Summary
In his fourth week at the lido. Aschenbach finds out that the diminishing numbers of visitors are due to the spreading sickness of cholera. Aschenbach continues to follow the boy around Venice. Street singers come to the hotel. Aschenbach has a strange dream and he decides to make himself more presentable- visiting the barbers etc. Aschenbach begins to feel unwell and collapses on the beach. He is taken to his room and dies.
Character
“Mad compulsion” to follow polish boy
Begins to like the idea of adventure, of spontaneity, as apposed to his normal disciplined lifestyle.
Tadzio’s ‘Grey-haired lover’
Aschenbachs’ feelings towards Tadzio have grown still- “His head and his heart were drunk” “drunken ecstasy”
Aschenbach attempts to seek attention and impress Tadzio- “he wore jewellery and used scent, devoted long sessions to his toilet everyday.”
There isn’t so much full description of Tadzio himself during this final chapter, rather of how Aschenbach seeks him.
Themes & Motifs
Degeneracy
Suspicions
God
Love
The symbolic hourglass
Time
The sickness
Flames & fire
Youth & age
Shame & hopelessness
Colours
Beauty
Mythology
Personal response
Aschenbach seems to find a sick pleasure in questioning people about the ‘sickness’ because he knows that they must lie to him in order to keep the secret.
I picked out two rather interesting quotes from the book which stood out to me.
“This was Venice, the flattering and suspect beauty- the city, half fairy-tale and half tourist trap…to lulling tones of somniferous eroticism.”
“His eyes drinking in the sumptuousness, his ears wooed by these melodies”
I particularly liked the way Tadzio is described for the last time in the book. I could really picture how he was stood alone on the sandbar in the sea with Aschenbach watching him.
As a general overview of the book, I would say that I have enjoyed it. As the book progressed I began to understand Aschenbach’s character. I also liked the descriptions especially of the setting of Venice itself. Mann is clever in an understated way. He does not try too hard to be impressive, it appears to be effortless and somehow although there is scarcely any dialogue, the novella just seamlessly flows.
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Monday, March 24, 2008
Chapter Four
Summary
Aschenbach spends hours each day watching Tadzio. They begin to lock eyes every so often. On a chance encounter Aschenbach can not hide his ‘joy’, this does not go unmissed and Tadzio smiles at him.
Character
Aschenbach- obsessive. ‘Intoxicated’ with love. Describes Tadzio to be ‘more beautiful than words can express’. Aschenbach seems to be loosing his rigidness, he occasionally mutters to himself, something he would never have done before he met Tadzio.
Tadzio- deliberately walks past Aschenbach in the mornings. Aschenbach constantly describes him as being pale, and yet this seems to attract him even more.
Themes & Motifs
Religious imagery- particularly words such as ‘god-like’ ‘divinity’ ‘power’ ‘heaven’
Beauty- ‘eternal beauty’, ‘only beauty is at one and the same time divinely desirable and visible’.
Discipline.
Weak vs. strong
Emotions
Death- ‘ghostly twilight’, ‘dying star’
Love- ‘I love you’
Sensuality
Flowers
Colours- crimson, vermillion, violet, golden, colourful
Light and darkness
Escape.
Personal response
It is clear just how obsessive Aschenbach has become. He ‘judges his day to be over’ when Tadzio goes to bed at nine o’clock. The descriptions and the imagery have become more vivid and enriched with colour and vibrancy. In comparison to earlier chapters this seems more real. The descriptions have more life and I am left feeling more involved.
Aschenbach spends hours each day watching Tadzio. They begin to lock eyes every so often. On a chance encounter Aschenbach can not hide his ‘joy’, this does not go unmissed and Tadzio smiles at him.
Character
Aschenbach- obsessive. ‘Intoxicated’ with love. Describes Tadzio to be ‘more beautiful than words can express’. Aschenbach seems to be loosing his rigidness, he occasionally mutters to himself, something he would never have done before he met Tadzio.
