« Contraste comique à la fascination pour la mort ». Le personnage de Lodovico Settembrini dans Der Zauberberg

Abstract

The starting point of this article is a letter from Thomas Mann to his brother Heinrich dating from November 8th, 1913. The writer mentions his turmoils and freely admits to habe trouble deciding on a political view. He explains this crisis by “an increasing closeness for death”. In The Magic Mountain, Thomas Mann gives him main character, Hans Castorp, the same problematic attitude towards life, the same fascination for death. However, from the start he sets up his character Hans Castorp with a humanistic mentor, Lodovico Settembrini, who is supposed to be a “comic counterpart to death fascination”. Settembrini constantly reminds Hans Castorp about his duties; he brings forth the importance of work and the commitment for democracy, thus referring to Heinrich Mann’s Zola who has the “gift for life”. As Clawdia Chauchat’s nemesis, Settembrini will never be able to assert himself. Only at the end of the novel he will be valued and have lost all silliness.