Franz Kafka
|
Major Issues Major IssuesThe significance of Franz Kafka’s contribution to 20th century literature is suggested by our widespread familiarity with the critical adjective "Kafkaesque." The term describes the presentation of nightmarish, absurd events in an understated, impersonal voice. Critics have analyzed the combination of realism and expressionism in Kafka’s writing, which along with the unpredictable slippage between fantasy and reality often leaves readers as disoriented and confused as Kafka’s characters. Literary historians have noted that Kafka’s work can be seen as an abrupt departure from the 19th century progressive bildungsroman. Instead of embarking on a well-marked quest, Kafka’s persecuted and paranoid protagonists flounder into a state of increasing alienation. Magic Realist writers like Gabriel Garcia Marquez and Italo Calvino have expressed their literary debt to Kafka, as have many other prominent figures of 20th century literature. Author LinksConstructing
Franz Kafka
|