In chapter 1 we see Siddhartha engaged in a philosophical struggle--a mental state he seems to thrive in. But he is only beginning to realize why he is dissatisfied and what he really wants. This confusion is apparent by a narrative pacing and diction that show build through questioning. It describes the problem--desire for something--then explores all the avenues of this problem. Does he desire truth? Identity? Oneness with the “primal source” of the Atman that may or may not “flow within his own heart?” These initial questions set up the journey Siddhartha will be taking throughout the rest of the novel.

Hesse alludes to the famous banyan tree (p. 9) that was iconic to Siddhartha Gautama’s original development of the Buddhism religion.