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Part 5, Chapter 4
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
After Consul Buddenbrook’s death, Bethsy becomes more religious, seemingly out of respect for her late husband’s memory. She starts holding weekly “Jerusalem Evenings,” which she requires Tony, Clara, and Klothilde to attend. About 20 older women attend the meetings, during which they eat, drink, and read hymns and sermons. Most of the attendees are from Bethsy’s social circle. Tony resents these gatherings and tries to convince Bethsy that just because a person claims to be devout, it doesn’t mean they’re a good person.
Bethsy’s religious awakening in the aftermath of the consul’s death might be over the top, and indeed, the narration subtly pokes fun at it. Still, her behavior speaks to the deep respect she has for her husband’s legacy. This passage also shows how Tony is more skeptical of outward appearances than Thomas, as her criticism of Bethsy’s sudden religiosity indicates. She recognizes that outward appearances can be false and that they don’t necessarily convey the truth of a person or the ideals that matter to them.
Active
Themes
