Dekadenz und Konflikt in Thomas Manns Erzählung Mario und der Zauberer
Decadence and Conflict in Thomas Mann’s Novella Mario and the Magician

Summary/Abstract: This paper aims at complementing the vast biography regarding Thomas Mann’s literary production. It begins with sketching Mann’s complicated relationship with Italy and its culture and it later provides the reader with basic information regarding the subject matter, the origin, the content and the reception of the novella Mario and the Magician. The tale that this article focuses on is multilayered and may hence be interpreted in diverse ways: the paper, however, advises against interpreting it solely as an account of a holiday or as a picture of fascist Italy. In his paper, the author examines primarily the decadent aspects of the tale, which is less common in the academic research, he analyses the strategies used by Cipolla in order to control the masses, and looks briefly at conflicts in communication.

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