Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Magic Mountain, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Time
Coming of Age
Death and Illness
East vs. West
Abstract Ideals vs. Lived Experience
Summary
Analysis
Joachim has been keeping in touch with Hans ever since he left. At first he writes with good news, detailing his rise through the ranks. By April, he’s become a lieutenant. Joachim was made to serve in the military, and his postcards convey his happiness at his new life in the service. But in late spring, things take a turn for the worse: he’s been put on a sick list and put on bed rest. Things improve by June, but then he’s ordered to rest again. It’s clear that he’s worried he’ll miss out on major tasks. At last, Hans receives a telegram from Joachim’s mother telling him that the military has recommended Joachim return to the Alps and to reserve two rooms. Reading this, Hans is overcome with joy: Joachim will be back! He laments Joachim’s bad luck, though, noting the misfortune that his body has turned on him.
Joachim’s post-Berghof life has followed the same grim trajectory as that of the typical residents who choose, against Behrens’s advice, to re-enter society before they have fully recovered. Joachim accepted the risk involved in returning to his military service prematurely, and now he must accept the consequences that have come his way. Though Joachim, whose sense of duty has guided him all along, may still prefer facing these consequences to remaining at the Berghof and squandering his time and shirking his responsibilities.
Themes
When Hans relays the new to Behrens, Behrens isn’t surprised at all. Hans spreads the news of Joachim’s return to all the residents, and they receive this news with a mix of sadness and happiness. Soon, Joachim and his mother Luise Ziemssen arrive, and it’s just like Hans’s arrival, only the reverse. Hans is shocked to see Joachim dressed in civilian clothing—he’d been picturing Joachim in his uniform. Joachim calls him naïve. Luise greets Hans, trying to appear happy, but it’s clear she’s very worried about her son.
Joachim’s civilian clothes—and his remark about Hans being naïve—underscores his frank, practical personality. His uniform is useless to him now that he’s too ill to serve in the military, and so wearing it would serve only as an empty, meaningless gesture. It would also convey a misguided optimism that he will improve enough to be able to return to his service. Joachim’s civilian clothes, then, reflect what he has accepted (and what Hans has not): that if his condition changes at all, it will only be for the worse.
Themes
In the dining hall, Frau Ziemssen remembers that she recently met a young woman, a fellow patient, who wanted her to pass on her regards to Hans. Joachim confirms, quietly, that the woman is Frau Chauchat. Hans manages to conceal his emotions, feigning nonchalance. Frau Ziemssen explains that Clavdia plans to go to a sanatorium in Spain but wants to return to the Berghof that winter. Though Hans tries to conceal how Frau Ziemssen’s news has affected him, it’s made obvious by the ensuing awkward silence .
Hans’s reaction to Frau Ziemssen’s information about Clavdia reveals that he still has feelings for her. The detail of her asking Frau Ziemssen to pass on her regards to Hans, though deeply interesting to Hans, doesn’t bode well for his future. Hans has remained at the Berghof so long at least partially out of hope that Clavdia will return. That she has communicated with him indirectly may reinvigorate his willingness to wait for her return, extending his stay at the Berghof even further.
Themes
Joachim settles back into life at the Berghof, and Hans accepts it as his job to comfort and reassure his cousin. He insists that Joachim’s time here will heal him and that he’ll return to his service before he knows it. Settembrini stops by to welcome Joachim back, and Hans and Joachim resume their visits to Naphta, too. In short, things pick up where they were before Joachim left.
Hans’s eagerness to comfort and reassure Joachim reads as naïve and foolish. It illustrates his lingering immaturity. But it also suggests a shift in his character. Early in his stay at the Berghof, he resented residents and staff who ignored or denied the reality of death, illness, and suffering. Now, he foolishly promises Joachim that Joachim will be fully recovered in no time—an outcome that Hans can’t possibly believe to be true.
Themes
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On one of Hans’s visits to Naphta, Naphta broaches the subject of freemasonry, noting that Settembrini belongs to the society. Naphta, of course, speaks critically of the organization, emphasizing the historical excesses of their rituals as well as its influence in world politics. When Hans later confronts Settembrini for his insider’s perspective, Settembrini dismisses Naphta’s criticism about the society being political, noting that “everything is politics.” And, what’s more, the task of the Freemason is a noble one: it's about governance and the improvement of humanity.
Naphta’s attempt to discredit freemasonry by attacking its influence in world politics reflects his broader vision of reality, which divides the world into a physical or earthly realm and a spiritual realm. He is suggesting that freemasonry’s involvement in earthly, political matters taints its higher spiritual aims. Settembrini’s counterargument that “everything is politics” reinforces his own vision of reality, which contradicts Naphta’s. To Settembrini, there is no difference between earthly, political concerns and higher, spiritual concerns. All spiritual aims have underlying human motivations.
