Franz Kafka's The Castle - Research Paper Example

Franz Kafka's The Castle: “Arrival”-“Waiting for Klamm” The novel “The Castle” by Franz Kafka is a foreboding tale about a land surveyor, known only as K., called to a small, snowy village to perform what turns out to be a very ambiguous service 1. The main character initially assumes he has been summoned to perform duties related to his profession, but encounters numerous difficulties when he tries to communicate with his employer, Count Westwest, whom resides in the Castle and owns the entire village 2. The character K. is a reflection of the turmoil and loneliness inherent in Kafka’s life and mirrors the confusion experienced by all of humanity as he struggles to interpret the meaning and function of the Castle 3. Kafka’s early writings pay tribute to his deep understanding of the psychology related to human interactions and repressions, as demonstrated by the exchanges between K. and the villagers 4. The oppression and loneliness Kafka experienced in life as well as the dualities in the nature of men are evident in his portrayal of K. and the numerous other characters in “The Castle” and are exemplified in numerous ways throughout the first 100 pages of the text selected for analysis, which fall within the chapters “Arrival” through “Waiting for Klamm” 5. The various messages throughout Kafka’s work begin in the first chapter, entitled “Arrival”. The thematic introduction of the duality of man is initially introduced within the first few pages, as K. is welcomed into the inn by the landlord and allowed to stay thenight, but is soon awakened from his sleep and threatened with ejection into the cold, snowy night by Schwarzer, a Castle official and the son of the head steward, because he does not have a permit to stay at the inn 6. Similar instances of this theme play out through the story as K. encounters the townspeople and epitomized during the exchange between K. and the landlady, Gardena, as she describes the vacillating nature of her husband: “I am fed up with him. When I didn’t want you here, he kept you here; now that I’m happy that you are living here, he’s pushing you away.” 7. The duality in K.’s nature is also noted in his desire to be a part of the every day life of the villagers while maintaining his official status as ‘Land Surveyor’ 8. The social hierarchy of the village seems lost on K. as is the immanent nature of the social structure 9. K.'s exploitation of people is evident with the arrival of his assistants, Arthur and Jeremiah, and his failure to recognize them, despite their having previously been in his service 10. This exploitative nature is also evident in his callous treatment of Frieda, despite her sincere efforts to help him find his niche within the village 11. K.’s difference in opinion regarding the respectability of Frieda also sets him apart from some of the villagers, considering her position as Klamm’s mistress even though Gardena had also been Klamm’s mistress 12. This exploitative nature displayed by K. is mirrored by the oppression of the Castle and Count Westwest of the villagers, who seem to fear and revere the Castle in equal measures. This theme is one that is prevalent in the larger body of Kafka’s works and is indicative of his perspective on the deliberate condemnation and society's vicious persecution of the Jew 13. This dual nature of man is further exemplified by the confusing letter/summons K. receives from Klamm that: “…wasn’t consistent, there were places where they addressed him the way they would a free man whose own intentions were recognized, in the heading for instance, and also the part that covered his wishes. However, there were other places where he was openly or in a veiled way treated as small fry…Without a doubt there were contradictions, so blatant that they had to be intentional.” 14. This passage reveals the numerous conflicting aspects regarding the nature of K.’s interactions with the various Castle officials and the townspeople. The letter brings to K.’s attention the social hierarchy that exists within the village, with those with status enough to gain admittance and position within the Castle at the top and all others at the bottom. However, the conflicting paradigms of the assistants that have access to the Castle and K., in his superior role as the Land Surveyor, being told he will “Never” be given access to the Castle creates a shifting base by which this hierarchy is formed 15. Despite the attention being placed on the import of social roles, K. still does not seem to acknowledge or respect the social norms of the village, as the landlady expresses to K. when he tells her he intends to talk to Klamm about Frieda 16. K. demonstrates numerous instances of duality himself in his desire to be revered in an official capacity as the Land Surveyor while longing to be accepted as one of the villagers 17. This characteristic of acceptance of roles while simultaneously rejecting it is also apparent in Kafka’s short story, “The Metamorphosis” in the main character Gregor, whom undergoes an astonishing transformation over night 18. As he struggles with the change, he understands his family’s revulsion to his new beastly state and at the same time longs to once more be a