Both Siddhartha and Oedipus have many images and themes embedded within the readings that carry the plot along. Although the stories of Siddhartha and Oedipus are very different, they share the theme of realization and truth. Both characters are on a path of realization and finding their true self. Even though they end in opposite end of the spectrum, they follow the same road to get there.
Siddhartha embarks on a journey to find enlightenment while stopping at many obstacles on the way. In the beginning of the story, Hesse used the symbols of light and dark to describe Siddartha's childhood and the time passing and continues to use those symbols indirectly throughout the rest of the book. He showed how Siddhartha enjoyed his childhood with the sun rising, but that enjoyment coming to an end with the sun setting or going into a shadow. The reader is clearly able to see that Siddhartha is unhappy at his home as a Brahmin and wishes to leave. Even the tone of voice that Hesse writes in is able to decipher whether the setting is bright or shady. For example, when Siddhartha is roaming through the forest, contemplating his death, the reader is able to feel that the forest is dark and creepy. But when Siddhartha is being awakened by the river, the reader is able to imagine a beautiful blue sky with puffy white clouds since Siddartha has finally reached his goal of enlightenment and is happier than he's ever been before.
Oedipus on the other hand wants to find out the truth of the murderer of Laius and his own past. Sophocles uses the motif of blindness to describe Oedipus and Tiresias. In the beginning, when Tiresias, who is literally blind but knows the truth, is convicting Oedipus of the murder of Laius, Oedipus can literally see but is figuratively blind to the truth. He refuses to believe that he is the murderer. But at the end of the story, Oedipus gauges out his eyes making him literally blind, but he know knows the truth about his past. Oedipus is able to reach his goal of knowing his past and finding out who murdered Laius, but it makes him unhappy and humiliated him.
Siddhartha embarks on a journey to find enlightenment while stopping at many obstacles on the way. In the beginning of the story, Hesse used the symbols of light and dark to describe Siddartha's childhood and the time passing and continues to use those symbols indirectly throughout the rest of the book. He showed how Siddhartha enjoyed his childhood with the sun rising, but that enjoyment coming to an end with the sun setting or going into a shadow. The reader is clearly able to see that Siddhartha is unhappy at his home as a Brahmin and wishes to leave. Even the tone of voice that Hesse writes in is able to decipher whether the setting is bright or shady. For example, when Siddhartha is roaming through the forest, contemplating his death, the reader is able to feel that the forest is dark and creepy. But when Siddhartha is being awakened by the river, the reader is able to imagine a beautiful blue sky with puffy white clouds since Siddartha has finally reached his goal of enlightenment and is happier than he's ever been before.
Oedipus on the other hand wants to find out the truth of the murderer of Laius and his own past. Sophocles uses the motif of blindness to describe Oedipus and Tiresias. In the beginning, when Tiresias, who is literally blind but knows the truth, is convicting Oedipus of the murder of Laius, Oedipus can literally see but is figuratively blind to the truth. He refuses to believe that he is the murderer. But at the end of the story, Oedipus gauges out his eyes making him literally blind, but he know knows the truth about his past. Oedipus is able to reach his goal of knowing his past and finding out who murdered Laius, but it makes him unhappy and humiliated him.