Franz Kafka, "The Castle": a summary and reviews about the book

He is one of the most prominent German-speaking writers of the 20th century Franz Kafka. "Castle" is a book that made him world famous. Like many of the writer's works, the novel is saturated with absurdism, anxiety and fear of the outside world. Let's talk about this non-trivial creation in more detail.

About the work

The novel "Castle" Kafka began writing in 1922, but in the same year he decided to stop working on it. The work was left unfinished, in this form it was published in 1926.

In a letter to his friend Max Brod Kafka wrote that he deliberately abandoned the writing of the book and no longer intends to continue it. In addition, he asked a friend after his death to destroy all draft notes. But Wade did not fulfill his friend's last wish and saved the manuscript.

Franz Kafka, "The Castle": a brief summary. Welcome to the absurd!

The main character is a young man of about thirty years old named K. On a late winter night, he comes to the Village and stops at an inn. K. goes to bed, but in the middle of the night he wakes up Schwartzer, the son of the Castlekeeper. The boy informs that no one without the permission of the count can live in his possessions, to which the Village belongs. The hero explains that he is a surveyor and came here at the invitation of the count. Schwartz calls the Castle, where they confirm the guest's words, and also promise to keep him at bay.

Leaves in the absolute solitude of his hero Kafka. The "Castle" (the content of which is presented here) immerses the reader in an absurdist reality, which can not be resisted.

In the morning, K. decides to go to the Castle. But the main road does not lead to the goal, but turns aside. The hero has to return back. At the inn, waiting for him are "assistants", completely unaware of the work of surveyors. They say that you can enter the Castle only by obtaining permission. K. begins to call and demand that he is given permission. But the voice in the handset answers that he is denied this forever.

Guest from the Castle

In the works Kafka transmits his attitude. The "Castle" (the summary serves as proof) is permeated with gloom and hopelessness. The person in him is given the most insignificant place, he is defenseless and defenseless.

There appears the Barnabas messenger, who differs from other local residents in openness and sincerity, and sends K. a message from the Castle. It says that K. was accepted to the service, and his head is appointed village elder. The hero decides to take up work and stay away from officials. Over time, he will be able to become "his own" among the peasants and earn the favor of the Count.

Barnabas and his sister Olga help K. to get into the hotel, where the gentlemen who come to the Village from the Castle stop. It is forbidden to spend the night outside, and the place for K. is only in the buffet. This time the hotel was visited by an official Klamm, which all residents of the Village heard about, but no one has ever seen him.

Gives as assistants to his hero the same powerless allies as himself, Franz Kafka. "Castle" (a brief summary will help to make a general impression of the work) describes the clash of impotent, but reasonable people, with representatives of power whose actions are completely meaningless.

An important person in the hotel is the barmaid Frida. This is a very sad and unprepossessing girl with a "miserable calf." But in her view, K. read the superiority and ability to settle any complicated questions. Frida shows K. Klamme through a secret eye. An awkward, fat gentleman with sagging cheeks turns out to be an official. The girl is the mistress of this man, therefore has a great influence in the Village. K. admires Frida's will power and invites her to become his mistress. The barmaid agrees, they spend the night together. In the morning, Klamm demanded Frida urgently, but she replied that she was engaged in a surveyor.

A surveyor is not needed

Even love gives the depraved and absurd character of Kafka ("Castle"). The summary illustrates this very well. The next night K. spent in an inn with Frida in almost the same bed, along with assistants, from whom it is impossible to get rid of. The hero decides to marry Frida, but first wants the girl to let him talk to Clam. But the barmaid and the hostess of the inn say to K. that this is impossible. Klamm, a man from Castle, will not talk to a simple land surveyor, which is an empty place. The hostess very much regrets that Fritz preferred the "blind mole" "eagle".

