Dr. Krokowski Character Analysis in The Magic Mountain

Dr. Krokowski is Behrens’s assistant. He’s a friendly, spirited man in his early 30s. Krokowksi has a passion for psychoanalysis and regularly “dissects the patients’ psyches” in his basement office. He also presents bimonthly lectures with psychoanalytic themes. Fittingly, one of his core theories is that physical illness is symptomatic of repressed negative thoughts. Krokowski has extremely pale skin, dark eyes, and a long black beard, and he dresses all in black, giving him an ominous appearance. Indeed, Settembrini mockingly calls Krokowski “Minos,” the mythological King of Crete who sent seven young girls and seven young boys into Daedalus’s labyrinth to be eaten by the Minotaur. Minos is also known for his role as the judge of the dead in the underworld. In giving Krokowski this nickname, Settembrini is implying that Krokowski (and his supervisor Behrens, whom Settembrini calls Rhadamanthus, another mythological judge of the dead in the underworld) has no interest in healing patients. Rather, his treatment of them brings them closer to death—an outcome in which Krokowski may even take perverse pleasure.

Dr. Krokowski Quotes in The Magic Mountain

The The Magic Mountain quotes below are all either spoken by Dr. Krokowski or refer to Dr. Krokowski. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:

Any symptom of illness was a masked form of love in action, and illness was merely transformed love.

Related Characters: Dr. Krokowski, Hans Castorp

Page Number and Citation: 126

Explanation and Analysis:

One could no longer say that it thudded on its own accord, for no reason, and without any connection to his soul. There was a connection now, or at least it would not have been difficult to establish one—a justifiable emotion could easily be assigned to his body’s overwrought activity. Hans Castorp needed only to think of Frau Chauchat—and he did think of her—and his heart had a suitable emotion to make it pound.

Related Characters: Hans Castorp, Clavdia Chauchat, Dr. Krokowski

Page Number and Citation: 138

Explanation and Analysis:

“Analysis is good as a tool of enlightenment and civilization—to the extent that it shakes stupid preconceptions, quashes natural biases, and undermines authority. Good, in other words, to the extent that it liberates, refines, and humanizes—it makes slaves ripe for freedom. It is bad, very bad, to the extent that it prevents action, damages life at its roots, and is incapable of shaping it. Analysis can be very unappetizing, as unappetizing as death, to which it may very well be linked—a relative of the grave and its foul anatomy.”

Related Characters: Lodovico Settembrini (speaker), Dr. Krokowski, Hans Castorp

Page Number and Citation: 219

Explanation and Analysis:

Dr. Krokowski Character Timeline in The Magic Mountain

The timeline below shows where the character Dr. Krokowski appears in The Magic Mountain. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

...Behrens, the surgeon, is a cynic. Joachim thinks Hans will like him. He also mentions Krokowski, Behrens’s assistant, who “dissects the patients’ psyches.” (full context)

...gets up to guide him to his room. On their way there, they encounter Dr. Krokowski. Joachim introduces him to Hans. Dr. Krokowski is a friendly, energetic man. He’s in his... (full context)

...and dreams nonstop, mostly about Joachim riding down the hill on a bobsled, with Dr. Krokowski steering the sled and the coughing Austrian horseman sitting at the front. Joachim repeats how... (full context)

Abstract Ideals vs. Lived Experience Theme Icon

...way out of the dining hall, Hans and Joachim run into Director Behrens and Dr. Krokowski. Behrens, a tall, very thin man, introduces himself to Hans. He has purple cheeks that... (full context)

...for his clever turns of phrase and general intelligence. Just then, Settembrini turns and spots Krokowski and Behrens behind them. Out of earshot, Settembrini mocks Krokowski’s self-assuredness and characteristic black clothing.... (full context)

...this revelation in the morning. Then he drifts back to sleep and dreams of Dr. Krokowski waiting to ambush him to “subject[] his psyche to dissection.” Hans, terrified, flees from the... (full context)

...interests and pursuits, rocking back and forth as he speaks. Then Settembrini starts complaining about Krokowski again, and about another resident, Magnus, who thinks literature is merely “beautiful characters” and therefore... (full context)

...because Hans wants to smoke a cigar—they’ve been tasting better lately. The doctors, Behrens and Krokowski, attend the concert too. (full context)

The following day brings another deviation from the norm when Krokowski delivers a lecture in the dining hall, something he does every other week. This talk... (full context)

...When he arrives at the dining hall, he finds all the other residents gathered before Krokowski, who is already speaking. (full context)

...As he looks at her, his thoughts grow jumbled, and he can’t pay attention to Krokowski’s words. (full context)

Hans tries to focus. The subject of Krokowski’s lecture is “the force of love,” Krokowski’s specialty. Krokowski’s speech is both lyrical and intellectual,... (full context)

...Chauchat fix her hair and becomes distracted by her stubby, unrefined hands. He thinks about Krokowski’s theory about bourgeois forces stifling love. Hans thinks about how enticingly women dress, and he... (full context)

Krokowski ends his lecture by raising his arms toward the crowd and praising “psychic dissection,” urging... (full context)

