142
PA RTIS A N REVIEW
Mann's
Death in Venice
as an implicit cntICIsm of George's estheticism.
I t is unfortunate that he does not dwell longer on this illuminating con–
frontation; for though Mr. Bennett docs not say so, this story was writ–
ten at least partially with the influence of George and his circle in
mind. Mann's masterpiece depicts the dangers of an exclusively esthetic
approach to the problems of life, the attempt to base a morality on the
worship of art and beauty. Gustave von Aschenbach h ad spent his life
devoted to the discipline of art and the creation of beauty; but in yield–
ing to the fascination of beauty in the flesh, von Aschenbach finds him–
self betraying the high idealism and the self-discipline that had originally
inspired his love of art. The worship of beauty in reality has far differ–
ent practical consequences than the creation of art; the confusion of
art and reality leads to disaster and degradation. Mann depicts this con–
flict on the level of personal mora lity; but it can easily be taken, with
a little symbolic extension, as an amazingly clairvoyant picture of what
happened to the later George in his political role.
When George ceased being only a poet and turned to poli tical ex–
hortation, he began, like von Aschenbach, to confuse art and reality. He
used the religion of Maximin (the religion of the body deified and the
deified body, as Mr. Bennett paraphrases one of George's most famous
STATEl\fF.:"T REQUIRED BY THE ACT OF AUGUST 24, 1912. AS AMENDED BY T HE
ACTS OF MARCH 3.
1~33.
AND .JULY 2.
Iq46
(Title 39. United Stat.s Code, Section
233) SHOWING THE OWNERSHIP, MANAGEMENT, AND CIRCULATION OF
Partisan Review publi,hed Quarterly at New York, N. Y. for October I, 1954.
1.
The
namf'S
and addresses of the publisher, editor, managing editor, and business managers
are:
Publisher: Foundation for Cultural Project<;, Inc., 22 East 17th Street, New York 3. N. Y.;
Editors: William Phillips and Philip Rahv, 22 East 17th Street, New York 3, N. Y.:
Managin~
editor: None; Business manager: Cynthia Ochshorn, 22 East 17th Street, New York 3, N. Y.
2. The owner is:
(If
owned
by
<'l
corporation, its name and address must be stated and a1so
immediatelv thf'rf"unncr thr
namf"S
and annresses of stockholders owning or holding 1 percent or
more of total amount of
~tock.
If
not ownen hy a corporation, th(' names ann adnresses of the
individual owners mllst
h('
giv("n.
If
ownrd by
a
partnership or other unincorporated firm,
its
name ami ::If''1rtrpo;;s. as Wf"l1 as
that
of carh
innividl1al
mf"mhrr, must he
~iven.)
Foundation for Cultural Projects, Inc., 22 East I7t11 Street, New York 3, N . Y.;
Non~stock,
non~profit,
membership corporation.
President: AII,n D. Dowling, c/o Partisan Review, 22 East 17th Street, New York 3, N. Y.;
Vice-President : William Phillips, 22 East 17th Street, New York \ .. N. Y. ; Secretary: Barbara
Greenfeld, c/o Parti..n Review, 22 East 17th Street, New York 3, N. Y.
3. The known bondholders
b
mortgagees, and otber security holders owning or holding 1 percent
or
more of total amount of onds, mortgages. or securities are: None.
4.
Paragraphs 2 and 3 includ(', in cues where the stockholder or security holder appears upon
the books of the company as trustee or in any other fiduciary relation. the name of the person
or cornor<1tion for
\vhnm s1Ich
trustrc is
o.ctin~:
also
the sta lements
in the two paragraphs show
the affiant's f,,11 knowledge and belief as to the circumstances and conditions under which stock–
holders and
security
holrlt'rs who do not appear upon the books of the company as trustees, hold
stock and securities in a capacity other than that of a hona fide owner.
Cynthia Ochshorn, Business Manager. Sworn to and subscribed before me this 22nd day
of September, 1955. David Cantor, Notary Public for the State of New York. Qualified in New
York County, No. 31-0555200, Cert. filed with County Clerk, New York, Commission Expires
March 30, 1957.
