The Absurdity of Existence: Kafka's Journey into Anxiety, Disenfranchisement, Remorse, Meaningless and Structural Psychology

Abstract

Franz Kafka was a famous literature writer who through his writings examined the absurdity of existence associated with anxiety, disenfranchisement, guilt, and a meaningless life. His novels often had a hero struggling through confusing, oppressive situations. This reflects the existentialist fear and alienation that is common to modern life. The works of Kafka are not just expressions of his anxieties and disillusionment but have deeper insights into the human condition. When his characters face the absurdity of existence, the readers have no choice but to question their assumptions and seek authenticity in life. He is a poignant critique of modernity and the existential plight of the human individuals. His writings about anxiety, disenfranchisement, remorse, and meaninglessness urge the reader to look at the meaninglessness of existence and find a way through the labyrinth of life. Kafka has been studied from the perspectives of existentialism and psychoanalysis to postmodernism.

The term "Kafkaesque" has become a description for absurd, nightmarish, and disorienting situations a testament to how alive his vision remains today.

The word "Kafkaesque" was used as an epitome to describe hell on earth, wherein men fight against oppressive machinery, absurdity, and existential fear. Franz Kafka was named for the term; Kafkaesque is a connotation for the world with no meaning and where human will find suffocation by bureaucratic machinations. It is in this manner of mirroring the concept that defines Kafka's work, namely, to put his characters into fantastic worlds, labyrinth-like, and then throw them headlong into the absurd realities of existence. In entering the analysis of the Kafkaesque, this paper demonstrates its philosophical principles, thematic displays, and relevance to modern time.

No doubt, the literary creations of Kafka are quite highly focused on man and his affairs; all these, namely, anxiety, feelings of disenfranchisement, remorse, and the meaning of life, constitute some of the recurrent themes. Full of such keywords, most of the works often mentioned when relating to Kafka's creations are "The Metamorphosis," "The Trial," and "The Castle," in which the story is narrated about humanity and the absurdity of existence.

With the themes of anxiety, disenfranchisement and remorse richly expressed and evocatively written, the works of Kafka are of undying interest. His stories epitomize the spirit of existential pursuit, enabling the reader to develop an in-depth appreciation of human life. This unmatched articulation of the unspeakable element in human life has its own value and inspires a quest for one’s own way in this labyrinthine journey of life.