My interpretation of The Castle by Kafka

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From Kafka’s letters, it is evident that he didn’t harbor hatred toward his father; he acknowledged that neither he nor his father were without faults. Their relationship was a dynamic between a strong, authoritative figure and a fragile being crushed by it, manifesting in hypochondria, illnesses, and insecurities in adulthood. Kafka recognized contradictory qualities in his father, including a deep understanding of people leading to a profound disdain for them. Kafka, being insecure with mental issues and engaged in relationships reflecting these struggles, couldn’t seamlessly transition into the adult world. Entering this realm would have meant embracing, to some extent, the contradictory qualities of his father that had shaped his own struggles. Despite acknowledging diverse existential struggles in his letters, Kafka’s focus was on the challenges of the adult world.

In my opinion, Kafka feared entering the adult world because it would entail assimilating his father’s qualities and confronting an inherently insecure reality. Essentially, Kafka found comfort in lingering in the liminal space, an eternal rite of passage: relationships that end before becoming serious, a job serving as a means to earn money while pursuing the true passion of writing. Kafka would have entered the adult world if recognized as different, potentially never truly becoming a part of it.

In my view, Kafka’s “The Castle,” positioned high and difficult to reach, constituted by absurd bureaucracies and laws, symbolizes the inaccessible adult world. Joseph K is assigned a task by the adult world but is never taken seriously, continually sent in different directions, manipulated, and diverted, amplifying his nervous exhaustion and the unattainability of the adult world: the castle.

Am I thinking too much?

by Ierukabij_