Symbols, Symbolism and Irony in Thomas Manns Death in Venice Essay

Symbols, Symbolism and Irony in doubting Thomas Manns remainder in Venice In the novel Death in Venice, by Thomas Mann, an observer compliments the main character Gustave von Aschenbach by saying, You see, Aschenbach has always lived resembling this -here the speaker c drowse offd the fingers of his left hand hand to a fist-never like this -and he let his hand hang relaxed from the back of his chair (p. 1069). This is a stark(a) description of Aschenbach, a man set in convention, driven to practise from an early age, quite dull really. After all, his favorite motto was coincide fast (p. 1070). He has always kept his feelings in check, and never allowed himself to lose control of any aspect of his life. As the story progresses, however, the fist that is Aschenbach slow opens up until it finally releases all the pent-up emotion and desire. Wrought with symbol and irony, Death in Venice tells a tragic tale of unbridled lust, misspent youth, and the undo of a man, once so fi rmly in control his life, as he ultimately surrenders to a passion that overcomes him. Gustave von Aschenbach is a ren avowed and self-made writer, yet he is losing any passion he might leave once had for his craft. He has always been driven to achieve, and thus has spent no time in the pursuit of happiness or even simplistic pleasures. His life is entirely predictable. Too busy with the tasks imposed upon him by his own ego and the European soul, overly laden with the care and duty to create, too preoccupied to be an amateur of the gay outer world, he had been kernel to know as much of the worlds surface as he could without leave his own sphere-had, indeed, never been tempted to leave Europe (p. 1067). But he becomes banal of his day-to-day existence, growing di... ...t in Othello, If it were now to die, Twere now to be approximately happy.i2 Never again would Aschenbach experience such a moment of pass off bliss and perfection following this instant there was nothing lef t to live for. Notes 1 Mythology summaries taken from www.greekmythology.com 2 Othello, Act 2, Scene 1, lines 189-190 www.geocities.com/spanoudi/quote-19c.html whole caboodle CitedDeath in Venice, Thomas Mann, Michael Henry Heim (Translator) Publisher Harper undying (May 31, 2005) Othello, Act 2, Scene 1, lines 189-190 www.geocities.com/spanoudi/quote-19c.html Greek Mythology For Dummies www.greekmythology.com