The quest for meaning beyond the material, carnal, and physical daily life that humans lead has been a theme in philosophy and literature since the earliest times. Socrates decried “the unexamined life,” and the belief that there is something more to our existence has been the driving force behind religion, art, the use of hallucinogenic drugs, discussion, and debate throughout human history. Hermann Hesse brought to this theme his interest in Eastern religions, specifically Buddhism and Hinduism, and created in his book a character whose search for enlightenment reflects that of the historical Buddha and his own. The book became very popular in the 1960s amongst intellectuals and spiritual seekers in the Western world, where the Counterculture and Hippie movements embraced writers and texts that offered an alternative way of life or reality.

The story contains a structure common to the Hero’s Journey type of plot, as well as that of the Quest. Siddhartha determinedly pursues his spiritual goals while moving along a physical path, undergoing a long and eventful journey. He keeps moving, through groups of people, towns, forests, alongside the river, away from and back to his friend Govinda, the ferryman, and even his parents, as he comes to appreciate them at the end of his journey.