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Part 6, Chapter 1
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
Tony returns to Meng Strasse at the end of April and settles back into her routine there. Her happy and lively presence imbues the house with some much-needed cheer. The rift between Thomas and Christian has worsened over the years, and the atmosphere around the house has been tense. Christian’s poor work ethic grates on Thomas, as do Christian’s endless ailments. Though the pain in Christian’s leg has improved, he still has trouble swallowing sometimes and is often short of breath. He suspects it’s consumption, though Dr. Grabow hasn’t found evidence of this. He instructs Christian to use a fan, and he prescribes him “a greenish powder” he's supposed to ignite and inhale.
Christian consistently complains of his various ailments, and yet his doctor consistently fails to find any real cause for his symptoms. The novel symbolically links Christian’s poor health to his poor worth ethic, suggesting that Christian’s laziness and lack of direction are eroding his body and soul.
Active
Themes
It’s not just Christian’s malingering that annoys Thomas, though: it’s also his behavior in general. Christian pals around with his old schoolfriend Andreas Gieseke, a lawyer, and they get into all kinds of trouble together—which totally goes against Thomas’s philosophy of life: “Keep up appearances.” Christian has many indiscreet affairs, providing the townspeople with ample gossip.
