Chapter Five

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.