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Franz Kafka's "Das Urteil": An InterpretationAuthor(s): Karl H. RuhlederSource: Monatshefte, Vol. 55, No. 1, Franz Kafka Number (Jan., 1963), pp. 13-22Published by: University of Wisconsin PressStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/30161841 .

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FRANZ KAFKA'S "DAS URTEIL": AN INTERPRETATION

KARL H. RUHLEDER

Queens College

1.

If Max Brod had not published Franz Kafka's statement explainingthe true meaning of the last sentence of his Novelle Das Urteil, every-

body would indeed reject such an interpretation as far-fetched. For

Kafka said to Brod: "Do you know what the last sentence means? When

I wrote it, I had in mind a violent ejaculation."1 With these words

Kafka explained the true meaning hidden under the reality of the imagein the last sentence: "In diesem Augenblick ging iiber die Briicke ein

geradezu unendlicher Verkehr."2 The bridge is already mentioned inthe sentences preceding the last, but the word "bridge" cannot contain

the meaning "ejaculation," either alone or in the context of the sentence;

the first half of the sentence merely points to the simultaneousness of an-

other event, the fall from the bridge; thus the remaining elements, the

words unendlicher Verkehr must contain the meaning "violent ejacu-lation."

The meaning "ejaculation" per se is obviously represented in the

German word Verkehr, denoting both vehicular traffic and sexual inter-

course. The essential point is that the literal meaning in the context of

an action which takes place in the business world of this century con-

tains a meaning which leads into a completely different sphere of human

life. And we must, therefore, recognize that the word Verkehr possesses

the basic quality of a symbol, namely two different meanings which

are of equal importance to the reader. We know about its real and

literal meaning: it pictures a concrete problem of modern cities. But

what is the universal meaning this word stands for? Ejaculation. Kafka

says no more, and it is up to us to discover the universal meaning of

the symbol and of the Novelle by connecting the meaning of other

words which conceal their symbolic power. "

The universal meaning cannot be inferred from the last sentence

alone. But the word stands in a sentence which follows the carryingout of a sentence of death, so that the simultaneousness of the ejacula-tion and the fall to death call to mind Hanns Heinz Ewers' novel

Alraune,4 where the condemned person suffers an ejaculation in the

moment immediately preceding his death. The semen then procreates

Alraune in the womb of theprostitute.

Bothrepresentations

have in

common the motif of ejaculation immediately before the condemned

one meets his death. But did Kafka intend to indicate in our Novelle

that the water is about to be impregnated, the water which Bendemann

touches split seconds later? The literary prototype of this scene pro-vides more information: Hesiod reports that the semen of Uranus, who

had been emasculated, engendered Venus, the Goddess of Love, with



14 Monatshcfte

the water. Hesiod, too, reports a sentence of death, for the reign of

Uranus was thereby ended at the hands of his son Cronus.5

What these three representations have in common is the element

of involuntary procreation in a moment when punishment is beingcarried out. Ewers creates by means of artificial insemination a female

who personifies love. The scars on the inside of the upper parts of her

thighs point to a kind of pre-existence as a mermaid. In Hesiod's and

Kafka's passages, the sperm is conceived by the water, and this fact

lends the word Verkehr (intercourse / traffic) a more definite meaningin its connection with the simultaneousness of the infliction of punish-ment through the fall into the water: the universal meaning of the sym-bol seems to be the imminent procreation with the water, the imminent

procreation of a love about whose qualities we cannot say anything atthis moment.

Our definition of the symbolic meaning of the word Verkehr rests

predominantly on Hesiod's report of the birth of Aphrodite, for this

report is indeed the prototype of the central problem of our Novelle:

the rebellion of the son (Cronus) against the father (Uranus). The cen-

tral scene of the Novelle, the conversation between father and son, givesa description of the father in which the prototype Uranus is easily recog-

nized, for it is modeled after Hesiod's report as well as representations

in the pictorial arts. Kafka writes: " 'Nein!' rief der Vater, . . . warfdie Decke zuriick mit einer Kraft, daB sie einen Augenblick im Flugesich ganz entfaltete, und stand aufrecht im Bett. Nur eine Hand hielt

