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Allusions
Key Examples in Death in Venice
Chapter 5
Explanation and Analysis—The Barber's Argument :
In the final chapter of the novel, Aschenbach's obsession with Tadzio begins to take a real toll on his mental and physical health. Increasingly ashamed of his age, which he feels contrasts unflatteringly with the youth and beauty of Tadzio, he seeks out a hotel barber who uses a combination of logos and fallacy in his argument that Aschenbach should dye his graying hair a darker color:
“Gray,” he said, with distorted mouth. “A bit,” the fellow replied. “And all because of a little negligence, an indifference to external things, which is understandable in important people, but is nevertheless not altogether praiseworthy, especially since it is just those people who should be free of prejudices about what is natural and what is artificial. If certain individuals’ moral objection to the cosmetic art were to be logically extended to the care of their teeth, they would give quite a bit of offense. After all, we are only as old as our mind and heart feel [...]
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