Themes
Hans next asks if Settembrini or the Freemasons in general believe in God. While there is no unified group of Masons, Settembrini explains that if there were one, their motto would be Écrasez l’infâme (“crush the evil thing,” meaning the Catholic Church). In general, Masons would maintain that metaphysical are evil, since they distract people from the important task of improving life on earth. When Hans muses that it's “terribly Catholic” to deny God in this way, Settembrini launches an attack on the Protestantism of Hans’s native Germany, suggesting that Protestantism and Luther, its creator, possess dangerous “Eastern” traits.
Settembrini’s disdain for metaphysics (which broadly encompasses philosophical concepts of an abstract nature, such as being, knowledge, and time) is somewhat ironic given that the humanism he practices in his own life is limited to abstraction and theorizing—his theoretical belief in humanity does not improve humanity in any practical, measurable way.
Themes
Settembrini continues, expressing his concern for the fate of modern Europe, which lies in Germany’s hands. The country must choose between the Eastern and Western spheres it is trapped between. When Hans doesn’t respond, Settembrini criticizes Hans and Germany’s profound silence and rejection of “the articulate world,” which he deems dangerous.
Settembrini’s claim that Germany is trapped between Eastern and Western spheres seems to gesture toward the German Empire’s alliance with the “Eastern” influence of the Ottoman Empire, which fought on the side of Germany and Central Powers in World War I, and Germany’s historical embrace of “Western,” Enlightenment ideals.
Themes
One day, Settembrini and Naphta engage in a very public altercation outside, which Hans, Joachim, Ferge, and Wehsal witness. The altercation takes place in front of the Kurhaus. The four Berghof boys are there having food and drinks when they run into Settembrini, and then Naphta stops by too. The conflict kicks off after Naphta criticizes Virgil, whom Settembrini values above all poets. Settembrini shoots back that the early Church would go out of its way to warn people against the lies of ancient poets and philosophers, but what they really feared was education. Ultimately, Settembrini concludes that his and Naphta’s fight is a conflict “between literature and barbarism,” and Settembrini is confident he knows which side the intelligent, impressionable youth will always take. Hans can’t help but think this last comment is directed at him.
Naphta’s critique of Virgil reinforces his disdain for the physical, earthly realm. Settembrini’s retort criticizes the early Church’s denouncement of ancient poets and philosophers, whose ideas underly Settembrini’s humanist values of human progress. When Settembrini notes specifically that Naphta’s position is rooted in a fear of education and that his fight is a conflict “between literature and barbarism,” Settembrini is warning Hans not to be seduced by Naphta’s logic, which is confused, illogical, and will compromise Hans’s ability to reach intellectual maturity.
Themes
Settembrini and Naphta fight back and forth, with Settembrini asserting the voice of reason, progress, and humanism, and Naphta standing as the voice of “disciplined love” and religious experience. Hans is a bit distracted throughout the argument, though, noting how sickly Joachim appears. On the way home, Hans convinces Joachim to get his sore throat examined and get something to alleviate his suffering. The head nurse comes by Joachim’s room later, peers down his throat, and confirms that he’s come down with a cold. She leaves him with some medicine and bandages. After Behrens examines him, it’s clear that Joachim won’t be making another “fraudulent” exit from the Berghof. He needs to make a full recovery if he wants to return to his military service.
Earlier, Hans wanted to believe that suffering ennobles the sufferer. Now, he insists that Joachim receive treatment to alleviate his suffering. This dissonance reveals Hans’s naivety and inexperience, as well as the superficial, tenuous nature of his ideals. At the end of the day, he fails to translate his abstract, hypothetical ideals into tangible action. Joachim, on the other hand, will have the chance to prove his unwavering commitment to his own ideals: he made a “fraudulent” exit from the Berghof to honor his duty as a soldier, and now he may pay for that act with his life.
Themes
Hans starts seeing a fearful expression in Joachim’s eyes. Once, he sees this expression in the dining hall when Joachim chokes on something and coughs so hard he can’t catch his breath. He runs from the dining hall to finish his coughing in private. He returns a while later, smiling and apologetic.
Joachim’s fearful expression indicates his growing awareness that he may soon die. Hans is the protagonist of this coming-of-age story, but it seems that Joachim will be the first young character to reach self-awareness.
