baldwin araujo english.docx

Baldwin Araujo

9/2/15

IB English

Summer Reading 2015- Students entering 11th Grade IB English

Part I

Chapter #: 1 Creative Title: My Own Path

Statement that Summarizes the Chapter:

Siddhartha, a Brahmin's son is dispirited with the guidance of his teachers and decides

along with his friend Govinda to follow a new, different path than that that has been created for

them; the duo first have to go through one obstacle first, Siddhartha's father.

Quote:

“Siddhartha,” he said, “What are you waiting for?”...”I’m going to stand here and wait.”

“You’ll get tired Siddhartha.” “I’ll get tired.” “You will fall asleep Siddhartha.” “I will not fall

asleep” “You’ll die, Siddhartha.” “I will die.”

Analysis/Discussion:

This quote is an argument between Siddhartha and his father. Siddhartha, along with his

friend Govinda decide to leave the Brahmins and join the Shramanas on their spiritual adventure.

Siddhartha was discontent with his life due to him feeling that the love of his friends and family

alone would not make him contempt or satisfy his needs. Siddhartha had begun to sense that all

his teachers had already shared the better part of their wisdom; even with all their wisdom, they

have not achieved holy bliss. Siddhartha's mind yearned for more knowledge than what has been

given to him and his soul was not yet at peace. Due to Siddhartha's father disagreeing to

Siddhartha's idea to leave, Siddhartha goes through drastic measures and stands outside his

father's room all night without moving a muscle. This quote brings about the characterization of

Siddhartha; it shows that Siddhartha is persistent and feels that his beliefs are important and is

willing to suffer in order to follow those beliefs.

Chapter #: 2 Creative Title: Nirvana in the Horizon


Siddhartha and Govinda are living their lives as Shramanas but Siddhartha then comes to

a realization that it’d almost be impossible to reach enlightenment if they continue to follow the

Shramanas. As a rumor of Gotama (The Exhaled One) had reached them, Siddhartha utilized his

learnings from the Shramanas to permit both himself and Govinda to leave and find the Buddha.

Quote:

“And Siddhartha said quietly, as if he was talking to himself: "What is meditation? What

is leaving one's body? What is fasting? What is holding one's breath? It is fleeing from the self, it

is a short escape of the agony of being a self, and it is a short numbing of the senses against the

pain and the pointlessness of life. The same escape, the same short numbing is what the driver of

an ox-cart finds in the inn, drinking a few bowls of rice-wine or fermented coconut-milk. Then

he won't feel himself any more, then he won't feel the pains of life any more, then he finds a

short numbing of the senses. When he falls asleep over his bowl of rice-wine, he'll find the same

what Siddhartha and Govinda find when they escape their bodies through long exercises, staying

in the non-self. This is how it is, oh Govinda."


This excerpt is being narrated by Siddhartha in a low tone to Govinda. After Siddhartha

and Govinda joined the Shramanas, they immediately embrace the Shramanas way of life. They

start dressing in loincloth while becoming empty of ego and dying away from themselves. The

duo learned a great deal from the Shramanas and followed the paths of self-extinction while

leaving their egos behind. However, the life and teachings of the Shramanas isn’t all that

Siddhartha considered it to be. In the quote, Siddhartha discloses to Govinda that what the

Shramanas do is the same as what a drinker does; they get away from themselves briefly. The

drunkard escapes the body momentarily, but does not find enlightenment. The Shramanas are in

a cycle similar to those of alcoholics, escaping the physical world momentarily but not achieving

enlightenment. This quote uses metaphor to compare the methods of the Shramanas to the

lifestyle of a drunkard. Eventually, news of a Buddha named Gotama reaches them in the forest

and Siddhartha uses it as a method to leave the Shramanas with Govinda. Even though the

Shramanas declined Siddhartha and Govinda to leave, Siddhartha used a method learned from

his teacher to persuade him to give his blessing so they may go about a different path.

Chapter #: 3 Creative Title: The Exhaled One


Both Siddhartha and Govinda have heard from the “Exhaled One” and Govinda, along

with several others asked to be able to join along with Gotama’s teachings. Siddhartha didn’t

believe in the Venerable One’s teachings and believed that Gotama was indeed contradicting

himself therefore, he left Govinda for a journey to find himself.

