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Why does Hans Castorp visit the Davos sanatorium in The Magic Mountain?
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Thomas Mann
Thomas Mann.
In Thomas Mann's novel The Magic Mountain, the protagonist Hans Castorp travels to a tuberculosis sanatorium in Davos, Switzerland, specifically to visit his cousin.1
Although Castorp initially plans to stay for only a few weeks, he discovers that he is also suffering from symptoms of the disease. Consequently, he remains at the sanatorium for seven years, during which time he engages in deep introspection and explores the major cultural and political ideas of 20th-century Europe.1