Buddenbrooks - Part 6

[Silver]

I am posting this section now because I will not be here during this week.

Part 6

Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11

[Silver]

It seems Tony has repeated the same mistakes again, in allowing herself to be pressured into marriage for the sake of the family honor with a man whom she does not truly love or believe she can be happy with. And ending in much the same result as the first time.

Though in some ways it seems as if she has grown in her greater ability to stand up for herself. This time she is the one who left and insisted upon the divorce for her own dignity. Instead of being "rescued" as she was the first time by her father.

And while the first time she was rather glib about the whole idea of getting a divorce, this time she knows the weight of the consequences, and is doing it against the support of her family who all try and convince her to return to her husband.

I applauded the speech she gave to her brother.

Much is made of the name of which Tony would utter that Permaneder called her that was one of the driving forces in Tony making the choice to leave her husband.

What is the significance of the name he called her?

And what do you think of Mann's choice to at the end of the last chapter of this part finally reveal the name after Tony insistently refused to repeat it?

I think it would have been more powerful and effective if it was never revealed to the reader and left to each of their readers own imaginations what the terrible name might have been.

While not a thing a man should ever say to his wife (or any woman) I do think that it is far less shocking today than it would have been to the reader of the time.

Did Mann reveal the name for greater shock value from the audience of his time?

[Harm]

I got the impression that this time it was Tony's desire to marry again. There was no real pressure from within the family. And although she knew Permaneder was not a perfect man, she really seemed to like him before they got married.

Tony has ambition and likes to take responsibility. I think she was truly surprised when Permaneder decided to retire directly after they were married. From that point on it was clear that the marriage could never work. Their values and ambitions were too different. In modern times we are not surprised that this eventually led to a divorce, but in the time the book was written this was far less common. Tony turns out to be a strong, independent and emancipated woman.

[Silver]

Harm wrote: "I got the impression that this time it was Tony's desire to marry again. There was no real pressure from within the family. And although she knew Permaneder was not a perfect man, she really seemed..."

At first I thought Tony did really like Permanender but as the marriage (or talk of marriage drew closer) it seemed to me that Tony was uncertain of her feelings for him and was in part driven by knowing Tom wanted her to marry again for the sake of the family dignity.

[Bonnie]

Do not tell me that Antonie will never go looking for her summer love, the now-practicing Doctor Schwarzkopf.
Please!