Death in Venice and Cat and Mouse Essay

Thesis: The contradiction between one’s public image and unadulterated feelings or desires is a dominant theme in Death in Venice and Cat and Mouse. Both use minor characters to help represent this theme as well as foreshadowing plot. Minor characters may often be overlooked in literature as the reader’s attention is focused on the major characters. However, minor characters are, in fact, an important contributor to theme and plot. On comparing Death in Venice and Cat and Mouse, a similar theme arises; the struggle in human nature between what is conveyed on the surface and what is happening beneath. The minor characters represent this struggle in the major characters, while foreshadowing their fate. In Thomas Mann’s novella, the reader is invited to witness Aschenbach’s struggle with admitting his love for Tadzio, while maintaining his respectable reputation. When examining the old man on the boat and the poor singing quartet, it is clear that the appearance and manner of the minor characters are very similar. They portray Aschenbach’s inner torment and foreshadow his tragic fall from grace. The minor characters in Gà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½nter Grass’s novel represent somewhat differently Mahlke’s actions (participating in the war) conflicting with his inner beliefs. The undermining of the priest and the behaviour of Mahlke towards the lieutenant commander symbolize Mahlke’s struggle and foreshadow his joining the military. Mann’s characters are clearly portrayed as grotesque relating to Aschenbach’s tragic fall from grace, while Grass’s characters are respectable men in society representing his true feelings about the war. The struggle and fate of the Aschenbach personified in the minor characters is arguably more evident in Death in Venice simply because there is one protagonist. Nevertheless, both novel and novella effectively use the minor characters to contribute to this theme and foreshadow plot. In the beginning of chapter three in Death in Venice, Aschenbach is faced with his first unsettling encounter when he meets the old man on the vaperetto. This minor character represents Aschenbach’s hidden desires beginning to expose because of the conflict with youth and age. A description of the old man is given on page 211. â€Å"The company on the upper deck consisted of a group of young men†¦chattering, laughing†¦One of the party, who wore a light yellow summer suit of extravagant cut, a scarlet necktie and a rakishly Panama hat, was the most conspicuous of them all in his shrill hilarity. But, as soon as Aschenbach took a slightly closer look†¦his youth was false. He was old, there was no mistaking it. There were wrinkles round his eyes and mouth. His cheeks’ faint carmine rouge, the brown hair†¦was a wig, his neck was flaccid and scrawny†¦his yellowish full complement of teeth†¦was a cheap artificial set, and his hands with signet rings on both index fingers were those of an old man.† (pg. 211) This quote signifies the truth (the man’s real age) trying to be disguised through make-up, flashy attire, artificial teeth, and young company. Aschenbach’s own struggle for admitting his love for Tadzio and concealing it is being introduced. The old man tries to mask the reality of his age similarly to Aschenbach failing to recognise his true feelings for Tadzio. Aschenbach must deny his inner desires, and hide them from the public eye, as he is a venerated writer. More importantly the grotesqueness in the old man’s forgery of his age foreshadows Aschenbach’s tragic fall from grace. The minor character is said to be â€Å"flaccid† and â€Å"scrawny† indicative of frailty much like Aschenbach’s impending state that consumes him and brings him to his tragic death. Disguising the truth can also be seen in Cat and Mouse through the priest, Father Gusewski. It can be argued that he takes advantage of Pilenz by exploiting his spiritual position. For example, on page 123 Pilenz describes the priest’s occasional â€Å"wanderings of his hands†¦down [Pilenz’s] back†¦to the waist of [Pilenz’s] gym shorts†¦Ã¢â‚¬ , and Father Gusewski uses the power of his spiritual position to defend his behaviour when he says that it was Pilenz’s â€Å"catholic soul he was looking for†. The priest’s inner desires are concealed through his position much like Aschenbach’s are through his. Mahlke’s conflict is in his spiritual inner self conflicting with the inevitably of joining the war. Eventually, he