Transcendentalism and self- Realization in Siddhartha and The Razor's Edge

Abstract

This research examines the spiritual journeys portrayed in Hermann Hesse's Siddhartha and W. Somerset Maugham's The Razor's Edge, focusing on how both protagonists reject conventional paths to enlightenment in favor of self- determined quests for meaning. Both novels present striking parallels in their critique of materialism and religious dogma. Siddhartha abandons traditional Buddhist teachings to forge his path through worldly experience and ascetic transformation, while Larry Darrell rejects post-war American materialism to pursue spiritual awakening across cultural boundaries. Again, two different cultural and religious aspects have fusion for the similar purpose which becomes a unique and worth mentioning finding in the spiritual and transcendental arena. This kind of phenomenon is quite interesting and fruitful for the sake of humankind irrespective of dissimilar background like consciousness, education, culture and thoughts. The researcher interprets their journey through ‘liminality’ and ‘transcendentalism ‘in order to explore the deep psychological plight and innovation these two protagonists - Siddhartha and Larry from Siddhartha and The Razor’s Edge go through respectively. This comparative analysis explores how both works navigate the tension between societal expectations and individual spiritual authenticity. Through close textual examination, I demonstrate how both protagonists undergo transformative cycles of immersion in and withdrawal from society, suggesting that genuine enlightenment emerges from integrating rather than escaping worldly experience. Beyond their individual literary merits, these novels collectively illuminate universal aspects of the human search for transcendence and meaning. This research contributes to scholarly discourse on comparative spirituality in literature by examining how these narratives, despite their distinct cultural origins, converge in their representation of spiritual awakening as a personally determined journey that transcends cultural and religious boundaries while still being shaped by them.