Siddhartha: into the spider-verse

 

    Please allow me to guide you through my thoughts on how "Spider-Man: into the spider-verse" and Siddhartha hold the same meaning. In both, the main character undergoes trials and tribulations on a quest to find their true self. One main thing that I felt connected these two pieces is that they both identify other people along the way who have found themselves. 

    In "Into the Spider-verse," those people are the other iterations of Spiderman, while in Siddhartha, we have Vasudeva, Govinda, and the Samanas. All these other people try to explain to the protagonist how to find himself by telling him what they did. However, just as Miles Morales couldn't summon his invisibility by relaxing like Peter Parker, Siddhartha could not become one with himself through the Buddha's teachings like Govinda. Everyone has different methods and to have a specific, clear-cut procedure that works for everyone is impossible. It's kind of like teaching someone how to whistle, you can tell them what you do, but it doesn't always work for them.

The iconic setback of every hero's journey is quite similar in these two stories. In "Into the Spider-verse," Miles gives it his best shot when the team is faced with Kingpin (the enemy). That fight ends with him losing his uncle, an incredibly influential person in his life. Likewise in Siddhartha, when he's in Samsara, he continues to lose himself to the tempting nature of the material world. 

    

    Both Miles and Siddhartha veer off the path of self-discovery in these sections, but then they're both pulled back on track when they face the darkest hour: Miles realizes that he can't let Peter die, and Siddhartha refuses suicide when the word "Om" comes back to him. They both undergo a sense of rebirth which allows them to journey forward towards their destiny.

    While one is an animated superhero and the other is an educated Samana, they both are faced with the reality that one cannot find themselves by simply willing it or following in others' footsteps. It's the courage and tenacity of Siddhartha and Miles that allows them to bring their ideal and perceived self together, thus achieving total self-actualization.