conforms to society and ignores his true opinions of the war. Perhaps, the undermining of the priest foreshadows Mahlke’s efforts to ridicule the lieutenant when Mahlke steals the medal. Also on page 123, the narrator discusses the priest’s attempts at changing his name to sound more Germanic. The priest is in a way complying with the war similarly to Mahlke. Perhaps, the priest’s actions foreshadow Mahlke’s surrender of his faith when he temporarily joins the military. Similarly, the lead singer in the â€Å"beggar virtuoso† lies to Aschenbach when he conceals the truth about the cholera epidemic. The arrival of Aschenbach’s death is once again stressed by the appearance and manner of the minor character. However, there is a development in the grotesqueness of the character, perhaps, demonstrating a progression in Aschenbach’s fall from grace. Words such as â€Å"savagely†, â€Å"grimacing†, â€Å"grotesque†, and â€Å"stench† infer a more sinister aura to the minor characters. The alliteration simply emphasises the filth of the lead singer. This development further depicts the extent of Aschenbach’s inner torment surfacing. Also, with the juxtaposition of opposite societies, the reader is made aware of the conflict between Aschenbach’s inner desires and his image for the public. A hint of sarcasm underlines the singer’s response to Aschenbach’s question about the disinfec tions. The many short, repeated questions and exclamation points seem over-enthusiastic as if the singer is laughing inside and mocking Aschenbach. â€Å"A sickness? But what sickness? Is the sirocco sickness? Is our police a sickness†¦? The signore is having a little joke! A sickness! Certainly not signore!† (pg. 254) Then the singer’s laughing that followed is described as â€Å"shrieking; he pointed his finger up at the guests, as if that laughing company above him were the most comical thing in the world† (pg. 254). Perhaps, the laugh is allegorical of Aschenbach’s opinions of his love for Tadzio. Maybe, Aschenbach is ashamed of his feelings, and feels he is being exposed. The laugh may also be directed towards the visitors and their ignorance of the cholera epidemic. Hence, conveying the future, deadly prospects of the guests and especially Aschenbach’s. Mahlke’s reaction to the lieutenant is similar to that of Aschenbach’s towards the singer. There is an atmosphere of discomfort, exposure, and conflict during the lieutenant commander’s visit on pages 88 through 96. â€Å"Mahlke hadn’t wanted to attend†¦Mahlke began to tremble before the lieutenant commander had even opened his mouth. Mahlke’s hands clutched Mahlke’s knees, but the trembling continued†¦Sudden movement of [the lieutenant’s head]†¦Mahlke trembled, feeling no doubt that he had been recognised, but he hadn’t†¦When [Pilenz] had turned around toward Mahlke, he was gone†¦the only reason why Mahlke had caught [Pilenz’s] attention†¦was that he didn’t join in the laughter†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (pg. 88-96) Mahlke feels uncomfortable around the lieutenant as he trembles and does not laugh with the other boys. If the lieutenant delineates the war, then Mahlke’s attitude towards it is clearly that of someone opposing it. Juxtaposing the hero and the anti-hero represents Mahlke’s inner struggle. He cannot avoid joining the military, yet it goes against his inner beliefs. Mahlke must conform to society and conceal his real opinions much like Aschenbach does his. Mahlke’s dissidence with the war efforts is evident again in his attempt to steal the lieutenant’s medal. This foreshadows Mahlke’s accordance with the military as he has broken the law, and positions himself closer to the lieutenant who is symbolic of the war. In both texts, the minor characters embody the struggle of the major characters, while signifying their fate. The minor characters are, in effect, literary motifs used to symbolize theme and plot. In Death in Venice, Aschenbach must appease his love for Tadzio, as it cannot be unmasked for the public’s eye. However, the famous writer succumbs to the power of his desire and stays in Venice despite the many warning signs, and he is led to his death. The same occurs in Cat and Mouse when Mahlke refuses to return to the military at the end of the novel. Mann and Grass carefully demonstrate the influence minor characters have on the text as a whole. Through characterising the minor characters and including them in the larger scheme of things, the importance of their role is made very clear.