Franz Kafka: A Study

Kafkaesque World

• Defined by feelings of powerlessness in front of authority: judges, aristocrats, industrialists, politicians, especially fathers.
• Experiences include being bullied, humiliated, mocked by society and family.
• Feelings of body shame and sexual urges, leading to extreme self-loathing.
• Often identifies with being an unwanted and disgusting insect.

Early Life

• Born in Prague, 1883
• Eldest child with a psychologically abusive father and a submissive mother.
• Grew up timid, bookish, and full of self-hatred.
• Desired to be a writer, but forced into mundane jobs by his father.
• Unsuccessful relationships with women; tormented by strong sex drive leading to visits to brothels and pornography.

Literary Output

• Published little during his lifetime: mainly three collections of short stories.
• Notable work: The Metamorphosis.
• Major posthumous novels: The Trial, The Castle, America.
• Ordered destruction of his manuscripts posthumously; orders ignored.

Relationship with His Father

• Stories indirectly tied to his father's psychological impact.
• Wrote a 47-page letter to his father in 1919, explaining his fear and emotional destruction due to his father's harsh treatment.
• Described traumatic incidents, including being left to freeze on a balcony as a child.
• Felt worthless and inadequate compared to his father.
• Mother never gave the letter to his father, further complicating Kafka’s emotional state.

Key Works

The Judgment (1912)

• Young businessman named Georg, about to marry and leave his widowed father's home.
• Father regains strength, condemns Georg to death by drowning for perceived betrayals.

The Trial (1914)

• Joseph K. is arrested without knowing the charge, feels inherent guilt.
• Attempts to defend himself in a corrupt legal system but is ultimately executed.

The Metamorphosis (1915)

• Gregor Samsa wakes up transformed into an insect.
• Story revolves around self-disgust, family betrayal, and arbitrary power.
• Gregor’s family isolates him and ultimately wishes for his death; he complies and dies.

The Hunger Artist (1922)

• Performer who fasts for public entertainment, becomes less appreciated over time.
• Admits before death that he fasted because he couldn't find food he enjoyed.
• Replaced by a vigorous panther admired by the crowd.

Health and Death

• Suffered from ill health, developed laryngeal tuberculosis at 41.
• Painful eating led to the writing of "The Hunger Artist".
• Died shortly after completing the story in 1924, buried in Prague.

Posthumous Recognition

• Achieved huge posthumous reputation, especially post-Second World War.
• His works remain influential, providing deep insights into human psychology and societal issues.

Literature Philosophy

• Wrote that literature reconnects us with difficult emotions that need attention.
• Believed books should act as "an axe for the frozen sea within us".