er leicht an den Plafond." (S. 62) Although there are only a few traces

of Uranus in the pictorial arts, some of the representations show him

holding his garment in an are over his head, the way the father holds

the blanket in our Novelle, completely expanded and floating in the air.6

But Hesiod's report of the emasculation, too, is mentioned in the Novelle

when the father says: "' . . . weil sie die Rocke so gehoben hat, die

widerlicheGans,'

und er hob, um das darzustellen, sein Hemd so hoch,

daB man auf seinem Oberschenkel die Narbe aus seinen Kriegsjahrensah" (S. 63). Although the passage does not describe the act of emascu-

lation, the scar unequivocally alludes to it. The wound itself was ob-

viously inflicted before this time; now it is cicatrized. But the remark

about the Kriegsjahre alludes to the old war of the generations, the

struggle between Uranus and Cronus.

The image of Uranus in the center of our Novelle makes us recog-nize that the symbol at its end - Verkehr-Ejakulation - is closely con-

nected with its center and Hesiod'sreport

as well. Itsmeaning

is indeed

the impregnation of the water, and we must assume that a new love

is to be created, a new love possessing the quality of Aphrodite.

2.

Consequently the central theme of our Novelle is that of the revolt

of the son (Cronus) against the father (Uranus). In our interpretationof the central scene, we can therefore agree neither with Claude-Edmonde



"Das Urteil" 15

Magny nor Kate Flores. Mme. Magny's analysis proceeds from the as-

sumption that the father is insane and that his verdict fully confirms

this assumption.7 Mme. Flores, on the other hand, bases her interpre-

tation predominantly on the Letter to My Father,.and she writes: "Kafkadeified his father, his supreme authority and goal."8 The first of these

interpretations asserts the progressive senilization, the second the deifi-

cation of father Kafka. The power of Kafka's symbolism remained

concealed from both interpreters. - But what happens in the centralscene?

The first scene in the central section reports Georg's attempt to

persuade the father to change rooms with him. In the beginning we learn

that relations between the father and Georg were for months limited

almost exclusively to matters concerning the joint management of thebusiness. In the office, however, nothing whatsoever hinted at the senile

condition of the father as it is reported in the course of the meeting.

Georg talks to him in a business-like tone and casually says: "Ich wollte

dir eigentlich nur sagen, daB ich nun doch nach Petersburg meine Ver-

lobung angezeigt habe" (S. 58). In the beginning of the scene, the father

still is the giant of a man he always was (S. 58); he is standing in the

darkness and coolness of the room; then he solidly sits with his arms

crossed, assuming an attitude of superiority (S. 58). The father's de-

crepitude is not seen and reported by Georg until the father asks: "Hastdu wirklich diesen Freund in Petersburg?" (S. 59) This question is

obviously unpleasant for Georg. To be sure, no doubt is thrown on

the existence of the friend in Petersburg, for later in the story we learn

that the father also corresponds with the friend, but doubt is thrown

on the existence of the bond of friendship, and Georg is made to realize

that he is different. The question itself triggers in Georg a flood of

observations which seem to express his concern for the father. But if

the reader carefully weighs the meaning of the following sentences:

"DieiZimmer werden wir

wechseln,du wirst ins Vorderzimmer

ziehen,ich hierher. Es wird keine Verlinderung fiir dich sein, alles wird mit

iibertragen werden" (S. 60), then he must concede that the extent of the

change would indeed be enormous. For the intended coolness and the

natural twilight9 in the father's room, which lend it an almost sacral

atmosphere, could not be duplicated in Georg's room. The father

would not only be deprived of the atmosphere of his room but of his

implicit superiority as well. For the participle iibertragen refers to some

intangible entity, the soul of this room, and not to the transport of ob-

jects.A

changeof rooms would therefore result in

Georg's takingover the position of his father.

