In the story of Siddhartha, the author, Herman Hesse, uses a very important and recurring symbol, a rare songbird, to symbolize the `self', or soul of Siddhartha. This bird is very important, shown by the fact that it is in a golden cage. A bird isn't an extremely popular pet, and even if it was, why would it be kept in a golden cage? Are most dog cages made of gold? No. Hesse uses the songbird to show how and to what extent Siddhartha has grown or gained knowledge.

When the bird is mentioned for the first time Siddhartha has been living a wonderful life as a rich man for many years. In Siddhartha's dream, the songbird dies (82). The bird has died because Siddhartha has spent too much time as a rich man and learning about reality. Once he could no longer learn from his teacher Kamala, he...