An important literary motif throughout the novel is the river. What function does the river play in Siddhartha's learning experiences? Trace the river motif from the beginning of the novel to its discussing its importance, role, and meaning.
Throughout Siddhartha, the river helps the protagonist to realize that all life exists in the present. Reality lies in the present, not in the past or future. Siddhartha learns from the river that both sides of life, abstinence and indulgence, are connected. That connection is the Middle Path.
In the beginning, Siddhartha is a child growing up beside the riverbank. It is there that he learns how to meditate. He debates with others on religion, proving his intelligence. He bathes in the river and uses it for ablutions. The river is used for many of the rituals the Brahmins perform. The Brahmins drink from the river, so it sustains their lives. Its importance in the beginning is to provide itself for the people.
Siddhartha becomes discontent with life and leaves his home on the riverbank. He meets up with the Samanas and becomes a severe ascetic. With the help of the ferryman, Vasudeva, he crosses the river into the city. He leaves behind his severe ascetic practices for a life of indulgence in the city. He crosses the dividing line between two lives. The river now becomes the middle path, but Siddhartha does not realize this until much later. The ferryman tells Siddhartha about the river as they cross it. Vasudeva believes that "everything comes back" to the river. This foreshadows Siddhartha's return to the river.
Siddhartha does return to the river after he realizes the life of indulgence will not help him reaches his goal of enlightenment. The ferryman's words, "Everything comes back," echo in his mind. The river now serves truly as a bridge between two worlds. When Siddhartha arrives at the river, he thinks about the ferryman and realizes he must stay and the river to understand Enlightenment.
