Siddhartha Theme of Time

For some characters in Siddhartha, time doesn’t exist. After listening to the river, Siddhartha’s biggest insight is that time is an illusion, and that life is not a continuum of events, but instead omnipresent. Eternity springs from the world’s unity. Understanding the past and the future as part of the present is a major component of achieving enlightenment.

1. Stylistically, how is the passage of time communicated in Siddhartha? We’re not given any years or dates. Is it effective?
2. Is there a relationship between time and enlightenment? If so, describe it.

Govinda’s sense of spiritual urgency and desperation in the last chapter of the novel results from his limited understanding of time.