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Kafka’s Reflection on Illiteracy
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Franz Kafka is an early 20th-century writer known for his short stories with bizarre and dark narratives. Kafka, born in Prague in 1883 to a middle-class Jewish family, is known for his deeply introspective and often eccentric exploration of the human experience that influenced the existentialism genre (Felisati & Sperati, 2005). According to Felisati and Sperati, Kafka lived with his authoritarian parents, who often made him feel like a stranger in his own home; “Faced with intolerance and the tyranny of my parents, I live with my family more as a stranger than a foreigner.” Kafka’s own life, full of anxiety and depression, directly influenced his writing. His short stories, such as The Metamorphosis, The Trial, and A Hunger Artist, touch on themes of alienation, miscommunication, and social indifference. According to Hlail, these themes are reflected in the absurdity of the characters' interactions, where dialogues are often filled with misunderstandings and misinterpretations, leading to their isolation (Hlail, n.d., p. 57). These stories show the struggles of people stuck in a world where it can feel like no one understands them. If he were alive today, Kafka would argue the necessity of literacy as a means of staying connected to and being able to communicate with society.
In his works, Kafka often shows themes of isolation and alienation caused by the inability to communicate effectively with the outside world. An example of this is found in The Metamorphosis, a short story in which Gregor Samson wakes up to find himself transformed into a giant bug suddenly unable to communicate with humans, including his own family. “You must go this minute for the doctor. Gregor is ill. Go for the doctor, quick. Did you hear how he was speaking? That was no human voice (Kafka, 1971, p. 98).” His transformation symbolizes not only a physical change but also a disconnect from society. Just as Gregor's metamorphosis leaves him unable to communicate, illiteracy limits the ability to express thoughts and feelings. This can cause even more alienation and feelings of isolation, which further reinforces Kafka’s belief that the world is often cold and uncaring. Kafka would view illiteracy as not just a minor inconvenience, but rather an issue that affects every aspect of life and has the potential to cut one off from the world. He seems to argue that being able to communicate is key to staying connected to our humanity and place in society, and without it, people end up feeling isolated and alienated. Those who are unable to read or write are viewed as outsiders, much like Gregor, who is treated as an outsider by his own family. This alienation shows how literacy can be an important tool in connecting with others and preventing isolation.
Kafka viewed and portrayed the bureaucratic system as intentionally difficult to navigate, often exploring the confusion and helplessness it creates. This is seen in The Trial when the protagonist, Josef, is arrested without being informed of the charges against him. When Josef seeks clarity, he finds little support: “They’re talking about things of which they don’t have the slightest understanding, anyway. It’s only because of their stupidity that they’re able to be so sure of themselves (Kafka, 1925, p. 9).” He starts to feel constantly misunderstood, which leads to unjust judgment from his peers and a sense of hopelessness in and out of the courtroom. As Kafka (1925) expresses:
All this talking did more to make K. impatient than to persuade him. From the way the lawyer was speaking, K. thought he could hear what he could expect if he gave in, the delays and excuses would begin again, reports of how the documents were progressing, how the mood of the court officials had improved, as well as all the enormous difficulties in short all that he had heard so many times before would be brought out again even more fully, he would try to mislead K. with hopes that were never specified and to make him suffer with threats that were never clear. (p. 225)
This example of a confusing system can be a metaphor for the challenges faced by people who cannot read, write, or express themselves properly. Being unable to navigate these systems can lead to a sense of powerlessness and deeper feelings of inadequacy. This can lead to further marginalization of groups of people who are already disenfranchised, which can affect every aspect of one’s life. Kafka would likely see this as an example of how dehumanizing the bureaucratic system can be, and especially for those who struggle with literacy.
In A Hunger Artist, Kafka speaks of a society that is unable to appreciate the deeper meaning of things. The artist dedicates himself to his craft, while the public fails to understand the depth of his art. They are more interested in the spectacle than understanding the significance of his performance. This is similar to the struggles of those who deal with illiteracy in today’s world. Just as the hunger artist seeks recognition and understanding, individuals with low literacy skills can feel invisible in a world that prioritizes people that posses these skills. Kafka captures this feeling in the artist's words: “Just try to explain to anyone the art of fasting! Anyone who has no feeling for it cannot be made to understand it (Kafka, 1976, p. 6).” This can be a metaphor for how Kafka would view those who struggle with literacy, and the way that they tend to be dismissed by a society that fails to recognize their worth.
Kafka’s stories provide many important insights into the impact and consequences of illiteracy in today’s world. Through his themes of alienation, identity, and societal neglect, Kafka would likely view high illiteracy rates as both a personal struggle and systemic failure. His characters, such as Gregor Samsa in The Metamorphosis, Josef K. in The Trial, and the artist in The Hunger Artist, must deal with the effects of being misunderstood and excluded in a world that doesn’t seem to care about their personal struggles. This can be seen as a reflection of the experiences of those who struggle with literacy in the modern world and who often find themselves lost in a system that judges them based on an inability to fit in, leaving them feeling disconnected from and misunderstood by society. Kafka would likely see illiteracy as part of a much larger, systemic issue, and not just the responsibility of a single individual.
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References
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Felisati, D., & Sperati, G. (2005). Famous figures: Franz Kafka (1883-1924). Acta otorhinolaryngologica Italica: organo ufficiale della Societa italiana di otorinolaringologia e chirurgia cervico-facciale, 25(5), 328–332. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16602333/
Hlail, A. (n.d.). Absurdity and Social Alienation in Kafka’s Works (The Metamorphosis, The Trial, and The Castle). https://www.joss-iq.org/wp- content/uploads/2024/01/3-Absurdity-and-Social-Alienation-in-Kafka.pdf
Kafka, F. (1925). The Trial. https://www.kkoworld.com/kitablar/Frans_Kafka_Mehkeme-ing.pdf
Kafka, F. (1971). Franz Kafka The Complete Stories. https://www.sas.upenn.edu/~cavitch/pdf-library/Kafka_Metamorphosis.pdf
Kafka, F. (1976). Collected stories of Franz Kafka (W. Muir & E. Muir, Trans.). Pantheon Books. https://englishiva1011.pbworks.com/f/HUNGERAR.PDF (Original work published 1948)