After the lecture, Krokowski heads out to the lobby. The residents follow him, crowding around him as though in... (full context)

...many of the women residents’ temperatures to rise and led to many dissection appointments with Krokowski. (full context)

Krokowski holds his consultations in a private room in a part of the sanatorium that people... (full context)

...very used to this procedure. Behrens remarks on a deep rattle in Joachim’s chest. Dr. Krokowski, meanwhile, sits in a corner and takes notes. Hans examines his cousin’s body and notes... (full context)

...he’d inevitably just wind up back here due to his illness. Before Hans can leave, Krokowski approaches him and, placing one hand on Hans’s shoulder, presents his other hand for Hans... (full context)

...on Sunday, and Joachim reports back to him about everything that happened that day, including Krokowski’s bi-weekly lecture. Today, he talked about love again, but this time in terms of “basic... (full context)

...are the same elaborate feasts he enjoyed downstairs, though he now takes them in bed. Krokowski visits Hans during his regular afternoon rounds. This first happens on Monday, and it takes... (full context)

...jokes along, recalling with some amusement the names by which Settembrini referred to Behrens and Krokowski on Hans’s first day at the Berghof—Rhadamanthus and Minos, two judges of hell. (full context)

...observes that the basement is cloaked in “a kind of artificial twilight,” just like Dr. Krokowski’s office is. Suddenly, Clavdia appears in the waiting area and takes a seat beside the... (full context)

...the same, Hans takes in what Settembrini has said—he thinks it’s a bit similar to Krokowski’s ideas about love. (full context)

Settembrini voices his disapproval of Krokowski. While Settembrini isn’t fully against analysis, he thinks it can be bad when people misuse... (full context)

Meanwhile, Behrens and Krokowski also join in on the festivities. Across the dining hall, Behrens leads people in a... (full context)

...the meadow. When Hans expresses an interest in botany, Joachim sarcastically asks if it was Krokowski who inspired this new interest. Lately, Krokowski’s lectures have focused on botany. He has been... (full context)

...know why he’s been on edge lately, Hans does—a while back, Hans was chatting with Krokowski when the doctor stopped by to record everyone’s temperature, something that Joachim can surely make... (full context)

...one resident suffers, James unexpectedly erupts with laughter. After dinner, Hans introduces James to Dr. Krokowski, who greets him with happy enthusiasm. James, meanwhile, can sense without being told that he’s... (full context)

...and one night the socializing in the lobby turns a bit more festive than usual—even Krokowski and Behrens join in. Hans, meanwhile, sits apart from the crowd in the reading room,... (full context)

...of those Russian kisses.” The narrator can’t help but compare this kiss to one of Krokowski’s lectures about love, in which it’s never clear whether he’s talking about spiritual love or... (full context)

...Peeperkorn’s living quarters and finds the door to Peeperkorn’s parlor wide open. The head nurse, Krokowski, and Behrens are all gathered around Peeperkorn’s bed. Clavdia is there, too, but her back... (full context)

Over the years, Krokowski’s lectures have shifted from “physic dissections” to “magical, arcane matters.” His main focus remains the... (full context)

...the outside, but in time it becomes clear that she possesses hidden, strange talents. And Krokowski takes it upon himself to get to the bottom of them. Elly’s hidden talents first... (full context)

...room, after she came in.” At first everyone is puzzled, then they immediately call for Krokowski, informing him that Elly can apparently hear voices. Krokowski is immediately intrigued and sends everyone... (full context)

From that night on, Krokowski forbids anyone from performing any unofficial experiments on Elly. Meanwhile, he starts inviting her for... (full context)

...in a séance the others are holding with Elly. It will be a secret from Krokowski, of course. On the night of the séance, everyone gathers in Hermine Kleefeld’s room. There’s... (full context)

Later, Dr. Krokowski starts inviting select residents to the sessions he holds with Elly in his office. Hans... (full context)

Krokowski even manages to coach Elly to materialize Holger, who it turns out “really did have... (full context)

When all the attendees have arrived, Krokowski asks his assistants—Frau Magnus and Fräulein Levi—to accompany him and Elly to the adjacent office,... (full context)

Ten minutes later, Elly, Krokowski and the two assistants return from the examination room, and the session begins. Krokowski turns... (full context)

Elly squeezes Hans’s hands, which means that Holger is present. Krokowski asks Holger if he’s still willing to make a deceased person appear, and Elly/Holger whispers... (full context)

...close and the session resumes. Hans asks to have someone else be the mediator, but Krokowski refuses his request, and Hans sits back down in his seat facing Elly. The gramophone... (full context)

Hans awakes to Krokowski calling him by name over and over again. Hans says nothing and goes to the... (full context)

The Magic Mountain

Dr. Krokowski Character Analysis

Dr. Krokowski Quotes in The Magic Mountain

Part 4, Chapter 6: Analysis Quotes

Part 4, Chapter 8: Table Talk Quotes

Part 5, Chapter 3: Freedom Quotes

Dr. Krokowski Character Timeline in The Magic Mountain