Das Urteil (or The Judgement) by Franz Kafka

[Kafka]

Spoiler from wikipedia

The Judgment (Das Urteil) is a short story by Franz Kafka which depicts the conversation between a man and his father, where many conflicts arise. The father talks in an accusative way, and finally condemns his son to dying drowned. The man immediately runs to a nearby bridge, from which he throws himself to the river. The relationship between the characters bears some similarities with the one between Kafka and his father, which was also very difficult. The story has been analyzed under the scope of psychoanalysis. It was written in only two days (September 22-23 of 1912) in a time when Kafka wrote some of his best works, such as The Metamorphosis.

I have been searching for a copy of "Das Urteil" In English, but with no success. Does anyone know in which short story book this is printed? Thanks!

Also, let's discuss this book here!

I love Kafka!

[Xamonas Chegwe]

It will be inHERE for sure.

[Kafka]

Thank you so much, Xamonas Chegwe!

I can't wait to hear some comments on what people think of this book.

Thank you.

[Kafka]

I just finished reading the short story.

It find it extremely "strange" - perhaps because the first half is written so positively about the central character Georg Bendemann, then, all of a sudden, the appearance of the father changes the whole mood of the story, which led to the ultimate condemnation of Georg.

I find that the father plays a few roles:
- father (A figure who guides and supports Georg)
- mother (Protective figure)
- a representative of Georg's friend who resides in St. Petersburg
- a judge

Whilst I was reading it, I also had an impression that Georg is gay?!? Just because he hesitated so long on the letter to his friend in St. Petersburg and he mentioned his fiancé as a member of the opposite sex. I will read the short story once again to confirm that.

I hope to hear of other's opinion.

[Daniel A. C.]

It's been quite a while since I read this story, but if I remember correctly this friend is thought by many to be associated for Kafka with writing itself, as the friend, I think, is "yellowed" like an old manuscript, living in an arctic climate (an cold, abstract region). The father represents something like the demands of life, and Georg is torn between the two callings.

Sorry if none of this makes sense, but maybe I'll read the story again and get back to you.

[chmpman]

That does make sense to me. I wondered while reading the story what symbolic meaning the man would have but your idea works well for me.

[Kafka]

Daniel A.C., I think your interpretation is absolutely correct.

The friend and the father are seen as in alliance and represents the "human" side, whereas the Fiancé represents the bourgeois "Leben*".

chmpman, the idea comes when Georg said: "It is OUR fault" when the fiancé comments on how he shouldn't get married when he has such a friend. Also it has been suggested that he has never left the desk. Note the word absentmindedly used in the beginning of the short story. So if he never left his desk, the entire short story would be a stream of thoughts flowing through his head.

This condemnation would be a condemnation of the self and hence, it explains why the judgement would be so harsh!

* Leben means life in German.

[Buddenbrooks]

hey, what do you guys learn about kafka in school? did you read something from him at school? do you learn german in school? you can find the judgement in a book also called the judgement. in this book are also the short stories: die verwandlung, ein landarzt, auf der galerie, vor dem gesetz, elf söhne, ein bericht für eine akademie, in der strafkolonie and ein hungerkünstler. they are all very good, especially the last two. did you also read the books das schloss(the castle) and der prozess?
buddenbrooks

[Kafka]

I didn't read Kafka at school but I have always study German at school.

I first started reading Kafka for uni. Amerika - Der Verschollene was my first Kafka novel.

Das Urteil was my second.

I would like to read more of Kafka's works.

Buddenbrooks, what have you read from Kafka and what do you think of him and his works?

[Buddenbrooks]

Hi!
ich read from kafka:die verwandlung(the metamorphosis), das urteil(the judgment), ein landarzt, auf der galerie, vor dem gesetz, elf söhne, ein bericht für eine akademie, in der strafkolonie and ein hungerkünstler.
now i bought der prozess to read next. i like kafka and his works very much. especially die verwandlung, der hungerkünstler and in der strafkolonie. he writes intelligend, kafkaesk and very strange. he was an real genius. i like him, because he describes on the one hand very clearly, but on the other hand he confuses the reader. you can interprete an think a lot about the meaning of his stories. lately i was in tschech an saw his birth place, the house he lived in an the place were he wrote his stories. i heard, that he made long walks thou the old town and then wrote the whole nigt on a book or a story. he could not sleep and althou he never was quite happy, writing was the thing, he was born to do. i think he is a real writer and sometimes even a philosoph. here in germany he is very famous.
buddenbrooks

[Kafka]

Oh, I think he is a true writer. I would like to visit his home too.

I think the conflict of Leben und Kunst, which Kafka battles through in his life time, is such a universal issue.

To me, it is irresolvable too and for his exploration on such issues, he is truly an amazing writer.

[muntajab]

Spoiler from wikipedia


I have been searching for a copy of "Das Urteil" In English, but with no success. Does anyone know in which short story book this is printed? Thanks!

Also, let's discuss this book here!

I love Kafka!

Here is an e-text

http://www.bradcolbourne.com/judgement.txt

Enjoy!

[DanielBenoit]

Seems stragne, but to me almost no other figure in literature is as terrifying as the father. The ways Kafka's able to haunt you at the subconscious level. . . . .