Mann characterizes the city of Venice as a place that is different and exotic. In Death in Venice, there is a part where Aschenbach realizes that "if you wanted to reach someplace overnight that was incomparable different as a fairy tale," the obvious solution would be to go to Venice (Mann, 12). He believes that Venice is like a whole new fantastic world compared to Germany where he previously lived.
Travelling in this fairy-tale city leads Aschenbach to act differently as he did in Germany. He is willing to be adventurous and explore new sensations. This explains how Aschenbach, a prestigious and sensible gentleman back in Germany, hopelessly falls in love with a boy despite trying to restrain himself.
I agree that to Aschenbach Venice becomes a rather mystical place. Here in Death in Venice, we also see the comparison of different regions of Europe in terms of the atmosphere they exert on the readers; in literary viewpoint, the western Europe (Venice) becomes a new place full of adventures.
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