#apprep

The following questions range from more comprehensive to more analytic. Obviously the actual AP Test question is the hardest, but the other questions act as building blocks to getting there. 

1. (An actual 2013 AP LIT Question from the test) A bildungsroman, or coming-of-age novel, recounts the psychological or moral development of its protagonist from youth to maturity, when this character recognizes his or her place in the world. Select a single pivotal moment in the psychological or moral development of the protagonist of a bildungsroman. Then write a well-organized essay that analyzes how that single moment shapes the meaning of the work as a whole.

(I did read Siddhartha, but am not that familiar with the text anymore; I only remember the general plot.) Key points I would cover in this would be that Siddhartha was not the "oh so holy man" right from the beginning. He made plenty of mistakes along the way, and there is true, tangible growth in his character. He went from two extremes: self-denial and self-indulgence, before finding enlightenment. One part of the novel I remember most was when he was a rich man, and for years he had believed it was a good thing, until he realized how disgusting he had been. So he gives it up. Instead of sticking to the life he is in, he is always searching for that something. He spends his whole life working, trying, and never giving up as he faces struggles. (Now, I would need many more details to continue answering this question. But unfortunately I do not have the luxury of reading a detailed summary of the book at this time)

2. (Sparknotes) 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? 

I would say each attempt is a "success" in the sense that it teaches him something new, and brings him closer to the ultimate goal. Each one shows him a different reality, and each one shows him that it's not what he is looking for. 

3. (Shmoop) What does enlightenment look like in Siddhartha? Is it a feeling? An attitude?

From my memory, it was a feeling that brought him a sense of contentedness and sudden realization. It was calming because he finally understood and while it was scary, he had finally felt it happen. (Hmm, I could be wrong?) 

4. (Another teaching site) Discuss this quote: “It was the goal of all of them, yearning, desiring, suffering; and the river’s voice was full of longing, full of smarting woe, full of insatiable desire. The river flowed on towards its goal.” (134-35) What is the river’s goal? Again, I could be wrong since I am a bit fuzzy on the details, but I'd say based on the novel it was enlightenment. Like all people, with a range of emotions and feelings but still want enlightenment. 

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