Franz Kafka Research (BP #27)

Franz Kafka was born in Prague, on July 3rd, 1883. He was born to Hermann and Julie, who resided in the middle class at the time, and who were Jewish. Hermann had been a traveling salesman and eventually brought the family to Prague, where he opened a retail business. Franz was the eldest of six children; there were three boys and three girls. Franz's two younger brothers died in infancy. He had a lonely home life, as his parents were out of the house most days working at the family business. He consequently had a series of governesses and a difficult relationship with his father.

Kafka, after receiving good grades from his lower schools, went on to the German Charles-Ferdinand University of Prague in 1901. He started to study chemistry, but switched to law after two weeks, because a law degree offered many career options, which his father liked. During his time at the college, he took language courses and joined a literary club of students. Literature and writing took hold of him from that moment on. After serving his obligatory year of work under an aggressive Italian insurance company, he found a job with less strict hours to focus on his writing. He later got married to Felice Bauer, and diagnosed with Tuberculosis, which ultimately killed him.

He was influenced by many people. It starts with his father, with whom he had a difficult and complicated relationship. Hermann undoubtedly influenced Franz's writing and he even wrote Letters to His Father, which goes in depth on their relationship. At the university Kafka much liked reading the works of Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Flaubert, Franz Grillparzer, and Heinrich von Kleist, whom he considered his true brothers. He also was very fond of the works of Goethe. He has influenced the world after him in a unique way. People rarely quote Kafka, but instead cite his ideas and perspectives.

Franz died on June 3rd, 1924. His tuberculosis had worsened and he returned from Berlin to Prague and his family. He eventually went to a treatment facility in Vienna where he died. He was buried in Prague in a Jewish cemetery. It is generally agreed upon that Kafka also suffered from other ailments, such as depression, anxiety, insomnia, and migraines, which may have had an affect on his tragically short life. His legacy lives on through the admirers of great works, of which his are.

Works Cited

"Franz Kafka Biography." A Short Biography of Franz Kafka. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Mar. 2014. <http://www.kafka-online.info/franz-kafka-biography.htm>.

"Franz Kafka." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 15 Mar. 2014. Web. 17 Mar. 2014. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franz_Kafka>.

"Kafka's Life (1883-1924)." The Kafka Project. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Mar. 2014. <http://www.kafka.org/index.php?biography>.