The father ends the scene by saying only one word: "'Georg,' sagteder Vater leise, ohne Bewegung" (S. 60). This word seems to express

neither support nor reproach; nevertheless Georg considers it a re-

proach, for it incites him to new deeds. He begins to undress his father,

who is growing weaker and weaker and finally rests on Georg's breast,



16 Monatshefte

playing with his watch chain. "Ein schreckliches Gefiihl hatte er

[Georg], als er wiihrendder paar Schritte zum Bett hin merkte, daBan seiner Brust der Vater mit seiner Uhrkette spielte. Er konnte ihn

nicht gleich ins Bett legen, so fest hielt er sich an dieser Uhrkette."(S. 6i) Although the literal meaning of the passageseems to empha-size the senility of the father, the word Uhrkette is the key to the real

meaningof the passage. For Kafka wants to point out that the watchis in Georg's pocket. This fact in turn makes us realizethat Georg is

playing the role of Cronus10versus Uranusin this scene, that the oldwar of the generations s being enacted here when the father is placedin a position - he is lying in bed - in which the emasculation took

place in the past. The scene is followed immediatelyby the representa-

tion of the father with the blanket hovering in the air (Uranus in thepictorial arts) and the allusion to the emasculation hrough the wordNarbe. Both protagonistand antagonist are fully aware of the fact

that they are playing an old role, for Georg as well as the father con-cede that they have been playing a comedy: "'Kom6diant!'konnte sich

Georg zu rufen nicht enthalten,erkanntesofort den Schaden und biB,nur zu spiit- die Augen erstarrt in seine Zunge, daB er vor Schmerzeinknickte. 'Ja, freilich babe ich Komidie gespielt!'" (S. 63)

The central scene, to be sure, does not portray a senile but an

old father; the scene does of course not portray father Kafka but aGod-Father. A long time ago he had been the victim of a rebellionof his son, and now he is suppressinga new rebellionwhich takesplacein our century. And after this scene the meaning of the last imageand its symbol - Verkehr-Ejakulation - becomes intelligible to every-one. For Georg-Cronussuffers in the sense of Dante's contrapasso,11the modernform of the punishment(ejaculation)which had been exe-cuted on Uranus (emasculation). At that time as well as now, water

is the conceiving element. And in consequentcontinuation of the an-

alogy,we must arriveat the

followingdefinition of our

symbol (Ver-kehr-Ejakulationn the moment of the fall from the bridge into the

water); it meansthe creation of a new love whose qualitiesapproximatethose of Aphrodite.

3.

The logical denouementof the scene of the rebellion against theGod-Fatheris his verdict. It reads: "'Und darum wisse: Ich verurteile

dich jetzt zum Tode des Ertrinkens!'" (S. 65). "Und darum wisse"

precedes the verdict as an anouncement. Its wording connects the

verdict proper with the preceding sentence, which explainswhy theGod-Fatherhanded down his ruling: "'Ein unschuldigesKind warst du

ja eigentlich,aber noch eigentlicherwarst du ein teuflischerMensch!'"

(S. 65) The reason for the verdict is, then, the fact that Georg Bende-mann is a human being who combines in himself the innocence of achild and something devilish. The use of the words unschuldig and

teuflisch indicates that the action is being continued in a distinctly



"Das Urteil" 17

Christian sphere, and by using these words the God-Father makes him-

self known as the God of Christianity. Nevertheless the God-Father

combines the Christian as well as the pre-Christian characteristics (hov-

ering blanket and scar): on the one hand He sentences the Son to deathbecause the Son rebelled against Him at this time just as Cronus re-

belled at that time. The corresponding infliction of punishment is

expressed in the symbol Verkebr-Ejakulation of the last sentence. On

the other hand, He also sentences the "innocent child" in Georg Bende-

mann, who is driven to the water after the ruling has been handeddown.

In the interpretation of this scene again we cannot agree with Mmine.Flores when she comments on Herbert Tauber's interpretation: 12 "Mr.

Tauber finds religious meaning in the mere word 'above,' and even inthe charwoman's exclamation 'Jesus!'" '3 For precisely the word "Jesus"is the most powerful of the Christian symbols in the final scene whichfollows the verdict. After all, the God-Father sentences His Son:

"'Jesus!' rief sie und verdeckte mit der Schiirze ihr Gesicht, aber er

war schon davon." (S. 65)

But this is neither the last nor the first of the Christian symbols.

Georg is driven toward the water, and Kafka continues: "Schon hielt

er das Gelinder fest, wie ein Hungriger die Nahrung. Er schwang sich

iiber, als der ausgezeichnete Turner, der er in seinen Jugendjahren zumStolz seiner Eltern gewesen war. Noch hielt er sich mit schwiicher wer-

denden Hiinden fest, erspiihte zwischen den Gelinderstangen einen Au-

toomnibus, der mit Leichtigkeit seinen Fall iibert6nen wiirde, rief leise:

'Liebe Eltern, ich habe euch doch immer geliebt,' und lieB sich fallen."