Themes
Later, Behrens examines Joachim’s throat and determines that it will have to be painted every day. He sets to work preparing the cauterant. Later, Hans tries to comfort Joachim, insisting that Behrens knows what he’s doing and will cure him. Joachim doesn’t respond. Gradually, the “honor-loving” Joachim grows dismal and obstinate. He stops making eye contact and spends a lot of time alone out on his balcony.
Joachim’s condition worsens. While Hans seems to be in denial about the increasingly real possibility that Joachim will die, Joachim’s obstinance and dismal mood suggest that he has finally realized that his commitment to honor has sealed his fate. His premature return to his military service has caused his health to deteriorate, and now he must accept the consequences.
Themes
After many failed attempts, Hans manages to get Behrens alone to interrogate him about Joachim’s health. Surely, Hans asks the doctor, Joachim’s condition is “harmless,” right? Behrens scoffs at Hans for always wanting everything to be “harmless.” He accuses Hans of asking him to sugarcoat the truth in order to comfort him—of not being able to accept struggle. Joachim, Behrens declares, is just the opposite: he sees things how they are, accepts them, and says nothing. He knew the possible consequences of his choice to return to the military, and now he’s accepting what’s come his way. In short, he’s a real man.
Hans’s foolish belief that Joachim’s condition is “harmless” illustrates his naivety. It also reveals that his earlier insistence on dignifying and accepting death was theoretical. When faced with the reality of Joachim’s imminent death, Hans’s ideals fall apart, and he reverts to denial. Joachim, on the other hand, who has never shared Hans’s philosophical interest in death, steadfastly and honorably accepts the reality of his own mortality. Whereas Joachim’s coming-of-age journey ends with self-acceptance, Hans’s self-education stagnates.
Themes
Hans realizes the implication and confirms that things don’t look good for Joachim. Behrens explains that Joachim’s larynx is rapidly deteriorating. He urges Hans to be good to Joachim these next six to eight weeks. From then on, Joachim has his throat painted daily. He can’t eat normal foods anymore, for fear of choking, and he’s served stew and porridges instead. Hans and Joachim continue to take daily walks together, but Joachim keeps his head down and doesn’t speak much. His eyes look sad all the time. When Hans accidentally walks in on Joachim talking with Marusya—whom, out of honor, he never once dared to speak with in all the months they sat at the same table—Hans knows that all is lost.
Behrens’s advice to Hans to be good to Joachim in the time Joachim has left is practical rather than philosophical. Joachim’s attraction to Marusya conflicts with his ideals of honor and duty, so he always suppressed his feelings for her. That Joachim finally speaks to her now indicates to Hans that Joachim has abandoned his honor, an act he would never be able to live with under normal circumstances. This is why observing Joachim with Marusya is what finally makes Hans realize that Joachim will soon die.
Themes
Soon, Joachim is bedridden. It’s clear from his eyes that he wants his mother there. Behrens signs off on this, and Frau Ziemssen arrives as soon as possible. When she looks in Joachim’s eyes, it’s clear to her and Hans that Joachim knows he’s dying. After his mother arrives, it becomes difficult for Joachim to shave, and a week later he has a thick, black beard. His face changes too, and it seems to Hans that in Joachim’s final hours of life, he becomes an old man.
Joachim’s careful, regular grooming was another way he maintained his sense of honor. His beard is thus further evidence that he has accepted his imminent death. The beard, combined with the weathered appearance of his face, makes Joachim look older than his years. This symbolizes how his illness has forced him to grow up and achieve self-awareness prematurely.
Themes
Joachim dies at seven o’clock in the evening. Hans and Frau Ziemssen are in the room with him. When it happens, Luise Ziemssen runs from the room crying, so it falls to Hans to gently “close the eyelids of the motionless form that no longer breathed.” A nurse notifies Behrens, who comes to the room and silently observes Joachim’s corpse. Behrens remarks that Joachim’s “honor was the death of him,” or perhaps it’s the opposite: “death did him the honor.” Not long after, arrangements are made for Joachim’s body to be transported home. Soon, the coffin arrives. Hans lifts the corpse from the bed and places it inside. Two days later, Joachim appears to smile under his beard, and Hans is glad the professionals will soon pick up the coffin and take it away.
The description of Joachim as a “motionless form” indicates Hans’s acceptance of Joachim’s death. He realizes that the figure on the bed is no longer Joachim: it’s the body Joachim used to inhabit. Behrens’s remark that Joachim’s “honor was the death of him” implies that Joachim’s commitment to honor was foolish and caused his untimely death. When he corrects himself, suggesting that “death did him the honor,” he suggests that there’s actually something noble about Joachim’s death: it signifies that he lived and died by his principles, a level of commitment of which few people are capable.
Themes
