The Magic Mountain book report - detailed analysis, book summary, literary elements, character analysis, Thomas Mann biography, and everything necessary for active class participation.
Analysis
The Magic Mountain won the Nobel prize in 1929 and is considered to be one of Thomas Mann's greatest works as it took nearly 10 years to complete. This award-winning novel follows the emotional and philosophical growth and development of the main character (Hans), due to this growth process the novel is considered to be bildungsroman; a novel whose main concern is the changes within the characters themselves.
The theme is fairly simple, as it follows 23 years old Hans Castrop who, during the summer and a few weeks before his internship (at the shipyards) is due to commence. Hans travels to visit his cousin Joachim Ziemssen, who has been curing his long health issues in the Swiss Alps. Hans thought that staying in the sanatorium for three weeks would be enough for him to take a break and get ready for his upcoming internship.
Upon arriving and spending some time at the sanatorium, he is convinced (or convinces himself) that he is ill and that he needs to extend his stay to be cured. As time passes, Hans becomes ever so and completely comfortable with the comfortable life in the sanatorium and refuses to leave. It transpires that Hans ends up staying there for seven years.
This main and simple theme is then overtaken by a secondary theme, which becomes the main 'guts' of the novel. This secondary theme is largely built on Hans' monolog and self-dialogue where he expresses philosophical views on almost every element of daily life.
The main discussions are about time and love but they are so cleverly placed into the plot that the reader doesn't even see the transition between the philosophical discussions to the plot. The author builds his characters on every lever - their childhood, growth, past, present life, important events, their words, thoughts, and descriptions.
The characters are complex, in some cases morbid and almost surreal, their characteristics are completely common but decorated with a certain spark of insanity, which is just enough for us to notice how eccentric they are without declaring them crazy. Due to all of these eccentricities they (the characters) are humorous, just like the novel, but from an ironic perspective. Through the characters, the author takes the opportunity to make fun of social conventions, human characteristics, and certain "types" of people.
Through the lifestyle of the sanatorium's patients, the author describes a decadent world that is almost identical to the lifestyle of the aristocrats, however, he makes it clear that the patients have an excuse for their lack of work. Mann emphasizes that the illnesses are imaginary, therefore the state of the patients in this sanatorium is outlined by two things.
The first, by the staff who make something out of nothing and essentially treat the healthy as if they were ill or potentially ill. The second is the patients who are by nature, hypochondriacs, staff makes them rest all the time, eat a lot, avoid any physical effort. In the end, this kind of lifestyle becomes accepted and the characters develop a repulsion for any other form of living, exactly what happened to Hans. He was well aware that his lifestyle was good for nothing but the only thing keeping him away from the guilt for eating too much, getting a lot of sleep, and doing practically nothing with his life was the belief he was ill.
Apart from these two major themes, the author works on many others such as the love story between Hans and a married Russian woman and the relationship between Hans and his cousin Joachim.
This novel is a complex, one-of-a-kind masterpiece that is very easy to read and understand. It sheds light on the world we live in, the society which surrounds us, and human nature.
The author expresses his opinions and his character's opinions which aren't always the same. He caused discussions between critics and readers alike which was later revealed in Germany during WWI.
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Literary Elements
Genre: novel, bildungsroman
Setting: sanatorium Berghof in the Swiss Alps at the beginning of the 20th century
Point of view: first-person
Narrator: an omniscient narrator
Tone: humorous,
Mood: calm
Theme: a story of a young man Hans Castorp who goes to visit a cousin in a tuberculosis sanatorium
Summary
Chapter One
The main character, young Hans Castrop takes a train to the Swiss Alps, he sets off for some rest before his internship at the shipyards. Hans comes from a wealthy family and is used to living a comfortable life. Knowing that with the commencement of his internship he is about to start living the 'low life', more precisely the lower standards than what he was used to, this caused him a lot of anxiety. To get as much rest and ease his mind he sets off to the sanitorium in the Swiss Alps where he is also able to visit his ill cousin.
The train went high up the mountain until it stopped in front of a village. Hans heard his cousin's voice, despite knowing the train did not reach its destination, he got out. His cousin Joachim Ziemssen has been there for nearly 6 months, and he planned on staying even more, which surprised Hans who thought his cousin would be going back with him in three weeks. Joachim told him he shouldn't think about his return because in three weeks many things could happen. The two young men headed for the sanatorium in which Joachim was recovering from lung problems.
When they reached the sanatorium Joachim took Hans to get settled in his room. An American woman died in that room the previous night, but it was cleaned before Hans' arrival. He wasn't pleased to hear this, but he was more bothered by the coldness in the room. Joachim explained it was the mountain air and that with time he will adapt to it.
