03/23/17

The Judgment By Franz Kafka —–Juhui Chen

In the story “The Judgment” written by Franz Kafka, it talks about the Georg’s complex relationships of his family and friend. The relationship between Georg and the friend doesn’t like the normal friendship because they never don’t meet each other, they just communicate through the letters. Georg and his friend are both business man, but they have totally different life traces and experiences. Georg was successful in doing business, and has an engagement with Frieda, and start getting into a happy family. By the contrary, Georg’s friend has the opposite life track. He is in the foreign country Russia and doing the business, but his business doesn’t run well. He’s in a bachelorhood, he doesn’t have a good social skill and relationship the people surround him. The existence of George’s friend might be problematic because he threatens Georg and his Frieda’s relationship. Georg is really hesitated when his fiancée asks him to invite his friend to join their wedding. Georg’s hesitation made Frieda feel curious and doubtful that why George doesn’t what his friend know their marriage. George’s reaction finally made Frieda feel offended. Frieda thinks George might want to hide something and doesn’t want to tell her the truth. Also, the existence of the friend threatens the relationship between Georg and his father, his father doubts the existence of Georg’s friend which break out a quarrel between them. Georg’s father thinks that Georg is deceiving himself. After reading this story, I think Georg’s friend is not really exist. His friend might be an illusion which Georg wants to be. Because he was growth up under his father’s strict control, and he has to facing different pressure from daily life. He might feel tired, and stressful, that’s why there would be an illusion in his mind. He images that he has a friend who has the opposite situation with him, the failure and unsatisfactory life might make Georg find a little bit confidence which shows that he’s not the worst.

03/23/17

Kafka’s “The Judgment” (Kate)

Georg and his friend are both merchants but own businesses in different countries. They have been friend for many years, and therefore Georg cares about his friend a lot. He pays attention to content of each letter that he writes to his friend because he does not want to write something that can hurt his friend. For example, when he knows that his friend’s business in Russia is not doing well, Kafka uses almost one page to describe Georg’s thinking process when he tries to write a letter in proper way that will not offend his friend, especially when Georg is more successful than his friend in terms of business operation. However, it is just how he perceives as a proper way. He thinks of all possible outcomes of different pieces of advice and eventually decides to do nothing. Georg does not even ask if his friend actually needs help or not and believes that he finds out the best solution in response to his friend’s business.

Later on in the story, Georg mentions his engagement with Frieda Brandenfeld. He tells her that his friend may not present in their wedding after Frieda persists that she has rights to know all his friends. Frieda’s response shows that she has the desire to control and takes it really seriously, so she says, “If you have such friend, Georg, you should never have gotten engaged in the first place,” and “I really do feel offended.” The possible absence of Georg’s friend indicates her loss of control. Nevertheless, Georg still wants to keep the friendship with his friend regardless of Frieda’s words by stating that “That is how I am, and that is how he must take me.” His response shows that no matter what happens on him and who he actually is, his friend will still tolerate and consider him as friend.

03/23/17

The Judgement (Jay)

The protagonist of “The Judgement” is Georg, who is getting married to Frieda. A good portion of this story is about Georg writing a letter to his childhood friend from Russia, who he has an odd relationship with. Georg’s friend is described as a less successful, single, and lonely version of Georg. However, there are parts of the letter that almost make it seem like Georg is actually jealous of him. The whole point of the letter he was writing was to let his friend know that he was getting marries, but doesn’t mention it until the very end of the letter, saying very little about Frieda and the engagement.

There is conflict within Georg because he is unsure of the life he really wants. On one hand, he his living comfortably, is inheriting a successful business, and is about to get married. While, his friend is living the bachelor life because he is more independent, but with a less successful business. Although he seems to be having the normal life that he believes he should, it comes off as the life he doesn’t want. Why else would the description of his distant friend be put in the way that he has everything Georg doesn’t.

