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Satire
Explanation and Analysis—Psychic Dissection:
In The Magic Mountain, Mann’s treatment of psychology, and more specifically Freudian psychoanalysis, is frequently satirical. In one notably satirical scene, Dr. Krokowski advertises the benefits of psychoanalysis, which he refers to metaphorically as “psychic dissection,” to the patients at the Berghof:
It turned out that Dr. Krokowski concluded his lecture with a grand advertisement for psychic dissection—he spread his arms wide, and invited them to come unto him. Come unto me, he said, though not exactly in those words, all ye that labor and are heavy laden! And he left no doubt of his certainty that they all, without exception, labored and were heavy laden. He spoke of hidden suffering, of shame and affliction, of the redemptive effects of analysis; he praised the effects of light piercing the dark unconscious, explained that illness could be transformed again into conscious emotion, admonished them to trust, promised recovery.
Throughout the novel, Dr. Krokowski demonstrates a characteristic tendency toward self-promotion that seems to conflict with the scientific ideals of impartiality and objectivity. Here, he ends his lecture with “a grand advertisement for psychic dissection.” This metaphor, which treats psychoanalysis as a form of invasive surgery, underscores Dr. Krokowski’s belief that the mind is like any other organ and that mental health, in turn, follows the same, consistent principles as physical health. Mann’s depiction of Dr. Krokowski is, at various points, subtly satirical. The doctor’s language is both highly abstract and suffused with technical jargon. Often, he speaks in a rapturous tone that seems closer to that of a preacher than a doctor, using such terms as redemption, light, and dark, and offering salvation to patients.
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