Tadzio- deliberately walks past Aschenbach in the mornings. Aschenbach constantly describes him as being pale, and yet this seems to attract him even more.
Themes & Motifs
Religious imagery- particularly words such as ‘god-like’ ‘divinity’ ‘power’ ‘heaven’
Beauty- ‘eternal beauty’, ‘only beauty is at one and the same time divinely desirable and visible’.
Discipline.
Weak vs. strong
Emotions
Death- ‘ghostly twilight’, ‘dying star’
Love- ‘I love you’
Sensuality
Flowers
Colours- crimson, vermillion, violet, golden, colourful
Light and darkness
Escape.
Personal response
It is clear just how obsessive Aschenbach has become. He ‘judges his day to be over’ when Tadzio goes to bed at nine o’clock. The descriptions and the imagery have become more vivid and enriched with colour and vibrancy. In comparison to earlier chapters this seems more real. The descriptions have more life and I am left feeling more involved.
Chapter Three
Summary
Goes to Pola.
Leaves the island for Venice
Aschenbach and the illicit Gondolier
The Hotel Excelsior and observations of the guests.
The polish family and the ‘entirely beautiful boy’.
Aschenbach to leave Venice
Confusion with the luggage.
Aschenbach stays.
Character
Aschenbach appears more sinister in this chapter. He becomes fixated with Tadzio- a young polish boy. This is obviously very strange, taking into consideration Aschenbach’s sex and age. We are introduced to the character Tadzio. Although there is no exchange of speech between himself and Aschenbach, much of the chapter focuses on pure description of him.
Themes & Motif
Greek mythology becomes more apparent as he likens Tadzio to a god on numerous occasions. Acceptance is also a theme particularly as Aschenbach realises how he feels for Tadzio and there is a ‘calm acceptance’ of this. Contrast is used in this chapter. We see the contrast between Aschenbach and Tadzio, and most clearly in the contrast between Tadzio and his sisters.
Personal Response
I find Aschenbachs’ fixation of the young polish boy quite disturbing, this helped along by the lengthy descriptions in which he describes him with almost female like physicality’s. Something seems to have changed Aschenbach, perhaps the move to the Venetian setting.
Goes to Pola.
Leaves the island for Venice
Aschenbach and the illicit Gondolier
The Hotel Excelsior and observations of the guests.
The polish family and the ‘entirely beautiful boy’.
Aschenbach to leave Venice
Confusion with the luggage.
Aschenbach stays.
Character
Aschenbach appears more sinister in this chapter. He becomes fixated with Tadzio- a young polish boy. This is obviously very strange, taking into consideration Aschenbach’s sex and age. We are introduced to the character Tadzio. Although there is no exchange of speech between himself and Aschenbach, much of the chapter focuses on pure description of him.
Themes & Motif
Greek mythology becomes more apparent as he likens Tadzio to a god on numerous occasions. Acceptance is also a theme particularly as Aschenbach realises how he feels for Tadzio and there is a ‘calm acceptance’ of this. Contrast is used in this chapter. We see the contrast between Aschenbach and Tadzio, and most clearly in the contrast between Tadzio and his sisters.
Personal Response
I find Aschenbachs’ fixation of the young polish boy quite disturbing, this helped along by the lengthy descriptions in which he describes him with almost female like physicality’s. Something seems to have changed Aschenbach, perhaps the move to the Venetian setting.
Chapter Two.
Summary
Learn of Aschenbach’s upbringing
Receive a detailed description of his mental state as apposed to physical.
Character
We are presented with a chapter which gives great emphasis to Aschenbach’s past life, his childhood, the reason he thinks and his philosophical rooting.
Themes & Motifs
The obvious theme running through this section of the novella is family and life. Travel is also a motif which has become more frequent particularly when towards the end of the chapter he talks of his frequent moving to different places, until he settles in Munich, - “after a few restless years of experimental living in different places, he soon chose Munich…”
Personal Response
I am warming to Mann’s style of writing; however I am sure that I would find this book more enjoyable if there was more dialogue. Once again the descriptions, particularly of Aschenbach himself are intriguing and I rather enjoy the way he uses questions repeatedly almost as if he were talking to himself.