The two of them went to have some dinner and drink wine. Joachim complained about missing a lot of his life being in the sanatorium and that he is supposed to stay for another six months. Hans started getting sleepy from the wine and headed straight to bed. On the way, he met doctor Krokowski and told him that, despite being a healthy man who was in no need of medical attention, he will be staying there for three weeks. The doctor was surprised because he had never met a man who was mentally and physically completely healthy.
Hans felt uncomfortable in his bed because he knew a woman had died in it but he tried not to think about it. He had many dreams through the night.
Chapter two
Hans was left an orphan as a child, when he was five, he lost his mother, and his father died three years later. Hans lived with his grandfather Hans Lorenzo Castrop. His grandfather loved him and told him many of his life stories. After a year and a half, his grandpa also passed, forcing young Hans to change his way of life and residence.
He went to his new guardian, his late mother's uncle, the consul Tianappel who had power over the boy's estate. He sold most of it, took over the accounts of Hans's family company, and paid himself for taking care of Hans. He was a widower with two kids, and he was very esteemed in the community. Tianappel had a servant who took care of the house, cooking, and Hans. Hans's health was weak, so the doctor told him he had to drink a glass of wine daily. The wine would make him sleepy and slow him down, other than that he was a healthy child.
Hans loved observing the sea and nature, overall he lived a good life which continued when he started college. He was an average student, not too bright and not too dull. Hans decided to study shipbuilding for two reasons:
- Ships were the only thing he liked and
- His family friend had a shipyard and promised him a job when he finishes his studies.
Hans didn't like to work a lot, despite appreciating work, but this job would guarantee him a good salary, good social standard, and not too much strenuous work.
Before he started his internship, the doctor recommended a trip to the mountains because working on his final exams wore him out. The logical choice was to visit the sanatorium in which his ill cousin Joachim was. Joachim was lonely and miserable because he was sent to get treatment just as he was supposed to become an officer.
Chapter three
The first morning Hans woke up early enough to do his pre-morning routine, even though he thought he would sleep through the entire morning because he was very tired. After shaving, he went to the balcony where he heard noises for the room of a Russian couple.
Since he was a perfect gentleman, he stepped back inside, but the walls were so thin that he could hear everything that was going on in the next room. It made him angry and put him in a bad mood.
On the way to breakfast with Joachim, Hans told him all about the unpleasant morning he had and said that he was interested in a woman he saw wandering the forest next to the sanatorium. Joachim told him she was a Mexican woman whose two sons were in the sanatorium. One of them had to come to get cured and the other one, after visiting his brother, just decided to stay there. Hans felt some desire to meet the Mexican woman despite her inability to speak English. She only knew Spanish and didn't communicate with anyone from the sanatorium.
The breakfast was delicious and there was plenty of food. Hans was surprised by the mood and appetite of the patients, despite appearing ill and complaining about having a fever they all had big appetites. All of the patients were there for months.
Joachim introduced Hans to the counselor Behrens, he complained about Joachim being a bad patient stating that Hans will clearly be better. He noticed that Hans suffered from anemia and suggested that both of them should regularly check their body temperature.
Hans and Joachim went for a walk with Hans smoking a cigarette during their walk. They would encounter people who would laugh at Hans and then he realized he didn't enjoy his cigarette. He thought it was because of the heat he has been feeling ever since he arrived at the sanatorium. Joachim calmed him down saying everyone seems to like that until they adapt to the climate changes. Hans asked whether many patients died that Joachim knows of and he says that they have but that the staff always tries to hide the real number because they don't want to upset the other patients.
The only thing Joachim witnessed was the death of a very young woman. She was happy and perky for a while until she got severely ill and when the priest came to visit her, she started yelling and shouting, which was uncommon for dying patients. That wasn't the only case in which a patient "refused" death.
All of a sudden a stranger stopped next to the young man. It was Mr. Settembrini, a well-mannered Italian who was about 30/40 years and was educated. He wondered about how long Hans would be staying and which diagnosis he had. Settembrini was surprised to hear he will only be there for three weeks because the minimum was about a month. No one ever stayed less than a month.
Settembrini told him about the rumor that Dr. Kafka was poisoning his patients to keep them in and earn more money, but the men perceived those rumors to be false. All three of them went back to their rooms, and the cousins noticed Settembrini's room was facing the other way, so they thought he had no money for a better room. All in all, Settembrini made a good impression on Hans.