Quote:

“But in the evening, when the heat cooled down and everyone in the camp started to

bustle about and gathered around, they heard the Buddha teaching. They heard his voice, and it

was also perfected, was of perfect calmness, and was full of peace. Gotama taught the teachings

of suffering, of the origin of suffering, of the way to relieve suffering. Calmly and clearly his

quiet speech flowed on. Suffering was life, full of suffering was the world, but salvation from

suffering had been found: salvation was obtained by him who would walk the path of the

Buddha. With a soft, yet firm voice the exalted one spoke, taught the four main doctrines, taught

the eightfold path, patiently he went the usual path of the teachings, of the examples, of the

repetitions, brightly and quietly his voice hovered over the listeners, like a light, like a starry sky.

When the Buddha ended his talk, night had already fallen; many a pilgrims stepped forward and

asked to accept into the community, sought refuge in the teachings. And Gotama accepted them

by speaking: "You have heard the teachings well, it has come to you well. Thus join us and walk

in holiness, to put an end to all suffering."


This quote is spoken by the narrator of the novel when Siddhartha and Govinda are

listening to the Exhaled One’s teachings. Siddhartha and Govinda voyage to the camp of

Gotama's followers, and the supporters welcome them as profound believers. Gotama makes a

deep impact on Govinda. His teachings incorporate different parts of Buddhism, in addition to

numerous practices like those of the Shramanas. Govinda rapidly makes plans to give himself

over to the way of life Gotama recommends for all his followers. Siddhartha then chooses to

leave Govinda so that Govinda may carry on with the life he inclined to live and Siddhartha

would come to discover himself.

Chapter #: 4 Creative Title: Discovering the World Anew


Siddhartha is finished with educators and instructors in his life up to that point. He needs

to know himself, gain from himself, and comprehend himself along with the world surrounding

him.

Quote:

“I want to learn from myself, want to be my student, and want to get to know myself, the

secret of Siddhartha. He looked around, as if he was seeing the world for the first time. Beautiful

was the world, colorful was the world, strange and mysterious was the world! Here was blue,

here was yellow, here was green, the sky and the river flowed, the forest and the mountains were

rigid, all of it was beautiful, all of it was mysterious and magical, and in its midst was he,

Siddhartha, the awakening one, on the path to himself.”


The unnamed narrator tracking Siddhartha's progress is the speaker of this quote. When

Siddhartha leaves Govinda, he understands that he is setting out on another phase of life. He has

left every one of his instructors to look for what they couldn't show him; about his general

surroundings and about himself. He trusts that his way to Nirvana won't originate from taking

after someone else's way of life. Rather, Siddhartha feels beyond any doubt that his way to

enlightenment will originate from inside himself and feels as though he wants to discover

himself and not focus on any other person’s ideologies. Siddhartha all of a sudden sees the

world's magnificence and understands that beauty is all over the place. Here, amidst what exists

inside of him and around him, Siddhartha must find his place in life. This quote shows imagery

as the narrator is showing how Siddhartha was analyzing the world in his own eyes as something

appealing.

Part II

Chapter #: 5 Creative Title: The Graceful One


We join Siddhartha on his expedition to discover himself, experiencing different things

including sexual longings and some new companions to assist him along the road. Siddhartha is

currently progressing to discover friendship and take in the delights of adoration.

Quote:

"Dear Kamala, thus advise me where I should go to, that I'll find these three things most

quickly?" "Friend, many would like to know this. You must do what you've learned and ask for

money, clothes, and shoes in return. There is no other way for a poor man to obtain money. What

might you be able to do?" "I can think. I can wait. I can fast." "Nothing else?" "Nothing. But yes,

I can also write poetry. Would you like to give me a kiss for a poem?" "I would like to, if I'll like

your poem. What would be its title?" Siddhartha spoke, after he had thought about it for a

moment, these verses: “Into her shady grove stepped the pretty Kamala, at the grove's entrance

stood the brown Shramana. Deeply, seeing the lotus's blossom, Bowed that man, and smiling

Kamala thanked. More lovely, thought the young man, than offerings for gods, more lovely is

offering to pretty Kamala.”


