ENGLISH 125D Lecture Notes - Lecture 23: Syphilis, Death Drive
Document Summary
On the other hand, leverkuhn"s lamentation is composed after the death of his young relative nepomuk, whose innocent adrian has fallen in love with. Classic mann trope - child as object of unwholesome affection (not sexual but) innocence stands in as a way to cure corroded adult. Nepomuk means echo, of leverkuhn"s own lost childhood lamentation of absolute despair at loss of innocence. Syphilis has 2 stages fever: indicates infection final fever: advanced symptoms; anticipated by death of nepomuk in advanced disease, leverkuhn composes final lament - not the opposite of the. All comes to a head in 1945 - all allegorical elements condensed in this moment. Zeitblom writes this 2yrs after the fact, from perspective of knowing what"s happening in the war. Speaks to nature of allegory: favorite form for ppl writing about political dictatorship. Allegory allows writers to speak of the mechanics/the how of power - actually lets you speak more directly to it because it"s general.
