The Hubris of Siddhartha and Esteban

The Hubris of Siddhartha and Esteban

Wong Her

World Literature I

Word Count: 1259

Candidate#__________

Wong Her

Candidate #_____________

World Literature #1

Word Count: 1259

Many people to this day act on hubris to make decisions for themselves. As the reader can see in the novels Siddhartha by Herman Hesse and House of Spirits by Isabel Allende the hubris of Siddhartha and Esteban leads them to make misguided decisions. From the novel Siddhartha, Siddhartha, the protagonist, believes that he is wise enough to make decisions on his own; similarly Esteban Trueba in Allende’s novel also believes that his decisions are always correct and will push people forward in a more positive way. The hubris of these protagonists can impact one in a positive way but if one allows hubris to dominate it can lead one to arrogance and making impulsive and negative decisions.

In the novel Siddhartha, Hesse writes of Siddhartha choosing to leave his family and home guided by his hubris. His father asks him, “Will you always stand like this and wait, until it becomes day, noon, becomes evening?” Siddhartha then replies: “I will stand and wait.” When he is asked, “And you would rather die than listen to your father?” (Hesse 13). Siddhartha replies arrogantly, convinced that he alone should decide his path for the future. Here the author uses this dialogue between Siddhartha and his father to show and explain Siddhartha’s excessive pride which will lead him to make more difficult and problematic decisions. Similarly in the novel of House of Spirits hubris is also present when Allende writes of Esteban kicking out his only blood sister: “Esteban vented all his fury as an unhappy husband, shouting things at her he never should had said, calling her everything from a dyke to a whore and accusing her of perverting his wife with her spinster caresses and of driving her crazy, distracted, mute, and spiritualist with her arsenal of lesbian rights.” (Allende 132). Here Allende shows Esteban’s

Wong Her

Candidate #____________

World Literature #1

Word Count: 1259

excessive pride in judging his sister and accusing her of inappropriate actions because he is embarrassed that his sister is a potential threat in his relationship with Clara.

As Siddhartha continues his journey