This excerpt is being spoken by both Siddhartha and Kamala on pages forty-five and

forty-six. After Siddhartha has traveled across a river for free from a friendly ferryman, he comes

across a woman. Siddhartha, refusing this woman’s seduction, heads into town. Whilst around

the local area, Siddhartha has a sort of allurement toward a woman and cannot resist the

opportunity to need to know her. Siddhartha meets this graceful character in a grove that she

owns and could be characterized as meticulous as she notices that Siddhartha was there, greeting

her the day prior. Kamala, Siddhartha’s interest, and proceeds to tell Siddhartha what he is

missing in order to be her student; Siddhartha will need fine clothes, fine shoes, and money in his

purse. Siddhartha then endeavors to seek after these three items yet doesn't know where to start;

he then continues to ask Kamala. Kamala asks Siddhartha if he has any talents that could help

him get money and proceeds to ask Siddhartha for one of his poems in return for a kiss.

Siddhartha uses metaphor in his poem as he compares Kamala with a beautiful lotus blossom.

She prescribes Siddhartha to her companion Kamaswami, a rich agent, to become his student and

equivalent, but not his slave.

Chapter #: 6 Creative Title: Siddhartha the Merchant


Siddhartha, taking after the direction Kamala has given to him, is currently living with

Kamaswami as an equivalent merchant so Siddhartha could now meet Kamala's requests.

Siddhartha handles the business world with an almost careless demeanor while also finding

about the significance of adoration from Kamala.

Quote:

"No," said Siddhartha, "that's not the reason why. Kamaswami is just as smart as I, and

still has no refuge in himself. Others have it, who are small children with respect to their mind.

Most people, Kamala, are like a falling leaf, which is blown and is turning around through the

air, and wavers, and tumbles to the ground. But others, a few, are like stars, they go on a fixed

course, no wind reaches them, in themselves they have their law and their course. Among all the

learned men and Shramanas, of which I knew many, there was one of this kind, a perfected one,

I'll never be able to forget him. It is that Gotama, the exalted one, who is spreading that

teachings. Thousands of followers are listening to his teachings every day, follow his instructions

every hour, but they are all falling leaves, not in themselves they have teachings and a law."


This quote is being dictated by Siddhartha to Kamala after he understands that he had

learned all there was from love and how Kamala knows Siddhartha more than Govinda does.

After Siddhartha had convinced Kamaswami to be his equal apprentice, Siddhartha had learned a

great deal of skills, such as acquiring how to write important letters and contracts as well as

becoming accustomed to consulting Kamaswami on all matters of importance. Siddhartha payed

little attention to Kamaswami’s advice and a one day journey for rice became a several day

adventure that had cost him to waste time and money. As Siddhartha is working for Kamaswami,

he is also engaging in teachings performed by Kamala on love and the physical acts of love. This

excerpt uses metaphor to compare people's learnings and paths to those of worldly objects such

as stars with fixed paths or leaves being blown by the wind.

Chapter #: 7 Creative Title: The Poor, Rich Man


Years have passed and spirited Siddhartha was now rich in money but poor in

Enlightenment for he has taken an alternate route in life and is now pursuing worldly pleasures.

Siddhartha then notices this path of Samsara that he has taken and tries to return back to the path

of Nirvana.

Quote:

"Kamala owned a small, rare singing bird in a golden cage. Of this bird, he dreamt. He

dreamt: this bird had become mute, who at other times always used to sing in the morning, and

since this arose his attention, he stepped in front of the cage and looked inside; there the small

bird was dead and lay stiff on the ground. He took it out, weighed it for a moment in his hand,

and then threw it away, out in the street, and in the same moment, he felt terribly shocked, and

his heart hurt, as if he had thrown away from himself all value and everything good by throwing

out this dead bird.”


This excerpt is from page sixty-four and is taking place in Siddhartha's dream. Siddhartha

is now a wealthy merchant, throwing away and gaining money like it has no value. At first, when

Siddhartha was becoming a highly skilled businessman, he felt superior to those who worshipped

worldly possessions; not long had passed before Siddhartha too was on the same path as these

people. Siddhartha noticed this and began to feel revulsion toward himself. Siddhartha began to

have dreams of Kamala and a small songbird mentioned in the quote that also symbolizes

himself. After Siddhartha dreams that the small bird dies, he also dies to his degenerate life as a

luxurious seeker playing the game of Samsara who would never reach enlightenment. Siddhartha

believes that this bump in his life was necessary for him to through, but doesn't need to keep

living in this cyclical path. Siddhartha decides that the only way to escape this path was to leave;

he left without saying a word to anyone, leaving everyone searching for him, everyone but one

person, Kamala. Kamala had always suspected this of Siddhartha and opened her cage where the

songbird lived and allowed it to leave as if the songbirds take off symbolized Siddhartha's

disappearance. Kamala is now pregnant with Siddhartha's child.

