Part 1 Summary

Death in Venice is the story of author Gustave Aschenbach's Venice holiday, where he encounters an ethereal boy named Tadzio who will transform the waning days of his life and act as a companion in Aschenbach's transition into death.

As the story begins, Aschenbach, known now as von Aschenbach, sets out on a walk to enjoy the spring weather in hopes of being invigorated to continue writing later in the evening. Aschenbach suffers from a feeling of ennui and cannot keep in check what the ancient author Cicero calls motus animi continuus, or constant motion of the soul. Aschenbach's restlessness is exacerbated by his inability to sleep and the pervading tensions of the possibility of war in Europe.

Aschenbach's intentions to take a lengthy walk find him wandering past a mortuary chapel inscribed with religious sayings. As Aschenbach ponders the weight of the...