(S. 65-66)

According to this passage, Georg is holding on to the railing of

the bridge in such a manner that his outstretched body and the road-

way of the bridge form a cross. The symbol of the cross is, to be sure,

visually dominating,and Georg's position is at the same time the ex-pression of his physical helplessness. Nevertheless, in a seemingly last

effort to hold on to life, he spies (erspiiht) an Autoomnibus. The verb

erspdhen expresses the effort of searching for something, but also the

effort of "finding out completely." At the same time the verb directs

our attention to the object of the search which, like the word Verkehr,

belongs to the sphere of modern problems of transportation. But what,

then, is the meaning of this Autoomnibus in the series of Christian

symbols? The most literal, for translated it means "self for all," and in

the succession of Christiansymbols

it means that God himself dies for

all of us in Georg Bendemann. The action of espying is therefore themost intensive attempt to direct the reader's attention to the cause, the

wording, and the purpose of the verdict .The purpose. Undoubtedly the purpose is expressed in the words

Autoomnibus and Fall. For God Himself dies for us, and this principle"self for all" (Autoonmibus) indeed drowns out (i2bertont) the fall of



18 Monatshfeite

man, who with his spiritualand sensual nature turned away from Godand toward sin. The fact that Georg accepts the verdict without op-position indicates that one of the motives is justice, for justice and love

are the motives of redemption.What is the meansof redemption?Thequestionseems to be answered in another symbol, the staircasewhich

Georg seemsto float down after the sentencing. For the floating down

per se represents he idea that the divine principlehad to descend intomanto make tself perceptible,worthy of love, and worthy of imitation.In the case of carnallyminded mankind his could only be accomplishedby incarnation.

The wording. The purposeof the verdict is redemption;the ver-dict per se, however, places redemptionin a much larger context, for

the God-Fathersays: "Ich verurteile dich jetzt zum Tode des Ertrin-kens." At first the word jetzt seems to point only to the presenttime,as if it were explaining he verdict as the consequenceof the rebellion.This is, of course,not the case, since the causeis stated in the sentence

preceding the verdict. But in the context of the sentence, the word

jetzt also points to the past, when once before a similarsentence ofdeath had been handeddown, namely at the beginningof our Christianera. "Now" it is happeningagain,and the beginningof the new futureis imminent: the Son lets himself drop but does not yet touch the

water. Our little word jetzt consciously divides world history intothree periods: i. the period preceding the first verdict that had been

pronounced"then,"at the beginning of the Christianera; the Uranus

aspect of the God-Fatherbelongs to this period; 2. the period between"then" and "now"; the old war of the generationswas re-enacted in

this second period; 3. the future period which is to be brought about

by this verdict"now."14 In conformitywith Christianandanti-Christian

prophecies, this third period is expected to bring forth new life anda new love. To be sure, Kafkaspeaksof the nature of this new period

through his symbols only. The Christiansymbols of the last scene andthe pre-Christianymbol (the impregnationof the water) indicate how-ever that the creation of a new life and above all of a new love is

imminent,which, accordingto the combined Christianand pre-Christian

symbols, must be truly universal.

The cause. We found that the cause of the verdict and redemptionwas Georg Bendemann'sduality, and there can be no doubt that hisdevilish-humannature is represented n the Georg who comes to seehis father. But where does his second nature reveal itself, the innocent

childlikenature?

4.

The representation f this natureseemsto be the friendwith whomboth Georg and the God-Fathercorrespond. According to the literal

meaning,they write each other letters; the figurative meaning assertsthe existence of a correspondence conformity, or even consubstan-



"Das Urteil" 19

tiality, to a larger degree with the God-Father, to a lesser degree with

Georg Bendemann. Since the central scene of the Novelle pictured

Georg as the devilish rebel against the God-Father, the text must also

define the innocent-childlike and consequently basically different natureof this friend.

