Coby Koehler
Professor Ned Williams
English 251
3 October, 2017
Achenbach’s Guide to the Underworld Hermes, the guide of newly dead souls to the underworld, has long been a prominent figure in mythology and a powerful archetype. In Thomas Mann’s book, “Death in Venice”, the author uses the young boy Tadzio as an archetype of Hermes as expressed through his actions and what he means to Gustav von Aschenbach, as well as how Aschenbach sees him. Tadzio effectively leads Gustav from his life at home as an author in Munich, out to a life of excitement in Venice and leads him to his death. The references to how the young boy looked gave the impression of a man out of Greek legend or that of a Greek statue of their view of perfection. Aschenbach …show more content…
And, as he had done so often, he set out to follow him” (62). In his last moments of life, Achenbach envisions Tadzio as his guide, taking him away from there into a new life, in which Achenbach willingly departs for that journey to the next life. Tadzio was showing Achenbach the way to death and was inviting him to take it with him as he walked out into the water. He already gave the idea that he was ready to submit himself to Tadzio and was ready for what came next as described when, “at that moment he felt this casual greeting die away and grow silent in the fact of the truth that was in his heart; he felt the enthusiasm in his blood, the joy and pain in his soul, and realized it was for Tadzio’s sake that the departure had been so hard on him…then he raised his head and with his two hands, which were hanging down limply over the armrests of the chair, he made a slow turning and lifting motion, bringing the palms upward, as if …show more content…
He fulfills the role of Hermes through his appearance and through the role he plays in guiding Aschenbach out of Munich and into Venice, and to his death. Aschenbach views him as the “psychagogue” (64) of Hermes as he is dying, and he surrenders himself to the boy in hopes that he will take him to a better life after death. Mann uses Tadzio as an archetype to greatly advance and enrich the story through the application of the Greek myth of Hermes as the influence in Aschenbach’s existence that brings him to a new
Professor Ned Williams
English 251
3 October, 2017
Achenbach’s Guide to the Underworld Hermes, the guide of newly dead souls to the underworld, has long been a prominent figure in mythology and a powerful archetype. In Thomas Mann’s book, “Death in Venice”, the author uses the young boy Tadzio as an archetype of Hermes as expressed through his actions and what he means to Gustav von Aschenbach, as well as how Aschenbach sees him. Tadzio effectively leads Gustav from his life at home as an author in Munich, out to a life of excitement in Venice and leads him to his death. The references to how the young boy looked gave the impression of a man out of Greek legend or that of a Greek statue of their view of perfection. Aschenbach …show more content…
And, as he had done so often, he set out to follow him” (62). In his last moments of life, Achenbach envisions Tadzio as his guide, taking him away from there into a new life, in which Achenbach willingly departs for that journey to the next life. Tadzio was showing Achenbach the way to death and was inviting him to take it with him as he walked out into the water. He already gave the idea that he was ready to submit himself to Tadzio and was ready for what came next as described when, “at that moment he felt this casual greeting die away and grow silent in the fact of the truth that was in his heart; he felt the enthusiasm in his blood, the joy and pain in his soul, and realized it was for Tadzio’s sake that the departure had been so hard on him…then he raised his head and with his two hands, which were hanging down limply over the armrests of the chair, he made a slow turning and lifting motion, bringing the palms upward, as if …show more content…
He fulfills the role of Hermes through his appearance and through the role he plays in guiding Aschenbach out of Munich and into Venice, and to his death. Aschenbach views him as the “psychagogue” (64) of Hermes as he is dying, and he surrenders himself to the boy in hopes that he will take him to a better life after death. Mann uses Tadzio as an archetype to greatly advance and enrich the story through the application of the Greek myth of Hermes as the influence in Aschenbach’s existence that brings him to a new