"What sort of acquittal you want":

the limits of farce, tragedy and satire in The Process

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.26512/cerrados.v27i47.19734

Keywords:

Kafka. Satire. Alienation. realism

Abstract

Not only is the reader of The Process unable to believe in what is said by the characters, including the protagonist, but they should also distrust their actions, comical and farcical. What is said by the narrator is also suspect, not deserving credit. Yet the reader perceives that there is a purpose in it. The disconnect is not there as a supernatural or diabolical order. It is all "on this side" (diesseitig), as observed by Lukács in comparing Kafka to Hoffman. The disconnect, not being unintentional, requires interpretation. The comedy in which Joseph K. wants to take part in acquires tragic dimensions due to the absence of a way out to the character, but it achieves a satirical force that I pretend to emphasize.

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Author Biography

Hermenegildo Bastos, Universidade de Brasília

Professor Titular aposentado da Universidade de Brasília.

References

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Published

2018-12-28

How to Cite

Bastos, H. (2018). "What sort of acquittal you want":: the limits of farce, tragedy and satire in The Process. Revista Cerrados, 27(47), 153–167. https://doi.org/10.26512/cerrados.v27i47.19734

Issue

Section

Marx: Arte, Literatura e Práxis

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