[Sybarite]

First, apologies in advance if I ramble a little – I'm battling a heavy cold, which seems to be my punishment for enjoying a fabulous new year in Amsterdam.

However, on the basis of the first couple of chapters, I think that the "constriction" could be any number of things:

• a symbol of the constrictive nature of being born into a royal family, where duty is placed above all else – and certainly all manner of personal pleasure;

• a symbol of the constrictions of the system of monarchy that exists in the book;

• a symbol of the state of the country in economic and industrial terms (which limits the spending and lifestyle of the ducal family).

The detailed description of the state of the country shows it effectively dying beneath the burdens of being essentially pre-industrial and also (in tandem) of having a very old-fashioned monarchical system. Everything is stagnating (the development of the country has been constricted, if you will).

Other things to note: Mann's plea for tolerance – the local GP is pointedly Jewish and the conversation that he has with the king specifically makes a case for equality etc. Mann himself was very much a friend of Jewish people and a sympathiser with them culturally. Perhaps he also he is drawing the idea that Klaus Heinrich is, like the doctor, an outsider? Perhaps that will become clearer later. There is also an early, fleeting reference to modernity – is this an appeal for such? For a more modern monarchy etc?

The novel was first published a century ago this year, at a time when Mann himself was still very much a monarchist. Side note – the prince's name: 'Klaus' was the name of Mann's three-year-old son and 'Heinrich' was his brother, who hated this novel. The two rowed about it to a great extent – it was one aspect in a split between the pair that took a very long time to heal.