What is the main conflict in Disorder and Early Sorrow by Thomas Mann?

The story examines the life of the Cornelius family as they prepare for a party at their home. Through their simple preparations, the reader is given a glimpse into daily life of 1920s Germany during the last years of the Weimar Republic. Frustrations over the country's economic instability and social upheaval constitute the undercurrent of his tale. Professor Cornelius, the patriarch of the family and a professor of history, finds safety and stability in his profession. He says that "the past is immortalized; that is to say, it is dead; and death is the root of all godliness and all abiding significance."