The novel Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse is a timeless story about one man's journey to find peace in his lifestyle and thoughts. Siddharta is the son of a young Brahmin, dissatisfied with his cult and in turn sets out to find the lifestyle that suits him. Siddhartha faces many external physical conflicts, but it is not the most important type of conflict in the story. Hesse creates excitement and suspense through Siddhartha's internal journey to create an emotional response usually associated with external conflict. Siddhartha's suspenseful journey began when he was a fairly young boy. It was at this time that he had one of his most important awakenings, realizing that his religion was not enough to truly nourish his mind and spirit, and give him the peace he wanted. “And among the wise men whom he knew and whose teachings he valued, there was not one who had fully reached it – the celestial world – not one who had completely quenched his eternal thirst” (8). He began to think that no amount of religious knowledge, sacrifice, or prayer could be as important as being at complete peace with one's mind and heart. The importance of this psychological aspect of Siddhartha's journey can be demonstrated by: “Such were Siddhartha's thoughts; it was his thirst, his sorrow” (8). This quote expresses how important it was for Hesse to let the reader into Siddhartha's mind, because there is much to learn about him through his thoughts. This was also the first major step in Siddhartha's journey, so the internal conflict begins to build excitement as the reader anticipates what will happen next in his quest for enlightenment. Siddhartha's entry into the "material world" is another aspect of n... ...middle of paper ......ment and suspense. However, as far as Siddhartha is concerned, this is far from true. Hesse includes many major psychological events, such as Siddhartha's first awakening and his achievement of enlightenment, which create feelings usually associated with external events. Reading this novel is like embarking on an emotional journey through the mind of Siddhartha, throughout his life. It is filled with trials and tribulations, all of which build suspense for the resolution. The strong emotions of excitement and suspense would not have been expressed without Hesse's ability to convey Siddhartha's feelings and psychological thoughts to the reader. Hesse mainly used mental and psychological events, as well as some external details, to create a novel with a strong impact on anyone who reads it. Works Cited Hesse, Hermann, Siddhartha, New Delhi: Rupa Publications, 2003