Volume 67, Issue 3

New Light on Kafka shone at the Jewish Museum

by: Zach Mainzer

Since his death in 1924, Franz Kafka has emerged as one of the most complex and enigmatic authors of the twentieth century; the dark, existential pontifications that his works evince have troubled both scholars and laymen alike for decades.  So, what inspired the matchless eccentricities characterizing his writing?  How did his life compel him to write such dreary, multifaceted, and abstruse stories?  

In a debuting exhibit at the Jewish Museum devoted to Kafka, these queries are addressed through three discerning perspectives. The first section of the exhibit deals with how the city of Prague, Kafka’s home for most of his life, influenced his writing. The second part attempts to explain how different events in his life affected the many aspects of his writing. And the third component shows how Kafka transposed various aspects of his hometown into his writing.

As the exhibit commences, one can’t help but feel the all-encompassing gloominess permeating its ambience.  A family lineage is mounted on the wall and every few steps a dark voice in German is heard. This first part of the exhibit uses space, sound, light and image to explore the complex world of Kafka, and it does so magnificently. Throughout, a feeling of confusion looms, evoking nothing less than a  “Kafkaesque” feeling. 

All along Prague is investigated and descended upon as we attempt to discover the roots of Kafka’s imagination and psyche. Prague used to be a city of prosperity but, by the time that Kafka was born, it turned into squalor as the Jews were isolated, led strong feelings of anti-Semitism that crept into the city.  To grow up Jewish during this period required an exorbitant amount of courage, no doubt a rough task to call on a young child to perform, and, accordingly, it is very inherent in Kafka’s writing.  Pictures of Prague adorn the wall set as a pitch-black background. However, there is one quote near the end of this first chamber that summarizes the hardship with which Kafka grew up. It said that any “German boy growing up then was besieged by a world that he experienced only through guilt.”

The second section of the exhibit tries to explain Prague and the events of Kafka’s life as revealed by his lengthy diary. Born in 1883 at the start of a very volatile period in European history, Kafka lived in Prague most of his life and it served him as a backdrop pervading in color and mystery. Kafka allowed the power of the city to creep into him, and, in turn he immersed us into his world. It is a world with few limits where we are forced to confine to his senses and thoughts. We enter into the relationships that Kafka carried on with his family, friends, girlfriends and many other acquaintances. The lighting and creepiness transforms us as we begin to realize the circumstances that had the greatest influence on him.

Beginning with his early schooling, Kafka developed a need for more exposure to the outside world. This is seen by the switch from a narrow hallway describing Prague to   a much more spacious room when commencing with the details of his life. There is a vivid portrayal of the young Kafka’s terrifying walk to school every day. The abuse that he sustained from the non-Jewish locals was minimal when compared to the verbal bashing that he suffered daily by his own housekeeper who called him “A Little Ravachol” meaning a little menace or pariah.  Also most of his education was located in the center of the city. Once, when he was older Kafka made a circle of the middle of the city and proclaimed that “this circle contains my whole life”. It was a world that served as both a cage and a refuge for him, yet is seems as if Kafka was yearning for more. 

Kafka also fought major conflicts between his dedication to writing and his work in law school. Other clear manifestations of his desire to explore are the very simple intense psychological pictures that he drew. Superficially, they are drawings of a man sitting on a chair. However, inquiring deeper reveals someone looking for something that hasn’t been attained.  Kafka also had a very strong belief that life should be independent and uncompromising to any demands extraneous of work. Because of this, he never allowed his best friend Max Brod, a publisher by trade, to publish any of his stories. 

Kafka’s relationship with Judaism is another issue that inspired his writing. He grew up hating his father’s form of Judaism. In fact, he wrote a lengthy letter in 1919 blasting his father. It accused him of causing suffer to innocent victims based on his intolerance of other people’s ways of religious practice. However, when Kafka became involved in the Yiddish theatre group, an invigorated identification with Judaism was once again afforded to him.  Kafka enjoyed writing for the theatre then led by Jizchak Lowy, a well known playwright. In fact, Kafka’s “Metamorphosis” is based on the play “Der Wilder Mensch” (Wildman) by the Jewish playwright, Jakob Gordin which has to do with an idiot reduced to pure animality who must crawl on all fours. His family, so embarrassed by him, locks him up in his room.  In the same way, Kafka had to deal with his family as they rejected his love of writing and refused to focus on the tremendous talent that he obviously possessed.

The final two compartments of the second portion of the exhibit call attention to his significant female companions as well as the remainder of his life. To proceed to the story of his love life one must pass through a short sheer maze, symbolizing the complexity of Kafka’s experiences pertaining to women. He had four significant girlfriends with whom he had extensive relationships. However with literature as his first love and the distance factor, he was unable to marry any of them. These four women are on display as transcendent pictures symbolizing Kafka who never gave them his full attention. 

Finally, the curator powerfully symbolized the end of Kafka’s life as well.  In 1917, Kafka contracted tuberculosis and subsequently died from that disease. There are two mounds of black ashes lightened by a bright purple fluorescence symbolizing the trouble that he had with breathing at the conclusion of his life. These portray his lungs surrounded by papers relating to his passing away. There are numerous documents as well. Most striking was the eulogy written in the daily newspaper by his family with no mention of his being a writer. Instead, all that it said was that he was a lawyer. Even in death the refusal of his family to accept his writing talent was still apparent.

The final section primarily focuses on the literature of Kafka. Specifically, the transversal path that he chose to describe Prague as well as other important landmarks and events that inspired his writing.  Kafka rarely named the places that he evoked. However when they are transformed into metaphors or allegorical references, they reveal some of the many clandestine personalities of Kafka,  many of which include a yearning to escape and free one’s self from the constraints that prevent him from attaining this goal.

The setup for this region of the exhibit is equally fascinating. The explanation for “The Burrows” requires passing through a winding maze of wood while an annoying chirping persists.  “The Trial” mirrors a lawyer’s closet with many dark drawers as Kafka utilized his expertise in the field of law to formulate a story portraying beaurocratic misinformation and the lack of clarity that went on in the courtroom. Furthermore, for “In the Penal Colony” an eerie model for a guillotine is used. It is a story about a man condemned to die for looking at his boss the wrong way demonstrating the absurdity of “honor thy superiors”.

The most obscure, sensitive portrayal is for “The Castle”.  Set as an empty room with a video at the far end, the walls narrow when approaching the screen. The video, about looking deeper into life, represents Kafka’s message about the disastrous effects of being superficial and the advantages of patience. The human mind perceives only a tiny bit of what is really out there.

Open until January, the Jewish Museum attempts to shine a new light on the abstruseness of Franz Kafka. In an exhibit that not only educates but also enlightens a new sense of awe for Kafka is established. By exploring the details of his history and the city of Prague in a stunning display of darkness and complexity, the Jewish Museum accomplishes this task. The search for something deeper is portrayed exquisitely and nothing is left at a superficial level. Even if you aren’t avid Kafka fan, the exhibit pertaining to him is incredibly insightful and will definitely not leave you disappointed. 

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