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Part 2, Chapter 2
Themes
and Colors
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Buddenbrooks, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Family and Sacrifice
Tradition, Modernity, and Change
The Protestant Ethic
Personal Fulfillment and Self-Knowledge
Pretense and Etiquette
Summary
Analysis
As time passes, Thomas—“destined from birth” to inherit the family business—excels in his studies and grows into a disciplined young man. Christian, meanwhile, is a mischievous prankster.
Thomas starts to shape up despite his initially lackluster performance in school. The unstated cause of this is clear: as the eldest son, he is “destined from birth” to inherit the family business. Christian’s mischievousness, meanwhile, establishes him as more independently minded or self-indulgent: he does whatever brings him pleasure and doesn’t care about how his family feels about it or how his behavior might reflect negatively on his family.
Active
Themes
But Christian and Thomas get into trouble together sometimes, too. Christian is especially mischievous. One time, the Buddenbooks are eating at the dinner table when Christian picks up a peach and takes a bite. Then, mid-bite, he asks would happen if he accidentally swallowed and choked on the peach pit. Suddenly, the bite of peach still in his mouth, Christian flinches in alarm and groans. Ida Jungmann gets up in a panic to help the apparently choking child, but then Christian returns to his former state of calm—he was only joking. The consul and Johann scold him.
Active
Themes
