THE BETRAYED PARABLE AS A CONSTITUTIVE FIGURE IN KAFKA'S NOVEL THE PROCESS

Authors

  • Nikola Milović University of Belgrade Faculty of Philology

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.21618/fil2429408m

Keywords:

Kafka, betrayed parable, desubstantialisation, capitalism, religion

Abstract

This paper deals with the analysis of Kafka's novel The Process by using an Old Testament figure parable as a key for interpretation. The hypothesis is that Kafka's novel is formed like parabolical religious-sacred texts, but with a betraying parabolical final sense. Fundamental elements of the parable ‒ metaphysical sense and human freedom ‒ have been dislodged from their usual positions. We will try to show how the change in the parable happens because of the new experience of the religious, primarily through the capitalist appropriation of sacred prerogatives. Using the lines of Walter Benjamin from his text Capitalism as Religion, we will try to show the capitalistic source of Josef 's guilt. The world of The Process is distinguished primarily by the omnipresence of the judge, which aims to imitate the omnipresence of God, therefore imitating sacred grounding. Also, the main characteristic of the character is desubstantialisation, i.e., emptying of spiritual content. Such individuals are not able to store the parabolic meaning in themselves, and at the same time, they are not able to establish real interpersonal relationships. In the world constructed by a betrayed parable, there is no possibility of a happy resolution: neither such a parable can guarantee meaning nor can the desubstantialised individual rebel. The only way left is to die indifferently.

References

Kafka, F. (1978) Proces. Prevela Vida Županski-Pečnik. Beograd, Nolit.

References

Adorno T. (2023) Slobodno vreme. Preveo Aleksa Golijanin. Beograd, Anarhija/blok 45.

Anders, G. (1955) Kafka – pro et contra. Preveo Ivan Foht. Sarajevo, Narodna prosvjeta.

Benjamin, V. (2015) Kapitalizam kao religija. Preveo Aleksa Golijanin. Beograd, Anarhija/ blok 45.

Kubat, R., Dragutinović, P. (2018) Leksikon biblijske egzegeze. Beograd, Biblijski institut, Službeni glasnik.

Liotar, Ž. F. (1988) Postmoderno stanje. Prevela Frida Filipović. Novi Sad, Bratstvo ‒ Jedinstvo.

Loma, M. (2010) Tumačenje vremena u Bibliji, Biblijska hronologija. Beograd, Hrišćanska misao.

Petrović, V. (2022) Poetika humora kod Kafke. Tom I i II. Beograd, Zadužbina Andrejević i Filološki fakultet.

Šolem, G. (2006) Glavni tokovi jevrejskog misticizma. Preveli Ivan Roksandić i Ivana Spasić. Čačak ‒ Beograd, Umetničko društvo Gradac.

Downloads

Published

2024-06-30

How to Cite

Milović Н. . (2024). THE BETRAYED PARABLE AS A CONSTITUTIVE FIGURE IN KAFKA’S NOVEL THE PROCESS. PHILOLOGIST – Journal of Language, Literature, and Cultural Studies, 15(29), 408–428. https://doi.org/10.21618/fil2429408m