, completely disregarding the individual whom they intended to engage in conversation. To illustrate, consider the first speech of the rose (Dodgson, 157):
"It isn't manners for us to begin, you know," said the Rose, " and I really was wondering when you'd speak! Said I to myself, 'her face has got some sense in it, though it's not a clever one!' Still, you're the right colour, and that goes a long way." "I don't care about the colour," the Tiger-Lily remarked. "If only her petals curled up a little more, she'd be all right." Alice didn't like being criticized...
So everything was going kind of fine and dandy, but then, for a brief instant, Tiger-lily and Rose engage in their own side-conversation, leaving Alice out of the loop, and end up criticizing the poor girl. True that Alice herself is guilty of doing this to other creatures (consider the birds and the mouse), but with increased diversity, there comes an aspect of a wide difference in perspectives.
No need to Judge
And that must always be taken into account because your words and intentions that easily articulates your point to someone with the same values might have a completely different effect within people who don't share your perspective. Alice scares the birds to death, and the beautiful flowers, no doubt, make poor Alice feel bad about herself! This is Alice's two cent story on diversity, and it can be applied to anyone. Always consider your audience as the message is meaningless if no one is willing to listen.
To connect is to be complete which is the essence of Om. Siddhartha has experienced this, lived this, practiced this, forgotten this and realized this. It's most appropriate that at the end of this novel, we trace our steps back to its beginning (Siddhartha, 10):
Om is the bow; the arrow is the soul The Brahman is the arrow's goal That one should continuously hit.
Siddhartha exhibits extraordinary self awareness. He's tolerant of many different types of people and manifests an understanding of a variety of different perspectives from different cultures. His character is a prime literary example of our class goals. He is in tune with himself, he "[knows] his strengths and weaknesses in learning, writing, reading, speaking, listening" (Anthology, 17). His independent inquiry is an example of how to choose a career path; you have to be able to do something you enjoy otherwise you'll be jumping from path to path like Siddhartha. Like Siddhartha everybody needs continuous self-analysis to have any chance for self-improvement.
Be Aware of the Self
The most profound feature about Siddhartha is his discipline. Whatever he decides to do, he devotes himself completely to that one task. This reminds of a line from the "Last Samurai:"
Watch from 2:51 to 3:46, especially from 3:31 to 3:46
Even though Siddhartha was set in a period before the movie, this essence of discipline and devotion from the Samurai is evident in Siddhartha. He is a Brahmin, Samana, and a Merchant; during each of his phases, Siddhartha was completely devoted to his task at hand. He was living in the present, something that people nowadays fail to do.
People get focused on what they want to be 10-20 years down the road. They forget to live in the present, fail to see who they're turning into. People base their careers off of how they want to retire or what they want their legacy to be. Only a few people actually try to do what they like, "[something they] would do for free" (P4 Instructions). Passion which is the fire within people, the drive that pushes them through tough times appears to be missing from everyday lives, but Siddhartha's passion is simply to be enlightenment. This quality would do well for any college student today. Imagine a student who is eager for every drop of knowledge and is passionate about every thought he/she has. The need for grades becomes irrelevant! Good grades will appear to automatically fall into such a student's lap; a student that seeks excellence, not a letter grade.
Pursue Your Dream
Siddhartha's self awareness is similar to the verse he repeats to himself during his meditation with Govinda (Siddhartha, 10). At college, this verse's versatility is experienced, practiced, forgotten and realized. We have to be like Siddhartha while he meditates. 'Om is the bow,' so Om represents whatever subject you are studying or learning about at a certain time and only that one subject because like Siddhartha we must be disciplined and devoted to one path. 'The arrow is the soul;' basically, the lesson you are learning and the knowledge you are learning is the arrow. The subject along with the lesson and knowledge it passes on to you are now your bow and arrow, your tools.
Use ALL of your tools, ONE at a time
'The Brahman is the arrow's goal,' and the goal of all students ought to be take their knowledge and skills and apply it to the real world (the Brahman). This is the most important lesson from Siddhartha; to be able to take all you know and use that to better the world. In order to do this, one must be self-aware, in tune with their inner cosmos... their inner Brahman. They must know what their inner desires are; they must also be aware of their strengths and weaknesses. 'That one should continuously hit.' Only if they can continuously drive for these standards can they hope for their arrow to continuously reach its goal. Like Siddhartha, our story will someday come to an end; I hope that our arrows merge into the Brahman so that we all have a 'complete' ending.
Siddhartha's journey of enlightenment is a calming tale. The story's core is peace and it ends in peace. Siddhartha is just a man who is lost and found, lost again and found again.. over and over. I am fond of this person who learns like a sponge. Siddhartha learns his most valuable lesson through the river, Siddhartha finds his coconut tree. It's peaceful and relaxing and in this moment, he finds 'Om.'