Gardena tells K. that about 20 years ago Clamm called her to him several times. Since then, the Mistress has kept a handkerchief and a bonnet given to them, as well as a photo of a courier who invited her to the first meeting. With the knowledge of Clamma Garden, she married, and for the first years she talked to her husband only about an official. K. meets for the first time such a close interweaving of personal and official life.

The hero learns from the elder that the news of the land surveyor's arrival was received by him many years ago. Then the headman sent to the Castle reported that no one in the village surveyor is needed. Probably, the answer has got to other department, but about this error to speak it is impossible, as in office of errors does not happen. Later, the supervisory authority recognized the oversight, and one of the officials fell ill. And shortly before the arrival of K. finally came the order to refuse to hire a surveyor. The appearance of the hero brought to naught the long-term work of officials. But the document can not be found.

The Elusive Klumm

Himself serving as an official, he saw the absurdity of the bureaucratic apparatus of Kafka. The lock (the summary presented here, describes it in some detail) becomes an image of merciless and senseless clerical power.

Frida forces K. to get a job as a school guard, although the teacher tells him that the caretaker is needed by the Village in the same way as a surveyor. The hero and Frida have nowhere to live, and they temporarily settle in the classroom.

K. goes to the hotel to meet with Clam. Pepi, the successor of Frida, suggests where you can find an official. The hero longly lies in wait for him in the courtyard in the cold, but Clamma manages to slip by. The secretary of the official demands that K. undergo an "interrogation", on the basis of which a protocol will be drawn up. But due to the fact that Klamm himself never reads such papers, K. refuses and runs away.

Barnabas sends the characters a message from Clamma, in which the official approves his surveying work. K. decides that this is a mistake, and wants to explain everything. But Barnabas is convinced that Klamm will not even hear about it.

K. sees how his bride changed during the days of his life together. Closeness with the official gave Frida "insane charm", but now she fades. The girl suffers and is afraid that K. can give it to Clamma, if he asks. In addition, she is jealous of the hero to her sister Barnabas Olga.

History of Olga

Kafka clearly shares his characters. The "Castle" (the brief content in part allows it to be conveyed) is a work where two worlds are clearly drawn. This is a world of officials and ordinary people. So are the characters. Heroes of ordinary people have feelings, characters, they are alive and full-blooded. And those who are connected with the office, lose their human features, in their guises there is something hinging and not real.

Olga, of course, belongs to the first group. And Kafka even acquaints the reader with the history of her life. About three years ago, at a rustic celebration, her little sister Amaliyu was seen by an official of Sortini. The next morning he received a letter with the order of the girl to come to the hotel. Amalia with anger tore the message. But never in the Village did anyone dare to push the official away. This offense was a curse on their entire family. To my father, the best shoemaker, no one came with orders. In despair, he began to run after officials and pray for forgiveness, but no one listened to him. The atmosphere of alienation was growing, and as a result, parents became invalids.

People were afraid of the Castle. If the family managed to hush up the matter, they went out to their fellow villagers and said that everything was settled. Then the family was immediately taken back. But family members suffered and did not leave home, so they were expelled from the community. Only Barnabas, as the most "innocent", is allowed to communicate. It is important for the family that the boy officially works in the Castle. But there is no document on this. Barnabas himself is not sure of this, therefore he performs poorly the service. Olga, in order to obtain information about her brother, is forced to sleep with servants of officials.

Meeting with officials

Frida, tired of the disorder and exhausted by the uncertainty of loyalty to K., decides to return to the buffet. With her, she calls Jeremiah, the hero's assistant, with whom he hopes to create a family.

Erlanger, Clamma's secretary, agrees to take K. in her hotel room at night. Before his number is built up a whole queue. Everyone is happy to be here, as the secretary deigned to spend his personal time to receive them. Many officials accept petitioners during meals or in bed. In the corridor, our hero accidentally meets Frida and makes attempts to return it. But the girl accuses K. of treason with the girls from the "shameful family", and then runs away to Jeremiah.