For quite some time this friend has been living in an almost abso-

lute isolation (expressed by the words "St. Petersburg" and "Russia")into which the friend has actually fled (S. 53). He stayed alive (workedhard without deriving a profit from his work, arbeitet sich nutzlos ab,

S. 53) but had almost no social intercourse (S. 53). He lived in an iso-

lation that was peculiar to him (in seiner Fremde, S. 54) and, assuming

greater intimacy with Georg, he would find his bearings neither without

nor in his friends (S.54).The peculiar antithesis omhne in (one would expect ohme - mit)

contains a further definition of the quality of the friend from Petersburg.The aforementioned passages already indicate that the friend is a beingwho intentionally detached himself from the sphere dominated by Georgand whose quality consists of his ability to stay alive. And undoubtedlythe friend possesses none of those qualities responsible for Georg's suc-

cess in business. The friend would not get on with the friends, forhe is different and not like these friends. But the antithesis is ohne -

in, not ohne - mit, so that we must assume that this friend is indeed

Georg's second nature, which would not get on in (within) Georg,within the circle of factors which constitute the other part of Bende-

mann's nature. And the besondere Korrespondernzverhiiltnis(S. 56) in-

dicates that the substance of the friend no longer conforms to Georg's

qualities. For Kafka says that Georg cannot cut himself to another

pattern that might make a more suitable friend for him (S. 56). Georgand the friend are indeed so different that the friend's flight caused

Georg's success: "Nun hatte aber Georg seit jener Zeit, so wie alles

andere, auch sein Geschift mit gr6oerer Entschlossenheit angepackt"

(S. 55)-We believe that the passages referred to clearly show that the

friend is part of Georg's ego, the other ego that has detached itself

intentionally from Georg. It is closely connected with the God-Father;

they correspond (S. 64); it seems to be the "innocent child" the God-

Father mentions in the sentence preceding the verdict; the unfamiliar

full beard he wore did not quite conceal the face George had known

so well since childhood (S. 53); this ego per se would have been a

Son after the Father's heart (S. 62); and to this ego is directed the

appeal of the priest, "der sich ein breites Blutkreuz in die flache Hand

schnitt, diese Hand erhob und die Menge anrief" (S. 61), undoubtedlyas a challenge to take upon themselves the sufferings of Christ; and

finally God has gloriously united Himself with the ego, "hat sich herr-lich [die Herrlichkeit is one of God's attributes] mit ihm verbunden"

(S. 64), for the ego undoubtedly took upon itself the sufferings of



20 Monatshefte

Christ. When Kafka says in his diary15 that the friend is the link

between father and son, that he is the greatest thing they have in

common, then we are justified in qualifying the being of the friend as

a Christian substance, for this substance is "innocent" and consubstan-tial with the Father so that He reunites Himself with the substance

(S. 64), since it must have emanated from Him. On the other hand,

however, the Christian substance is also in Georg Bendemann, in the

human being ensnared in the commercial spirit of our time, who can-

not reconcile it with himself; for his Cronus-ego opposes the uncondi-tional submission to an ego that emanated from God and reuniteditself with Him.

But in spite of everything the rebellion against the Father is merelya performance, a

Komoidie(S. 63). The Georg of our Novelle is per-

haps not fully aware of this from the beginning. The author, however,knows the hopelessness of the rebellion. Kafka identifies himself closelywith Bendemann in a diary entry,16 so that the Georg and the friend

of our Novelle seem to be the projection of his own ego which faces

the God-Father. Kafka makes the actors of his ego suffer in perform-

ing their roles the way he himself suffered, in temporary subjection to,but also in rebellion against the God-Father. But Kafka goes even fur-

ther and lets Bendemann perceive why he suffers by showing him the

principle "self for all" (Autoomnitbus). But at this moment the parallel

Bendemann - Kafka breaks down, for Bendemann's sufferings consum-mate the redemptive purpose.

5.

Our Novelle represents Kafka's innermost struggle, the discord of

his existence, on two different levels, the level dominated by Georgand the level of the Petersburg ego. The action on both levels meshes

like two cog wheels, or rather fits together like the teeth of two combs.

Their images, which on their own level produce a continuous flow of

thoughts, are interrupted and inserted into the fragments of a series

ofimages representing

a different level ofthought,

so that theresultingaction on this mutual third level contradicts all the images and ideas

of our minds. Such is the nature of the literal meaning of the story,although the action on the mutual third level takes place in the business

world we are well acquainted with.

