Buddenbrooks

Thomas Mann's Buddenbrooks tracks the course of a patrician family in the late nineteenth century north Germany. The novel describes the decline of the Buddenbrooks family over four generations from the period of 1835 to 1877. The story is infused with social criticism of bourgeoisie society. This criticism is shown clearly in the characterizations of the third generation within the Buddenbrooks family: Antonie, Christian and Thomas. It is also clear in the overriding themes presented throughout the …

… also illustrated in the dealings with the landed aristocracy of crop sales and Tony's deep admiration for the decadence of the feudal classes. In conclusion, Buddenbrooks is a social commentary of nineteenth century German life. In examining a single patrician family Thomas Mann illustrates the pitfalls associated with the middle class standards of refinery and extravagance. Although this novel is fiction, it mirrors reality with its examination of the self-awareness of the nineteenth century.