An Axe and Frozen Water BP 27 3-17-14

Franz Kafka

Birth/Youth: Franz Kafka was born in Prague, Bohemia on July 3, 1924. He grew up in a wealthy Jewish family that had 6 kids at one point. However, both of Franz's younger brothers died as babies, leaving him the only boy with three sisters. Not only did Kafka have no other boys in his family to play with, he also had poor relationships with both his parents. His mother did not understand her sons dreams to be an intellectual writer, and his father had a harsh personality that made home life stressful for everyone living in it. Kafka had good grades throughout school and eventually entered the Charles Ferdinand University of Prague; where he would eventually graduate with a degree in law.

Adult Life: After getting his degree, he began to shift around many careers in law, none of which he ever enjoyed. During his times of bouncing around from job to job, he continued to find time to write. After a couple failed marriage engagements with Felice Bauer, he eventually tied the knot with Dora Dymant. Once married, Dora and Franz moved back Prague to deal with Kafka's ailing health. Because of his tuberculosis and other poor health problems, he retired from all law positions but continued to write until the year he died. His desire to write left him stressed and with constant migraines and upset stomachs as well. Although he died young, his works will live on forever.

Influence: Kafka's works will always be remembered for his intriguing way of explaining humanity. In Metamorphosis, he helps people who may be struggling through a time of transition or transformation understand that they are not alone. People also often view Kafka's works as liberating in their words. "A book must be the axe for the frozen sea inside us," is a famous quote from The Metamorphosis. A line like that makes it clear that Kafka believes literature and reading are keys to understanding life. Which, if all people believed, would  make the world a better place. Kafka makes it clear that each person is unstable and can only be put righted by reading and understanding. Lots of German literature is still influenced by Kafka.

Death: Fortunately, Kafka's good friend and literary editor, Max Brod, did not listen to Kafka's dying wish and published his works after his death. Kafka did not think that his unfinished works could be published, yet Brod made them public anyway. Tuberculosis was Kafka's main cause of death, however he was plagued by many health problems. He was buried next to his parents in Austria. In 1988, Kafka's handwritten version of The Trial was sold for almost two million dollars. He died young but will always remain a person of the utmost respect in the world of literature.

Works Cited:

• "Franz Kafka Biography." Biography.com. A+E Networks, n.d. Web. 18 Mar. 2014.
• "Penn Reading Project." Penn Reading Project. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Mar. 2014.
• "Kafka - Biography." Kafka - Biography. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Mar. 2014.
• "Kafka's Life (1883-1924)." The Kafka Project. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Mar. 2014.
• "Franz Kafka." Franz Kafka. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Mar. 2014.