I can connect Siddhartha with Gilgamesh. Both Gilgamesh and
Siddhartha have philia love in their lives. They both have friends that really
care about them, almost bordering on a more than a platonic relationship. Maybe
even exceeding the line a bit.
I believe Govinda is the more
noticeable one. “He loved the way he walked, his complete grace of movement; he
loved everything that Siddhartha did and said, and above all he loved his
intellect, his fine ardent thoughts, his strong will, his high vocation…”, Siddhartha page 2. I am no
expert, but I am pretty sure that those are things you like and think about
someone else when you like them as more than a friend. Also, it didn’t only
happen in that occasion. So far, every time Govinda refers to, or thinks about
Siddhartha there is a hidden awe and strong bond behind what he is saying, no matter the train of thought.
One of the other things that surprised me about the story was how Siddhartha decided to approach his father's denial and how his father eventually conceded. "Will you go on standing and waiting until it is day, noon, evening? / I will stand and wait.", Siddhartha page 8. It was very unusual to see the amount of commitment Siddhartha had to his decision and to his beliefs. Nowadays it is very hard to find someone who is so strong willed that they will just stand there and not move for an entire day. People would rather suffer and lead a life they never wanted instead of fighting and going for what they really want. I think that is why Siddhartha stood up to his father. He was one of the few people that had the courage to stand up for what they believed, especially at that time. He wasn't only facing his father and his friend, he could also have been facing social rejection. He probably wouldn't mind, but it would always be there, hidden in a deep dark corner.
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