Hermann Hesse's novel, Siddhartha is a tale about a man's search for salvation, truth, and becoming a good person. Through out Siddhartha's life he wanted to find out what would bring him happiness, and give his soul peace so he could be satisfied. Siddhartha's search for answers to fill his empty soul does not turn out the way he wants it to. First he tries the ascetic life of a samana, and then he tries the physically pleasuring life of business and love. Finally he comes to his worst point and ends up by a river. This river symbolizes the reflection of Siddhartha's life. The river also symbolizes his spiritual awakening, which makes him become a new person. Finally the river symbolizes his Fate, which changes his view on life, and he finally conquers him self.
The first Symbolism of the river is "Reflection". The river is like a mirror to Siddhartha. Siddhartha has left his family in his youth so he could find a way to give his soul peace and so he can be satisfied. However Siddhartha does not conquer what he had left for. As he looked into the river, the river reflected the bareness in his soul. "A chilly emptiness in the water reflected the terrible emptiness in his soul" (88). He felt like he was nowhere. His life was meaningless now. He saw a selfish, and a corrupted person. He hated the person he had become. Negetive thoughts about himself went through his head. "Might the fishes devour him, this dog of a Siddhartha, this madman, this corrupted and rotting bady, this sluggish and misused soul" (89)! He wanted to destroy himself. Siddhartha becomes so confuse while looking into this river and reflecting back on his life that he feels that the only way to get peace in his life now would be death. .
The Second Symbolism of the long river is the Spiritual Awakening. As Siddhartha is about to throw himself into the river, he hears the holy "OM" which means "the perfect one.