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From his earliest stories to his final death approaching testament, Josephine the Singer - Franz Kaka was using literature as his WAY towards higher knowledge of Himself AND Humanity. WWI was a definite turning point and the darker side of humanity as portrayed by the "OLD Commander" whose methods were downright INHUMANE == Evil! Our times require moral responsibility and research (Investigations) into the most pivotal questions of Truth vs. Lies - Love & Hate - Christ and the Devil....

BUT, is anyone really interested in such discussions >>
As Mr. Mayor* remarks in Kafka's last novel in regard to K.'s appointment as Land Surveyor: "... in any event we've given up any pretensions of knowing and moreover we don't even want to know" {p. 186} >> a serious matter in our troubled times!

For those with any real insight, Trump is the "OLD Commander" - his acceptance of water-boarding (and even worse??) - speaks volumes as does his misogyny and racism..

WE are the Traveler on our Voyage through the Penal Colony SO THAT we come to understand the downright inanity of it:

Capturing the Blood in "our" hands**..... only Kafka can do such magic!....

*Der Vorsteher=not exactly Mayor, Council Head...Leading figure, the man who takes on the responsibility of directing the village.

**p.83: "The officer used his finger to point out the precise path in which the blood had to flow. As now he was taking pains to make everything as obvious as possible and he came to the point where the two major channels came together before emptying into the ditch, so he essentially brought his two hands together as if he were to be catching it..."

Great topic Phillip. I am mostly interested in interpretation of Kafka's novels in psychological, philosophical and social context to his life. Kafka wrote truth and this is the main reason he found so many enthusiastic readers.
Having read many critical works on Kafka, especially on his novels, I would like to say the topics you suggested are huge and very difficult to grasp. It could be helpful to narrow the scope of investigations. One useful critical work might be that of Gregor Roy Franz Kafka's "Trial", "the Castle" and Other Works. Instead of stating the answers, he managed to ask great questions. My favourites are:

1. To what extent does Kafka succeed in concealing any social, political, and religious criticisms which his works may contain?
5. If one were to take a totally classical Freudian interpretation of Kafka’s major works, what details in the lives of K., Joseph K., and Karl Rossmann would you select for study and examination?
10. Can Amerika, The Trial, and The Castle justifiably be described as a trilogy? If so, what are the comprehensive links that unify them?

Hmmm - I think my approach to Kafka is quite different as I view Kaka's novels as actually being made up of "short stories", i.e. each chapter has its own logic (or "way"....insanity....issue) and that Kafka was not happy with his novels was because he recognized that they didn't hold together (some chapters/stories were successes, some failures). He was not in his element though all the same the most pivotal chapters from The Trial & The Castle ARE at the pinnacle of his writing, as it were (Josef K.'s meeting w/Priest & K.'s w/ Buergel).

It is Judgment, Investigations of a Dog, the Burrow & Josephine along with those 2 chapters of K's meetings > putting these "stories" together is what I consider critical to finding the essence of Kafka's literary output > Warning to Humanity of the dangerous times we live in!....

But can we hear the Artist's plea?
(Note: A true artist doesn't "conceal" - that is approach his topic in the manner that he would consciously construct his "stories" to give to the reader some thought out rationalization of a "view." Rather, he allows his sub&or-super conscious mind to direct his pen or pencil to bring to light what IS....---at least this is how I would express my view on how Kafka's stories were written.)

Finally and to cap the message is the relation to the "spiritual" side - something that my translation: Kafka Unleashed: Stories, Dreams & Visions- places squarely before the interested reader.

yours truly, p.

ps: Walter Sokel's Franz Kafka. Tragik und Ironie. Zur Struktur seiner Kunst is my favorite Kafka study and June Leavitt's The Mystical Life of Franz Kafka: Theosophy, Cabala, and the Modern Spiritual Revival is also quite helpful....

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