William Kinderman
University of Illinois

The Motive of the Gaze ("Blick") in Thomas Mann's "Der Tod in Venedig" and Richard Wagner's "Tristan und Isolde"
1418 Van Hise


While the general importance of music for Thomas Mann is well recognized, the specific relationship of “Der Tod in Venedig” to Wagner’s “Tristan und Isolde” rewards close attention. Mann knew Wagner’s drama intimately, and drew on the composer’s autobiography, which was published as the novel was written. Especially important is the motive of the gaze or “Blick”, which has roots in Wagner’s main source, Gottfried von Strassburg’s “Tristan.” Mann’s propensity toward irony is abundantly evident, and the import of Wagner’s symbolism is often inverted, as is the narrative structure as a whole. Analysis reveals an extensive network of Wagnerian parallels whose import is very different from the Tristanesque resonances of “Buddenbrooks.”