As most people would long for money and riches, Siddhartha desires to find something MORE because he already has plenty of possessions. What he desires is completely influenced by his wealth. Friends also come into play in this book. Siddhartha's best friend, Govinda, truly looks up to Siddhartha. In these quotes, "Govinda, his friend, the Brahmin's son, loved him more than anybody else. Govinda knew that he would not become an ordinary Brahmin. No, and he, Govinda, did not want to become any of these, not a Brahmin like ten thousand others of their kind. He wanted to follow Siddhartha." (Hesse, 4) it shows how Siddhartha influences Govinda. He looks up to Siddhartha so much that he would follow Siddhartha anywhere he'd go. One's spirituality also comes into play here as we look at Siddhartha's experience with the Samanas. "Some Samanas once passed through Siddhartha's town." (Hesse, 9) which led him realizing that there is an opportunity to go seek for this desire he has deep inside. These cultural experiences ended up shaping Siddhartha into something completely different. .
The unnamed narrator in the novel Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison goes through this story not understanding the society he's living in. What he did understand was his grandfather's words. "Live with your head in the lion's mouth. I want you to overcome 'em with yesses, undermine 'em with grins, agree 'em to death and destruction, let 'em swoller you till they vomit or bust wide open." (Unnamed narrator, 16) which is telling the unnamed narrator to do as he is told. In this instance, family is what influences the unnamed narrator to be so naive. What he doesn't understand is how he is treated so unfairly. When he's at Battle Royale, he is oblivious to the fact that he is being used as entertainment. The unnamed narrator's ethnicity is African-American during the 19th century, which is the reason why he is treated so unfairly.