Kafka’s Inward Journey
According to Murakami, the life of humans consists of two worlds; humans dip a foot into each of these worlds, with the whole of humanity living on the borderline between the two worlds. The two worlds to which Murakami refers are the conscious mind and the unconscious mind. According to the psychotherapist Carl Jung, people must abridge these two worlds in order for them to fully indentify themselves. Many of the characters within Murakami’s novel Kafka on the Shore struggle with the concept of identity, particularly one of the main protagonists, Kafka Tamura. Kafka’s identity crisis stems from his lack of self- the signifier of the unification between consciousness and unconsciousness; in order for Kafka to gain his true identity, he must embark on a journey towards attaining this self. In achieving the self, Kafka will understand the workings of his conscious and unconscious mind and will therefore gain an understanding of exactly who he is. The journey to achieving the self will be similar to going through the metaphorical storm, as the Boys named Crow described in the beginning of the novel:
“Once the storm is over [he] won’t remember how [he] made it through. . . . But one thing is certain. When [Kafka] come[s] out of the storm [he] won’t be the same person who walked in.” (Murakami, 6)
Jung held the belief that inwardly, all human beings are essentially whole, however, many tend lose touch with the important parts of themselves, causing them to lose sight of their true identity. However, one can regain this true identity by undergoing individuation, a process in which one comes to know, give expression to, and harmonize the three primary components of the psyche: the conscious mind and the unconsciou...
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...ns as a metaphor for the labyrinth of the subconscious, Kafka meets with his mother, who gives him reason to forgive her. Once his mother has been forgiven, Kafka is able to attain the self and gains a new identity, a new purpose in life, which is to carry on Miss Saeki’s legacy. Kafka leaves the forest with “a new attitude, an attitude which accepts the irrational and the incomprehensible simply because it is happening.” (Jung, 17).
By the end of the novel, Kafka has undergone the arduous process of individuation, and has learned to accept the intricacies of his conscious and unconscious mind. Kafka has managed to attain the self, and has acquired a new attitude, one which has come to accept such irrational concepts as the manifestation of Saeki’s ghost. In doing so, he has gained a new outlook on life as well as a new identity: the legacy bearer of Miss Saeki.
Carl Jung was a disciple of Sigmund Freud, despite the two having conflicting ideas. One of Jung’s most well known and accepted theories was the existence of different types of archetypes in the brain. These include the ego, which is where our conscious awareness and sense of identity reside, and the shadow, which is the part of the unconscious mind consisting of repressed weaknesses, shortcomings, and instincts. In the novel A Separate Peace, by John Knowles, the protagonist Gene exemplifies the shadow, while his friend, Finny, personifies the ego. The author narrates through the shadow, though he clearly supports the ego. However, he also makes it apparent that it is wrong to be dominated by either archetype.
The Jungian process of individuation involves “. . . a psychological growing up, the process of discovering those aspects of one’s self that make one an individual differe...
The Metamorphosis is said to be one of Franz Kafka's best works of literature. It shows the difficulties of living in a modern society and the struggle for acceptance of others when in a time of need. In this novel Kafka directly reflects upon many of the negative aspects of his personal life, both mentally and physically. The relationship between Gregor and his father is in many ways similar to Franz and his father Herrman. The Metamorphosis also shows resemblance to some of Kafka's diary entries that depict him imagining his own extinction by dozens of elaborated methods. This paper will look into the text to show how this is a story about the author's personal life portrayed through his dream-like fantasies.
Man and His Symbols, edited by Carl G Jung and M.-L. von Franz, Joseph L. Henderson, Jolande Jacobi, Aniela Jaffe, published by Dell Books, non fiction.
Politzer, Heinz. Franz Kafka: Parable and Paradox. Ithaca, New York: Cornell University Press, 1962, Pp. 37-41.
Bernstein, Richard. “A VOYAGE THROUGH KAFKA'S AMBIGUITIES”. New York Times 02 May 1983. : n. pag. ProQuest Platinum.
Sokel, Walter H. “From Marx to Myth: The Structure and Function Of Self-Alienation In Kafka’s Metamorphosis.” Critical Insights: The Metamorphosis (2011): 215-230. Literary Reference Center. Web. 15 Mar. 2014.
Franz Kafka, b. Prague, Bohemia (then belonging to Austria), July 3, 1883, d. June 3, 1924, has come to be one of the most influential writers of this century. Virtually unknown during his lifetime, the works of Kafka have since been recognized as symbolizing modern man's anxiety-ridden and grotesque alienation in an unintelligible, hostile, or indifferent world. Kafka came from a middle-class Jewish family and grew up in the shadow of his domineering shopkeeper father, who impressed Kafka as an awesome patriarch. The feeling of impotence, even in his rebellion, was a syndrome that became a pervasive theme in his fiction. Kafka did well in the prestigious German high school in Prague and went on to receive a law degree in 1906. This allowed him to secure a livelihood that gave him time for writing, which he regarded as the essence--both blessing and curse--of his life. He soon found a position in the semipublic Workers' Accident Insurance institution, where he remained a loyal and successful employee until--beginning in 1917-- tuberculosis forced him to take repeated sick leaves and finally, in 1922, to retire. Kafka spent half his time after 1917 in sanatoriums and health resorts, his tuberculosis of the lungs finally spreading to the larynx.
According to Arp and Johnson, “Literary fiction plunges us, through the author’s imaginative vision and artistic ability, more deeply into the real world, enabling us to understand life’s difficulties and to empathize with others.” In the story The Metamorphosis by Kafka he uses his genius imaginative vision and artistic ability, making us understand and feel empathy toward his main character, Gregor. Kafka uses a tremendous amount of symbolism and metaphors to get us to feel the mood in the story and in general life’s difficulties.
Franz Kafka’s stories and novels contain such disturbing situations that the word Kafkaesque has been created to define the most unpleasant and bizarre aspects of everyday modern life. A master of dark humor and an artist of unique vision, Kafka captures perfectly the anxiety and absurdity of contemporary urban society (Norton Anthology 1866). In 1912, Kafka produced his longest, as well as his most famous novella written, The Metamorphosis. Metamorphosis means change, which is something readers see a lot of in this novella. It is about a young man, Gregor Samsa, who wakes up and sees that is has been transformed into a bug. He, as well as his families, lives are completely turned upside down. They had all depended so heavily on Gregor, and
...generation. Kafka’s story proposes family dynamics as a natural ancestral foundation that’s pre-developed and set from early life stages.
viii[viii] Stanley Corngold, Franz Kafka: The Necessity of Form. (Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1988) 248.
To fully understand this story, it’s important to have some background information on Franz Kafka. He was born into a German speaking family in Prague on July 3rd, 1883. He was the oldest of six children. His father Harmann Kafka was a business man. His mother Julie Kafka was born into a wealthy family. Kafka considered the vast differences in his paternal and maternal relatives as a “split within himself” (Sokel 1). Kafka felt that “the powerful, self-righteous, and totally unselfconscious personality of his father had stamped him with an ineradicable conviction of his own inferiority and guilt” (Sokel 1). He felt the o...
ii Kafka, F. The Trial. Translated by Willa and Edwin Muir. Introduction by George Steiner. New York, Schocken Books, 1992, 1.
Pawel, Ernst. A Nightmare of Reason: A Life of Franz Kafka. 2nd ed. New York: Farrar, Straus, & Giroux, 1984.