Kafka – the man who himself is an adjective

Md.Abid Hasan

24101051

Section :29

Franz Kafka is considered as one of the most influential literary figures in the world. Kafka’s unusual life story and his mysterious writing style give his work an exceptional character .

Few writers have the honor of being adjectives. Kafka is one of them. ”Kafkaesque” is the word. That’s how big kafka’s impact is that he has his own adjective. It originates from the dark and mysterious atmosphere he created in his work. "Kafkaesque" situations are so frustrating that you will become a paranoid. Life in his eyes felt like a never-ending nightmare .
Kafka’s writing was influenced by two major factors ,the environment of the time and place where he lived and the events in his personal life. Kafka was born in Prague ,a major city of Austro-Hungarian empire,13^th  july, 1883 into a German Jews family. He practiced as a lawyer in the insurance industry. In the writings of Kafka, we can see a common theme everywhere. He showed us that no honor comes without sufferings and there is a reward after every suffering. I’m totally influenced by kafka and I have read all of his major works .

Kafka’s Metamorphosis is considered as a mirror of his personal sufferings and struggles . Here he shows Gregor’s family members don’t actually love each other,they only use each others for survival .When he turned into an insect ,his family members were not willing to accept him. This work is considered as the brightest highlight of Kafka’s  legacy.

Kafka’s stories are complicated .His another major work called “The Trial” will make you question the justice,truth and guilt in our society. His another famous work is “The Judgement”.His work “A Hunger Artist” describes how a victimized protagonist experienced  the lack of appreciation of his strange craft. 

Kafka died more than 90 years ago but still he has a powerful influence over artists and intellectuals from all over the world. Famous film director Terry Gilliam made his film “Brazil” after getting influenced by kafka.Also the popular Japanese author Haruki Murakami is well-known for his book “Kafka on the shore”.Even still he is  relevant considering our modern days' social and personal problems.Most writers and critics of the 20^th century have tried and still trying to find the meaning in kafka’s work.
Some have seen the influence of Karl Marx  in his works and others see an anarchist tendency cause he was involved with some campaigns of Czech anarchists .Kafka also had  a strong influence on Gabriel Garcia Marquez.Kafka often used to doubt that he is a human being.Kafka himself found kafka difficult. His life at all point seems like a man living a story and not in reality.

Kafka only published a few short stories throughout his life,a small part of his work,so most of his works went unnoticed.He burned 90% of his work and most of the remaining 10% is lost. In his will,Kafka instructed his best friend Max Brod to destroy all of his unfinished works including his legendary novels The Trial,The Castle,Amerika.But Brod ignored and published his works.Kafka’s work soon created huge hype all over the Europe and received critical praise. His works were even more appreciated after the second world war . Kafka dealt with timeless themes like dealing with authority .

His stories actually describe the feeling of being lost.They are completely independent of cultural influences and political perspectives.That is why Kafka is read and understood all over the world. Kafka often is more relatable to young people because they too come into conflict with the authority and fell just as lost as the characters of kafka’s stories.

In 1924 he was diagnosed with laryngeal tuberculosis . He died on 3 june 1924 at the age of 40. But his works will remain timeless and he will remain as one of the most influential individuals of human history.