The father- son relationship has always been regarded as a kind of sacred bond. Dads teach their sons many important lessons in life, and those things will guide them through the future. The father-son relationship in Siddhartha by Herman Hesse (New York: New Directions, 1951), is much like a typical relationship. Both father and son love each other and want the best for one another.
As the story progresses however, and opinions seem to differ, their relationship becomes a little shaky. Siddhartha lead a good life. He was a Brahmin, he was “strong, handsome, supple-limbed,” (2) and admired by all. He had the love of his people and of his family and would one day become very powerful.
What Siddhartha didn’t have; was the truth. Upon discovering his lack of insight about things like suffering and death, the young noble sets his mind on leaving home and searching for answers: much to his father’s dismay. Siddhartha’s father knows how hard it is to leave home and be one your own, and he only wants the best for his son. Siddhartha on the other hand, is determined to be independent and Hesse states that “He had begun to feel that the love of his father and mother would not always make him happy…
his worthy father and his other teachers had already passed on to him the best of their wisdom, … and his vessel was not full, his intellect was not satisfied” (3).
The Essay on Father-Son Relationships In ''The Kite Runner'' By Khaled Hosseini
Khaled Hosseini’s The Kite Runner is a touching tale of an Afghani boy’s upbringing. Despite having a protagonist brought up in a culture unfamiliar to most North Americans, the book has found widespread readership. One of the many reasons for the book’s popularity is the development and believability of the father-son relationships that we are introduced to right at the ...
With a stubborn attitude, Siddhartha explains to his father about how he could not longer learn from him and follow his beliefs. Siddhartha has chosen his own path and has chosen to leave home. His father’s sadness is expressed when Hesse writes, “Then the father realized that Siddhartha could no longer remain with him at home- that he had already left him” (9).
Siddhartha had always respected and obeyed his father but he had reached a point in his life when his heart lead him in a different direction than what he had been taught.
Personally, I can understand Siddhartha’s desire to leave home and discover the world. Although the bonds between parents and children are strong and important, there comes a time when everybody has to leave the nest. Parents and their children, seldom, it seems, agree on anything. Considering age gaps and maturity gaps, opinions are generally very different.
Just as my parents formed their own lives and their own views, and left home, in turn, so shall I. My dad has always brought me up going to church and learning about God. Although I respect my father’s beliefs, I just can’t help feeling like some things they teach in church can’t possibly be true. I guess I’m just hard to convince. Despite my disbelief, I’ll attend mass when asked to, but my opinion of their material remains the same. I have my own view.
People nowadays are faced with the same problems as the people of years ago. Hesse’s Siddhartha, while maintaining the loving relationship he has with his father, wants the opportunity to form his own opinions just like I do. Though we both respect our parents and the father-child bond, we eventually all need to see the world and become our own people. There’s only so much one can learn from their guardians- some of life’s mysteries need to be experienced in person. The father-child bond is important but should not detour from one’s self discovery..