Joachim was ordered to rest on the balcony, so he went there with Hans. He took his Russian Grammar and studied because he thought that the knowledge of Russian would serve him well when he goes back to the army. He checked his temperature, and they started talking about the time. Hans thought it was entirely subjective while Joachim thought it was objective considering we have a whole system for measuring time. Joachim's temperature was 37.5 which was bad, but still better than the night before. Hans went back to his room because he didn't want to bother Joachim anymore and he rested on the balcony.
After an hour they heard the bell, which indicated it was snack time. The young men went to the dining room where milk, oatmeal, and fruit were being served. Hans didn't feel well after breakfast, so he didn't want to drink any milk. He asked for wine, and the staff brought him a beer which was similar to the type of wine he asked for. The beer made him a bit drunk, his body weak and his cheeks warm. He didn't speak another word and held on to Joachim. After the snack, he wanted to go to bed, but it was time for another walk.
They went to the nearby place, and Hans smoked another cigarette, despite not enjoying it (again). He was completely tired but still tried to establish a conversation with Joachim. They talked about the other patients and Hans mentioned his heart has been racing for a while, and Joachim noted he was a bit pale. After returning to the room, Hans fell asleep.
He was woken up by the bell which indicated it was lunchtime. The lunch was rich and filled with all kinds of food. They ate a bit too much, and Hans observed the people around him. Someone entered the room banging the door, and it upset Hans a lot because someone had already done the same thing during breakfast and snack time. He decided to see who this rude person was and to his surprise, it was a young Russian woman.
After lunch, Hans barely dragged himself to the balcony for their obligatory after-lunch rest. He fell asleep while his heart was still racing, wondering why he felt so different up here. It was tea time, followed by dinner. During dinner, Hans had another beer, and it got him a bit tipsy again. After dinner, he spent some time with Mr. Settembrini. He had another obligatory rest on the balcony with Joachim.
Joachim wrapped Hans in blankets, but Hans was still cold, despite feeling like his head was on fire. He forced himself to smoke another cigarette despite not enjoying it again. In the end, got so tired that he went to sleep but when he came to his bed, he couldn't fall asleep. When he finally managed to get some shut-eye he had some crazy, senseless dreams.
Chapter Four
On the second day of Hans's stay in the sanatorium, the weather was beautiful and warm, but already on the third day black clouds emerged on the horizon, and it started snowing. Hans was surprised by the weather change, and Joachim explained that up in the mountain the weather changed often. The next day Joachim and Hans went to buy blankets for Hans.
On their way back they encountered Mr. Settembrini who complained about the heating in the sanatorium. As soon as the snow stopped, they would turn off the heat. Mr. Settembrini talked about his father who always kept his study warm while Dr. Krokowski punished them with coldness. Hans told them that he always considered patients to be smarter and more spiritual than healthy people, so it was unusual for him to listen to one of the patients who was extremely shallow and stupid.
Mr. Settembrini started a long monolog about how his opinion was wrong. He considered that popular opinion to only emerge out of pity for the ill who aren't considered people but bodies since, from the moment they become ill, no one cares about their bodily functions anymore.
After parting ways with Mr. Settembrini, Hans noted that they weren't allowed to say anything wrong around Mr. Settembrini because he would correct them like some sort of a teacher. The young men also parted ways to get ready for lunch which was about to start in an hour.
It didn't take much time for Hans to adapt to the sanatorium's lifestyle. He didn't enjoy working anyway, so the obligatory resting, slow walks, and everyday leisure fit in with his routine perfectly. On one hand, he thought that the time was passing by extremely slowly in the sanatorium but on the other hand, he remembered perfectly the day he came and every day that flew by since. All in all, both Hans and Joachim were happy about his arrival there.
Hans didn't completely adapt to the lifestyle on the mountain, and he didn't think it would be possible to adapt in the three weeks. In his everyday routine, he started noticing and experiencing new things. For example, he saw a dying person for the first time.
Soon the cousins met nurse Berta, a woman who wanted to talk to one of them desperately, and when she finally achieved her goal, she wouldn't let go of them. She would look at them with her big eyes and stop them with another story. Hans talked to the Mexican woman, and it made him think how he always preferred the company of sad people. It might have been a consequence of his parent's death because of which he didn't feel anxious if someone talked to him about their problems. He also didn't feel repulsed by coffins. He thought them to be nice pieces of furniture, even when empty.
Hans kept on noticing changes in his everyday life. For example, every other Sunday, the sanatorium would host small concerts. All of the patients would dress nice, there would be flowers, and everyone would talk. Hans drank beer and smoked which provoked laughter. Mr. Settembrini came late because, according to him, he didn't do anything by order, not even if the order was to listen to music. He mentioned young men who, like Hans, came to the mountain perfectly healthy but then started suffering from a horrible fever. Hans saw nothing bad or threatening in it. He couldn't keep up with a long conversation because the beer and cigarettes made an influence on him.
