Abstract
The paradox of the Tower of Babel and the underlying story behind the confusion of tongues are inextricably intertwined with various linguistic differences across the world. The tool of language, regardless of whether it is a gift of God, or a purely human artifact, or whatever one may choose to believe regarding its origins, is a tool that allows us to communicate with each other, thereby opening the door for dialogue with the ‘Other.’ As the myth of Babel began influencing several scholars in the twentieth century, linguistic theories inevitably elicited great interest among many acclaimed scholars, including Franz Kafka (1883–1924), Walter Benjamin (1892–1940) and Jacques Derrida (1930–2004). To that end, the fragmented mode of languages is a fundamental principle in their discourse on the confusion of tongues. In this article, I argue that Kafka’s writing, particularly the notion of the “piecemeal construction” in “The Great Wall of China,”1 has influenced Benjamin’s theory of translation and echoed Derrida’s respective view thereof.
Highlights
The tool of language, regardless of whether it is a gift of God, or a purely human artifact, or whatever one may choose to believe regarding its origins, is a tool that allows us to communicate with each other, thereby opening the door for dialogue with the ‘Other.’ As the myth of Babel began influencing several scholars in the twentieth century, linguistic theories inevitably elicited great interest among many acclaimed scholars, including Franz Kafka (1883–1924), Walter Benjamin (1892–1940) and Jacques Derrida (1930–2004)
The paradox behind the various tongues across the world has been linked to the biblical story of the Tower of Babel, wherein languages were scattered around the world and became fragmented
Many thinkers have been influenced by the myth of Babel, and they have taken great interest in linguistic theories, including Franz Kafka, Walter Benjamin, and Jacques Derrida
Summary
The paradox behind the various tongues across the world has been linked to the biblical story of the Tower of Babel, wherein languages were scattered around the world and became fragmented. I argue that the conceptual structure of the fragmentary fashion in Kafka’s architectural language found in his story, “The Great Wall of China,” has inspired Benjamin’s theory of translation, especially his concept of pure language, and as such concepts resonate in Derrida’s thought in turn. Benjamin marks a deep leverage in the contemporary linguistic and translation theories His account is best reflected in his philosophical writing, in “On Language as Such and on the Language of Man” (1916) and “The Task of the Translator” (1923). Benjamin found a great source of influence in Kafka’s fiction, in his short story “The Great Wall of China.”. Kafka’s architectural language is inspired by the fragmentary nature of “The Great Wall of China,” which, in turn, foreshadows Benjamin’s understanding of translation, in “The Task of the Translator.”.
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