Buddenbrooks Themes

Buddenbrooks tells the story of the Buddenbrooks, a wealthy merchant family, tracing the gradual decline of their once-prosperous firm over the course of multiple generations. The Buddenbrook name imbues family members with considerable respect and influence—and with that respect and influence comes serious duties that must be honored if the family is to maintain its high standing. Throughout the novel, characters take on tremendous hardships and sacrifices on behalf of their family. For instance, Tony…

Throughout Buddenbrooks, there is an underlying tension between tradition and modernity—new and old. This primarily comes across in generational differences, with the older generation dismissing the social or political ideals of the younger generations. Johann Buddenbrook dismisses his son the consul’s business philosophy as naïve or misguided. Meanwhile, the consul regards the older generation’s refusal to acknowledge the changing, increasingly global economy as evidence of their stubborn unwillingness to adapt to a changing…

Through the character arcs of Tony and Thomas, Buddenbrooks decisively shows how forgoing one’s own passions and goals out of filial obligation leaves one feeling unhappy and unfulfilled in life. But that doesn’t mean that pursuing one’s own passions will necessarily lead to fulfillment. Christian, for example, is overwhelmingly flaky and self-absorbed, repeatedly skirting his duty to his family in order to chase after whatever fleeting fancy happens to come his way. He…

Throughout Buddenbrooks, characters demonstrate tremendous respect for manners and etiquette. They believe there is a right way and a wrong way to conduct oneself in public, they value reputation above all, and they are extremely judgmental of people who don’t adhere to the status quo. They believe that a person must approach every social interaction with unwavering consideration and pragmatism, and they condemn shows of unsuppressed emotion. As head of the Buddenbrook firm, Thomas…