On Monday Dr. Krokowski held his usual lectures to the patients and Hans wanted to be present. On Monday morning he told Joachim he didn't want to spend so much time resting because it was bad for his health. He decided to take a long walk every day after breakfast. He will even take some food to have on the way. He went up the mountain, singing and cheerfully walking. It became hard for him to walk like that (singing) but he didn't give up until he collapsed under a tree. He wanted to go back when the surroundings amazed him.
He sat on a bench, and his nose started bleeding. He lay on the bench and thought about his friend from school. Hans for some reason loved him in school and wanted to meet him again. During an art class, he asked him to lend him a pen and Hans drew proudly with it. That was about it. Hans woke up from his contemplation and went back to the sanatorium but he barely had the strength to get up and walk. He asked a carriage driver to help him because he wanted to come in time for the lecture.
Hans came just in time. He sat next to Madame Chauchat, he wasn't too pleased with this because he looked awful and he hoped to get some rest during the lecture, but next to Madame Chauchat he felt nervous, his heart pounded, and he couldn't stay calm. The lecture was about love which, for Hans, was a boring and inappropriate theme. After the lecture, Hans told Joachim that he didn't enjoy his walk and that he will stop with that activity.
On Tuesday Hans received a bill for his week in the sanatorium and he paid for it. In the dining room, he waited for Madame Chauchat to enter and slam the door. It would upset him every time. An old professor, Mrs. Engelhart, would always talk to Madame Chauchat, complimenting her on her looks, behavior, and elegance. Hans would tease her about it trying to get information about Madame Chauchat.
He found out she was married to a Russian official who never came to visit her. She has been in the sanatorium for three months, and this was her third time visiting it. Her name was Clavdia and Hans thought it suited her. He felt the same connection with her that he felt with his classmate. The feeling of strong excitement and his heart pounding every time he would even think of her.
Hans didn't want to engage in a love affair with Clavdia. He thought he could never be with a married, slightly rude, and not well-behaved woman that slammed the doors and who was ill or "rotting inside" as Hans referred to it. For him, the excitement of seeing her was enough, and he would spend his time thinking about seeing her again. He never even thought about making a move because he was going to leave in two weeks.
His stay at the sanatorium seemed shorter and he didn't look forward to his departure. Hans got used to that lifestyle despite his health getting worse. It was his second week, and after paying another bill, he calculated how much money he would need to pay for a whole month or even a year. The number was significantly smaller than his yearly income. Hans thought that the time just flew by. He couldn't even remember the days in which his departure seemed to be far away. He remembered that every patient stayed with her for at least a month and now he knew why.
Hans also had compassion for his cousin who will stay in the sanatorium. He told him that he didn't get any rest in these three weeks. He also felt he was getting cold and because of that he called the nurse. She told him that there is no such thing as a cold; only minor and larger infections. She sold him a thermometer and told him to check his temperature regularly.
Hans checked his temperature, and it was a bit alarming. The news about it spread across the sanatorium, and he made an appointment with the doctor. The next day the doctor told him he knew from the start Hans was a patient and not a visitor. He was probably ill from the day he got there, but now his condition got worse. He heard there was something wrong with his lungs which wasn't good because his mother died because of lung problems. Dr. Krokowski ordered Hans to stay in bed for four days until he decides what to do with him.
Chapter Five
Joachim felt ashamed in front of his family for Hans's illness. He believed he was responsible for him, and he felt guilty for the way things turned out. Hans told him it wasn't his fault and that it wasn't like everyone was eager for him to get out. Both of them agreed to tell Hans's uncle everything in a letter. Hans thought he would only extend his stay for a few days, but Joachim knew this place better, and he was sure Hans wouldn't be leaving anytime soon.
Joachim thought Hans should buy some more things because he came with a small suitcase.
Since he spent his days in bed, they all seemed to be the same to him. In the morning he would be visited by doctors, he would get his breakfast, he would be visited by his doctor again, then Joachim, after which he would eat his lunch, have his nap, and soon it would be dinner time. It was like that every single day.
Once Mr. Settembrini came to visit him. He told him about a new patient coming to the sanatorium. He also commended Hans for making himself at home in the sanatorium. He wasn't only a guest, but a full member.
