▁Fest schrift ▁celebr ating ▁Mann ' s ▁ 5 0 th ▁birth day ▁in ▁the ▁publication ▁Neue ▁Rund schau . ▁It ▁was ▁translated ▁into ▁English ▁the ▁following ▁year ▁by ▁Mann ' s ▁friend ▁and ▁colle ague , ▁the ▁American ▁H erman ▁George ▁Sch eff auer , ▁and ▁first ▁appeared ▁in ▁The ▁D ial ▁in ▁two ▁install ments ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 6 ▁( Oct ober ▁and ▁November ). ▁ ▁Plot ▁summary ▁The ▁nov ella ▁is ▁set ▁in ▁one ▁day ▁in ▁Mun ich ▁in ▁We imar ▁Germany . ▁The ▁Corn el ius ▁family ▁are ▁prepar ing ▁a ▁party ▁for ▁In grid ▁and ▁Bert , ▁Professor ▁Corn el ius ' s ▁children . ▁The ▁family ▁are ▁divided ▁up ▁on ▁the ▁basis ▁of ▁chron ology , ▁for esh adow ing ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁central ▁them es ▁of ▁the ▁work ▁which ▁is ▁the ▁inter play ▁between ▁different ▁gener ations ▁at ▁a ▁time ▁of ▁dis loc ating ▁social ▁and ▁economic ▁change . ▁In grid ▁and ▁Bert , ▁both ▁ad oles c ents , ▁are ▁" the ▁big ▁folk "; ▁Professor ▁Corn el ius ▁and ▁his ▁wife ▁are ▁" the ▁old ▁folk "; ▁Ell ie ▁and ▁Sn apper , ▁their ▁young est ▁children , ▁are ▁" the ▁little ▁folk "; ▁and ▁Professor ▁Corn el ius ’ s ▁parents , ▁who ▁are ▁only ▁discussed ▁and ▁who ▁do ▁not ▁feature ▁directly ▁in ▁the ▁story , ▁are ▁categor ised ▁as ▁" the ▁anci ents ". ▁ ▁Film ▁version ▁A ▁West ▁German ▁film ▁adaptation ▁directed ▁by ▁Franz ▁Se itz , ▁Jr .