Presentation Transcript

1. The Early Life and Family of Kafka

   http://www.themodernword.com/kafka/kafka_gallery/fk_boy.jpg
2. Birth Birth Date: 3 July 1883 Birthplace: Prague, Austria-Hungary Parents: Hermann Kafka and Julie Kafka (Löwy) Nationality: Bohemian (Austria-Hungary) Religion: Jewish http://www.porges.net/KafkaFamilyTree.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franz_Kafka http://www.slovak-republic.org/pictures/historical-maps/austria-hungary-map-1914.png
3. Family Franz Kafka was the eldest of six children Two brothers: Georg and Hienrich Three sisters: Gabriele, Valerie and, Ottilie http://www.porges.net/KafkaFamilyTree.html http://www.zwoje-scrolls.com/zwoje43/kafka_i_siostry.jpg
4. Early Life Franz was born to a family of the middle to upper-middle class. Franz’s brothers died at an early age, at less than a year a piece. Franz and his sisters were mostly raised by governesses, as was the common practice. The family moved a lot as their financial status increased. Franz, though withdrawn and quiet, was on good terms with his sisters and often wrote them plays in his spare time. He learned Czech from one of his governesses, he attended a German school, and did quite well. http://www.kafka-franz.com/kafka-Biography.htm
5. Franz Kafka Education Fluent in German and Czech Deutsche Knabenschule school Jewish education was the Bar Mitzvah Didn’t like going to a synagogue Charles- Ferdinand University Took law and became a lawyer in 1906 Met Max Brod at school

6. Franz Kafka

   Short Stories Novels Novellas Nonfiction Franz Kafka: The Diaries 1910-1923 Amerika The Metamorphosis Jackals and Arabs The Refusal Works A Hunger Artist The Trial In the Penal Colony Investigations of a Dog The Blue Octavo Notebooks The Castle The Letters
7. Franz Kafka Career Life 1 November 1907, he was hired at AssicurazioniGenerali. 15 July 1908, he resigned and was hired by the Workers Accident Insurance Institute of the kingdom of Bohemia Kafka and his friends worked on literary works during the 1880’s-end of WWI In 1911 he joined with Karl Hermann to establish the factory PragerAsbestwerke Herman and Co.
8. Franz Kafka His adult life, and relationships
9. Kafka was a Vegetarian Became friends with Max Brod in 1901 Studied law at University of Prague. He received his doctorate in 1906 His first job was at the Assicurizioni Generali Insurance Company in 1907 1908, he began working at the Workers' Accident Insurance Institute.
10. Started a notebook in 1910, but had to stop writing because of the war (he was a short story writer/novelist at the time) He was engaged to Felice Bauer who lived in Berlin. They met in Max Brod's home on August 13, 1912. They were engaged twice and called it quits in 1917. He Dedicated “Metamorphosis” and “The Judgement” to Felice
11. Only a few of his stories were written in his life time. In 1914 he started “The Trial” (his second novel) In August of 1917 he began to suffer from tuberculosis. He had a dry sense of humor that was supported greatly by his sister, Ottla.
12. In 1920 he began an intense relation ship with a Czech journalist and writer- Milena Jesenska In July 1923 met Dora Diamant, a 25 year old kindergarten teacher Little women, the burrow, and josphen the singer were written for Dora Later that year he returned to Prague then went to Dr. Hoffmann's in hierling for treatment
13. He died June 3, 1924 (same year as Lenin) from starvation because of his throat so he couldn’t swallow and eating was painful Dora was with him when he died He was brought back to Prague and was buried June 11 1924 in the New Jewish Cemetery Dora changed her name to Kafka even though they didn’t marry (just like in the titanic)
14. as tragic as the death of Kafka may have been, he died before he witnessed the suffering of most of his female friends and family. All of his sisters perished in the Nazi death camps after the breakout of world war two.

