In this thought-provoking discussion, guests Karolina Watroba, an expert in Modern Languages, Erica Wickerson, a former Research Fellow at Cambridge, and Sean Williams, a Senior Lecturer in German Culture, delve deep into Thomas Mann's "Death in Venice." They explore the complex themes of obsession, beauty, and self-destruction through the tragic figure of Gustav von Aschenbach. The conversation also highlights the interplay between desire and morality, linking Mann's writing to contemporary societal challenges and the philosophical tensions of art and life.
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question_answer ANECDOTE
Mann's Life and Death in Venice
Aschenbach's wife is dead, unlike Mann's.
Mann admitted autobiographical elements but claimed the homosexual aspect was exaggerated for dramatic effect.
insights INSIGHT
Aschenbach's Gaze
Aschenbach objectifies Tadzio, associating him with Platonic beauty and Greek statues.
Although Tadzio speaks Polish, Aschenbach never understands him, further dehumanizing him.
insights INSIGHT
Venice as a Symbol
Venice was a popular literary trope, representing both light and decay.
It was seen as a meeting point between West and East, fitting the novella's themes.
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Der Roman erzählt die Geschichte von Felix Krull, einem charmanten Betrüger, der durch seine Fähigkeit, verschiedene Rollen zu spielen, die Gunst anderer gewinnt. Die Geschichte beginnt in seiner Kindheit und folgt seinen Abenteuern in Deutschland und Frankreich. Der Roman ist eine Parodie auf Goethes Autobiografie und thematisiert die Immoralität des Künstlers. Thomas Mann begann mit dem Werk im Jahr 1910, aber es blieb unvollendet, da er 1955 verstarb.
Death in Venice
Death in Venice
Thomas Mann
Thomas Mann's "Death in Venice" follows Gustav von Aschenbach, a renowned writer, as he travels to Venice and becomes obsessed with a young boy named Tadzio. The novella explores themes of beauty, art, desire, and the destructive nature of obsession. Aschenbach's fascination with Tadzio leads to his moral and physical decline, culminating in his death. The story is rich in symbolism and explores the complexities of human nature. Mann masterfully uses imagery and language to create a haunting and unforgettable narrative. The novella's exploration of repressed desires and the consequences of unchecked obsession continues to resonate with readers.
The magic mountain
Thomas Mann
The Magic Mountain is a novel by Thomas Mann, published in 1924. It follows the story of Hans Castorp, a young man from a Hamburg merchant family, who visits his tubercular cousin Joachim at a sanatorium in Davos, Switzerland. Initially planning to stay for three weeks, Castorp ends up staying for seven years, immersing himself in the unique world of the sanatorium. The novel delves into themes of time, illness, and the intellectual and philosophical debates of the pre-World War I era. It is a parable of Europe before the Great War and a prophecy of the future, highlighting the decline of European civilization and the rise of irrational and destructive forces. The narrative is characterized by Mann's ironic and omniscient storytelling, exploring the human condition through Castorp's experiences and the diverse characters he encounters at the sanatorium[2][3][4].
Buddenbrooks
Thomas Mann
Written by Thomas Mann in 1901, 'Buddenbrooks' is a panoramic novel that explores the decline of the Buddenbrook family, a prominent family of grain merchants in Lübeck. The story spans four generations, highlighting the family's struggles with adapting to modernity, the conflict between practical and artistic orientations to life, and the eventual decay of their financial and moral standing. The novel is characterized by Mann's masterful use of leitmotifs, detailed character descriptions, and a blend of objectivity and subjectivity in its narrative style. It reflects Mann's ambivalence towards the value of artistic versus bourgeois life and is heavily influenced by the philosophical ideas of Schopenhauer[3][5][4].
Buddenbrooks
Thomas Mann
Written by Thomas Mann in 1901, 'Buddenbrooks' is a panoramic novel that explores the decline of the Buddenbrook family, a prominent family of grain merchants in Lübeck. The story spans four generations, highlighting the family's struggles with adapting to modernity, the conflict between practical and artistic orientations to life, and the eventual decay of their financial and moral standing. The novel is characterized by Mann's masterful use of leitmotifs, detailed character descriptions, and a blend of objectivity and subjectivity in its narrative style. It reflects Mann's ambivalence towards the value of artistic versus bourgeois life and is heavily influenced by the philosophical ideas of Schopenhauer[3][5][4].
Death in Venice is Thomas Mann’s most famous – and infamous - novella.
Published in 1912, it’s about the fall of the repressed writer Gustav von Aschenbach, when his supposedly objective appreciation of a young boy’s beauty becomes sexual obsession.
It explores the link between creativity and self-destruction, and by the end Aschenbach’s humiliation is complete, dying on a deckchair in the act of ogling. Aschenbach's stalking of the boy and dreaming of pederasty can appal modern readers, even more than Mann expected.
With
Karolina Watroba, Post-Doctoral Research Fellow in Modern Languages at All Souls College, University of Oxford
Erica Wickerson, a Former Research Fellow at St Johns College, University of Cambridge
Sean Williams, Senior Lecturer in German and European Cultural History at the University of Sheffield
Sean Williams' series of Radio 3's The Essay, Death in Trieste, can be found here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001lzd4
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