Demystification of Franz Kafka's Works

This book first provides a detailed and comprehensive account of existentialism — the etymology of existentialism; the relationship between existentialism and the philosophical sources like metaphysics, idealism, phenomenology and epistemology, the theological and the literary sources; the immediate background and foundation of existentialism; a short biography of twenty important existentialists; major existentialist themes; exploration of the fundamental concepts including Dasein, being-in-the world, being-in-itself and being-for-itself, existence and essence; Kant's synthesis of empiricism and rationalism, and his distinction between the phenomena and the noumena; and the relationship and difference between psychology, anthropology and existentialist anthropology. Rooted in this wide-ranging setting, this book seeks to provide a hermeneutic analysis of Kafka's works The Metamorphosis, The Castle and The Trial in the light of existentialism. It includes an analysis of the techniques of surrealism and expressionism to trace the existentialist elements. It will serve as a good reference book in the study of existentialism and its relevance to Kafka's works.