Sophomore College 2000



INTRODUCTORY LETTER:

Dear Magic Mountaineer,

You're receiving a copy of the novel now, and I am counting on you to read it at least once during the summer. During sophomore college, in September, we'll go through it again (along with some critical literature), but it's very important that you make it through the novel in advance. You may think it will take a lot of time, but in parts, it's a real page-turner. And pay attention to the problem of "time" in the novel.

To help you, here are some other issues you might consider.
  1. The Magic Mountain is generally considered a "bildungsroman," a novel of education, and we obviously follow Castorp's learning process. What is education about? What kind of growth does it entail--in the novel and, closer to home, at the university?

  2. Space: think about the geography of the novel, not only where the main "action" unfolds, but also the other codings of geography. Who comes from where and why? What is East and what is West, and what do they imply?

  3. I've already forewarned you about time. How does time flow in the novel? Can you find passages where the past "erupts" into the present? What about repetition? or memory, and tradition?

  4. The novel is surely about issues in the humanities, but there is plenty of science too. Remember Castorp's background. Does the Magic Mountain explore the relationship between art and science? What if you think about medicine as part of science as well? How does the novel wonder about the relationship between the two cultures?

  5. Art and science is one binary pair; enlightenment and romanticism is another, that is played out in the duels between Castorp's mentors. Who wins, Settembrini or Naphta? Are you more convinced by one than by the other?

  6. Think about some of the other framing figures: Joachim and Clavdia. Do they stand for philosophical principles, for ways of living? What about Peeperkorn?

  7. The "Snow" chapter is often considered a core of the novel. What theory of culture does it convey?

  8. and finally, what do you make of the novel's conclusion (I won't give it away here). Is this the outcome of all that education? the necessary outcome? an ironic outcome?


Consider these questions as guides that may help you through the novel. Enjoy it. I'll see you in the fall.

Cordially,

Russell A. Berman