part of the familial fold 19. However, K.’s duality resonates into deeper areas as he also attempts to enact reforms within the social structure of the village through his vocalizations and resistance to acceptance of their norms 20. He struggles to change the villager’s easy capitulation to the unfair trials they are forced to endure humiliations inflicted upon them by the ‘nobles’ of the Castle. The duality of K.’s character is also exhibited in his attempts to gain lodging in the inn reserved for the “gentlemen of the castle”, despite the landlord’s insistence that this was not a tenable arrangement 21. Although K. has already demonstrated his contempt for the bureaucratic formalities of the Castle, he still desires the perks and benefits that come from being an official, which is shown in his attempts to secure lodging in the establishment reserved for Castle officials 22. His desire to be with Frieda, despite knowing that she was Klamm’s mistress also indicates a longing for things beyond the level of his status 23. In Frieda, K. sees the potential for him to grow into a citizen of the village and gain things beyond his reach, like status 24. K.’s longing to belong to the societal infrastructure of the village is an underlying theme through out the story and demonstrates the longing of the author to feel a sense of belonging within his social world 25. The story also resonates with ironic inflections through K.’s dilemma as an official with relatively no status within a community where all officials enjoy a heightened sense of self-worth to the effect that no one can even stay at the same inn as they do 26. The lack of care shown towards the status of the Land Surveyor becomes even more pronounced as K. is reduced to accepting a job as a janitor in the local school instead of performing the prestigious duties befitting his title and station 27. He is also forced to accept lodgings that allow him to be exposed to the elements in a room that was not “prepared” for him 28. Although K. initially complained about being called to duty so far from home, his desire to stay and become a part of the village is evidentiary of his lack of an actual home to return to29. Additionally, his visit with the Chairman, who is supposed to tell him about his job, effectively dismisses him by telling him the truth about why he has been summoned to the village 30. K. remains in the village despite being told there is no need for his services, determined to establish a position for himself within the social folds of the people there. The Chairman admission that he had indicated in a letter that one was not needed, but that file was lost, and so the case became mired in the Castle bureaucracy, is highly reminiscent of today’s bureaucracy as does the Chairman’s attempts to locate the original decree 31. However, K. does not believe the Chairman and, after the Chairman gets through discussing the history of the matter, K. shows him the letter from Klamm confirming his hiring as the land surveyor. Despite the validity of the signature, the note does not carry much weight other than to indicate that Klamm will see to the needs of K., should circumstances arise making this necessary 32. The Chairman also indicates that there would be no way for K. to know if he is speaking to a person of import within the Castle without actually being there, which disturbs K., causing him to depart from the Chairman 33. Despite critiques that may speak to the contrary, Kafka’s story of “The Castle” is not a religious one. However, the story of K., the "Land-Surveyor" does convey a message about the society we live in as a whole and the people we are as individuals. The feelings of loneliness and despair conveyed in the story are feelings we can all relate to as human beings. This allows the story to transcend the boundaries of simple fiction into a story about humanity. Even though there are several underlying messages within the storyline, the most prominent element is the loneliness of one human being, his desire to become a part of a larger community, and his overall confusion over the pressing question of “What is the Castle and why won’t they let him in?’ Even though K. is not overly impressed with the appearance of the Castle, he still longs to be allowed into the ominous structure and wonders why his assistants have been allowed in and he is constantly refused an audience with the Count 34. The boundaries between himself and the Castle are solid and indelible. This is an ironic inclusion since his profession is that of a Land-Surveyor, one who draws lines between things, demarcating areas according to their use. However, he outright ignores the boundaries established around Frieda and pursues her despite his guilt and embarrassment due to Klamm’s presence in the saloon he is drinking in while flirting with Frieda 35. For K., all lines are clearly drawn and there are many inviolable, divisions that mark out areas which exclude him. These boundaries are what seem to drive K. in his quest to gain access to the Castle and an audience with the Count. It can also be speculated that his realization that the Castle and the village are interconnected is what prompts his desire to become a member of the village community. His