The Metamorphoses of Franz Kafka (IN-PERSON)
Upon the centenary of the death of the “twentieth century’s most complex and enigmatic literary prophet,” as Cynthia Ozick described Franz Kafka, this course will examine the work of the intriguing author who spent his life steeped in the rich German, Jewish and Slavic cultures of Prague . . . yet managed to shape the writing of famed authors from across the world, including Sartre and Camus, James Joyce, Virginia Woolf, Jorge Luis Borges and Gabriel Garcia-Marquéz, among others.
What was it about Kafka’s work? His psychological depth? Innovative surreal narrative techniques? His foreshadowing of the socio-political and militaristic terror of the past century and the human vulnerability and helplessness that followed in its wake?
How much of this bent resulted from his fascination with Biblical narratives, Yiddish writing and theater, and his near-intuitive grasp of profound Kabbalistic principles that attracted the close attention of Buber, Benjamin and Scholem?
While often disturbing, Kafka's great creativity never fails to intrigue! We will examine a few of his most well-known stories to appreciate the complexities of his influences and own mind.