The images of our Novelle do not permit an identification with

father Kafka's business enterprise. For the God-Father's reference to

Georg's customers (Kundschaft) which he has in his pocket (S. 65),and the old newspaper (Zeitung) which he had somehow taken to bedwith him (S. 65) fit in with the universal meaning. The word Kund-

schaft belongs to the business story and strengthens the literal meaning;the mention of the "old newspaper," however, is not quite compatiblewith the story. Both words reveal their symbolic power in the context

of the symbolic meaning, for Kundschaft undoubtedly alludes to the

frohe Botschaft (Greek euaggelion); and Zeitung in the sentence "eine



"Das Urteil" 21

alte Zeitung, mit einem Georg schon ganz unbekannten Namen" (S. 65)

gains significance only in the Christian sphere of the story: it meansthat the good news (euaggelion) has been forgotten. We seem to have

arbitrarily torn these wordsout

of the context of the business story,but isn't the business world the representation of the act of redemp-tion? Originally "redemption" in biblical usage means the particularand definite act of paying a sum of money, or its equivalent, for the

restoration of property which has been lost or stolen.17

The theme of our Novelle is based on its prototypes; only the

manner of representation has changed. The process of representationno longer is - if we may say so - horizontal, but vertical. But exactlythis vertical process is the proper way in which to represent human

life in modern times. And according to Kafka's manner of representa-tion, life seems indeed to be enacted on a central level, in incoherent

images and episodes, as a series of perhaps only momentary connectionsof the human mind with the prototypes of tradition of whiich the mind

is no longer conscious. The individual feels only one thing: the terrible

precariousness of his inner existence.The following entry in Kafka's diary seems to summarize the theme

as well as the manner of representation:Zwischen Freiheit und Sklaverei kreuzen sich die wirklichen schreck-

lichen Wege ohne Fiihrung fiir die kommende Strecke und unter

sofortigem Verl6schen der schon zuriickgelegten. Solcher Wege

gibtes

unzihligeoder nur einen, man kann das nicht feststellen,

denn es gibt keine Obersicht. Dort bin ich. Ich kann nicht weg.Ich habe mich nicht zu beklagen. Ich leide nicht iibermliBig, denn

ich leide nicht zusammenhlingend, es hiuft sich nicht an, wenigstensfiihle ich es vorliiufip nicht, und die Gr6o3e meines Leidens liegtweit unter jenem Leiden, das mir vielleicht zuk~me. '8

Max Brod. Franz Kafka, eine Biographie (Frankfurt, '054), S. 151r f.

2Franz Kafka, "Das Urteil," Gesavrmelte Schriften, ed. Max Brod (New York:

Schocken Books, 1o46), Bd. I, S. 66. Page references in the text are to this edition.

a We agree with Max Brod's definition of the symbol, op. cit. S. 2"7: "Das Symbolsteht auf beiden Ebenen zugleich, auf der, die es ahnunesweise anzeigt, und auf der

gegenstiindlich realen. Beide Ebenen vereint es auf besondere Art, wirft sie, wie dasgriechische Wort auch ausdriickt, ineinander zusammen, - und zwar so, dal man, jetiefer man in den Einzelfall . . . eindrint, desto klarer auch das Allgemeine sieht.

. ist geistiger Aufbruch, ist Sache der Spannkraft, die den Einzelfall ins Grenzen-

lose ausstrahlen liift, - wobei man dann je nach der Entfemung der Schnittebene, die

man durch den Strahl legt, die Angelegenheit des Individuums, des Volkes oder der

Menschheit verhandelt findet. Und zwar all dies gleichzeitig, mit denselben rWorten.in einer einzigen Situation."

