A comparison of Death in Venice and Baron In the Trees

Solitary individuals often exploit different views on our world, sometimes accompanied by a ‘disharmonious’ way of living, as we can see in these two books. The concept of a distant view on life, is applied in both works, be it Gustav von Aschenbach’s artistic dilemma in Death in Venice or Cosimo’s escape from rules and regulations by leaving the natural life on the ground, to live beneath the sky yet above the earth, in Baron in the Trees. What is it then, that drives them? Is it the pursuit of perfection, of utmost beauty? The wish to live independently, free from the humdrum routine of an earthbound existence? Or perhaps they are merely engaging in a quest for romance? Both of the lead characters are different from the rest; both are hermits in their own separate ways, and their views on our world are accordingly diverse.

Death in Venice, written by Thomas Mann in 1912, is a symbol-laden story of aestheticism and decadence. Gustav von Aschenbach is an ascetic German author with a sense for discipline and formal perfection in literature, and writes thereafter. Upon travelling to Venice for vacation purposes, he encounters a young

This novel undoubtedly deals with the role of the artist in society, and houses numerous images and both historical and mythical figures. However, what perhaps demands greatest attention is the symbolism. The theme, as described by Thomas Mann himself, is the “fascination with the death idea”, and we see examples of this all throughout the novel. While some of the symbolism is blatant, there are occasions that require the reader to be alert of, or even consciously probe for it, and in order to successfully understand the point, the reader must be aware of Aschenbach’s endeavours early on. The symbolism of death is most obvious, ranging from the skeleton-like exotic stranger (pg.198-99) encountered in the opening, to the gondolier (pg. 215-17), evidently embodying Charon, ferryman of the Styx in Hades. Nevertheless, let us focus on Aschenbach’s role in society, in this recounting of the tale orbiting around a once morally resolute man losing command of himself over a disorderly desire, illustrating the triumph of disaster over the powers of discipline.

The Baron in the trees is a slightly different novel, but comprises some of the same features. Set in late 18th - early 19th century Italy, it tells the story of the protagonist, Cosimo Piovasco di Rondo, a rebellious nobleman who, at an age of twelve, reacted against his father’s authoritarianism, and the unfairness of being forced to eat the most gruesome dishes of decapitated snails and other indelicacies prepared by his sister. He took off to the treetops, as boys of that age are wont to do. However, unlike other boys, he never came down. In this lie his philosophical - as well as physical -terms of rebellion. Cosimo is angered not only over the fact that he has to eat his snails, but also over the discipline and strictness of the entir

Some topics in this essay:
Noble Savage, Thomas Mann, Tadzio Obviously, Cosimo Piovasco, Aschenbach None, Hades Nevertheless, Baron Trees, Calvino Solitary, Quixote Enlightenment”, Venice Cosimo’s, death venice, baron trees, gustav von, thomas mann, von aschenbach’s, views world, life trees, gustav von aschenbach’s, di rondo,