The judgement story was written by German writer Franz Kafka. He was born in Prague now days Czech Republic. He grew up in Jewish family that his father was so strict about Kafka’s education. Basically, society was divided into few groups that upper class was taken by German, and middle and lower classes were taken by workers and Jewish people. Therefore, it was essential to learn a German language in order to be the “upper class”. Although, Kafka was very enthusiastic in literature works, his father forced and wanted him to go to law school because he wanted him to stay in upper class rather than staying in middle class. As soon as Kafka finished law degree, he was bilingual in German and Czech language. Moreover, he started his literature field and the most distinguishable work was metamorphosis.

Personally, I think it is completely opposite to European Enlightenment. As you know, European Enlightenment, people didn’t want absolute monarchy that equality and rights were essential for all European people. However, in Kafka’s society, I believe it was biased for everything due to certain classes existence; thus no equality was existed in Kafka’s life.

The story of Judgement

• Characters
• Circumstances
• Isolated
• Conflicts

Basically, the Judgement story is all about conflict between main character Georg Bendemann and his father. Few characters: Georg, Felice, Georg’s friend, and Georg’s father. The story is begun with invitation letter. Georg was planning to send wedding invitation letter to his old close friend who lives in Russia.  The friend is described as weak and very isolated from the society that he was not even able to settle in Russia because he failed in his business. Nevertheless, Georg sent the letter to his friend, and told this story to his father. Georg’s father was doubt about the existence of his friend and yelled “I know your friend more than you do”. Georg just ignored and thought “because he’s elderly” Personally,  I felt more like the father had dementia. Georg’s father was so sarcastic person that he yelled and hurled abuses at Georg’s fiance and he literally despised the fiance. I expected Georg is so stressful about his father. Ultimately, Georg’s father told his son “you gotta drown yourself” and Georg went to bridge and jumped into the river and died.  Personally, I couldn’t understand how the father treated him like that. Literally, it is same like “suicide yourself”. Perhaps, I think Georg was so exhausted in his life due to his father and much considerable like isolated life as well. I guess this story can be interpreted by different viewers’ perspectives. I personally believe, Kafka wanted to show Georg father’s power like authority that Georg did not have choices about his life so he jumped into the river.