Bill Keefe answers “Is the boy really 14?? is this book about...”

Max asked this question about Death in Venice:

Is the boy really 14?? is this book about a pedophile??

Bill Keefe I appreciate lamthesword's response but my take is that, while there is no actual sex act and, in fairness, no proposal of a sex act, Ashcenbach's "lo…moreI appreciate lamthesword's response but my take is that, while there is no actual sex act and, in fairness, no proposal of a sex act, Ashcenbach's "love" for the boy was, among other things, sexual. Yes, the boy was an icon for many other important themes that Mann wanted to explore - art, age and aging, beauty, death...and the book is well worth reading for these reasons alone but, make no bones about it, despite the fact that Plato is discussed at length, Ashenbach's love was not simply Platonic. If you didn't think that before he went to the barber in Venice to turn back the clock, you certainly did after (though, with another nod to Iamthesword, there are multiple layers in this event, as well).(less)

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