The+role+of+sex

Sex leads both Ryuji and Siddhartha to forsake their previous identity and to learn valuable lessons in life. In Siddhartha, in order to have sex, Siddhartha abandons his previous life as a Semana and seeks for money. He joins Kamaswami’s business solely to earn money to have sex with Kamala. Contrasting to his previous behavior such as fasting, and living with not even the most basic necessities to possessing economic wealth and luxury, and satiety. Ryuji also abandons his previous life as a hardworking sailor in trade with love and sex. From the beginning, Ryuji portrayed to be enraptured by sex, evidently shown as he relates the feeling of extreme happiness to death. Also, he explicitly states that the relationship just started as an easy sexual relationship. Before Ryuji leaves, he also compares Fusako to the sea, and reveals his thought that no glory can be found in sea, and that leaving woman behind for search of inexistent glory is foolhardy. Through sex, both characters learn a valuable lesson in their lives. Ryuji begins to realize emotional love that he feels towards Fusako. Ryuji was driven by kiss, preliminary act of having sex, to emotionally love Fusako during the night before his departure. He feels that he can even die for her, and such sentimental attachment to Fusako perpetuates. Ryuji is thus presented with a new life and the acknowledgement of “emotional love.” On the other hand, although Siddhartha does not engage with Kamala in a complete emotional relationship, he attains knowledge, experience and wisdom from the action. Tasting the pleasure in life, he was able to carry his journey for enlightenment with enriched knowledge.