Learn of Aschenbach’s upbringing
Receive a detailed description of his mental state as apposed to physical.
Character
We are presented with a chapter which gives great emphasis to Aschenbach’s past life, his childhood, the reason he thinks and his philosophical rooting.
Themes & Motifs
The obvious theme running through this section of the novella is family and life. Travel is also a motif which has become more frequent particularly when towards the end of the chapter he talks of his frequent moving to different places, until he settles in Munich, - “after a few restless years of experimental living in different places, he soon chose Munich…”
Personal Response
I am warming to Mann’s style of writing; however I am sure that I would find this book more enjoyable if there was more dialogue. Once again the descriptions, particularly of Aschenbach himself are intriguing and I rather enjoy the way he uses questions repeatedly almost as if he were talking to himself.
Sunday, March 9, 2008
Death in Venice chapter one
Death in Venice
Summary
Set in Munich in the early 1900’s
We are introduced to Gustav Aschenbach
Description of the strange looking man
Decides he wants to travel to foreign lands
Character
Within the first few lines of the novel we are introduced to what appears to be one of the only characters in the first part of this novella. We learn that he is a middle-aged writer and get the impression that Gustav is a rather distinguished intellectual, whose work seems to be an important part of his life
Themes & Motifs
The strange looking man
Death
Beauty/unattractiveness
Personal response
On the whole I think that apart from descriptions of the surroundings and of the strange looking man the first part doesn’t seem to offer very much in the way of a storyline. I would almost go as far to say that parts of this first chapter seem to be completely pointless. However one part which was particularly memorable to me was the description of the ‘tropical swampland’, this was especially interesting because of the way in which Mann describes the jungle. I thought that the description of the cloud-swollen sky was rather effective because he described it as being ‘moist and lush’ and yet ‘monstrous’. The entirety of the description conjures images of beauty flourishing from unattractiveness- ‘from rank jungles of fern, from among thick fleshy plants in exuberant flower’. This also could link with the theme of death. The exuberant flowering plant is a symbol of life whereas the rank jungle of ferns is death- a contrast between the two. The reason I chose death as a theme is because of the gravestones Aschenbach describes. Overall this chapter has left me in two minds because although I enjoyed the descriptions of the ‘tropical swampland’ and the oddity of the strange man, I am not sure as to whether I like the writing style of Mann.
Summary
Set in Munich in the early 1900’s
We are introduced to Gustav Aschenbach
Description of the strange looking man
Decides he wants to travel to foreign lands
Character
Within the first few lines of the novel we are introduced to what appears to be one of the only characters in the first part of this novella. We learn that he is a middle-aged writer and get the impression that Gustav is a rather distinguished intellectual, whose work seems to be an important part of his life
Themes & Motifs
The strange looking man
Death
Beauty/unattractiveness
Personal response
On the whole I think that apart from descriptions of the surroundings and of the strange looking man the first part doesn’t seem to offer very much in the way of a storyline. I would almost go as far to say that parts of this first chapter seem to be completely pointless. However one part which was particularly memorable to me was the description of the ‘tropical swampland’, this was especially interesting because of the way in which Mann describes the jungle. I thought that the description of the cloud-swollen sky was rather effective because he described it as being ‘moist and lush’ and yet ‘monstrous’. The entirety of the description conjures images of beauty flourishing from unattractiveness- ‘from rank jungles of fern, from among thick fleshy plants in exuberant flower’. This also could link with the theme of death. The exuberant flowering plant is a symbol of life whereas the rank jungle of ferns is death- a contrast between the two. The reason I chose death as a theme is because of the gravestones Aschenbach describes. Overall this chapter has left me in two minds because although I enjoyed the descriptions of the ‘tropical swampland’ and the oddity of the strange man, I am not sure as to whether I like the writing style of Mann.
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