In the novels The Invisible Man and Siddhartha, the protagonists find it necessary to completely isolate themselves from the influences of society to reach a stage of serene understanding, or "enlightenment." Both Siddhartha and the Invisible Man initially seek understanding by following accepted methods. Both, however, ultimately find themselves disillusioned with society's techniques and choose to follow the outcasts of their respective civilizations. Despite the changes in their ways, both protagonists finally come to the conclusion that one must forge their own path to reach divine understanding. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Siddhartha, son of Brahman, was the prodigy of his family and highly regarded within his community. He was active in religious sacrifices and other sacred practices and was seen as a future prince among the Brahmins. "He practiced... the art of contemplation, the duty of total concentration" (1). Despite all this, Siddhartha could not satisfy himself with the means of society: «Siddhartha had begun to cultivate dissatisfaction within himself. He had begun to feel that the love of his father, the love of his mother, and even the love of his friend Govinda, do not always make him happy, content him, satisfy him, suffice him" (2). The overall situation was quite comparable to that of Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man. Likewise the Invisible Man was seen to have the potential to become something extraordinary. This was also recognized by the whites, although expressed in a sarcastic and condescending tone: "Gentlemen, you see that I have not praised this boy too much. He makes a good speech, and one day he will lead his people to the right path" (Ellison 32). Both protagonists, despite their brilliant potential, ultimately break away from accepted norms and take their first steps towards separatist organizations. For Siddhartha this means becoming one of the samanas, homeless beggars who sacrifice all material possessions in the pursuit of enlightenment. The Invisible Man rebels by joining an organization known as the Brotherhood. These changes ultimately leave both men dissatisfied, however, and they still have a significant distance to "go" before they can reach their final enlightenment. Enlistment in these breakaway groups was a setback for their respective protagonists, despite the progress they originally intended to make. The Invisible Man first sees the Brotherhood as an excellent opportunity to advance not only himself, but the black race as a whole. This desire to make a difference is what truly gives him the ability to stand out among other Brothers and earns him the acclaim of a great orator. “Let's put it this way,” croons a Brotherhood recruiter, “How would you like to be the new Booker T. Washington?” (305) Siddhartha achieved similar acclaim among the samanas, although his final dissatisfaction came more quickly and with greater pronouncement: Many things Siddhartha learned from the samanas; he has learned to take many paths away from himself. He embarked on the path of liberation from himself through pain, through voluntary suffering and the victory of pain, hunger, thirst, fatigue. He embarked on the path of self-liberation through meditation, consciously freeing his mind from every idea. He learned to travel these and other roads; a thousand times he left himself, remained for hours and days in a state of non-self. But even if the paths led away from themselves, in the end they always led back to themselves. (Hesse 8-9)Here the paths of Siddhartha and the Invisible Man deviate slightly; While,.