The Magic Mountain as a Political Observatory Darin Heinz College

The Magic Mountain by Thomas Mann, is a novel of dizzying richness, complexity and depth. It discusses topics as varied as European social and cultural decay, philosophical treatments on the mystery and vagaries of Time and the clash of East versus West. Mann weaves this tapestry of ideas throughout his novel that is set high in the Swiss Alps. In addition to these subjects, Mann examines the struggle of freedom verses compulsion, liberty versus authoritarianism, and reason versus credulity. The pre-World War I setting of “Magic Mountain” is appropriate for this debate since these questions would tear Europe, and the world, apart during the 20th century. Mann uses two specific characters to represent these polar positions. On the one side is the Italian humanist Ludovico Settembrini, an idealistic, intellectual man of letters. Settembrini represents and defends the ideals of the Renaissance and Enlightenment and their social and political fruitage: individual freedom, reason, republican representative government and a hope and belief in human progress.

On the other side and opposed to Settembrini intellectually, philosophically and politically is Leo Naptha. Naphta defends and glorifies disease, irrationality and the need to...