Death Of Venice By Thomas Mann - 1958 Words

In Thomas Mann’s Death In Venice, Tadzio is likened to the sun, and thus represents an illuminating force for knowing what is truly good and just and by consequence represents a â€Å"higher truth.† This quest for knowledge on what is good becomes apparent as Aschenbach becomes more and more infatuated with Tadzio, not in a romantic sense, but rather a sense of seeking what he believes is right, a platonic relationship which ultimately sparks Aschenbach’s demise. Aschenbach’s motives are somewhat muddled as he enters the second half of his life and seeks to find what is true. To do this he decides to take a vacation to Venice where he meets Tadzio. After being a rather stoic and cold person, this all melts away as he basks in Tadzio’s presence†¦show more content†¦For the outside, secondary source for this paper I have chosen Plato’s The Republic, specifically for this paper; Book VI. Written in 380 BCE, the ten books within cover a variety of topics from the nature and definition of justice to the discussion of the higher truth and all that it entails. The work is widely considered to be one of the greatest works of philosophy of all time and perfectly encapsulates the Socratic method of critical thinking and augmentative skills. Plato was the writer of the work but never played a role in it, instead only recording his mentor Socrates. This source was chosen due to its direct discussion concerning the famous â€Å"analogy of the sun.† From 507b-509c, Socrates and Glaucon – Plato’s older brother – discuss finding the truth and how one would go about doing such a thing. To argue this point, Socrates uses the analogy of the â€Å"child of the good† and then later shows that this child is the sun. What he aims for is to show that when light is not cast on something, then one cannot see it but when it is, that is when it becomes illuminated (Plato, 507d) This process can be applie d to many