Georg’s letter to his childhood friend rose issues with Frieda because of how it was interpreted. Frieda wanted to meet all of Georg’s friends but his avoidance in sharing the news of their marriage got her worried. She feared that if this friend came to the wedding, he might cause Georg to feel a certain way and change his mind about the marriage. The difficulty Georg faced with telling his friend the wedding was visible in the letter, and Frieda can’t be blamed for reacting the was she did because of it.

03/23/17

Kafka [ Aaron Lai ]

Kafka Blog post

 

Compared with his friend’s life, Georg seemed more successful. However, his success was based on comparison and self-arrogant. His friend was dissatisfied with his business and life because he did not have any social dealing with native companies. It says, “He was running a business, which, although initially very promising, appear to have been stagnating for quite a while, as the friend rarely visit.’ This shows unsuccessful life of his friend. However, Georg’s business was unexpected prospered. And this difference make Georg felt he is superior than others. His feeling of success was built on others failure.

 

Georg’s treatment of his friend is also can be tell on the way he talked to others. Like, “What could one write to such a man?” Here, he condemns him, and yet he pities him; he considers persuading him to return, and yet is afraid of the responsibility connected with it. He keeps telling to him the idea of letting his friend know about his flourishing business, it said: “Should he perhaps be advised to go back home, transfer his livelihood here, resume all the friendship.” This shows that his self-esteem and value was based on others recognization rather than spiritual success. Georg rejected this and does not care about it, meaning he repelled the communication and outside world. yet insists it would look peculiar if he did it now. Georg wished other to accept his idea and his success, like ““That is how I am, and that is how he must take me”. This shows his characteristics of selfish, intolerance, lack of commnunication, leading his tragedy finally.

03/23/17

The Judgement responses (Junmo)

The Judgement story is primarily talking about main character Georg and his father.  Basically, it is all about conflicts with George’s father that George is described as a very stressful person.  Nevertheless, he is shown as a much accomplished man “successful” than his old friend. Georg’s old friend who lives in Russia stimulated Georg’s motion that Georg misses him so much.  Georg’s friend is described as a very weak and isolated person that he is not even able to settle in Russia, because he failed in his business. Since Georg was thinking about his marriage, he concerned whether he sends “invitation letter” to his friend or not.  Though, George sent the letter, but the problem was getting bigger and bigger at that moment because Georg’s father was interrupted.  I guess this story is also mentioning about some implications of society’s statue that little involved in certain classes as well.  Georg’s father is described as a sarcastic person in this story that he doesn’t say good things to Georg’s fiancé.  I believe this also aided her to say “offended” as well.  Perhaps, Georg felt so guilty about his life because of his father.  That is why he jumped into the river and drowned himself.  Literally, he didn’t many choices that he had to say “That is how I am, and that is how he must take me”.

03/23/17

The Judgement (Domenica Cotrina)

George’s relationship to his fiance Frieda is a very open relationship, where George seems to be very honest about what he does. Their relationship also doesn’t show the complications of being engaged with someone, but rather seem quite into each other. The fact that he is marrying a girl from a well-to-do family shows that class is still somewhat relevant in this situation. George also has a very peculiar relationship with his pen pal. In comparison to George, the pen pal seems to lead an unsatisfactory life, and the way George talks about him makes it seem like he enjoys gloating about his successes, even though he claims he doesn’t. George constantly compares the success of his business and home to the failure of the friend, whose business is barely afloat and who prefers to lead the bachelor life, most likely not by choice. The friend threatens the foundation of Freida and George’s relationship, because he represents everything that George isn’t. Freida perceives this relationship between these 2 men as weird, because they are complete opposites, and the way it is described seems like George only writes to this friend out of pity. The friend also represents failure and the bachelor lifestyle, which Frieda believes is a reason this friendship shouldn’t exist, especially when George is engaged. She believes an engaged man shouldn’t associate himself with people like the friend, and says she is offended that not only the friendship exists, but that George is always honest with the friend with everything but their engagement, and that they are both at fault.. George also explains that he refuses to change for the improvement of the friendship, and that the fact that they are complete opposites doesn’t mean he has to stoop to the friends level.

