after reading 3 of his novels , i noticed that hesse relies a lot on symbols , in this section of the forum i hope that we discuss that meaning of any interesting symbols that are intreguing you , we could also discuss the many ways to see what hesse meant in a certain verb or somethin .
Well my first question would be what does the bird symbolises in siddharta , it might be a small detail , or seems obvious to some people , but after thinkin about it for a while i discovered a hole different way to see it , well i dont clame to have the right answer actually i m confused , is it a simple thing , or does it hide behind it interesting facts ........ i hope that you folks could clear it up to me
Hazem

I think it is a good question, when i first read 'demian' i was puzzeled by this too. lately i have come to think of the bird as a symobol representing thought. the bird struggles out of the egg, in the same way then when Sinclair delves into his subconcious his thought is liberated from the shell of his mind. he arrives at a point closer to self realisation.

what about doors? Hesse makes a lot of use of doors, what could be the significanc of this?

Dear Hazem,

I think it's important to remember that Hesse comes from a long line of German Romantic/Classical literature; thus, the symbols he uses can basically be found within the works of Goethe, Ruckert, Moricke and all the other poets he speaks of in his essays. For example, the chestnut tree is a classical representation of Christ (Hesse uses this beautifully in Narcissus and Goldmund). I think that if you'd like to learn more about Hesse's use of symbols, you could easily refer back to any of those poets.

As for your own interpretation of the symbols in Siddhartha, from a more analytical standpoint, you may want to do some research into Buddhist writings about the actual Siddhartha Gautama. You will find that Hesse's novel is somewhat of a very personal adaptation of the story and that many of the symbols are parallel throughout.

As for interpreting the symbols, don't let them bog you down. Always remember what Hesse said:

"I have ceased to question stars and books; I have begun to listen to the teachings my blood whispers to me."

I hope this helps.

Rose