4 Miinchen, 1911."Hesiod, Theogony, trans. Richmond Lattimore (Ann Arbor, 199):

And huge Ouranos came on

bringing night with him, and desiringlove he embraced Gaia and lay over herstretched out

complete, and from his hiding place his sonreached with his left hand

and seized him, and holding in his rightthe enormous sickle

with its long blade edged like teeth,



22 Monatshefte

he swung it sharply,and lopped the membersof his father,and threw them behind him . . (176-181)

. . [they] drifted a great while

on the open sea, and there spreada circle of white foamfrom the immortal lesh, and in it

grew a girl . . . (190-192). . . and the gods call her

Aphrodite,and men do too. (195)6Paulys Realencyclopiidie, d. IX, A, I, S. 967: "Er ist das iiber der Erde schwe-

bende Himmelsgewilbe (in der Kunst hilt er darum sein Gewand oft in einem Bogeniiber seinem Haupt)." - 17. Halbband, S. 975: "In der bildenden Kunst hat Uranus

wenig Spuren hinterlassen. . . Auf dem Panzer des Augustus von Primaporta stU. zu sehen,blirtigund nackt;er hilt sein Gewand im Bogen iiber sein Haupt (Him-melsgewilbe). . . . Unter den Berliner Skulpturenfindet sich auch eine Statuette

aus dem 2.-3. Jhdt. n. Chr.: U. in ganzer Figur, nach oben blickend,hiilt

sein Gewandwie auf dem Augustuspanzeriber sich."

7Claude-EdmondeMagny, "The Objective Depiction of Absurdity,"The KafkaProblem,ed. Angel Flores (New York, 1946), p. 83.

8Kate Flores,"The Judgment,"FranzKafka Today, ed. Angel Flores and HomerSwander (Madison, 1958), p. 23.

o"Georg stauntedariiber,wie dunkel das Zimmer des Vaters selbst an diesemson-

nigen Vormittagwar. Einen solchen Schatten warf also die hohe Mauer,die sich jen-seits des schmalenHofes erhob." (S. 58)

Conversation etweenGeorg and his father:"Das Fenster hast du auch geschlossen?""Ich habe es so lieber.""Es ist ja ganz warm drauBen,"agte Georg. (S. 58)

10The God of Time. "Kronos ist . . . Himmelsgott . . . in der Bedeutungdes Reifenden, Zeitigenden,Vollendenden." Paulys Realencyclopadie,17. Halbband,S. 971.

11Friedrich Schneider, Dante, rein Leben und rein Werk (Weimar, 1947), S. 145:"Es ist das Gesetz der Wiedervergeltung, ach dem Schuld und Strafe in einer gewissenBeziehungzueinander tehen:Der Siinder soil ihnlichesim engeren oder weiteren Sinneerleiden, wie sein Opfer (contra-patire)." A volume of Dante's Divine Comedy,translatedand explainedby Karl StreckfuB,I-II Bd., Stuttgart,probably 1893, was inKafka'sreference library. He may have been familiar with the idea of contrapasso.Catalogue of reference library in: Karl Wagenbach, Franz Kafka: Eine Biographieseiner Jugend (Bern, 1958), S. 251.

12Herbert Tauber, "The Judgment,"Franz Kafka: An Interpretation f his Works

(New Haven, 1948), p. 12 ff.13Op. cit. p. 12.14The interpretation f history as an ascent through three successivestages is not

new. It derived from Messianicpropheciesand reappearedn Auguste Comte'sidea ofhistory,in the Marxiandialectic,and in the phrase"the third Reich." Norman Cohn,The Pursuitof the Millenium(New York: Harper and Brothers,1961). - An essay ina handbook of Christian heology states: "There are, as it were, three tenses to this

[redemption]:the past- or what God has done for sinful mankind in the life, death,and resurrectionof Christ;the present - or the new life which is lived because ofwhat God in Christ has done; and the future - or what God in Christ will yet doto consummateHis redemptivepurpose." Hugh T. Kerr,Handbook of ChristianTheol-ogy (New York, 1958), p. 297.

16 "Der Freund ist die Verbindung zwischen Vater und Sohn, er ist ihre griBte

Gemeinsamkeit." ranzKafka,Tagebiicher(New York: SchockenBooks, 1948), S. 296.' "Georg hat so viele Buchstabenwie Franz. In Bendemann ist 'mann'nur eine

fiir alle noch unbekanntenMbglichkeitender Geschichte vorgenommene Verstiirkungvon 'Bende.' Bende aber hat ebenso viele Buchstabenwie Kafka und der Vokal ewiederholtsich an den gleichenStellenwie der Vokal a in Kafka." Tagebiicher,S.297.

17 Hugh T. Kerr, op. cit. 18Tagebiicher, S. 345.