03/23/17

Franz Kafka – The Judgement (Linda)

George thought himself more successful than his friend because his family business has been prosperous unlike his friend’s situation. His friend was described as a sick, unsuccessful, and lonely person, who lives in abroad, although his friend never said in the way that George thought. George assumes his friend’s condition and thinks he has everything that his friend does not have such as successful business and an affluent fiancé. From George’s view, I think it represents the important elements for life are merely successes in business and marriage. Therefore, George is being considerate of his friend’s feeling in that his friend does not have such success in life and pretending by not saying the truth. He is giving a considerable thought to his friend.

Frieda thought his friend won’t come to the wedding and George replied it will bother him. I think he does not know what is really important and what it not. Frieda was offended because George wanted to hold back the truth about marriage which should not be hided in any situation. The reason why George wanted not to tell it is because his friend would feel “pressed”, “envy”, and “dissatisfied”. All of those are merely his assumptions. After she expressed her feeling about the hiding, George decided to tell his marriage. He might realize that his excessive consideration for his friend is meaningless. And therefore, he decided to write a letter to his friend truthfully.

03/23/17

“The Judgment” (shunan)

“The Judgment” is a short story that present the relationships between family, friends, and marriage. In this story, Georg the main character who always write letters to the unnamed friend in Russia, was struggle to reveal his engagement with a girl name Frieda who is from a wealthy family background.  Even though he decided that he wanted to inform his friend about his Fiancée, he went to his father and asked for advices. The fighting and argument between Georg and his father is the major conflict of the story. Even though the author didn’t mention about history background previously, we can understand the whole situation through the argument. Georg and his friend are both characterized as business man, but the difference between them was that Georg always rely on other people, which his father descried him as “weak” and “not mature” while his friend, are independent that he is able to live alone and do what he wants. Georg was under his father’s control that “his father, by insisting on doing everything his way in business, had prevented Georg from pursuing any real activity of his own”. Georg was growing in such environment and lack of love from mother, since his mother passed away. On the other hand, his fiancée was deem as a strong woman who make decision and concern about herself. She forced Georg to inform his friend about their relationship and insisted him to do so otherwise she claims that there is no meaning of the engagement.

Frieda claims that she has the right to meet all his friends. In addition, Frieda says “I really do feel offended” because She may think that Georg is not transparent about their relationship.

Georg’s respond plays an important role in here because it shows how Georg was trying to make decision on his own by doing what he think is the best. He was so under control by everyone. In his letter to his friend in Russia, he writes “do not concern yourself about anyone else and do only as you think best.” This explains why he said “That is how I am.” He is trying be who he wanted to be, however, he is not quite mature as his friend. But “that is how he must take me”, Georg saying that he may not be the same person as his friend, who he is approaching to, but “his friend” need to accept who he is.

Georg’s friend is a threat to himself, since his father claims that his friend is a better person than him.

After talking to his father, Georg feel even more depressed, and admit his personal failure in life. And he commit suicide. Throughout the story, we can tell that Georg was struggle by getting over the sorrow of his mother’s death. And he also sees himself as a failure. The life of his friend in Russia, is something that he wants to be achieve as a mature, independent, and free man. Therefore, we can say that Georg represent the dark side of the character, and his friend is the opposite. Also, we can connect it to the topic of mind and body. If Georg’s friend is imaginary, then his friend represents the mind, while Georg represents the body.

03/23/17

Close Reading of the Judgement (Ziyi)

The relationship between Georg and the friend is complicated and does not like ordinary friendship. There are significant differences and gaps between these two’s career and life, which are revealed by Georg’s internal monologues, Georg and Frieda’s exchange, and later Georg and his father’s conversation.