After three weeks in bed, the doctor finally lets Hans get up and join the other patients. He probably wouldn't have done it if Hans hadn't asked. He thought that no one paid much attention to his return to everyday life but he had proof Chauchat noticed. Professor Engelhart told him she was visited daily by a certain man from the village and that Behrens was painting her portrait. Hans's temperature rose up when hearing the news.
Eight days after his last checkup Hans and Joachim were invited to see the doctor. While they were waiting in line Madame Chauchat appeared and Hans's heart started racing. He could barely hold himself together when she asked them if they had an appointment. Joachim talked to her because, unlike Hans, he didn't fancy her much. After the check up, the doctor ordered the cousins to relax, stay in bed, eat and drink and check their temperature.
It was October already. Hans wrote his uncle a letter stating he was doing fine in the sanatorium. He told him he was ill and that if he comes back home, he would probably end up back in the hospital. He asked for 800 pounds a month to pay for the bill and ended the letter. All of the writing caused a heatwave in his face, so he checked his temperature. His temperature was high, and he also mentioned it in the letter.
The next day Hans was even more in love with Chauchat. The two of them would glance at each other, stumble upon each other by accident until Chauchat gave him such a sharp look it hurt him for the next few days.
The cousins felt a bit better, so they decided to take a walk. On the way they encountered Chauchat and Hans greeted her and she did the same which caused a lot of excitement and joy in Hans. His temperature got higher that night due to all the excitement.
One day after lunch Joachim and Hans sat in the garden and Hans didn't like it because he wanted to talk to the other patients before going to their obligatory noon nap. Hans smoked his cigarette, used to not enjoy it, and then Behrens approached him. After talking about cigarettes Hans asked him whether he was interested in painting. Behrens talked all about his hobby with Hans asking to see some of his works.
Behrens took him and Joachim to show them his paintings and Hans recognized Chauchat's portrait which was so bad that he wouldn't even recognize it if he hadn't known it had to be there. Hans praised his work and made him talk about his model. He found out that Behrens knew Chauchat better than him, but only physically.
Soon winter came, and Hans feared it. He was already cold during the night and now he was getting cold during the day. The heating in the sanatorium was very bad but it didn't seem to bother anyone other than him. There were a lot of talks and plans to make for Christmas even though it was still far away, and Hans felt uncomfortable thinking about Christmas because it will be the first time he spends this holiday away from his family.
When Christmas came, the patients weren't in the mood. They didn't want to eat the festive food, cake or receive gifts from their loved ones. The day after Christmas was just like any other ordinary day and nothing changed.
Five months have passed since Hans came to the sanatorium and a year since Joachim came there. On Tuesday, they went to see the carnival in the village. In the evening they had a party after dinner. It was particularly amusing when the council had to draw a pig with his eyes closed. The others wanted to try but only had three pens.
Hans liked it so he asked to join in but he couldn't get a decent pen and went looking for one. He was a bit tipsy, and he walked angrily to Chauchat's room to ask for a pen. She had one and gave it to him, but by the time they got back to the tables, the party was dying out. Hans and Chauchat sat down and talked. They even flirted for a while and then Hans declared his love for her. She called him her "prince of the carnival" and then left, mentioning she will need her pen back.
Chapter Six
It has been six weeks since Hans borrowed the pen from Chauchat and when he returned it he too got something in return. Joachim was getting more and more dissatisfied with his state because it seemed to him like he would never go home and start his work in the army.
Chauchat left the sanatorium after the carnival and it was supposed to be a short leave, but she was already gone for six weeks.
Additionally, Mr. Settembrini announced he would be leaving too. He had already said he will be leaving when he gets better or loses all hope of getting better. The doctor told him he might stay his whole life in the sanatorium, so he decided to live in a village near the sanatorium.
Hans started getting interested in astrology because he watched the stars every night on his balcony, wrapped up in a blanket. It was still cold, even though it was spring. Joachim was getting more and more nervous, and he talked a lot about war and politics with Mr. Settembrini and Hans. While Joachim was with the doctor, Hans would walk to the place in which he felt ill, and his nose started bleeding all those months ago. It didn't happen to him anymore because he adjusted to the weather and his health seemed to be getting better, except for the fever he always had.
Hans and Joachim went to visit the tailor in whose house Mr. Settembrini lived. They talked to him about many philosophical matters. These conversations were necessary for Hans because they gave him something to think about during the day.
August came and a year has passed since Hans came to the sanatorium. The sanatorium celebrated the holidays, but it didn't celebrate the anniversaries of their patients. Joachim was still nervous about not leaving. He would often threaten to leave, and Hans was worried about him. He couldn't even believe his cousin, because of whom he came to the sanatorium, would leave him there alone.
