Chapter 7 part 1: By the Ocean of Time - The Great God Dumps (pp. 541-635)

or, the J.E. Woods Translation: A Stroll by the Shore - The Great Stupor (pp.531-626)

I can hardly believe we are almost finished the novel! Thanks to everyone for sticking with it. I am looking forward to your impressions of this week's reading that I thought was Mann's best so far.

Observations:

We begin the final chapter, notably numbered 7, that opens wide open with the question ‘Can one narrate time’ (531 Woods edition). Symington’s Reading Guide offers some explanation. Mann subscribed to the idea that creative writing is time-based. Story actions are presented one after another by contrast to the visual arts that suspends figures in space. Mann continued on page 531 with, “the story like music fills time…the element of narration, just as it is the element of life.” And, narrative has two kinds of time: real-time movement and time related to content and perspective (531). The “hermetic magic” (532) of time provides a further clue to Mann’s objective. The hermetic self-contained setting of Mann’s ‘time novel’ (532) is both a novel about the age (Castorp’s story is confined to years 1907-14) that magically transcends its contemporaneity. The Magic Mountain exists as a timeless novel about the conception of Time. 

In Chapter 7 part 1 we see the return of Chauchat. However, to Castorp's dismay, she arrives with a male travelling companion, who is also admitted to Bergdorf for treatments for his chronic illness (malaria contracted in the Dutch East Indies). Chauchat snubs Castorp which forces him to reflect on the time (7 years) he wasted waiting for her. Eventually the two have their first private exchange in a scene that is masterfully orchestrated. Mann seats Castorp in the music room with his back to the door. He hears a familiar voice behind him. The passage that follows is not dialogic, but rather a description of the sensation her voice impresses upon his ear (548). 

Chauchat’s companion, Pieter Peeperkorn, Dutch coffee magnate, is introduced as a major character in part 1 of Chapter 7. The novel’s action takes on a new sense of urgency. Castorp astutely observes his rival’s impact on Chauchat, on other patients in the sanatorium, who all throng to the man. Castorp can’t blame Chauchat’s new paramour and he also sympathizes with her. Comical exchanges between Naptha and Settembrini convince Castorp of Peeperkorn’s charisma. Peeperkorn’s gregarious and generous life-force resembles the god-like qualities of Dionysis and Christ while at the same time, his state of health acts as a reminder that we are all destined to perish. 

Chauchat and Castorp come to an understanding, they will be friends. Peeperkorrn also expresses his respect for Castorp and before his elan vital fully diminishes commits suicide. Soon after, Chauchat leaves Bergdorf. Castorp falls into a pensive mood, as he plays games of solitaire and considers the state of the world. His hermetic thoughts exceed his former bourgeois, flatlands attitude and he seems unaffected by Dr Behrens' diagnosis that he may soon be fully recovered.

Discussion:

1. The sub-chapter “By the Ocean of Time” is titled “A Stroll by the Shore” in the JE Woods Translation. Likewise, sub-chapter “The Great God Dumps” is retitled, “The Great Stupor.” Which of these titles best capture the two sub-chapters’ messages? 

2. How does Naptha’s and Settembrini’s argument about “the arch revolutionary nature of the Church” vs “its role as the patron of the dark focus of inertia” (577) advance the novel?

3. What did you make of the scene between Hans and Wehsal, when Wehsal loudly bemoaned his love sickness for Chauchat?

4. Would love to hear your reaction to Castorp’s statement:  “There are so many different kinds of stupidity, and cleverness is one of the worst.” (573)

Next week: Chapter 7: Fullness of Harmony - The Thunderbolt (pp. 635-716) and Wrap-Up

Volunteer: We’re still looking for one. 

Please let us know what you’ve read this week, what you've finished up, and any recommendations or recommendation requests! Please provide more than just a list of novels; we would like your thoughts as to what you've been reading.

Posts which simply name a novel and provide no thoughts will be deleted going forward.

Welcome again to the TrueLit General Discussion Thread! Please feel free to discuss anything related and unrelated to literature.