Georg inherits and operates the business from his father domestically, but not thoroughly takes control. The friend runs a business in a foreign country. We observe the objective living distance between they two. The friend has not come back to his home country for a while and the only communication method between them is through letters. Georg’s mother’s death was a turning point in his life. Before, he was the pride of the parents and was fully controlled by his father. Right after his mother passing away, he has been more resolute in tackling his business to gradually escape from his father’s control and to take over his father. And the business has been quite unexpectedly prospered during these days. Then, Georg has gotten engaged to Frieda, a girl from a well-to-do family. Quite contrary to Georg’s situation, the friend’s running business in Russia was once initially promising, but later was declining. The friend also has no real ties with the local colony of his compatriots and almost no social dealings with native families. He is stuck between the options of being alone miserably without friends in foreign country or coming back to the homeland to resume all the old friendship. We observe the sharp comparison between Georg’s success and the friend’s failure, which makes their friendship relationship unbalanced.

Georg’s success has become the obstacle preventing Georg from opening his heart to the friend. In other word, Georg has become anxious and “dishonest” to the friend. Georg always limits himself to writing to his friend about trivial occurrences so that his friend has exactly no inkling of his life, even not his engagement. Georg personally thinks that his friend would be embittered by his “showing off” success if he does share his stories with the friend. Georg’s intentional concealing about his engagement offenses his fiancee, Frieda. Frieda insists that Georg should invite his friends, including this peculiar friend in Russia. She thinks that there is no harm to share happiness with friend and true friend will definitely give benediction, which I agree with her. Georg’s response, “That is how I am, and that is how he must take me” reveals his arrogance towards his friend that in Georg’s inner thought, he considers himself superior to his friend.  After the exchange between Georg and Frieda, Georg decides to write a letter to share the good news and to talk to his father about this letter. Both the uncomfortable content of the letter and the conversation between Georg and his father reveal that Georg’s so called considerations for his friend are only excuses to hide his true thought. His father knows Georg well and unmasks him. Georg actually has no friend in St.Petersburg as he does not treats his friend as friend. Georg deceives his friend by writing dishonest letters. Georg is even sparing of sharing happiness with this miserable old friend, even though sharing is such a common and sweet exchange between friends. However, that Georg thinks sharing as strutting jubilant is all because he intends to show off.

03/23/17

“The Judgement” Xiong

In Kafka’s “The Judgement”, the Major character Georg Bendemann is a young merchant who takes over his father’s business after his mother passed away. Under his leading, the business goes success and profitable. The more successful thing is he meets a lovely girl called Frieda and decides to marry her. Thus, he wants to share this wonderful news with his best friend, a man who lives far away in Russian and recently lives in a bad circumstance. He wants to tell his best friend about his engagement, but considering his friends situation,  the news might makes him feels coerce and aggrieve. To do or not to do, it puts Georg a situation of hesitation However, his fiancée suggests he should tell his friend about the news, in case the friend will hear the wedding news from other people.

“But I have a right to get know all your friends” Georg’s fiancée Frieda first seems curious about why this special friend will not come to their wedding after Georg confirms that he does not invite his friend. Georg tries to express his concerning how this news will hurt his friend. For Frieda, this such concerning mostly come from the care of his friend, not the joy of engagement. She feels a bit disappoint, but she insists. “But wouldn’t he discover our marriage in some other way”? However, Georg still rejects her insistence and it complicates Frieda’s feelings. “Yes, we both to blame for that, but I would not have wanted it any differently”.  Frieda cannot believes the words come from her future husband. The most enjoyable and felicific marriage of them is not his future husband’s purpose, instead, this friend is. “If you have such a friend, Georg, you should not have gotten engaged at all”, the feeling mixes with anger and jealous and it erupts to show Frieda’s determination. The curious of his husband mystery friend makes Frieda feeling exhausting. She used to happy for his husband has such a good friend and want to meet him, but from his husband perspective, this friend belongs to him only, no one can share with him, even his fiancée. The friend accepts all of Georg’s, so Georg wants his Frieda do the same thing for him. But as the closest people in Georg’s life, Frieda feels she have never been accepted into his future husband’s life.  This offends her feelings as well as her esteem and respect.