On his next checkup Joachim told the doctor he would be leaving the sanatorium for eight days and then joining the army in three weeks. It was after the doctor told him that in 6 more months in the sanatorium he will be completely cured. The doctor was surprised by his reaction but he still gave his permission. He asked Hans whether he would be leaving with his cousin and he left that decision to the doctor. The doctor told him he was ready to travel and Hans tried to change his mind.
Joachim was proud of himself for standing up to the doctor, but Hans was shocked. As soon as he came into the room, he wrapped himself up in a blanket and checked his temperature. He was still running a fever and he told Joachim about it. He didn't respond. Joachim "accidentally" smashed his thermometer so that the fever wouldn't stop him from leaving. Despite his problems, he was looking forward to his departure.
It was a beautiful fall day, Joachim couldn't sleep that night, and right before breakfast he left. Hans chaperoned him to the train station, and Joachim asked him to join him soon. Hans was alone in the mountain.
When Joachim left Hans got a new place in the dining room; it was Mr. Settembrini's old place. His uncle James Tienappel came to visit. Hans treated him in the same way Joachim treated him when he came. Tienappel was surprised with his nephew's behavior, just like Hans was surprised with Joachim's behavior at first. Tienappel intended on staying for eight days and he was sure that Hans would leave with him. Hans smiled and told his uncle he needed to relay and see how things were done there.
After breakfast, they met Behrens who, only after a glance, was sure James had anemia and that he should stay longer in the sanatorium as his cousin did. James followed up with the everyday life of the sanatorium. He ate and slept like everyone else. It did him good because he felt a certain amount of fatigue, coldness, and warmth at the same time.
On the sixth day, the doctor talked to James. After the conversation, James stayed the rest of the day in the sanatorium, paid the bills, took care of the papers, and snuck out to catch a train the next day. Hans was sure he ran away despite the message he left him about a job emergency. Hans was happy about the way things worked out.
It was a very snowy winter, Hans had a desire to buy skis and learn how to ski. Any sports activity wasn't allowed according to the hospital's rules because the thin air in the mountains could affect the patient's lungs. Mr. Settembrini encouraged him to try it before he lost the will to do it.
Once, during his activities, he met with Behrens, but he didn't recognize him. The peacefulness and quietness of the mountains under the snow were everything Hans needed but still, he felt happy seeing the people in the sanatorium. This activity woke up a feeling of confidence he hadn't felt in a long time.
Once Hans went skiing in the afternoon. He lost track of time, and the dark came earlier than expected. Hans got lost in the forest when a blizzard started. He was completely lost and extremely cold. In the end, he found a small shack, and he hid there until the storm passed. Hans drank some wine he had on him and felt an instant wave of weakness. He fell asleep dreaming all sorts of things. He woke up only to realize he had been asleep for ten minutes. The blizzard stopped, and he went back to the sanatorium.
Hans constantly received letters from Joachim. He first attended a university and then he went to study to be a petty officer and then an officer. He seemed happier than ever until he started getting ill and had to miss out on some of his practices. His state got so bad that his doctor told him he had to go and spend some time on the mountain. His mother booked him a room in the sanatorium, and she went with him.
Joachim and his mother came three days after letting Hans know they were coming. Joachim was unusually excited about being back, like a man who came back home after being away for a long time. He and Hans changed rules the day Hans arrived at the sanatorium. Joachim was cheerful until his mother mentioned his exams which made him lose his desire to do anything.
Behrens told Joachim he had to stay in the sanatorium for four weeks to adapt to the weather and recover. Behrens told Joachim's mother that he should be fully recovered from the fall but he didn't mention whether he had to stay in the sanatorium for that long. Joachim's mother stayed there for eight days and then went to Hamburg. After four weeks of rest, Joachim's temperature was low enough to get out of bed. The cousins proceeded with their lives before Joachim's departure.
They visited Mr. Settembrini to lead philosophical conversations and after one of them Joachim's temperature went up. His throat hurt and he was diagnosed with tuberculosis. He had to be examined every day and they prepared especially soft food for him. The patients started treating Joachim with a great deal of respect, calling him "mister office". Joachim spoke little. He would go walking with Hans but his mood was terrible, and Hans was clearly worried about him.
Soon the doctor forbade Joachim from getting out of bed. It got hard for him to eat so they put him on liquid food. This didn't worry Hans as much as catching Joachim talking with a girl he fancied for a long time as if nothing was wrong. He has liked her ever since he saw her for the first time. Hans called his mother to let her know about Joachim's state. It seemed as if he was dying. Joachim made peace with his state and the near-death. Behrens gave him a few more hours to live and in the end, he died next to Hans and his mother.