15. Kafka’s Times

    July 3, 1883-June 3, 1924
16. Born to Jewish parents in Prague, Kafka grew up experiencing the old Anti-Semitism that had pervaded Europe for centuries. As a populist, he was regarded with suspicion by the authorities in the monarchical and conservative political system of Austria-Hungary.
17. As a citizen of a Central Power in WW1, Kafka’s feelings of isolation would only increase when Austria-Hungary was defeated by the Entente, and was then broken into pieces. The ensuing anger towards Jews would only increase after the war, a further blow to Kafka’s mentality.
18. Sources http://www.bookedandloaded.blogspot.com/ www.kafka-franz.com/kafka-biography.htm http://www.holocaustresearchproject.org/holoprelude/ http://www.tcnj.edu/~guhr2/index.htm http://www.mapsorama.com/tag/demographic-map/page/2/
19. Themes and style in Kafka Taylor, Kelsey and Catherine
20. themes absurdity, alienation, anxiety, cruelty, dark humour, doubt, fasting/starvation, formality, futility, guilt, insignificance, labyrinths, dominance vs. submission, meaninglessness, nature vs. technology, inability to meet goals or destinations, escaping or attempting to escape societal and mental limitations, transformation.
21. themes Expansion on some of those themes: Alienation: often from man, in the Metamorphosis it is expanded into dehumanizing jobsFormality: in style of writing and in the behaviour of charactersGuilt: often without a specific or logical sourceLabyrinths: creates a sense of disorientation and complexityTransformation: can be in a physical or mental sense
22. Writing style Long sentence structure (sometimes a whole page) Ambiguous terms, used on purpose Kafkaesque: narrative made combining a realistic style with the distortions and absurdities of nightmare scenario Some consider him existentialist, some modernist A mix of realistic and detailed description with bizarre surreal events More concise and lucid in his later years Many believe that you need to look at him as an autobiographical artist because many of his short stories were never supposed to be viewed by the public
23. Keep in mind while reading Kafka wrote in German so much of his long sentence structure and ambiguous terms are missed in English It is up to the translator to keep the style of Kafka alive even in translation
24. sources www.novelguide.com/themetamorphosis/themeanalysis.html www.wordiq.com/definition/Franz_Kafka www.kafka-franz.com/franz-kafka-writing.htm www.online-literature.com/franz-kafka Franz Kafka - Richard H. Lawsom

25. “Kafkaesque”

    The Term Kafkaesque can is sometimes defined as: -marked by a senseless, disorienting, often menacing complexity -marked by surreal distortion and often a sense of impending danger -an existentialist state of ever-elusive freedom while existing under immitigable control -an intentional distortion of reality by powerful but anonymous bureaucrats -reminiscent of the nightmarish dehumanized world portrayed in the novels of Franz Kafka, the Czech
26. “Kafkaesque” Works that are thought of as “Kafkaesque” usually contain themes of alienation from and persecution by an incomprehensibly complex, bizarre, and illogical and invincible world or system. Works by Franz Kafka and those similar are described as having a: “..nightmarish style of narration, in which characters lack a clear course of action, the ability to see beyond immediate events, and the possibility of escape.”
27. “Kafkaesque” The lives and worlds of Kafka’s characters are dismal, yet because of their inherent absurdity and futility they appear almost comical “Kafka presents a world that is at once real and dreamlike and in which individuals burdened with guilt, isolation, and anxiety, make a futile search for personal salvation."
28. “Kafkaesque” Other Characteristics of Kafkaesque Writings Morbid, subtle and contradictory humor Isolation, solitude, insensitivity and cruelty Exaggerated the bleakness Satirical wit
29. “Kafkaesque” Examples of “Kafkaesque” FEMA arbitrarily denied thousands of vulnerable displaced families access to housing aid until a federal judge ruled against the agency last week, describing FEMA's system for delivering aid as "Kafkaesque", likening it to the writer's disturbing tales of horror. Jeffrey Buchanan: Where is US Leadership in New Orleans on Human Rights Day? You know, it has a kind of Kafkaesque or absurdist quality to it. OPEDNEWS
30. “Kafkaesque” Bibliography http://www.squidoo.com/franz-kafka http://www.tameri.com/csw/exist/exist.html http://www.wordsfromsolitude.blogspot.com/2010/01 http://www.wordnik.com/words/Kafkaesque
31. Timeline of Kafka’s life 1902: Meets Max Brod, fellow writer, critic, and lifelong friend of Kafka’s 1903; Writes Description of a Struggle 1906; Obtains law degree of doctor juris Begins a yearlong law internship July 3rd, 1883: Franz Kafka is born to Hermann, a successful merchant, and Julie Kafka 1889, 1890, 1892: Kafka’s sisters Elli, Valli, Ottla respectively born 1901: Kafka begins university at the German University in Prague, where he switches from studying German literature to law after a matter of days.
32. 1909: 8 prose works are published in Hyperion, a literary journal based out of Munich Writes “The aeroplanes at Brescia” 1911: Becomes interested in Yiddish theatre, meets Isak Lowy Begins writing Amerika 1912: Meets Felice Bauer, a secretarial assistant with whom he falls in love Studies Judaism Writes “the Metamorphosis” and “The Judgment” 1913: Meditation and “The Judgment” published 1914: Gets engaged to Felice Bauer onApril 12th, and breaks the engagement only three months later 1917: Learns Hebrew July: Second engagement to Felice Bauer September 4th: Diagnosed with Tuberculosis Breaks off second engagement
33. 1919: Felice Bauer married Becomes engaged with Julie Wohryzek, daughter of a synagogue custodian Publishes In the Penal Colony and A Country Doctor 1921: Writes stories later included in A Hunger Artist 1922: Writes The Castle 1923: Meets and moves in with Dora Diamant, an orthodox Jewess 1924: Writes “ Josephine the singer, or the mouse folk” Dies in Kierling, near Vienna on June 3rd 1942 Death of Kafka’s sisters in Auschwitz 1952: Death of Dora Diamant in London 1960: Death of Felice Bauer