Solitary individuals often exploit different views on our world, sometimes accompanied by a 'disharmonious' way of living, as we can see in these two books. The concept of a distant view on life, is applied in both works, be it Gustav von Aschenbach's artistic dilemma in Death in Venice or Cosimo's escape from rules and regulations by leaving the natural life on the ground, to live beneath the sky yet above the earth, in Baron in the Trees. What is it then, that drives them? Is it the pursuit of perfection, of utmost beauty? The wish to live independently, free from the humdrum routine of an earthbound existence? Or perhaps they are merely engaging in a quest for romance? Both of the lead characters are different from the rest; both are hermits in their own separate ways, and their views on our world are accordingly diverse.

Death in Venice, written by Thomas Mann in 1912, is a symbol-laden story of aestheticism and decadence. Gustav von Aschenbach is an ascetic German author with a sense for discipline and formal perfection in literature, and writes thereafter. Upon travelling to Venice for vacation purposes, he encounters a young boy, na

The concept of individuals in conflict with society is applicable in both cases, mostly because of the diverging opinions and way of life, which characterises Cosimo as well as Aschenbach. None of them lives a life in coherence with the regularities, which are so common for our society. And while the story of Cosimo di Rondo is a ballet on the periphery of reality, closer to fantasy, it still carries through the message, which can also be found in Gustav von Aschenbach's pathetic pursuit of happiness in form of striking beauty, namely the ability of people to live their lives differently. As Calvino stated, Cosimo is something of a "Don Quixote of the Enlightenment", watching, from his perch in the trees, the age of Voltaire pass by and a new century dawn. Aschenbach is similarly seeing his own life as a person of renown give way for death incarnate.

This novel undoubtedly deals with the role of the artist in society, and houses numerous images and both historical and mythical figures. However, what perhaps demands greatest attention is the symbolism. The theme, as described by Thomas Mann himself, is the "fascination with the death idea", and we see examples of this all throughout the novel. While some of the symbolism is blatant, there are occasions that require the reader to be alert of, or even consciously probe for it, and in order to successfully understand the point, the reader must be aware of Aschenbach's endeavours early on. The symbolism of death is most obvious, ranging from the skeleton-like exotic stranger (pg.198-99) encountered in the opening, to the gondolier (pg. 215-17), evidently embodying Charon, ferryman of the Styx in Hades. Nevertheless, let us focus on Aschenbach's role in society, in this recounting of the tale orbiting around a once morally resolute man losing command of

Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1221
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)