Chapter Seven
On the shortest day of the year in one year, Chauchat came back to the sanatorium. She came accompanied by an older man Mynheer Peeperkorn and it surprised Hans. He knew Chauchat was coming back but he had no idea she wasn't coming alone.
After arriving Chauchat didn't pay much attention to Hans until, a few weeks after leaving, she came and asked about his cousin. Hans talked to her as if they knew each other for years and as if she wasn't a woman, which offended her a lot. Peeperkorn interrupted them and called them to come and socialize with other people.
Peeperkorn was a man who had the spirit of a leader. He talked loud, and everyone listened and obeyed him. He likes to eat a lot and drink red wine and coffee. Soon he got ill and stayed in the sanatorium until spring. Hans often went to have his philosophical discussions and he also talked to Chauchat while Peeperkorn was in bed.
Hans declared his love for Chauchat again but still had an indifferent tone of voice with her. He asked her if she was in love with Peeperkorn and she said that she loved the fact that he loved her and that she wasn't ready to refuse that kind of love. Hans understood her, and they gave each other a "Russian" kiss.
Before this occurred, Peeperkorn asked Hans if he loved Chauchat. He explained the reasons why he asked that question and then asked if they were lovers the first time she came to the sanatorium. Hans said no and described their relationship as platonic. Two men felt very close while talking about Chauchat so, in the end, they parted ways in a very friendly way. In the end, Peeperkorn's illness made him very weak and made him kill himself leaving Chauchat a "widow".
Chauchat left the sanatorium, and Hans was left empty and dejected. He wasn't even excited when the doctor told him his state was getting better. His temperature was still changing so the doctor thought it might be streptococcus. Hans started his treatment, but it didn't influence his health. He seemed to be indifferent towards everything, not only his life and health but existence itself. Everything was meaningless for him.
The only thing that kept him going was playing cards, and he exchanged that obsession for another one; the gramophone. The sanatorium had one, and it amazed everyone. They would play records and enjoy the music. Hans was in charge of the gramophone. He was completely dedicated to his job and it filled him with passion. The music inspired some new thoughts and philosophical conclusions in him.
Elly came to the sanatorium and she could speak to the dead. Krokowski had a few seances with her and the other patients. In one of those seances, Hans saw his late cousin. He had his office clothes and his cheeks looked run-down. Hans's eyes filled with tears and he left the séance.
After spending years in the sanatorium Hans noticed that the spirit of the sanatorium was changing. People were getting agitated and angry. They would get in confrontations and sometimes they would get so ill the doctor couldn't save them. Mr. Settembrini was invited to a duel by one of his friends, and everyone was getting ready to see the show. Before it started Mr. Settembrini told Hans he wasn't a murderer and that he will not become one. When the duel started Mr. Settembrini shot up to the sky and it made his friend so angry that he called him a coward and he killed himself.
Hans Castrop stayed in the sanatorium for seven years. He was the only patient no one ever asked for his health, and they didn't question how long he would be staying there. A lot of things happened. Hans's uncle died but it didn't affect him much. He lost all contact with the outer world. He didn't even order cigarettes anymore because he found some new cigarettes in a nearby village.
On a summer day, while Hans was resting, lighting struck near the sanatorium. It woke him up and made him leave the sanatorium. He packed up his bags and said goodbye to Mr. Settembrini. Hans went to war and the author never revealed whether he died there.
Characters
Characters: Hans Castrop, Joachim Ziemssen, doctor Krokowski, Behrens, Madame Chauchat, Settembrini, Naphtha, Peeperkorn.
Hans Castrop - a young 23-year-old engineer who planned on visiting his cousin at a sanatorium for three weeks, but he got comfortable with the life up there and decided to stay for seven years. Hans lost his parents as a child after which his grandfather and then his uncle took care of him. His family-owned factories, so he was used to living the good life. He studied to be an engineer because he loved ships and he already had a job offer.
Hans didn't like to work but respected work a lot. He was ill enough to rest, but not ill enough to watch out for everything. He had enough time to think about life and he considered himself to be a philosopher. Losing his parents at an early age made him a cold person. Even when he fell in love, he kept his distance from the person he loved. He kept his distance from Chauchat. It was enough for him to just look at her. He considered her to be ill and unworthy of him.
In the end, he changed and so did his approach to people. He used to be a poster boy for high society young men - lived the way he wanted to and anything that deviated from his lifestyle he considered to be rude and disrespectful. With time he started breaking his own rules and subordinated himself to a decadent, non-working lifestyle. By the end of the novel, he realized what he had done and he left the sanatorium to join the army where he probably died.
