"You've heard it laugh," he said. "But you haven't heard everything.
Let's listen, you'll hear more."

Vasudeva

I really like this quote. It is very pertinent to todayπs society. When we hear a river, we only hear the rippling, the laugh in the story. But we never hear what else it has to say. This is also common in every day life. We, as busy and over exerted Americans, tend to hear what people say on the outside, and only listen to the words, and what we assume must be behind them. But we do not often listen to what the person is feeling. This is not right. Especially, here in America we do not listen. So I think that this is a very important quote, and we should pay special attention to it. I also find it interesting that this far in the book Siddhartha is still learning. But I do not know why I feel that way, I just do. I also find it interesting that the old man is also listening to the water too. Its not do as I say, not as I do. But, as I read on, I see that Siddhartha learns something, and then the old man leaves. But, I do not totally understand the last little bit about him glowing. Was that really or metaphorical?

≥One day, when the wound was smarting terribly,

Siddhartha rowed across the river, consumed by

longing, and got out of the boat with the purpose of

going to the town to seek his son. The river flowed

softly and gently; it was in the dry season and yet

its voice rang out strangely. It was laughing, it was

distinctly laughing. The river was laughing clearly

and merrily at the old ferryman.≤

I like this quote. It shows how much Siddhartha

wanted his son to love and accept him, even when it

was obvious to everyone else that his son loathes and

hates him for being an old ferryman instead of being a

rich merchant like his mother. It also shows how much

Siddhartha has allowed himself to become infatuated

with his son, who hates him with a passion. But

Siddhartha has let himself become envious of other

people, how they have sons and daughters, and how he

has not their fortune to have a son or a daughter to

love the way they do. It also shows how Siddhartha

thinks, in his deepest conscience, that he does not

want to go and have to deal with his obstinate son

anymore. With the riverπs help he sees the error in

his path of trying to reconcile with his son and turns

back and talks with Vasudeva about his feelings and

revelations. I like this quote because it lets us

look inside of Siddhartha and see what he wanted to

find with his current path, that of finding and

talking with his son, and his revelations to himself

that he does not truly want to see his son because his

son would just treat him as badly as before.

Fortunately he is able to talk with Vasudeva about how

he feels later and then is able to come to grips that

his son is not coming back to him and that he will

only push his son farther away if he tried to find him

and talk with him.

"Although he had reached a high stage of self-discipline and bore his last wound well, he now felt as if these ordinary people were his brothers." How not p.c is Hesse. Brothers, and sisters. Kidding. Anyway, Siddhartha kindly envies the travelers that he brings across the river that have children. I use the word envy loosley, as that typically implies negativity. He does so in a good way. It is perhaps more of a longing, for his son.. his terrible monster of a son who he and Vasdueva sacrificed for to little avail. When he sees the happy families traveling across the river, he cannot help but long for his own son whom he could not please. Little Siddhartha was acustomed to a different lifestyle, Kamara's llifestyle. It was the same life style that drove Siddhartha Sr. nearly insane, followed by him almost committing suicide. Vasdueva points out to Siddhartha that he willingly left that life style after it drove him mad and he had his full of it and grew sick of it .. Siddhartha Jr. however was torn from it while still captivated by it. There was little chance of him being content at the hut by the river with the two elderly men after his mothers death. There was little chance of him being content with a father that he knew as nothing more than a stranger. Siddhartha Sr. too was once on this path, and other wrong paths. Siddhartha Sr. found his way off of them, and onto new and eventually the right path(s). Nobody but Siddhartha Jr himself could do this, and his father could not shield him. He must come to these conclusions on his own, find peace and nirvana on his own.. just as his father, and eventually his mother had before dying. As much as Siddhartha Sr tried to keep his son, with love and patience and the help of Vasdueva, he eventually had to let him go. It is very respectable that instead of being bitter with or jealous of the passengars with children, Siddhartha Sr. instead feels bonded with them, as brothers (and sisters!)