La mort à Venise

The city’s decaying beauty seems intertwined with the protagonist’s moral and physical deterioration. Did anyone else see Venice almost as a character in its own right?

Thomas Mann’s choice to focus on beauty’s destructive side feels so deliberate. I wonder if personal experiences or philosophical ideas influenced this portrayal.

The characters’ flaws and desires seem to blur the lines between right and wrong. How did others interpret the protagonist’s moral choices throughout the story?