The Study of Herman Hesse’s Siddhartha in the Light of Deconstruction

Abstract

Structuralism and post-structuralism subscribe two contrasted vision of language. Structuralists present a stable relationship between signifier and signified of language’s “sign” while post-structuralists reject this conception. Deconstruction is a Post structural method of study which challenges the status of language. It affirms that language is an unfixed and unstable medium to understand reality. This study is an application of deconstruction method on‘Siddhartha’ (1922) written by Herman Hesse. Siddhartha, the title character is in search of nirvana for his salvation. He accepts one belief and rejects another and speaks conflicting utterances. This study explores binary oppositions and contradictory statements of the text to see that how far Siddhartha (the protagonist) succeeds in achieving reality of life. Relying on textual analysis it is observed that the novel is entangled into binary polarities viz. Siddhartha’s self-indulgence and self-reliance practice, and his materialism and spiritualism. These polarities create tension in narrative.Moreover the text has abundance of contradictory statements which create disunity at verbal and textual level.Through all these incompatible elements the text presents a notion that ultimate meaning of life cannot be understood by language.