Roman Franz Kafka "Castle" can not be read and perceived as a classic literature of realism. There are a lot of gaming techniques, symbols, hints and subterfuges. It is no coincidence that Kafka is called the forerunner of existentialism.

After talking with Frida, the hero can not find the number of Erlanger and enters the first one. There lives the official Bürgel, who was delighted with the arrival of the guest. K., emaciated and tired, falls on the official's bed and falls asleep while the owner of the room talks about the official procedures. But soon Erlangre calls him to him. The secretary informs that Klamm can not work properly when the beer is not given to him by Frida. If K. can return the girl to work in the buffet, it will greatly help him in his career.

Ending

The novel "Castle" comes to the end. Kafka did not finish it, so you can not tell how the author's idea was supposed to end, you can only describe the moment at which the narration broke.

The hostess, having learned that K. was received at once by two officials, allows him to stay overnight in the beer hall. Pepi laments that she did not like Clamma. The hero thanks for the provided accommodation to the Mistress. The woman begins to talk about her outfits, recalls that K. somehow made her a remark, which is very offensive. The hero maintains the conversation, revealing knowledge of fashion and good taste. The hostess shows interest and admits that K. can become advisers for her in matters of wardrobe. She promises to call him whenever they bring new clothes.

Soon the groom Gersteker offers the hero a job in the stable. He hopes that through K. he will be able to get Erlanger himself. Gersteker invites the hero to spend the night at home. The groom's mother, reading the book, gives K. a hand and invites you to sit next to her.

Quotes

At the very center of the narrative, to break off his work Kafka ("Castle"). The quotes given below will help to form an idea of the style and language of the novel:

• "Administrative decisions are timid, like young girls."
• "The amount of work does not determine the degree of importance of the case at all."
• "He played with his dreams, dreams played him."
• "A person acts bolder in his ignorance."

Analysis

This novel is considered among the critics the most mysterious of all that Kafka wrote. "Castle" (the analysis we will now consider) presumably touches on the theme of man's way to God. But since the work is not completed, it is impossible to make sure of it. The only thing we can say for sure is the presence of bureaucratic satire. As for the genre specificity, it is rather an allegorical and metaphorical text, rather than a fantastic one.

It is impossible to understand exactly where the events unfold. There is nothing that could point at least to the country. Therefore, it is customary to assume that the images of Village and Castle are also allegorical. The pictured world exists according to its absurd laws. Kafka was in kind, "painfully experiencing his inability to establish a blessed contact with the surrounding world." This gloomy feeling is reflected in all the works of the writer, we see him in the "Castle".

The hero finds himself in a world in which he has no place, but he is forced to somehow adapt to the chaotic reality.

Franz Kafka, "The Castle": reviews

Today the writer is very popular, especially among the reading youth. Therefore, talk about the relevance of his works is not worth it - once interest is not quenched, then the topic remains in demand. As for the "Castle", the book is highly appreciated by readers. Many accentuate attention precisely on ridicule of bureaucratic orders, which even in our society sometimes reach the same absurd proportions, as in the times of the writer. It is not surprising that Kafka, who has worked in this field for a long time, described this aspect of office life so well. "Castle", reviews of which are mostly positive, nevertheless leaves the readers a gloomy residue and a sense of hopelessness. Some misinterpret the novel, perceiving it as "an ode to bureaucracy," and not a satire on the power of officials. The latter is not surprising, since the novel is rather complicated for interpretation. And incompleteness only complicates understanding.

Summing up

Raises the idea of senselessness and absurdity of being in his novel Kafka ("Castle"). The summary of the chapters further convinces us of this. By the way, this topic was very relevant for the literature of the 20th century. Many European writers applied to it, but only Kafka was so depressedly gloomy. Monologues and actions of his heroes are often meaningless and illogical, and the chaos created around creates a depressing sense of the futility of being. Nevertheless, Kafka's work is very popular among readers, and interest in it does not fade. And do not forget that the writer made a significant contribution to the development of such a well-known trend as existentialism.