Kafka and Flaubert (1821-1880) seem to be very different writers, but their spiritual connection is so strong that we have to re-examine their relationship. However, which one of Kafka's works can we think about in connection with Flaubert's masterpiece Madame Bovary? Is it "America," "The Litigation," "The Castle," or "The Metamorphosis"? I'm afraid none of them are suitable. If Kafka's novels are so different from Flaubert's, what is it that binds them so closely together? In addition, although there are many external differences in their novels, are there many internal connections?
On September 2, 1913, Kafka wrote to Phyllis: "Among the four people whom I consider blood relatives - Greer Patzer, Dostoevsky, Krishna Of Leicester and Flaubert, only Dostoevsky was married, and, perhaps, only Kleist had found the right path, driven by internal and external crises, to drive on the shores of Lake Wan. Suicide by gun." On November 15, 1912, Kafka wrote to Phyllis: "The Emotional Education has accompanied me for many years like only a few friends, no matter what time, no matter what time. Everywhere I open this book, I am thrilled and utterly fascinated, I have always felt that I am the spiritual son of the author of this book, albeit a poor, stupid one. Write to me at once, you Do you know French. If so, I'll send you the latest French edition. Tell me, you know French, even though it may not be true, because the language of the French edition is gorgeous." What exactly did Kafka and Flaubert have? What kind of blood relationship? Why did he repeatedly declare that he was the spiritual son of Flaubert?
Kafka and Flaubert are indeed very similar in many ways. They both loved literature since childhood, but in college they followed their father's wishes and chose a major they didn't like: Kafka studied law, Flaubert studied medicine. They all suffered from a certain disease. Flaubert suffered an epilepsy in 1844, so he had to interrupt his studies and return to his hometown to start literary creation. Kafka suffered from various diseases, such as stomach problems, indigestion, constipation, etc. He suffered from headaches, insomnia and mental weakness throughout his life. In 1917, he coughed up blood due to tuberculosis, and he was not cured for a long time, and finally died in 1924. They had both been in love, but in the end they were both alone and not married. They all lived lonely lives in a city to which they belonged, except for short trips: Kafka belonged to Prague; Flaubert belonged to Rouen. Although there are so many outward similarities, they are more of a spiritual connection.
Flaubert was born into a famous family of surgeons in Rouen. Father and older brother served as director of Rouen city hospital. He liked literature since childhood and began to write in middle school. At the age of 18, he followed his father's order to study medicine in Paris, but he had no interest. He considered the two years of studying medicine in Paris to be "the most miserable, enduring, and impatient times" of his life. He explained his literary aspirations to his father. The father said to his son helplessly: "Read to me what you wrote." This is Flaubert's "Emotional Education" written in 1843. Half an hour later, the old Flaubert went to bed. on. When he woke up, he asked, "What is the use of literature and poetry? No one ever knows." Flaubert replied, "Doctor, say, can you explain to me the use of the spleen? You don't know, I don’t even know, but the body cannot do without it, just as the soul cannot do without poetry!” Fortunately, Flaubert’s father was a liberal, and Flaubert also suffered from a strange disease, so his father Did not interfere with the son's choice.
Kafka's father was a successful businessman, and he wanted his son to succeed him. Kafka also started writing in middle school, but he did not explain his aspirations to his father, who never took his son's literary aspirations seriously. Kafka's father is more like an authoritarian, although Kafka is also ill, but Kafka's father is not a choice to not interfere with his son. Of course, Kafka never asked his father: to get his father's financial support, to be a professional writer.
In terms of personal emotions, they have had similar experiences. While on holiday at Trouville in 1836, Flaubert, who was only 15 years old, met Eliza, the wife of music publisher and founder of "Music" Schlesinger, and fell in love with her at first sight. Eliza was older than him. age 11. This provided him with a wealth of creative inspiration and materials. Kafka has been in many relationships, he has been engaged three times and dissolved three times. They both have been in a relationship, but neither ended up getting married. Flaubert "was terrified at the thought of marriage, and at the thought of being a father. . It feels wonderful." This situation is exactly the same as that of Kafka. Kafka and his fiancée Phyllis live in Berlin and Prague. This distance allows Kafka not to worry about face-to-face interference and embarrassment, but also to express his feelings freely through letters and imagination. They both choose to meet somewhere in the middle of the two cities, but in the end their relationship is fruitless. They all dedicated their lives to their beloved writing.
