for it to end like this.” (659) The Buddenbrook mansion, Thomas’s new house, are sold, the firm liquidated. It is with the death of Thomas that the Buddenbrook family reaches its nadir. The death of Hanno, the only Buddenbrook heir, is merely the period at the end of the sentence. The novel traces the decline of the Buddenbrook family through the actions of those most desperate to sustain it. Mann’s message seems to be that the decline of the aristocratic families is not fiscally based, but rather the result of a shift in priorities. The traditional system only worked when everyone fulfilled their duties to their family. When individual members of the noble families began to marry into other social classes they not only reduced their financial supremacy, but also weakened their family unity. Individualism is seen as a weakness in characters such as Gotthold, Christian, and Hanno. Mann portrays the Buddenbrook family as both noble and ignorant. He seems show some admiration for the loyalty that Tony and Thomas have for their family and their duty to bring it honor, while at the same time mocking their futile and vain intentions to maintain the status quo. The novel Buddenbrooks is a good representation of the benefits and detriments of familial duty, as well as the conflicts that they presented, during 19th Century Germany. ...
