On the Absurdity and Reality in Kafka's "The Castle"

Abstract

The 20th-century capitalist world was turbulent and crisis-ridden, and Western literary creation as a whole presented a state of nihilism, loneliness, loss, and anxiety. Many writers regarded ugliness as beauty, using absurdity to represent reality, among whom Kafka was one. "The Castle," as a representative of his short stories, constructs many bizarre events that do not exist in real life, enhancing the absurdity of the work. The author combines absurdity with reality, integrating philosophical parables and his own real-life reflections into the work, aiming to express the ruthless satire on human indifference as well as a deep call for genuine human emotions.