After the death of his father and sister, Flaubert settled with his mother and niece in Croisette, a suburb of Rouen. Since then, he has lived on his inheritance, indifferent to his life, thanking guests behind closed doors, and devote himself to creation, often thinking and writing all night long. Flaubert was a pure writer. Throughout his life, he was despairing, giving up all pleasure and devoting all to writing. He has no job or occupation. "Creation is his life, words are his joys and sorrows, and art is his whole life. All the phenomena of the moment in life form the immortality of his art." Art is his religion, he said: "Life So ugly, the only way to endure is to escape. If you want to escape, you can only live in art, and only through beauty to the constant seeking of truth." He does not sell words, let alone souls, he has written a book for many years. novel. He does not publish articles in the press. Some novels take 20 years to complete, and they are revised and then published.
Kafka was as dedicated to writing as he was, the difference was that Kafka had no legacy, he had to work. The purpose of Kafka's existence is to write, and writing is the only way to prove his existence. Writing is everything in Kafka's life. Without writing, Kafka's life would immediately wither and deteriorate. Kafka once said that his ideal way of living was to write alone in the innermost part of a spacious closed cellar with pen and paper and a lamp. He regards creation above all else, and cannot tolerate any secular distractions to tarnish his creation, and his pursuit of perfection in creation is almost desperate. According to the economic situation of Kafka's family, his father was fully able to support Kafka and let him concentrate on writing. But Kafka's father, including Kafka himself, never had this idea. Kafka had to find a job, and this job had to be unrelated to creation, because creation is undefiled. Kafka died before his father, and he had no chance to enjoy the inheritance.
Their creations are not much. In addition to Flaubert's early works "Reminiscence of a Madman" (1839) and "Smal, an ancient secret" (1839), important works include "Madame Bovary" (1857), "Sarambo" (1862), The Education of the Feelings (1869), and The Temptation of St. Anton (1874), as well as a collection of three short stories, The Three Stories, and an unfinished novel, Fabre and Pecuchet . Kafka did not produce many works in his lifetime. In addition to an early collection of prose fiction, Observations, and an unfinished novel, Country Marriage, he wrote many short stories, such as The Metamorphoses, The Verdict, from 1912 until his death. , "The Stoker", "In the Exile Camp", "A Report Written for an Academy of Sciences", "The Country Doctor", "The Hungry Artist", etc., and three unfinished novels: "America", "The Trial" and "castle". Of course, they all wrote a lot of letters. They all express themselves in letters, but hide themselves in novels. In this they are very similar. Flaubert "does not find his work in himself, but finds himself in the work." Flaubert did not write his own life experience into the works, but poured his own effort and spirit into the works. Just as the exploration of writing made Kafka, so the art of writing made Flaubert's creation.
Flaubert once jokingly referred to himself as a bear, while Kafka compared himself to a burrowing mole. Both Flaubert and Kafka preferred to live alone in caves and write alone. However, as a bear, Flaubert cannot be considered weak, he is strong, and if provoked, he will fight back. As a mole, Kafka is more lonely and helpless, fearful and restless, he is always withdrawing and escaping.
As early as between 1907 and 1908, Kafka was very infatuated with Flaubert when he wrote his novel fragment "The Country Marriage", and his creative concepts and methods were influenced by the great French literary master. Kafka found and found what he needed in Flaubert. As a spiritual teacher, Flaubert led Kafka on a path that originated from and transcended realism and naturalism.
When discussing Flaubert, the French poet and critic Valéry once said: "He lost his way in too many books and books; in them he lost his strategic thought, what I mean is the wholeness of the work, and the whole Sex can only exist in Antony, and this Antony, perhaps one of his souls, Satan... His work is only a mess of moments and fragments; but some of them will live on." The Temptation of Anthony is considered to have lost its wholeness, but only a chaotic mess of moments and fragments, but this is not often seen in Flaubert's work. However, when he came to Kafka, he not only lost his way, he even thought that there was no way in the world; he not only lost the wholeness, but even thought that no one can attain the wholeness. As a result, almost all of his work is presented as a mess of moments and fragments, but it is these "chaotic moments and fragments" that have survived and will remain.
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