Siddhartha
"He said to himself, 'Om.' And again... He knew again about Brahman and the indestructibility of life, about all that is divine and that he had forgotten" (Siddhartha, 84). Such a divine experience is rare to read or witness, but I can connect with Hesse's Siddhartha. Whenever I hear 'Om,' I feel complete. Maybe I just grew up with this mindset, but OM, "that which is perfect... complete," is an awakening. Deep down, all the way to the Atman, this sound reverberates and provides a sensation of calmness to the soul.
Om
Throughout the whole story, Siddhartha is always learning. One thing or another, from Brahmin to Samana, to Gotama, to Merchant and lover, to Govinda, then finally to Siddhartha. He learns different lessons from every one. Kamala teaches him how to love and Kamaswami teaches him greed. But the teacher can't teach without a student, and Siddhartha is the best there is. My favorite teacher is Vasudeva. His very name is powerful. Vasudeva is a name of Lord Krishna and means "he in whom all things abide and who abides in all" (Siddhartha, 97 & 146). Siddhartha is searching for Vasudeva, and Vasudeva it seems was simply waiting for him. This is a spiritual belief which is affirmed by Krishna.
Sri Krishna
Siddhartha is truly enlightened. He has learned from Vasudeva and Gotama, the wisest of Gods and the wisest of men. He has learned from his father, Govinda, Kamala, Kamaswami... Siddhartha only seeks the knowledge to understand himself. He seeks to connect with his Atman. In his enlightenment one word strikes him with peace and tranquility, "Om!" It's powerful and powerless; it is and isn't, like Siddhartha it's lost and found. Om is to be complete and perfect. Om is to be like Krishna, Gotama and Siddhartha.
Siddhartha is a very interesting read. Just when you think you know the guy, Hesse puts in a twist. His story reveals many challenges and struggles that we have within ourselves today. Actions speak louder than words, so that makes Siddhartha's story filled with action words (not literally). His creativity and simpleness are profound, and he, himself, has an unrelenting spirit. His relationship with Govinda is rarely to occur between two people today, but anything is possible, and his discipline is most definitely unmatchable today, but again, anything is possible.
Siddhartha
So, what makes Govinda and Siddhartha's relationship rare. It's an unspoken understanding that the two share between each other, and it's trust. When Siddharta wants to give up his life as a Brahmin, the first person he tells is Govinda. Their conversation usually sounds poetic as well; "'O Siddhartha,' he said... 'O Govinda,' he quietly said" (Siddhartha, 11). It's an unspoken understanding between the two to challenge each other intellectually. As children, "[they] had practiced word-wrestling [together], had practiced the art of contemplation and the duty of meditation [together]" (Siddhartha, 5). These two have spent their entire life together doing the same things and living the same values. Siddhartha and Govinda, 'S&G', often wrestle with words as Govinda attempts to grasp a reasoning to his friend's decisions, thoughts and spirit, his Atman.
S&G illustrate True Companionship
However, Govinda only attempts to grasp an understanding of the Atman. He is happy with following the standards of his immediate society and those of Siddhartha, but Siddhartha is full of sorrow. He wants to understand the Atman, be one with it, and bring its essence back to his consciousness. He tries a lot and fails a lot, but he also learns a lot. One question that burned within the Siddhartha, ".. One had to penetrate that far into the self, into myself, into the Atman-was there some other way, however, a search which still yielded worthwhile results..." (Siddhartha, 8), and to answer this very question, the Brahmin decides to go with the Samanas. When his father denied his request, "Siddhartha [simply] stood there with crossed arms, unmoved" until his father gave in (Siddhartha, 12), a creative and simple solution. If only I could get everything I wanted by simply standing there with my arms crossed, unmoved, but Siddhartha's discipline is difficult to match. He stood there all night and wasn't even thinking about giving up. His determination and discipline are inspiring. When he lived with the Samanas, he gave up everything... everything! He had to beg for food and he tried to deny that which made him human. Siddharta attempts to basically disconnect himself with his heart, to bring himself into a being "which was nothing less than the ego..." (Siddhartha, 16). His spirit enters the body of dead jackal. His now dead body is dismembered by Hyenas and skinned by Voltures; the very bones of his new body turn to dust. In an instant, "his soul had died, decayed and crumbled into dust" (Siddhartha, 17); he has experienced all the parts to the cycle of existence.
The Cycle of Existence
His discipline is indeed difficult to emulate and his spirit is filled with unrelenting determination. It's interesting what Siddhartha accomplishes in an attempt to answer his questions. He also has the support of Govinda, who has been with him since childhood. Siddhartha has already abandoned all that he knew as a Brahmin to seek his answers as an ascetic Samana. Nothing is too great a task for him but every task seems impossible, and again it's proven, anything's possible.
