Analysis Of The Judgement By Franz Kafka

Many people believe that The Judgement was the most autobiographical of Kafka's works. To provide a complete picture, one must analyse both. Franz Kafka was born into a Jewish family in 1883 in Prague, Bohemia. His father was Hermann Kafka, whose father was Jacob Kafka. Hermann Kafka worked in his father's butcher shop until he was able to fend for himself. A number of years later, he married the daughter of his employer, who owned a store. In short, he ‘married up’ to Julie Kafka. She was far more educated than her husband (especially considering that Herman had never received any schooling whatsoever). She later gave birth to Franz and 5 other children. Kafka was the oldest child of 2 brothers (Georg and Heinrich) and 3 sisters (Eli, Valli, and Ottla). The mother helped run his father's business, so she wasn’t at home often, like most others at the time. Just like in The Judgement, Franz Kafka’s relationship with his father is extremely dysfunctional. According to the European Graduate School, Hermann was seen as a “tyrannical figure in the household”. Kafka’s father Hermann, is represented as the antagonist in many of Kafka’s books, and tends to make life miserable for for the son figure (in the book and real life). Because Franz's father Hermann was raised in an impoverished environment, he valued hard work and dedication to his job. For Herman, it was very important to ensure his family had a good life. Franz’s mother Julie was similar; although she didn’t grow up in poverty, she also worked to support the family, leaving Franz with a governess. Due to the regular absences of his parents, Franz felt abandoned by them. Their high expectations only made him hate them more. Although an impartial observer would likely say that F...

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...tant. and the only important thing was what he decided was important. His mother was distant, his father was harsh, his relationships failed, his sexuality was an element of internal conflict. His job was meaningless and draining and his country was on the brink of an epic conflict. Suffice it to say that his life wasn't exactly a box of chocolates. When you combine this with depression,(which may or may not have been a result of all of the above) and some suicidal wishes, and you get a quite unhappy person. The Judgement illustrates a number of the perceived judgments on kafka by those around him, culminating in his father passing judgement on him, sentencing him to death. He does as his father asks, and jumps from the bridge. The vast and ranging parallels between Kafka’s works and Kafka's life illustrate the degree to which his life was reflected in his work.