ABSTRACT
In Thomas Mann’s works, illness cannot be seen as a simple plot element, but rather as a central part of the story’s evolution, especially concerning the characters’ development. However, the figurations of health and illness are not fixed and, therefore, it is necessary to seek a nucleus of meaning to these notions. We would argue that the fundamental contraposition between these terms is the expression of a tension between the unfolding of life with its normal expectations and a disruptive force that shakes this structure. It is a question of developing the terms of this contraposition, exploring some images of Mann’s novels, from which we can expose the critical dimension of illness as a philosophical concept. Then, we will present a few moments of Mann's Doctor Faust, in order to explore the critical structure of this notion and the way it operates. Finally, we will take music, one of the central themes of Mann's novel, as a model for the analysis of this possible criticism. Based on that, we can present the limits of this conception of illness as a critical device, especially within the artistic debate of the twentieth century.
Keywords:
Thomas Mann; illness; critic; music