1. Point of View
in Siddhartha
Alina Cruz
Edwin Molina
Jennifer Payan

2. Point of View
 Point of view is the perspective from which the action
of a novel is presented, whether the action is
presented by one character or from different vantage
points over the course of the novel. These are
common narrative positions:
 The omniscient narrator is a third-person narrator
who sees, like God, into each character’s mind and
understands all the action going on.
 The limited omniscient narrator
 The objective, or camera-eye, narrator
 The first-person narrator
 The stream of consciousness technique

3. POV in the Beginning
“Siddhartha had begun to feel the seeds of
discontent within him. He had begun to feel
the love of his father and mother, and also
the love of his friend Govinda, would not
always make him happy, give him peace,
satisfy and suffice him.” (The Brahmin’s Son,
page 5)
In this example Hermann Hesse
demonstrates the fact that Siddhartha feels
and thinks that the love provided by his
parents and close friend are no sufficient
enough.

4. POV in the Middle
 “Smiling, they parted from each other.
Siddhartha was pleased at the ferrymen’s
friendliness. He is like Govinda, he thought,
smiling. All whom I meet on the way are like
Govinda. All are grateful, although they
themselves deserve thanks. All are subservient, all
wish to be my friend, to obey and to think little.
People are children.” (Kamala, page 49)
 In this quote the author lets us go into
Siddhartha’s mind to learn what he feels and
thinks about the ferrymen, as they go their
different ways.

5. POV in the End
 “Kamala looked at him steadily. It had been
her intention to make pilgrimage to Gotama,
to see the face of the Illustrious One, to obtain
some of his peace, instead she had only found
Siddhartha, and it was good, just as good as if
she had seen the other.” (The Ferrymen, page
113)
 In this example Hermann Hesse demonstrates
what Kamala feels and thinks visiting Gotama
will bring her.