Death in Venice by Mann - Essay Example

Death in Venice Life and death are conflicting events in societies where human beings are confronted with the challenges of happiness and sadness or suffering and pleasure. It means humanity should search for a neutral ground that enables them to succeed and thrive without being weighed down by the challenges. Additionally, man should not indulge in too much obsession with earthly things because it often curtails the essence of enjoying life. In his book, Death in Venice, Thomas Mann presents a flawed writer now obsessed with a young boy named Tazdio and, hence, forsakes his art. This confusion implicates the main character, Aschebach, in numerous ups and downs in life that eventually kill him because his passions are uncontrollable. In other words, while passions and obsessions are inevitable things within existence, according to Mann, they should control one’s life to toward dying a miserable death. Similarly, virtues of honesty, patients, and obedience are integral instruments of charting one’s destiny toward prosperity and should be clouded by the biases of fleeting moments. These fleeting moments are evident in the protracted lifestyle of the former writer who is the chief character in Mann’s book and is unable to dedicate himself to the essence of art. I. Travel Death in Venice by Mann revolves around a character called Gustav von Aschenbach, a writer, in his fifties who has a commitment to his art because of a widowed past. Therefore, in Mann’s demonstration of Aschenbach’s struggle to find a balance, pertinent issues emerge worth noting. For example, in the protagonist’s travel, his encounter with the boy called Tazdio elicits a lot of issues that intertwine with the self-restraint of Northern Europe. This is evident when he displays no sensual feelings in Austro-Hungarian coast because there is nothing interesting during this journey (Mann 123). Instead, his decision to head to Venice transforms his thoughts when he spots a gang of ecstatic youths determined to replicate his life. Consequently, the manifestation of southern sensuality is exposed in Venice because he is now succumbs to passions of watching and admiring the boy who reminds him of his past. The themes of sexual obsession and nostalgia ring through the novel as Mann attempts to depict a character suffering from a gone past. By succumbing to passions, for instance, the writer wishes to analyze the need for human sympathy when faced with difficulties of a lost youth. Alternatively, the cool climate found in Venice is a suitable platform for degradation of his passions as continues observing his character when he walks along the streets. It is different from the warm evening that characterized Munich that did not permit him to exercise his intentions of obsessing over the boy. Again, the display of fiery passions that eventually consume Gustav von Aschenbach parallels the futility of existence. However, while it also narrates the complexities relating with other human beings, the author is determined to present a scenario of problems when an adult is unable to control his emotions and passions. II. Tazdio Tazdio is the boy that obsesses the central character in Death in Venice and Mann is determined to cast Aschebach as a fickle being devoid of control. In other words, by solely focusing on watching the boy, the writer intends to express the recurring theme of confused passions that usually afflict human beings in their later ages. Aschebach has forgotten his literary work, and, thus, spends time writing observing Tazdio instead of accumulating ideas for his next big work. Contrastingly, while Tazdio is an epitome of objects that fascinate humanity and, hence, distracts them from achieving their goals and objectives, he also reminds them of their past errors. In the story, Aschebach remembers his youth and the mistakes he did such as failing to appreciate some songs that were popular during his youth. The songs, however, now appeal because Tazdio and his friends are humming them along the streets. Another significant aspect with Tazdio is his power of interfering with the writer’s work while he enjoys time with others along the busy Venice streets. On that account, he ruins Aschebach’s art because the central loses his dignity of protecting art as a noble endeavor of deflecting the passions of life such as that occurring in the story. Love is described as an enslaving phenomenon without control as Tazdio continues to plague Aschebach in his life both at his hotel room and in the market. Alternatively, the death of the main character as result of the failure to stay near his fascination exposes the flaws of having a sad childhood. In that perspective, normalcy in childhood is vital toward transforming one’s future and exorcising the ghosts of nostalgia that course through the text by Thomas Mann. Overall, the death of Aschebach is a finality that characterizes the desperation and despair of balancing one’s passions and the nobility of art. III. Work Achievement of early fame for the Aschebach is one of the major contributing factors of his disillusion, despair, and desperation later in life. As a result, he cannot devote his time to art because the illness is affecting his wellbeing. Similarly, according to Mann, the portrayal of Aschebach as torn between the tragedies of corruption, passion, and poverty points to the complications of life. The defiance, therefore, of the protagonist assists in exploring the thematic concerns of using art to ferment rebellion in a conventional society that prevents one from enjoying his passions. Propagation of literary ideas is a fundamental step for artists especially novelists and this scenario proves hard for Aschebach in Death in Venice. It is because of protracted decisions involving the love for work in form of his art and obsessing of the young boy called Tazdio. Notably, the overcoming of one’s passions that is exemplified in Mann’s novels is connected to his heroes who display self-control. The self-control symbolizes the relationship between enjoying one’s passions and dedicating oneself to art as a liberating endeavor as noted in the protagonist found in Death in Venice. It equally explains the role and responsibility of art in mirroring the travails of flawed figures to ensure that they are dissected in terms of passions and struggles. A character such as Aschebach is a sign that art embodies internal and external struggle while Tazdio is the challenge of achieving the aesthetic character of such undertaking (Mann 156). Therefore, while searching for the benefits of restoring art is an important step to overcome suffering and despair that haunts Aschebach, the function of giving humanity cannot be gainsaid. This is because the roles run concurrently with one another toward attaining a common objective in the realm of existence. It, therefore, is imperative to learn the benefits of nurturing life while dissociating from wild passions such as those that persistently afflicted Aschebach in Death in Venice. This will ensure that internal satisfaction is not forced on watching people, but producing other works of art that interconnected with the improvement of general humanity. Aschebach as the exemplification of ordinary human being is a devastating consequence of suffering and despair in people lacking clear direction in finding their identities. Contrastingly, while happiness is a subjective matter for humanity, it’s harnessing is equally vital to achieving the intrinsic elements of motivation. On the other hand, traveling is another platform of widening one’s earthly experience as opposed to a fixation of stalking personalities as done by Aschebach in the text. Society should, thus, encourage people to discover themselves in order to derive a deep satisfaction that is not influenced by materialism. Work Cited Mann, Thomas. Death in Venice. New York, NY: SAGE. 2010. Print. Read More