Interpretations The Cares of a Family Man

1 interpretations

1.1 useless object
1.2 critique of capitalism
1.3 objectification of memory
1.4 religious interpretation
1.5 odradek antagonist

interpretations

this creature , description can read different points of view, since text deliberately obscures nature of odradek , purpose.

useless object

odradek appears represent object no clear purpose or apparent use. appears not unlike exhausted spool thread, wound old, broken-off bits of thread, knotted , tangled together, of varied sorts , colors . however, text makes explicit there no apparent use object. such, scholars such samuel rammelmeier have argued obscurity , uselessness of object serves create foil narrator. argues object s apparent uselessness, when seen in light of existential dread pervading last paragraph, can understood underlining narrator s lack of purpose. opinion shared heinz politzer when states kafka s absurdist writing emphasizes meaninglessness of subjects lives. such interpretation can compared nihilist tone of kafka s better-known work, metamorphosis.

critique of capitalism

willi goetschel analyzes cares of family man several perspectives. perspective of marxist literary criticism story might critique of capitalism in last stage. odradek represents commodities, left of life once reduced materialism .

anya meksin agrees interpretation possible marxist perspective. odradek, being made of thread mending, represents world of manmade practical objects separated human work produced them, , relation between house father , odradek represent alienated relation between worker , commodities has produced. idea odradek survive narrator , anguish situation causes him can interpreted idea of commodities being inherited , transcend worker made them, in such way worker himself ignored.

objectification of memory

according goetschel, freudian approach odradek can seen psychological return of repressed . in freud s theory of repression, unacknowledged trauma surfaces unconscious associations , neuroses, affect thought, memory , dreams. such interpretation supported kafka s letters , biography: in approximately 1921, wrote letter milena jesenka in explains mental disturbances in distinctly freudian light. furthermore, kafka s letter father indicates kafka had suffered emotional trauma due childhood, lends biographical weight argument.

religious interpretation

a religious perspective opens interpretation of text. goetschel indicates star-shaped form of creature might represent tradition (specifically jewish tradition), passed on generation generation , accumulates more bits of thread in each generation.

according meksin, odradek represents rupture between world of family man , other transcendent realm. immortal, , hides in shadows carrying message generation generation, , witnessing all. meksin goes on indicate physical description of odradek wooden crossbar sticks joined @ right angle can remind of crucifixion.

while rammelmeier argues against clean-cut metaphorical interpretations of story, acknowledges odradek possesses supernatural qualities, such disappearance , reappearance. states these supernatural qualities made more prominent text s otherwise objective or sachlich style. adds that, due text s stylistic dryness, reader reads story through ideological lens may find evidence interpretation may wish hold. nevertheless, story s last passage , concern children s children , object s apparent lack of purpose, ephemeral qualities of odradek, religious symbolism of transverse rod , star shape, , mention of death in last line of story provide textual evidence associations of odradek religion, or @ least cultural traditions.

odradek antagonist

slavoj Žižek emphasizes in analysis odradek once had sort of intelligible shape , broken-down remnant, , such should part of whole. relation between narrator (a family man, father) , creature whole: odradek might complement of narrator, broken down, part of him transferred odradek. why odradek family man has care for.