Chapter #: 8 Creative Title: Old Friend


After Siddhartha has left his life as a prosperous businessman, he returned to the river

that the ferryman had so kindly helped him cross and was contemplating suicide. A certain word

came over Siddhartha and penetrated his awareness causing him to fall asleep. Once he awakes,

his life takes a turn for the best as he feels that he is reborn and starts cherishing the world

around him aside his old friend, Govinda.

Quote:

A hang bent over the bank of the river, a coconut-tree; Siddhartha leaned against its trunk with

his shoulder, embraced the trunk with one arm, and looked down into the green water, which ran

and ran under him, looked down and found himself to be entirely filled with the wish to let go

and to drown in these waters. A frightening emptiness was reflected back at him by the water,

answering to the terrible emptiness in his soul. Yes, he had reached the end. There was nothing

left for him, except to annihilate himself….then, out of remote areas of his soul, out of past times

of his now weary life, a sound stirred up. It was a word, a syllable, which he, without thinking,

with a slurred voice, spoke to himself, the old word which is the beginning and the end of all

prayers of the Brahmans, the holy "Om”.


This selection is being dictated by the narrator of the story. When Siddhartha leaves the

city, he comes across a discernible river that he had once crossed, suddenly looking into his

reflection in the river, noticing that he is full of desire, he is overcome with depression. His soul

is then penetrated by the word of “Om”, causing him to sink into a deep sleep. As he awakens, he

finds that one of Buddha’s monks, Govinda had guarded his sleep. Siddhartha then gazes down

into the stream and starts to feel a number love for it; he makes plans to not leave its side.

Chapter #: 9 Creative Title: Hour of Despair


Siddhartha is now living his new life with an old friend, the ferryman as an assistant of

the ferry. Then, news of a death brings Siddhartha and his old lover together anew with a new

person aboard, Siddhartha's son.

Quote:

And as people are flocking from everywhere and from all sides, when they are going to

war or to the coronation of a king, and are gathering like ants in droves, thus they flocked, like

being drawn on by a magic spell, to where the great Buddha was awaiting his death, where the

huge event was to take place and the great perfected one of an era was to become one with the

glory.


This quote is being spoken by the narrator as the news of Buddha's death reaches the

ferry. Siddhartha was welcomed to the ferry after he was encountered by Vasudeva (the

ferryman) and told him his story about how the river spoke to him. When there was no work to

do on the ferry, Siddhartha worked with Vasudeva on the rice field, gathered wood, and learned

how to make an oar (which would come in handy later on in the novel). The two ferrymen were

now just alike, being mistaken for brothers and were emanating with trust. After looking into the

face of one of the ferrymen, the traveler would immediately trust them and tell them his life

story. News of the dying Buddha in his last death as human reached the ferry as multitudes of

monks came and went. The narrator metaphorically compared this group to a swarms of ants

streaming onward as mentioned in the quote. Kamala, along with her son, Siddhartha, took on

the journey to see the dying Buddha but Kamala was bitten by a black snake. The young boy’s

large cries are what brought them together with the ferrymen. Once they tried to heal the dying

beauty, it was too late; Kamala had passed away, leaving young Siddhartha with his father.

Chapter #: 10 Creative Title: History Repeats Itself


After Kamala’s death, Siddhartha does his best to provide for his son but he is too

arrogant and just wants to go back to his life of wealth. The two ferrymen attempt to raise

youthful Siddhartha to wind up like them; however, he denies, and in the long run flees, leaving

Siddhartha considering when he had left his dad to join the Shramanas.

Quote:

His face resembled that of another person, whom he had once known and loved and even

feared. It resembled the face of his father, the Brahmin. He remembered how once, as a youth, he

had compelled his father to let him go and join the ascetic, how he had taken leave of him, how

he had gone and never returned. Had not his father also suffered the same pain that he was now

suffering for his son?