description of the Castle an unimposing series of small outbuildings surrounding a single tower implies that there may be no absolute center to the Castle as one might think there is and, perhaps, there is no ‘Count Westwest”. The villagers and the village itself are integral parts of the Castle and the entire structure seems to be solely constructed a series of smaller suburbs, which together make up the whole. K. belatedly discovers that he has discarded what he was looking for all along by dismissing certain people and departments; K has effectually discarded the entire Castle system. Overall, K.'s primary flaw is one that others might consider a virtue, which is his ambition to get "to the root" of things, in the case of the Castle, although he fails miserably at the task 36. Ironically, his desire to gain access to the Castle and his failure to do so are both the products of his character. This is another example of the duality that exists in K.’s character. He also tries meticulously to discover the true intent of Klamm’s letter to him 37. His concern with the "officiality" of various matters displays duality, as he is not concerned with such matters with Frieda, his superior’s mistress or when he is trying to unofficially obtain lodging beyond his stature 38. Kafka died before completing this novel, as well a numerous other works, leaving his true meaning what the actions of these characters and the mystery of the Castle actually symbolize about our society or the one Kafka was a part of. The constant examples of duality in the nature of the characters throughout the novel gives the distinct impression that Kafka himself felt bewildered in many ways by the world around him. When compared to his character, K., it becomes evident that neither Kafka nor K. could understand society’s rules and refused to play by them. Kafka depicts K. as neither hero nor villain, leaving the reader somewhat muddled in their comprehension of many of the activities undertaken by the characters. The dual nature of K. continues to present itself as he ignores the process of the village and continues to try to contact Klamm, even though the villagers have indicated that such an action is considered taboo 39. It is obvious that the villagers hold the officials and the castle in the highest regard, which is displayed through their justifying the actions of the officials 40. Monologues by the villagers identify the culpable parties and their functions despite the numerous excuses they present for the officials. However, the officials’ actions are still excused despite being mainly founded on assumptions and gossip 41. The towns’ people’s descriptions are contradictory and no two stories seem to match, but no one tries to mask the ambiguity and praise it instead. The Castle is depicted as the ultimate bureaucracy, complete with bountiful paperwork that the bureaucracy maintains is "flawless", which is another example of duality in the flawed yet perfect Castle 42. The concept of flawless paperwork is an obvious lie since a flaw in paperwork is the reason for K.’s presence in the village43. Other failures are occasionally referred to and K. witnesses many such incidences. K. fumbles from villager to villager as he tries to find someone official enough to help him gain access to the Castle. Although the officials come to the village they do not interact with the villagers unless they need female companionship of a sexual in nature and their function is never actually clarified 44. The officials that are discussed have one or more secretaries that do their work in their village. The landlady demands that they talk about Frieda, at which point K. declares his intention to marry her, and Frieda bursts into tears, overjoyed by his proposal. The conversation ends with the landlady insisting once again that K. is totally ignorant about everything in the village and he must not try to speak with Klamm, but K. insists on doing so 45. When K. goes back to the inn, the landlord is waiting for him, and asks if he has new lodgings due to the fight he believes K. has had with the landlord’s wife 46. When K. goes in to talk to her, she reveals her continued infatuation with Klamm and how she came to marry Hans, which she later regrets. These numerous indications of duality in the form of regret, ambiguous purpose, and deceit are all common factors of human behavior and Kafka captures these elements well within the storyline. K. is continually caught in the midst of situations he is completely ignorant to because of his decision to ignore the norms of the village and pursue his desire to enter the Castle. He continually fixates on individuals in the village that he thinks can help him attain his objective, but is constantly disappointed as his choices are repeatedly incorrect, like his assumptions about Barnabas. K.’s refusal to accept the fact that he will not be allowed access to the Castle has strong bearing on his decision to remain in the village and his attempts to become one of them. “The Castle” is a novel, but its setting, form, and content are reminiscent of medieval times and traditions. The village is nestled on Castle land, and the Castle governs the village as was customary in feudal times, although the extent