"It was an illusion;I was not free, or at the very best I was not yet free. - Franz Kafka Dearest Father or Letter to My father written by Franz Kafka is one of the keys to understand and interpret most of his works. In this private letter, he boldly wrote " My writing was about you, indeed I was confiding my troubles to a book because I could not confide in you". This letter was translated by Ernst Kaiser and Eithne Wilkins with notes by Max BrodDearest Father. Stories and Other Writings. When Kafka finished writing the letter, he handed it to his mother but she never gave it to his father.
This letter is very intimate and attempting to explain Kafka's misery and struggle from his childhood. He also mentioned his siblings and how his father treated them and comparing it to how his father treated him. The letter is full of long sentences yet powerful to evoke terror to the readers. It was disturbing, haunting, and saddening to read especially when readers could relate to a strict upbringing like Kafka.
It was also a written reflection of Kafka who understood his strengths and shortcomings which he described quite detailed in this letter. Furthermore, it also discussed his views on marriage and its relation to his upbringing and his father. A reader may find this personal letter to be relatable, intriguing and haunting.
My take
Prior reading this one, I attempted to review 12 rules of life by Jordan Peterson but today, after spending an hour reading this letter by Kafka, I decide to put Jordan later and do Kafka first.
I have a physical copy of "The Essential Kafka" by Franz Kafka from Wordsworth Classic. It's quite a thick book containing all most popular Kafka's work and his stories. I have read Dearest father at least several times by now but never really examined it that deeply like I did today. Most of what he experienced in his upbringing pretty much resonate with mine and some other people I know who has domineering father.
I think this particular letter should be mandatory since we can learn plenty on how could parenting go wrong. Kafka was aware of his father good intentions yet in this letter he sounded a bit mean-spirited. I personally can not rate this letter because it is his personal opinion and tale about his actual life.
~ Mac
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