Kamala Character Analysis

is a courtesan, who is treated as a queen by the town and spotted by Siddhartha as she travels by sedan into a pleasure grove. Her smile shows him that she has the potential to love him and show him great things. She represents a new goal for Siddhartha that persuades him to give up his ascetic life and learn the art of love, which he does very well, and the pair share a deep kinship despite their different backgrounds. Kamala is also very spiritual and after Siddhartha leaves the town, Kamala converts to the teaching of the Buddha and gives her pleasure grove to the monks. She dies in the hut of the ferryman. Before Siddhartha departs, though, he and Kamala conceive a son. The gifts she has given to Siddhartha become clear and symbolized by this son, young Siddhartha, who provides Siddhartha with a legacy and a vision of his life’s cycle.