Buddenbrooks

Christian visits Thomas late in the evening to discuss his dire situation. He confesses that his business in Hamburg is failing, and he is in debt. Despite receiving a significant sum from Thomas previously, Christian has not managed to turn his fortunes around. He also reveals his relationship with the actress Aline Puvogel, including that her third child is his. Christian proposes closing his business and moving to London, asking for financial support from the family. Thomas agrees, albeit reluctantly.

Senator James Möllendorpf, a diabetic, dies due to an excessive indulgence in sweets. The city discusses who will succeed him in the senate. The Buddenbrook family, particularly Tony, hopes for Thomas to fill the vacancy. Amid various candidates, Thomas and Hermann Hagenström emerge as leading contenders.

Election day to fill James Möllendorpf’s vacant senate seat arrives fraught with anticipation. Rumors and expectations collide until the bailiffs’ appearance signals the election’s outcome. Thomas wins and swears his oath of office.

Thomas’s increasing meticulousness in personal appearance stems from a deep-seated need for self-assurance as his responsibilities become overwhelming. Elected senator at 37, his life is dictated by duties in the private, public, and social spheres. Despite the doctor’s advice to relax, Thomas feels he has not achieved enough. Thomas’s ambition leads him to plan a grand new house, which he sees as a fresh start. Supported by Tony and his wife, Gerda, the project of the house proceeds. Despite health issues, Hanno enjoys a happy early childhood.

Thomas, newly moved into his grand home, discusses Clara’s deteriorating health with Tony as well as Christian’s financial troubles. Despite the luxury surrounding him, Thomas feels an encroaching sense of decline, both personally and in business.

After Clara’s death, Thomas confronts his mother for promising Clara’s inheritance and dowry to her widower, Pastor Tiburtius, without consulting him. Amidst their mourning for Clara, Thomas is enraged with his mother’s decision, which he feels undermines the firm. Bethsy justifies her decision by saying that it was Clara’s last wish.

During a turbulent period marked by war, the Buddenbrook household experiences both the excitement and the strain of hosting Prussian officers and soldiers in their home. Even as Hanno enjoys an idyllic childhood, a bankruptcy in Frankfurt costs the Buddenbrook firm 20,000 thalers.

Hugo Weinschenk, the director of the Municipal Fire Insurance Company, catches the eye of Erika Grünlich, who is now in the care of Therese Weichbrodt. Their frequent encounters lead to an engagement to the delight of Tony, who sees this as an opportunity for a new beginning for her daughter and a chance to enhance the family’s status. The engagement is celebrated with a formal dinner, and despite some social awkwardness due to Weinschenk’s rough manners, the union is seen as a success. Tony moves in with the young couple. Christian, having returned to his mother’s home, recovers from rheumatic fever, complains about being poor, and entertains the family with stories of his adventures.

In 1868, Tony visits Thomas to discuss a business proposition from Ralf von Maiboom, who is in desperate need of money and hopes to sell his estate’s harvest to Thomas. Despite the opportunity for profit, Thomas rejects the idea, seeing it as exploitative and beneath the dignity of his firm’s reputation.

Tony checks on her nephew, Hanno, whose sleep is troubled. The poems Hanno recites deeply affect his dreams, causing him to cry in his sleep. The family is concerned over Hanno’s sensitive nature.

After Tony’s departure, Thomas reflects alone, grappling with inner conflict and exhaustion at age 42. Despite maintaining an appearance of vitality and importance, internally he faces a crisis of identity and purpose. Thomas contemplates the business deal that Tony proposed, which he initially rejected but now reconsiders as a potential means to revitalize both his fortunes and his firm’s standing. He decides to proceed with the deal, which brings him a surge of optimism.

As the firm approaches its 100th anniversary, Thomas feels internally conflicted and weary. Despite the festivity, including congratulations from various groups and a family gift of a memorial plaque, Thomas remains deeply troubled. A telegram arrives during the celebration, announcing the collapse of his business deal with Ralf von Maiboom, leaving Thomas in shock.

Organist Edmund Pfühl passionately discusses music with Gerda while Hanno listens intently. Despite initially resisting modern compositions like Wagner's, Pfühl gradually embraces them. Hanno’s connection to music is nurtured by Pfühl’s lessons, which focus on understanding music rather than mere performance. On Hanno’s eighth birthday, he and Gerda perform a duet, showcasing Hanno’s emerging musical talent.

Thomas is disappointed with his son Hanno’s development, attributing it to the influence of music introduced by Gerda. Thomas had hoped for Hanno to inherit his practicality and continue the family legacy. Instead, Hanno’s connection with music alienates him from his father. Hanno becomes close friends with Kai Mölln, a neglected boy from a waning aristocratic family. One afternoon, Hanno, observing the book with the family genealogy, innocently adds a final line, symbolizing an end to the lineage and upsetting Thomas.

During the Buddenbrooks’ Christmas dinner, the atmosphere is overshadowed by Hugo Weinschenk’s legal troubles. Hanno receives a puppet theater and a harmonium as gifts. The family proceeds with the usual celebrations despite troubles looming.

Tony feels distress over Hugo Weinschenk’s trial and its potential effects on Erika’s future. He is accused of insurance fraud—illegally damaging companies to help obtain the insurance money. Tony asks Thomas for bail money for Weinschenk, fearing his conviction and the impact on her family. Despite her efforts and hope for his innocence, she acknowledges deep down that he may be guilty, noting that insurance fraud is a common practice. Thomas agrees to provide the bail, though the trial’s outcome appears bleak. A week later, Weinschenk is sentenced to three and a half years in prison, facing financial hardship and social fallout upon his release.