Study Guide for Thomas Mann's Death in Venice
Freud's
structure of the unconscious mind
Nietzsche on
Apollonian and Dionysian tendencies
Read
about Nietsche and the birth of modernism at the History Guide
The text of Plato's
Phaedrus (Jowett trans.)
The
Getty Kouros
Discussion Questions
- This novella was written in 1912. What was Europe like at
that time? What kinds of comments are made about Europe at the
beginning of the story?
- What kind of person is Aschenbach? What is his personal
history?
- How is Aschenbach affected by the man in the cemetery? Who
is this man? What does he represent?
- Why does Aschenbach decide to leave Munich?
- Is it important that this story takes place in Venice? What
kind of place is Venice? Is its geographic location significant
in any way?
- In what ways does the novella comment on the idea of art and the
artist?
- This novella is filled with allusions to classical and Christian
culture. Are there allusions to any works of literature we've
read this semester? Look up some of these references in a good
encyclopedia and explain their significance. What is the effect
of these allusions? (The best resource for this is the Encyclopedia
Britannica in the library; if you're off campus, try Wikipedia.org.)
- Read about Freud's
structure of the unconscious mind. How does Mann's novella
explore these ideas?
- Read about Nietsche's
views on Apollonian and Dionysian tendencies. Which
tendencies does Aschenbach exhibit, and where, and how?
Bibliography
[in progress]