Franz Kafka Web Quest
Amanda Young Pd. 6AP
In what year was Franz Kafka born?
Kafka was born in 1883.
Where did he grow up and what two things made him an outsider in this area?
Kafka grew up in a Jewish family within the Catholic area of Bohemia and also, his family spoke German while the rest of the area
spoke Czech.
Did Kafka have a good relationship with his father? Why or why not?
Kafka did not have a good relationship with his father, as his father did not respect Kafka’s choices towards literature and writing.
How did Kafka’s relationship with his father and his up brining influence his literature?
Kafka often wrote about overcoming the materialistic ways of his father, and rebelling against the idea of materialism.
Was Kafka engaged, if so how many times and to whom?
Kafka was engaged to be married twice, to Felice Bauer.
What themes are prevalent in Kafka’s writings?
Prevalent themes in Kafka’s writing include family struggles between father and son, and also, the symbolic and literal aspect of
dehumanization
Please add 3 additional facts you learned that are not listed on this sheet
Kafka suffered from tuberculosis in his last several years.
Franz Kafka moved to Berlin just to distance himself from his family and for the sake of his writing career.
Kafka gained a doctorate degree of law and served only for a year in this occupation.
Surrealism and Existentialism
Please define Surrealism Surrealism is the expression of one’s creative and imaginative
thoughts free of rational thinking
Please define Existentialism Existentialism is belief (often through art/literature) that one is
free of destiny, and one chooses his/her own destiny through individual choices.
What media was Surrealism a movement in? The Surrealism movement was present in
art/literature.
Where and when did this movement start?
The surrealism movement grasped art and literature in the 1920’s.
Please name two influential Surrealists
Two influential surrealists were Slavador Dali and Rene Magritte
Describe Salvador Dali’s life and work, including specific works of art (feel free to do your own
google search)
Dali grew up close to the border of France, with middle class parents. Dali was often discouraged by
his law-occupated father but praised and encouraged for his artwork by his mother. The work that
he is best known for is titled “The persistence of memory”.
(The persistance of memory)
(The Flames, They Call)
Describe Rene Magritte’s life and work, including specific works of art (feel free to do your own
google search)
Rene Magritte was born in Lessines, Belgium in a middle class family. Magritte began art lessons at
the young age of 12. Magritte is typically known for the witty thought that is put into his art that
often makes viewers wonder about the true messages behind his art.
(The Empty Mask)
(The Human Condition)
How do you think Surrealism was incorporated, by Kafka, into his literature?
After reading metamorphosis, it is apparent to me that Kafka is a constant user
of surrealism. However, Kafka uses surrealism in a very unique way, and that
is to get a message across to his readers. For example, in “Metamorphosis”,
Kafka uses surrealism when transforming the main character into a type of
insect. The reader can tell that this is surrealism, as this is something that
could never happen in real life. When Kafka writes the transformation into the
story, he is using surrealism to address his meaningful attachment to
dehumanization, mainly the mental effects of the process. Although Kafka does
not typically use surrealism traditionally, it is clearly used in his work.