Summary:
Essay discusses Mann's use of classical allusions in "Death in Venice."
Throughout the novella, Death in Venice, Mann tells of the infatuation of the greatly respected, although ageing Gustav von Aschenbach for a young polish boy, Tadzio, who appears to von Aschenbach as the epitome of perfection. The novella was written by a method that was termed, by Mann, "myth plus psychology" because, to all intents and purposes, it mixes the two elements equally. Although it could be appropriate to describe von Aschenbach a paedophile in any other circumstances, Mann uses classical and divine references to give the infatuation a level of class that it could not otherwise have had. Right from the beginning there is the constant discussion about 'order' and 'chaos', already linking to Nietzsche's theory of a balance between the Apollonian (order) and the Dionysian (chaos).
The constant referencing to ancient mythology often appears as.....
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