cert ▁Hall ' ▁were ▁widely ▁read . ▁The ▁do omed ▁child ' s ▁name ▁Nep om uk , ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 th ▁century ▁quite ▁popular ▁in ▁Austria ▁and ▁southern ▁Germany , ▁rec alls ▁the ▁composer ▁Johann ▁Nep om uk ▁Hum mel ▁and ▁the ▁play w right ▁Johann ▁N est roy . ▁Ref lect ing ▁the ▁( Counter - Re formation ) ▁cult ▁of ▁John ▁Nep om uk , ▁it ▁therefore ▁also ▁ev okes ▁the ▁high ▁ro c oco , ▁the ▁' re - echo ing ▁of ▁movement ', ▁in ▁the ▁St ▁John ▁Nep om uk ▁Church ▁architecture ▁by ▁the ▁As am ▁brothers ▁in ▁Mun ich , ▁and ▁probably ▁the ▁descri ptions ▁and ▁interpret ations ▁of ▁it ▁by ▁Heinrich ▁W öl ff lin . ▁ ▁The ▁character ▁of ▁the ▁viol in ist ▁R udi ▁Sch wer dt f eg er ▁is ▁model led ▁on ▁Paul ▁Ehren berg ▁of ▁Dresden , ▁an ▁adm ired ▁friend ▁of ▁Mann ' s . ▁But ▁in ▁general ▁the ▁characters ▁and ▁names ▁echo ▁philosoph ies ▁and ▁intellectual ▁stand points ▁without ▁int ending ▁port ra its ▁or ▁imp erson ations ▁of ▁real ▁individuals . ▁They ▁serve ▁the ▁many - layer ed , ▁multi - val ent ▁all us iveness ▁of ▁Mann ' s ▁style ▁to ▁under pin ▁and ▁rein force ▁the ▁symbol ic ▁nature ▁of ▁his ▁work . ▁ ▁Th emes ▁ ▁As ▁a ▁re - t elling ▁of ▁the ▁Fa ust ▁myth , ▁the ▁novel ▁is ▁concerned ▁with ▁them es ▁such ▁as ▁pride , ▁tempt ation , ▁the