Buddenbrooks: Part 2, Chapter 4 Summary & Analysis

Six years after the Buddenbrook family moves into the house on Meng Strasse, Madame Antoinette Buddenbrook’s health takes a turn for the worse. Johann Buddenbrook sits beside his wife’s bed until her death, remaining stoic through it all.

After Antoinette’s death, Johann decides to retire from his role as head of the business. Johann Buddenbrook Jr. (the consul) assumes his father’s role. Johann falls ill shortly after the announcements are sent out, and he soon passes. Up to his death, Johann refused to acknowledge Gotthold. The consul writes Gotthold, pleading for him to visit Johann on his deathbed.

Gotthold appears at the Buddenbrook home, but the consul regretfully shares that Gotthold is too late—Johann died last night. Gotthold’s face falls. He asks if he can at least expect “justice from [the consul]” now that Johann has died. After a pause, the consul calmly explains that he has treated Gotthold “as a brother” during this time of sadness. But he’s the owner of an important business now, and he has to think about the business before all else.  

Still, the consul is touched to see Gotthold reappear later for the funeral. Gotthold has brought his family with him, too—his wife and their three young daughters, Friederike, Henriette, and Pfiffi. After the funeral, Gotthold offers to accompany the consul back into town, and the consul accepts. The consul is happy and surprised to realize that he gets along quite well with his stepbrother, Gotthold. Moreover, Gotthold tells the consul that he’s done spending so much energy and emotion fighting over his inheritance—he’s made peace with the injustice and is choosing to put it behind him.