Joachim Zemssen - Hans's cousin who spent six months in the sanatorium before Hans's arrival. He warned him that time was counted differently in the sanatorium and that he would spend more than three weeks there. Joachim was shy and he spent his childhood with Hans because his father was Hans's guardian.
His life ambition was to join the army and become an officer so it was hard for him to spend all of that time in the sanatorium. He couldn't wait to get out but he still bowed down to the doctor's opinion who constantly kept him in the sanatorium. He thought himself to be too young to spend his years locked up and according to him, his years were of the essence to build a life.
In the end, he got out despite the doctor's opinion. He kept on with his studies, and when he finally tasted happiness, he had to go back to the sanatorium. He was supposed to be there for a few weeks, but he got stuck there again. When he started to get weaker, he died. Joachim didn't die because of his illness but because he was deprived of everything he ever wanted in life. Joachim gave up on himself, and it killed him.
Behren - one of the doctors and the counselor. He had some issues and he used his power to manipulate the patients. Throughout the novel it isn't clear whether he manipulated them on purpose, convincing them they were ill, exaggerating their illnesses, and making them take all kinds of medication despite some of them not being ill at all. He played God, imposed himself as an important person in the small sanatorium, and it isn't clear if he thought everyone around him was ill.
When he met Hans he told him he had never seen a healthy man which indicates his belief that everyone was ill. For him, it was only a matter of how many people he will be able to convince that they are ill. For him every sneeze was deadly, every cough was tuberculosis and, as all sanatorium staff did, he asked everyone to check their temperature daily and made the patients spend weeks in bed. Time was relative for him and weeks in bed and years in the sanatorium meant nothing to him. Behrens had a God complex. Everyone who disobeyed him was scared of the thoughts of death and he even gloated when someone would die.
It is questionable whether he cured anyone and his methods caused more illness than health. The proof of that was people constantly coming to the sanatorium but never leaving. Most of them were left in a coffin.
Madame Clavdia Chauchat - a beautiful Russian woman who loved being the center of attention and she got Hans's attention by slamming the doors every time she would enter or exit the dining room. Hans thought it was a sign of a bad upbringing. Even though he didn't consider her to be elegant or beautiful he was drawn to her. She was married and she still flirts with men.
When she met Hans, Clavdia pretended to be insulted by his behavior but it was all a lie. She felt good about having his attention. Clavdia left the sanatorium and when she came back, she wasn't alone. She claimed to love the man who came with her because he loved her. Her love with Hans was never anything more than just flirting.
Mr. Settembrini - had about 30-40 years and he was Italian. Hans likes him because of his philosophical opinions and strong personality. He always spoke his mind, talked a lot, and added some Italian phrases to his conversation. Mr. Settembrini was the only one who advised Hans to pack up his things and go before it became too late. He was the only one who saw how the sanatorium worked.
His desire to die free made him leave the sanatorium but he still spent time with Hans. He always encouraged Hans's ideas which were against the sanatorium's rules. He encouraged Hans to the very end, and when Hans finally decided to leave the sanatorium, he was happy for him. Even though he came off as an intrusive man Mr. Settembrini was a positive character, a critic of the world he lived in and he didn't accept the rules if they had no logical background.
Biography
Thomas Mann was a significant German author who made his mark in the German literature of the 20th century. He won the Nobel prize for literature in 1929.
Mann was born in Lubeck, Germany in 1875. After his father passed away, he moved to Munich in 1891 where he went to high school. Later on, he went to a university, and he studied history, economy, art history, and literature to get prepared to be a journalist.
After finishing his studies, he worked in insurance, and then he started his writing career. His first work was "Gafallen" published in 1896 and his first significant work was "Little Mr. Friedemann" published in 1898 and it, later on, became the title of his book of short stories.
His novel "Buddenbrooks" was declared the German novel of the century. It was published in 1901 and then Mann started writing short stories and plays. In 1903 he published a book named "Tristan" in which he perfected his play-writing skills and then he published "Fiorenza".
Mann got married and started his own family. He lived a successful life marked by his glory in literature. His most significant work in those times was the story "Death in Venice". From 1913 to 1924 he wrote "The Magic Mountain". During that time, before World War II, he was banished from Germany but he continued his writing. He published a novel cycle in four parts "Joseph and his Brothers", a novel "Lotte in Weimar", and "Law". When the war ended he published "Doctor Faustus" and his final novel "Confessions of Felix Krull".
In 1952 he lived in Switzerland with his family and he still pursued his writing career. After getting seriously ill he passed away in 1955.
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