The Magic Mountain

Main Characters and Their Development

• Hans Castorp — a young German engineer who arrives at the Swiss sanatorium «Berghof» for three weeks to visit his cousin. He ends up staying for seven years. During this time, he meets various people, each representing certain ideas and philosophical views. Hans undergoes spiritual and intellectual growth, contemplating the meaning of life, death, and love.
• Joachim Ziemssen — Hans Castorp's cousin, who is at the «Berghof» sanatorium due to tuberculosis. He aspires to return to his military career, but his health continually deteriorates. Joachim embodies a sense of duty and a desire for order.
• Claudia Chauchat — a beautiful woman capable of stirring passionate feelings in many of the sanatorium's residents, including Hans Castorp. Her character explores themes of eroticism, love, and attraction. She repeatedly leaves the sanatorium but always returns.
• Settembrini — an Italian humanist and liberal, a teacher who befriends Hans. Settembrini represents the optimism of the Enlightenment, faith in progress, and human reason. He engages in debates with Naphta.
• Naphta — a Jewish Jesuit, a counterpoint to Settembrini, representing religious and conservative philosophy. Through him, the author explores themes of faith, doubt, and the antagonism between spiritual and material life.