Death In Venice - Thomas Mann

Story Summary:

Thomas Mann’s novel Death In Venice tells the story of the writer Gustav von Aschenbach, who travels to Venice as the result of an overwhelming desire for exploration induced by his old age; Ashenbach consequently becomes obsessed with a young boy named Tadzio during his stay in the disease-ridden city, which ultimately leads to his death.

Reflections:

Death in Venice contains many contradictions juxtaposed together; these juxtapositions reveal Aschenbach’s inability to make a rationalized and resolute decision. From beginning to end, Aschenbach consistently contradicts himself in thought, and it is this behavior that ultimately leads to his death at the end of the novel.

While Aschenbach’s inability to decide between two conflicting notions is often fairly obvious and spelled out for the reader, quite a bit of the novel’s diction enforces this idea more subtly. The book is peppered with phrases such as “proud shame,” “agreeably restless,” and “fatal gift” (16, 89, 96). Contradicting ideas are frequently juxtaposed together, causing confusion for the reader that echoes the confusion that Aschenbach experiences. Phrases such as, “surprising yet at the same time self-evident,” and “joy and agony of his soul” further enforce the internal struggle Aschenbach continually encounters when trying to make a resolved decision between two conflicting notions (26, 73).

In addition to the many small phrases used throughout the text, there are several notable overarching contradictions employed as well. Aschenbach’s relationship to Tadzio is perhaps the most troubling contradiction seen throughout the text. For example, Aschenbach generally refers to Tadzio, the boy he loves, as a thing rather than a person. When Aschenbach discovers Tadzio’s name, “He liked the sound of it: he found its euphony appropriate to the object in question” (57). Aschenbach holds Tadzio to a higher esteem than any other human he’s encountered; he loves the sound of his name as much as he loves the boy, and yet he continually refers to him as an “object.” Later, while watching Tadzio, Aschenbach describes him as “the chosen one looking up at his inferior, his servant” (81). Aschenbach refers to Tadzio as both an object, implying inferiority, and as being on the same level as a god, implying that he is the inferior in the situation. In addition, there is a moment where Aschenbach realizes that Tadzio has several physical flaws, implying ill health, and thinks, “He’ll probably not live long. And he made no attempt to account for why he felt satisfied or consoled at the thought” (62). Aschenbach loves Tadzio more than he can express, and yet he is slightly gladdened by the prospect of his death. This theme continues further into the text, and a similar sentiment ultimately leads to Aschenbach’s, and perhaps also Tadzio’s, death.

When Aschenbach learns of the disease raging through Venice, he is “feverish with agitation, triumphant in his possession of the truth, a repulsive taste in his mouth, and fantastic horror in his heart” (124). While he considers telling Tadzio’s family to leave, he passes up the opportunity to save him. He struggles with this decision, and experiences guilt after resolving to keep quiet. Here, the “fantastic horror” is too tantalizing pass up, despite its contradiction within itself. Once again, Aschenbach is plagued by indecision spurred by competing notions. His inability to come to a sound decision backed by logic causes him to stay in Venice, and presumably catch the disease that kills him when it could have been prevented.

The contradictory diction in Death In Venice is representative of the contradictions that consistently plague Aschenbach. These ultimately cause Aschenbach’s death, as his inability to choose between competing notions and make resolute decisions spur him to remain in the dangerous city that eventually kills him.

Words: 558