Semester: Spring Term

Professor Slater

Aggressive Father & A Broken Son

“The tongue can no man tame”, it releases unruly and deadly poison words that can crush a young man spirit. Franz Kafka had a broken spirit by the hostile words of his father. He was born on July 3, 1883 in Prague, his parents name, Hermann and Julie Kafka. Franz, was the oldest of six children (his two younger brothers died at an early age) and three sisters. The Kafka family identity themselves with German culture, Jewish roots, and there first language was German. His parents own a small retail store selling men and women clothes, decorative items, umbrellas, and his mother would do all alteration for their customers when need it. Franz, study law at the University of Prague, after graduating his parents was please, especially his father. Franz like receiving affirmation from his father, it made him feel confidence and to know his father was please. But, Franz only practice law for a year. His father Hermann became furious with him quitting his job. Hermann spoke negative hostile and insulting words that affect Franz on an emotional level making him feel very small like an insect. Franz tried to explain to his parents, he wanted to write short stories and write poet. But, his parents did not understand why, he wanted to be a writer and they did not support him.

Franz found another job working at Workers’ Accident Insurance Institute for the of Bohemia. He became a traveling salesman and worked long hours. He was popular at work, easy to socialize with other employees and a sense of humor. But his personal life at home was still in a rage with his father. Franz’s father had a profound impact on both his life and his writing. He was oppressed by him with his wicked temper and had no appreciation for Franz creative side.

Franz would write in the late evening after work. But, Franz still dealt with hearing his father Hermann violent and abuse words against him every evening. His father made him feel emotional stress, shame and guilt on a daily basic and his mother did nothing to support him or speak with his father. Franz struggled throughout his life in writing short stories and poet. He also, started writing his throughs in his personal diary about his father and their relationship. Franz, mustered up enough nerves to write his father Hermann along letter, hoping his mother would give the letter to his father on his behalf, but she did not, she kept the letter. Franz’s never had the nerves to talk with his father one on one. Franz felt unwanted, unworthy with guilt and shame no one to talk with, he continues writing in his personal diary.

Franz Kafka became the poet and short story writer of his own emotional and mental disorder like the characters in his short stories. Franz Kafka wrote, “A Little Fable” this short story was about a little mouse name “Alas”. Alas the mouse looked around and was amaze how things looked so big, then when he looked again everything started growing smaller and smaller every day and he was afraid. In reading this short story, we can make assumption of Kafka’s personal anguish and his complex reflections in his imaginary mind how the world was looking small and closing end. Kafka characters were often coming up against an overbearing power of some kind, one that could easily break the will of men and destroy their sense of self-worth. But Kafka, was still plagued by his father voice of violent and abuse words him. This made him struggle in his writing, still living with his demons that plagued his self-doubt, and he unleashed his work on the world. During his lifetime he published seven short story books. Franz’s closest friend Max Brod, Literary Executor, he would edit and published his short stories and other work. When Franz was very sick, he requested his friend Brod to destroy his unpublished manuscripts and papers.

After Franz passed, his friend Brod published his short story manuscript name “Metamorphosis”

Franz Kafka wrote an unpublished short story manuscript book title “Metamorphosis” it’s a story about a man name, Gregor Samsa, who was a traveling salesman, lived with his parents and sibling. Gregor Samsa, father was aggressive speaking and his mother was soft spoken house wife like, Franz Kafka parents. Gregor also dealt with the hostile, negative and insulting words like, Franz Kafka with his father. Gregor also experience shame, he felt unwanted, unworthy with no support from his father and mother like Franz Kafka was feeling with his parents.

Franz Kafka wrote, Gregor Samsa woke-up one morning from a nightmare, his body was transformed into a large insect with a flat back and many tiny little legs. It looks like a beetle bug with a hard back. He was thinking, what has happened to his body. But, he could not explain lying in bed for hours, and trying to turn his body to get out of the bed. He finally, thrust his body forward, then slammed himself against the lower bedpost. He was out the bed laying on the floor with the lower part of his back in pain; this was a sensitive spot he said to himself. His parents knocking on the door wanting to come in his room, asking question like, why you not at work? Are you alright? And the Chief Clerk from his job, came out to his parent’s home and asked the same questions too. Gregor did not want them to see the state he was in, so he tried to keep them from entering the room, but he could not, then when they saw him, they were horrified of his sight and ran from the door. Gregor was crawling behind them wanting to explain and making a hissing sound like an animal. Then Gregor, notice how far down the hallway he was toward the living room, he saw his father with a broom, he turned around and started crawling towards his room, but his father caught him at the door and hit him from behind, he went flying into the room, and his father locked the door from outside. Gregor tiny legs and back was badly injured, he limped to the other side of the room to hide himself under the couch. Gregor had so many emotions and unanswered questions running through his head with no one to call on. His whole life was upside down over night, he was thinking to himself, locked in a room, with no family, no job, and no personal relationship. He was in a dark place in his mind.

Cites

Robertson, Ritchie. Kafka : A Very Short Introduction. Oxford University Press, 2004. Very Short Introductions. EBSCOhost,