Buddenbrooks

Tony mourns her mother while dealing with the selfishness of the household personnel, who take away her mother’s belongings. The family discusses the inheritance and future of the Buddenbrooks’ house. Despite their emotional attachment, the siblings decide that the house must be sold.

Hanno, dressed in his sailor suit, is brought by his parents to say goodbye to his grandmother’s body, and its artificial appearance deeply affects him. The funeral procession is followed by a somber ceremony.

Thomas arranges with his father’s broker, Gosch, to sell the family’s house on Meng Street. After a lengthy negotiation, they finally agree on a price. The family’s rival, Hermann Hagenström, buys the property, to Tony’s dismay. Despite vowing never to look at the old family home again, Tony finds herself unable to keep this promise and often breaks down in tears when passing by.

Thomas questions his worth and his life’s achievements. He feels trapped in a small-scale, cautious approach to business, unable to capitalize on the flourishing economic environment. Thomas’s aspirations in community affairs have also plateaued. He is respected in local politics but realizes he will never achieve the mayorship due to his merchant background and lack of formal education.

During a family dinner with Tony and Gerda, the conversation touches upon the imprisoned Hugo Weinschenk and the possibility of petitioning for his pardon. The evening is disrupted when Tony reads a newspaper article announcing the suicide of Ralf von Maiboom, due to financial troubles. Thomas, disengaged and distant, reacts mockingly to the news.

Despite his own disillusionment, Thomas holds onto the belief that Hanno, unlike himself, can achieve success and honor. He introduces Hanno to the business world, hoping to ignite a similar interest in him. However, Hanno, with his sensitive and artistic nature, does not share his father’s enthusiasm for these pursuits and responds with quiet resistance and lack of interest.

The family spends the summer at Travemünde, primarily for Hanno’s health. Although Hanno enjoys the seaside stay, his summer experiences leave him more sensitive and less prepared for the demands of life and school to which he dreads returning.

In 1873, Hugo Weinschenk is released from prison. Hugo hardly interacts with his Erika or the rest of the family and stays confined in his room. Eventually, he leaves for a supposed job in London, promising to send for his family later. Several days later, Hugo sends a letter explaining that he does not wish to bring his wife and child to London until he finds a suitable life. Afterwards, they never hear from him again. Tony tries to locate him to file for divorce on Erika’s behalf but to no avail.

Gerda develops a friendship with Lieutenant von Throta, who shares her passion for music. Thomas grapples with feelings of jealousy, inadequacy, and fear of public ridicule but feels unable to confront Gerda directly.

Thomas also faces a personal crisis, feeling his health and vitality waning. He contemplates death and seeks comfort in philosophy. Finally, Thomas decides to draft a will and assigns Hanno the responsibility of ensuring his privacy during this process.

Thomas and Christian take a seaside vacation to improve their health. When Tony visits, she and Thomas have a conversation that reflects Thomas’s weariness and mental exhaustion.

Thomas suffers from a severe toothache and leaves a senate session early to see a dentist. The dentist attempts to extract the tooth’s crown, but it breaks, leaving the roots impacted, which requires a more complicated procedure on another day. As he walks home, he suddenly feels nauseous and collapses on the street, falling face-down. His fall is so severe that a puddle of blood forms around his head, leaving him disheveled with his fur coat splattered with dirt and blood.

Tony rushes to see Thomas, who is lying unconscious at home. Gerda is visibly upset, unable to comprehend the tragic turn of events. Despite the efforts of doctors, it becomes clear that Thomas is nearing the end of his life. The family gathers around Thomas, struggling to come to terms with his impending death.

Thomas’s death becomes a topic of discussion in town. Despite skepticism about the cause of his death, the town focuses on sending lavish floral tributes to honor him. Thomas’s former youthful love, now the owner of a flower shop, brings flowers to the house and spends some time looking at Thomas’s body. The funeral is meticulously planned and executed with grandeur.

Following his brother’s death, Christian marries the actress Aline Puvogel and moves to Hamburg, living off his mother’s inheritance. His marriage and subsequent stay in a sanatorium due to worsening health are topics of concern and gossip in the town. The Buddenbrook estate, under Stephan Kistenmaker’s management, faces financial difficulties. The process of liquidating the firm, as per Thomas’s will, results in significant losses. Gerda decides to sell the grand family home and move to a smaller villa, downscaling the family’s lifestyle and status. In a significant change, the family fires Ida Jungmann, the family’s long-term governess, due to a conflict with Gerda.

Hanno struggles with the pressures of school, burdened by the fear that his uncompleted homework will be discovered. At school, he navigates various classes, feeling out of place and overwhelmed by the expectations and judgments of his teachers. Despite his musical talent, Hanno feels disconnected from his peers and disillusioned with his future. His friendship with Kai becomes closer and more intimate.

After a three-week travail, Hanno dies of typhoid fever.

After Hanno’s death, Gerda decides to leave Germany and return to Amsterdam. At a family gathering, Tony, Erika, Klothilde, and other relatives discuss Gerda’s departure, reflecting on the family’s past struggles and losses, particularly little Hanno’s recent death.