Dante's Inferno / Siddartha / City of Glass Discuss the role of process and travel in shaping the journey of the protagonists, comparing and contrasting at least two of the texts we have read.

In both Dante's Inferno and Hesse's Siddhartha, the process of finding the way to get onto the "path of Truth" as well as the journey to that Path are central to the stories. Religious doctrines mostly pretend to show a person the "Path." Christianism is often criticized for being exclusive since the follower is expected to take the teachings of this religion as the only way to gain salvation. On the other side, Hinduism is considered to count among the less restricting religions. This is, of course, subject to interpretation. Theat is why, both Dante and Hesse approach the theme of enlightenment from a slightly different point-of-view. In the case of Siddhartha, the idea is that one could actually attempt to reach a state of enlightenment only through a unique individual path. Dante travels through the Purgatory and the Inferno, both symbols of a Christian religion, but the ancient poet, Virgil, a pagan, accompanies him. Dante deliberately calls the aim of his enquiries: "the true path," avoiding more precise Christian references...

Both Siddhartha and Dante go through the process of trial and error. It appears that both books are the expression of pondering doubt of the meaning of human existence, in the context of universal laws.
2. How does Divine Will vs. Free Will play into the texts we have read? How do the protagonists confront notions of chance and fate? What are the attitudes portrayed and what is the message being communicated by the narrative?

In Dante's Inferno, the Divine presence is a given. There is no doubt about it: "the sun was rising now in fellowship / with the same stars that escorted it / when Divine Love first moved those things of beauty." (Dante, 5) There is as much free will as there is God's will in the Divine Comedy's approach of the path of Truth. Knowing about God's will is necessary, but it is not enough. One is free to choose between God's law and a different one: "because the Emperor who reigns above, / Since I have been rebellious to His Law, / Will not allow me entry to His city." (Dante, 9) Virgil is not talking about having lived before the birth of Christianity, he talks about a Universal God who was always there, of course. There…