The River and the Mind/Body Dichotomy in SiddharthaIn the work Siddhartha by Herman Hesse, the main physical symbol of division is the river. One side of the river represents the “geist,” or an area concerned with the spiritual world. The second face represents “natur”, the natural world where the flesh is full of pleasure and earthly satisfaction. Siddhartha begins on the spiritual side of the river. He is training to become an excellent Brahmin like his father, much is expected of this intelligent and attractive young man. Yet Siddhartha feels a rumbling in his body and mind. His soul is not satisfied with the answers he received about life's problems. He feels the need to live at home to find these answers. He is willing to sacrifice security for insecurity and danger. His travels renew and strengthen his spirit. The structure of the story is centered around the device of "iterative-durative time", a technique in which the author follows a loose, linear timeline, with each part covering about twenty years, while only about one or two of these years are described in detail. The effect easily lulls the reader into a perception of time passing. He first spends time with a traveling band of ascetics, forest nomads who prefer to live a life of extreme sacrifice and self-denial. Siddhartha masters their art and their goals, but quickly decides to move on after only a few years. He is not capable of finding his quest for salvation and understanding on such a path. Throughout his journey, his friend Govinda stays by his side. He decides to leave the city with him, to come with him to practice with the ascetics, then agrees to go with him in search of the Illustrious One, Gotama. Siddhartha does not find answers to his spiritual questions here either and decides to leave. This time, Govinda, his “shadow”, decides to stay and carve out a niche for himself. Siddhartha sets out alone, crossing the central symbol of the river with the help of the boatman Vasudeva. After crossing the river, he meets an Indian woman who encourages him and allows him to kiss her nipple. His experiment with the "natural" world began, his sensory experiences being intensified and prepared for a sensual deluge. He stays on the sensual side of the river for twenty years and during this time impregnates his seductive teacher and partner Kamala..