1. Bildung
Hans is in a state of
excitement. He is now filling his empty days with scientific study. Anatomy,
Physiology, Biology. He tries to understand, at least scientifically, “What is
Life?. Even when he involves himself in the deepest scientific thoughts, his
mind produces visions of a body hovering before him with eyes having a slanted
look because of a racial variation, pouting lips, smiling, leaning charmingly,
etc etc and now that we are at it lets continue… the night of the pubic region –
mystic triangle – pungent darkness of the armpits - red mouth – the navel – the red buds of the
breast.
Mann, incidentally gives
a good summary of what is scientifically known and not known at the moment he
writes his book. Like with early psychology ( Freud ) and early physics (
Einstein ) you feel that we are at a threshold here… Genetics with it’s DNA is
not there yet, microbiology neither…but the notion that the infinitesimal small
connects to the unimaginable vast is already understood…”The atom was an energy
– laden cosmic system”
It is rather funny but it
remembers me of my own scientific quest and period of “scientific readings” on “Live”.
Sagan, Gribbin, Prygogin, Fritjof Capra etc…
What to conclude of all
this readings? That Life itself is an illness? A cancerous stimulation of the immaterial?
In the end, even this
chapter on the scientific explanation of life, can only end with the fantasy of
a first kiss.
2. Time
See :people leaping
over the weeks. Christmas – New year – Mardi Gras. Something HC is not used to
practicing.
3. Eros
Fun: Herr Albin’s dirty
book : The Art of seduction. Women fight over it.
4. Note
We are reminded that
the Sanatorium is a special place, now certainly under all that snow. It is now
even more removed from the flatlands. See : the world seemed to be under a
spell...trapped inside a fantastic dream of fatal enchantment…bewitched valley…