Weekly Updates: N/A

Hi all! This week's section for the read along included the second half of Chapter 6, with the sections Operationes Spirituales - A Soldier, and Brave.

So, what did you think? Any interpretations yet? Are you enjoying it?

Feel free to post your own analyses (long or short), questions, thoughts on the themes, or just brief comments below!

Thanks!

The whole schedule is over on our first post, so you can check that out for whatever is coming up. But as for next week:

**Next Up: Week 8 / November 30 , 2024 / Chapter 7, Part 1: By the Ocean of Time - The Great God Dumps (pp. 541-635) / Volunteer: u/Thrillamuse

Please let us know what you’ve read this week, what you've finished up, and any recommendations or recommendation requests! Please provide more than just a list of novels; we would like your thoughts as to what you've been reading.

Posts which simply name a novel and provide no thoughts will be deleted going forward.

Welcome again to the TrueLit General Discussion Thread! Please feel free to discuss anything related and unrelated to literature.

Weekly Updates: N/A

Hello Everyone! This week we started diving into part of Chapter 6. Sections read were: Changes -to- An Attack Repulsed (pp. 344-440)

Recap: 

Chapter 6, Changes to An Attack Repulsed, continues to explore life at the sanatorium. Joachim struggles internally as he grapples with his desire to leave, while Settembrini announces his impending departure from the Berghof. Meanwhile, Hans grows increasingly accustomed to the routine and detaches himself further from life “down below.”

A new character, Naphta, is introduced when Hans and Joachim encounter him in the valley. Later, they visit Naphta at his home, but Settembrini conveniently shows up during their visit, setting the stage for ideological clashes between the two men.

Mann emphasizes the elasticity of time in this chapter. While the novel’s first 405 pages span roughly a year, the narrative later compresses two months (July to August) into a single page.

Joachim eventually decides to leave the sanatorium, fulfilling his long-held plan, although this choice comes with significant consequences. Hans’s Uncle Tienappel visits the Berghof to observe his nephew’s life there, offering an outsider’s perspective on Hans’s transformation.

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Discussion Questions:

• What happened on Mardi Gras night with Clavdia? Do we have any assumptions or interpretations about this event?

• Looking at Joachim’s journey from the start of the book to this section, how has he changed over time? Do we notice any shifts in his behavior or attitude around the time Marusya leaves? What might this reveal about love and its impact on him?

• How has Hans changed throughout the story? This is an open-ended question, but I’m excited to hear what everyone has observed.

• What makes life “up here” at the sanatorium different from life “down there”? Why do the characters refer to those living below as “ignorant”?

• Do we notice any parallels between Hans’s arrival at the Berghof and his Uncle James’s visit?

Next week: Finish Chapter 6 - Operationes Spirituales - A Soldier, and Brave (pp. 440 - 540) We are still looking for volunteers! Please join in and support!

Please let us know what you’ve read this week, what you've finished up, and any recommendations or recommendation requests! Please provide more than just a list of novels; we would like your thoughts as to what you've been reading.

Posts which simply name a novel and provide no thoughts will be deleted going forward.

Welcome again to the TrueLit General Discussion Thread! Please feel free to discuss anything related and unrelated to literature.

Weekly Updates: N/A

Hi all! This week's section for the read along included the second half of Chapter 5, with the sections Research - Walpurgis Night.

So, what did you think? Any interpretations yet? Are you enjoying it?

Feel free to post your own analyses (long or short), questions, thoughts on the themes, or just brief comments below!

Thanks!

The whole schedule is over on our first post, so you can check that out for whatever is coming up. But as for next week:

**Next Up: Week 6 / November 16, 2024 / Chapter 6, Part 1 (Changes - An Attack, and a Repulse) / Volunteer: u/Bergwandern_Brando

Please let us know what you’ve read this week, what you've finished up, and any recommendations or recommendation requests! Please provide more than just a list of novels; we would like your thoughts as to what you've been reading.

Posts which simply name a novel and provide no thoughts will be deleted going forward.