My Conflict Anonymous

The idea of the character haunted my mind for days. I couldn't shake the feeling that while reading this novel, I had heard the ideas portrayed somewhere before, somewhere all too familiar.The first book I was ever to read in German struck a nerve so closely, that now, a year later, my thoughts still sometimes drift back to the innocent yet deeply confused young Tonio Kroeger.

My grandmother handed me the book, the day before my first day at my new school, with nothing more than a casual "Hier, das sollst du mal lesen." You should read this, she said, and went on to describe the book as a staple of German literature. I have to admit, I was initially disinterested. It was a daunting challenge and I had better things to do, mainly go out and meet my new schoolmates. I didn't want to stay holed up in my room with some book, I thought too myself. But as I began to establish myself at the school, I decided I could use a little practice in reading in German, so I sat down and immersed myself in this story.

"Tonio Kroeger" was written by Thomas Mann, a prominent figure in pre-war German literature heavily influenced by Nietzschean values. It follows the life of a boy, the son of an Italian artist and a...