AP Prep Post 1: Siddhartha

1) Siddhartha features substantial activity and narrative action. At the same time, it is about one man’s largely internal spiritual quest. What is the relationship between the internal and exterior worlds of Siddhartha? How does Siddhartha negotiate these worlds?
http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/siddhartha/study.html
 - From the passage reading I believe Siddhartha's internal and exterior worlds are very contradicting. After reading the letter Siddhartha comes to a point of realization that throws off his original ways of thinking. He eventually ends up trusting in himself to decide the correct path that is right for him.
- This questions tells me that I should focus a lot on Siddhartha's way of thinking. I should pay attention to the steps he takes to come to the conclusion that he did and study it. This will tell me a lot about his character as well as why he chose what he did.

2) Discuss the ways Siddhartha attempts to attain spiritual enlightenment. Which approaches are successful? Which ones are not successful, and which ones have limited effectiveness? How does Siddhartha progress from one approach to the other?

http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/siddhartha/study.html

- Due to the fact that I only read the passage and not the whole story, I can't answer this question. However, if I were to answer this question I would need to pay attention to the actions of Siddhartha, even his failures. I would also pay attention to how he reacts to these failures and see if he learns anything at all from them.

- To master the AP test I will focus a lot on the characters of the stories. I will try and characterize them as I read and highlight important sentences that might be helpful when it comes to answering questions such as this one.

3) Consider Siddhartha’s relationship with Govinda. How are they similar, and how are they different? What are the narrative functions of Govinda’s reappearance throughout the novel? How does their relationship impact the novel’s ending?

http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/siddhartha/study.html

- To answer this question I would look at both Siddhartha's and Govinda's personalities. I would see how they react together and take notes so I could easily compare them.

- This question tells me that I should to work on my comparison and contrast skills for the AP test.

4) What does enlightenment look like in Siddhartha? Is it a feeling? An attitude? 

http://www.shmoop.com/siddhartha/questions.html

- I think Siddhartha's enlightenment is an attitude because after he comes to his realization he changes as a person. He decides to do what is best for him and not for anybody else.

- This question tells me that I should pay close attention to a character's reaction and see how it changes them as a person. By comparing their character before and after the reaction, I will be able to see any changes.

5) What purpose does self-denial serve in Siddhartha? What about self-indulgence?

http://www.shmoop.com/siddhartha/questions.html

- To answer this question I would again just take notes on Siddhartha as a character. I would study how he reacts in different scenarios and see how he learns from each one.

- For the AP test I think I definitely should study characterization. A lot of these questions have to do with answering questions about Siddhartha and how he changes and finds himself.