AP PREP POST 1: SIDDHARTHA

1. What does enlightenment look like in Siddhartha? Is it a feeling? An attitude?
http://www.shmoop.com/siddhartha/questions.html
- From what I can remember, it is a feeling that brings Siddhartha enlightenment. It was realization and knowledge that had caused Siddhartha to finally seek and feel enlightenment.

2. In Siddhartha, is it essential to have knowledge in order to have wisdom?
http://www.shmoop.com/siddhartha/wisdom-knowledge-theme.html
- I believe that it is essential to have knowledge in order to have wisdom. In Siddhartha, he had to leave his old self behind in order to gain knowledge. Once Siddhartha gained knowledge, he was a wise individual who was determined to seek enlightenment.

3. Discuss the ways Siddhartha attempts to attain enlightenment. Which approaches are successful? Which ones are not successful,and which ones have limited effectiveness? How does Siddhartha progress from one approach to the other?  
http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/siddhartha/study.html
- I honestly don't remember the ways Siddhartha attempted to attain spiritual enlightenment. Based on what I can remember, Siddhartha became enlightened through his realizations. Siddhartha discovered these realizations while alone, therefore, being on his own was a successful approach to attaining enlightenment. 

4. What is it about the natural world that helps Siddhartha attain enlightenment?
http://www.shmoop.com/siddhartha/man-the-natural-world-theme.html
- Having the opportunity to be left alone with his inner thoughts as well as the ability to gain wisdom helped Siddhartha attain enlightenment.  

5. Is Siddhartha's near-suicide an important step on his road to enlightenment? Is it an important step on the road to enlightenment?
http://www.shmoop.com/siddhartha/mortality-theme.html
- Siddhartha's near-suicide was an important step on his road to enlightenment because that was the moment when he truly discovered himself as an individual. Although it may not be for everyone, I believe that it is an important step on the road to enlightenment because an individual tends to find themselves and gains the most knowledge and wisdom when they've completely hit rock bottom and are near the end.

These questions tell me that I have a lot of work ahead of me if I expect to do well on the AP exam. I'm going to have to improve my analyzing skills as well as better my reading comprehension in order to perform well on the upcoming exam.