of its power in the village remains questionable. The remainder of the setting is ambiguous despite the references to Count Westwest and a Castellan; the main representatives of the Castle are characterized as "officials," as with a modern government bureaucracy 47. The medieval elements of the novel submerge the reader into a world in which hierarchy and authority are taken for granted, as indeed the authority of the Castle is assumed by all the villagers. Despite his intermittent objections to their actions, K. also takes the authority of the Castle for granted. Furthermore, he is attached to the village and obsessed with the Castle, suggesting that the novel is nostalgic for a world in which divine hierarchy structures human relations. Transcendence has a traditional association with the sacred. We make no great leap by seeing the Castle as occupying the place of the sacred in a traditional society in which one which respects sacred distinctions and authority, which the village seems to be. The awe with which the villagers regard the Castle also supports this association that there is a sacred element by which the villagers view the Castle. However, from an anthropological perspective, the sacred is the original form of the meaningful, and the ambiguity of the Castle can be viewed as a modern version of the well-known ambivalence of the sacred. This preliminary understanding of the Castle avoids the debate about whether the Castle represents God. Kafka seems to equate transcendence with meaning throughout the novel. This becomes evident as K. seeks the domestic goals of job, home, and family, and the achievement of his goals are completely dependent upon the Castle, which lies literally above and beyond the village and constantly remains inaccessible to the villagers. The concept of transcendence implies that there is something to be transcended or gone beyond. In “The Castle”, K.'s quest requires overcoming various obstacles, which is mainly the distance between the village and the Castle. K. essentially seeks validation from the Castle, which remains independent of his other goals, even his desire for acceptance within the community, which he fails to realize is essentially the way to gain access to the Castle. The gothic description of the Castle hill as "hidden, veiled in mist and darkness" suggests an element of secrecy and deceit in the presentation of the Castle's 48. Whether the Castle represents an "illusory emptiness" or is an empty illusion has yet to be determined. Despite the darkness, K. is clearly aware of the Castle, which is why he stands "for a long time gazing" into the darkness above him 49. Gaining access to the Castle is the fundamental goal of K.'s quest from its beginning and he never loses sight of this, although he does not achieve it within the span of the 100 page focus of this assignment. The character K. is a reflection of the turmoil and loneliness inherent in the lives of millions of people and mirrors the confusion experienced by all of humanity as he endeavors to interpret the meaning and function of the Castle. Kafka’s early writings pay tribute to his deep understanding of the psychology related to human interactions and repressions, as demonstrated by the multitude of exchanges between K. and the villagers as he struggles to gain access to the Castle 50. The oppression and loneliness Kafka experienced in life as well as the dualities in the nature of men are evident in his portrayal of K. and the numerous other characters in “The Castle”, whom are exemplified in numerous ways throughout the first 100 pages of the text selected for analysis, which fall within the chapters “Arrival” through “Waiting for Klamm” 51. Works Cited 1) Kafka, Franz. The Castle. Trans. Mark Harman. New York; Schocken Books, 1998. 2) Kafka, Franz. The Castle. Trans. Mark Harman. New York; Schocken Books, 1998. 3) Sharkey, Joseph E. Idling the Engine: Linguistic Skepticism in and Around Cortazar, Kafka, and Joyce. Washington D.C.: The Catholic University of America Press, 2006. 4) Heidsieck, Arnold. “Physiological, Phenomenological, and Linguistic Psychology in Kafka's Early Works.” The German Quarterly, 62.4, (1989): 489-500. 1 Aug. 2011 . 5) Kafka, Franz. The Castle. Trans. Mark Harman. New York; Schocken Books, 1998. 6) Smetana, Ron. “The Peasantry and the Castle: Kafka's Social Psychology.” Twentieth Century Literature, 37.1, (1991): 54-58. 1 Aug. 2011 .; Kafka, Franz. The Castle. Trans. Mark Harman. New York; Schocken Books, 1998. 7) Kafka, Franz. The Castle. Trans. Mark Harman. New York; Schocken Books, 1998. 8) Smetana, Ron. “The Peasantry and the Castle: Kafka's Social Psychology.” Twentieth Century Literature, 37.1, (1991): 54-58. 1 Aug. 2011 . 9) Smetana, Ron. “The Peasantry and the Castle: Kafka's Social Psychology.” Twentieth Century Literature, 37.1, (1991): 54-58. 1 Aug. 2011 . 10) Struc, Roman. Franz Kafka (1883-1983): His Craft and Thought. Waterloo, ON, CAN: Wilfrid Laurier University Press, 1986.; Kafka, Franz. The Castle. Trans. Mark Harman. New York; Schocken Books, 1998. 11) Kafka, Franz. The Castle. Trans. Mark Harman. New York; Schocken Books, 1998. 12) Kafka, Franz. The Castle. Trans. Mark Harman. 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