Franz Kafka was born into a middle-class, German-speaking, Jewish family on 3 July 1883 in Prague, Austria-Hungary (now Czech Republic). After two brothers died in infancy, he became the eldest child. His three younger sisters all died in concentration camps.
Kafka’s own life was marked by personal struggles and a sense of displacement as a German-speaking Jew living in a predominantly Czech environment, which heavily influenced his writing. Franz Kafka was a writer known for his dark, surreal stories about the struggles of ordinary people. Despite his relatively short life, Kafka’s impact on literature and philosophy has been profound, with his works inspiring countless interpretations and adaptations across various mediums. Today, he remains one of the most studied and revered figures in literary history.
His most famous works include The Metamorphosis, where the protagonist wakes up one morning to find himself transformed into a giant insect, and The Trial, a surreal tale of a man arrested and prosecuted, while never knowing what for.
by Raggam Emma, 7ck
English School Newspaper 