This quote is being dictated by the narrator of the story after Siddhartha had remembered

what he had done to his father, his son had did to him. After Kamala sadly had to leave young

Siddhartha with his father, Siddhartha and Vasudeva have a discussion about young Siddhartha's

role in life and where he is going to go. Even though the two old men are content with their

simple life, the young child isn’t and longs to go back. After the young child had a temper

tantrum, the next morning he had run away to his old life. Siddhartha, trying to be the best father

that he could, goes after his son in an oar. This characterizes Siddhartha as a person who has

changed perspectives and now into consideration the feelings of others such as his father. As he

reaches the city, he also starts having flashbacks of his old life with Kamala and Kamaswami

which brings him to a realization that he cannot force his child to come with him, his son must

go through a spiritual migration as his father once did. Vasudeva then comes out of hiding and

returns to the river with Siddhartha.

Chapter #: 11 Creative Title: The River Speaks


Siddhartha now feels a wound for his son and starts wondering if this was the same pain

that his father had felt when Siddhartha had left. Siddhartha is now brought to realization as both

the river and Vasudeva shared their wisdom with Siddhartha

Quote:

And one day, when the wound burned violently, Siddhartha ferried across the river,

driven by a yearning, got off the boat and was willing to go to the city and to look for his son.

The river flowed softly and quietly, it was the dry season, but its voice sounded strange: it

laughed! It laughed clearly...Siddhartha stopped, he bent over the water, in order to hear even

better, and he saw his face reflected in the quietly moving water...something he had forgotten,

and as he thought about it, he found it: this face resembled another face, which he used to know

and love and also fear. It resembled his father's face, the Brahman. And he remembered how he,

a long time ago...had forced his father to let him go to the penitents, how he had bed his farewell

to him, how he had gone and had never come back. Had his father not also suffered the same

pain for him, which he now suffered for his son? ...Was it not a comedy, a strange and stupid

matter, this repetition, this running around in a fateful circle?


This excerpt is being narrated by the narrator of the story after Siddhartha’s son had left

him and felt as if he had a wound. After his son had left him, Siddhartha’s torment and bitterness

are incredible. One day, Siddhartha looks at the river and as the water chuckles at him for letting

the injury blaze so deeply. Siddhartha believes that this was a part of his fate and was inevitable.

Siddhartha has a sort of flashback when looking into the river and seeing that history had

repeated itself (cross reference to chapter 1) when Siddhartha had left his father, the Brahmin to

follow a different path. As night falls, Siddhartha had told Vasudeva about his observation and

Vasudeva invites Siddhartha to listen more closely to the river. Siddhartha then experiences

something incredible; he hears voices of joy and sorrow, good and evil, laughter and mourning.

He doesn't let himself get caught up with all these voices and hears one single word, the word

“Om”. Vasudeva sees a change in Siddhartha and notices that Siddhartha no longer doubts his

place in the world. Vasudeva also notices that Siddhartha was on the same level as him when

they first met, causing Vasudeva to leave into the forest.

Chapter #: 12 Creative Title: Spreading the Knowledge


Govinda returns to the river to pursue enlightenment and failed to recognize Siddhartha.

Siddhartha then invites Govinda to stay in the bed that Vasudeva used to slumber and spread the

knowledge of how he had attained enlightenment from the river.

Quote:

He no longer saw the face of his friend Siddhartha, instead he saw other faces, many, a

long sequence, a flowing river of faces, of hundreds, of thousands, which all came and

disappeared, and yet all seemed to be there simultaneously, which all constantly changed and

renewed themselves, and which were still all Siddhartha.


This quote is being dictated by the narrator of the story when Govinda is experiencing all

of the things that Siddhartha had once gone through. Govinda had heard about a man near the

river that had achieved enlightenment and went to Siddhartha without realizing that it was him.

Siddhartha had shared his ideas to Govinda and at first, Govinda had thought that Siddhartha was

strange and his ideas were unusual. Govinda inquires as to whether there is not some extra

counsel that may help him. Govinda focuses out that he is extremely old and has little time to

achieve the last comprehension Siddhartha has accomplished. Siddhartha advises Govinda to kiss

him on the forehead. As Govinda does so, he sees a “river of faces” which is a form of

personification. This “river of faces” had nursed Govinda to attain enlightenment. The two

characters finally achieve the one thing they were longing for, Nirvana.

baldwin araujo english.docx

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