The Different Paths Anonymous 10th Grade

The Different Paths

In the novels The Guide, by R.K Narayan, The Harp of Burma, by Michio Takeyama, and Siddhartha, by Herman Hesse, all of the main characters encounter issues regarding their identities. In The Guide, Raju tries to find his identity by abandoning his old identity in search of a new one. In The Harp of Burma, Mishuzima also abandons his old identity to find a new one, though he does it because of his new beliefs. In Siddhartha, Siddhartha finds his identity through experiences in his life. Whilst Raju, Mishuzima, and Siddhartha struggle with exploring their identity, Raju and Mishuzima try to find theirs by rejecting their old identity, and Siddhartha uses numerous experiences in his life to find his. The way that Siddhartha goes about finding his identity discloses the most about identity because he can learn from every experience he has. Every experience that Siddhartha has faced that he finds doesn’t get him closer to finding his identity he rules out and moves on, like crossing off a list.

Although how Raju goes about finding his identity seems successful, there are multiple flaws about it and are issues about how committed he is. Siddhartha’s way is more successful than Raju’s, and the author shows us the...