The correct answer is indeed The Magic Mountain. In this novel, Thomas Mann explores themes of time, space, and their effects on human consciousness and identity.
The passage reflects Mann’s interest in how spatial settings can influence our perception of time and our inner state. In The Magic Mountain, the protagonist, Hans Castorp, spends an extended period in a Swiss sanatorium, which becomes a kind of temporal and spatial microcosm where the usual markers of time are blurred. This setting allows Mann to delve deeply into the philosophical and psychological implications of time and space, illustrating how isolation and detachment from everyday life can lead to a kind of timelessness and introspection.
The other novels listed:
Doctor Faustus: While it also deals with profound themes and philosophical questions, it does not focus on the setting in the same way as The Magic Mountain.
Death in Venice: This novel centers on themes of art, beauty, and death rather than a detailed exploration of time and space in the same manner.
The Confessions of Felix Krull: This is a more lighthearted, satirical novel and does not focus as deeply on the thematic exploration of time and space.
Thus, the passage you quoted aligns most closely with the themes presented in The Magic Mountain.
Year-wise PYQs
