[NGFP-BookClub] it is not a normal trial before a normal court
Barbara S. Cohen
ngfp-bookclub@lists.ngfp.org
Wed, 19 May 2004 08:05:48 -0700
This is a multi-part message in MIME format.
------=_NextPart_000_0008_01C43D78.182FC450
Content-Type: text/plain;
charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
"Life is serious but not hopeless ," says one. Another replies, "No! =
Life is hopeless, but not serious!"
In re-reading the last pages of The Trial, the chapter titled, =
fragments, K decides that he must revisit his mother. Her vision is =
failing, and apparently she had been in an ill state, or some type of =
declining condition. What follows, however, is a notation by K, that he =
notices, almost with REPUGNANCE, that his mother has become excessively =
pious. A letter from his cousin describes how his mother, who before had =
struggled to drag herself about now positively strode along on his arm =
when he took her to church on Sunday (pp.263-264.)
Perhaps, K sees this again, as a reference to the seriousness of =
life....That there is a solution, that one can transform oneself from =
that hopeless state into something more serious through a state of =
piousness...
Just a thought. Tomar's point about existential angst is well taken.
Barbara S. Cohen
----- Original Message -----=20
From: Tomer=20
To: ngfp-bookclub@lists.ngfp.org=20
Sent: Tuesday, May 18, 2004 8:02 PM
Subject: Re: [NGFP-BookClub] it is not a normal trial before a normal =
court
"Life is serious, but not hopeless", says one. Another replies, "No! =
Life is hopeless, but not serious!"
perhaps entirely in keeping with the most profound existential angst, =
that they should laugh.
----- Original Message -----=20
From: Barry=20
To: 'ngfp-bookclub@lists.ngfp.org'=20
Sent: Wednesday, May 19, 2004 9:05 AM
Subject: RE: [NGFP-BookClub] it is not a normal trial before a =
normal court
This is all so serious, but can someone explain to me why Kafka and =
his friends were laughing as he read the first chapter to them? Was =
the joke on us. the reader - or what?
Barry Abrahamson
------=_NextPart_000_0008_01C43D78.182FC450
Content-Type: text/html;
charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML><HEAD>
<META http-equiv=3DContent-Type content=3D"text/html; =
charset=3Diso-8859-1">
<META content=3D"MSHTML 6.00.2800.1400" name=3DGENERATOR>
<STYLE></STYLE>
</HEAD>
<BODY bgColor=3D#ffffff>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>"Life is serious but not =
hopeless ," says one.=20
Another replies, "No! Life is hopeless, but not serious!"</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>In re-reading the last pages of <EM>The =
Trial,=20
</EM>the chapter titled, fragments, K decides that he must revisit his =
mother.=20
Her vision is failing, and apparently she had been in an ill state, or =
some type=20
of declining condition. What follows, however, is a notation by K, that =
he=20
notices, almost with REPUGNANCE, that his mother has become excessively =
pious. A=20
letter from his cousin describes how his mother, who before had =
struggled to=20
drag herself about now positively strode along on his arm when he took =
her to=20
church on Sunday (pp.263-264.)</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Perhaps, K sees this again, as a =
reference to the=20
seriousness of life....That there is a solution, that one can transform =
oneself=20
from that hopeless state into something more serious through a state of=20
piousness...</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Just a thought. Tomar's point about =
existential=20
angst is well taken.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Barbara S. Cohen</FONT></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE dir=3Dltr=20
style=3D"PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; =
BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV=20
style=3D"BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: =
black"><B>From:</B>=20
<A title=3Dtomer@ozemail.com.au =
href=3D"mailto:tomer@ozemail.com.au">Tomer</A>=20
</DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A =
title=3Dngfp-bookclub@lists.ngfp.org=20
=
href=3D"mailto:ngfp-bookclub@lists.ngfp.org">ngfp-bookclub@lists.ngfp.org=
</A>=20
</DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Tuesday, May 18, 2004 =
8:02 PM</DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: [NGFP-BookClub] it =
is not a=20
normal trial before a normal court</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3Dgeneva,arial,sans-serif>"Life is serious, but not =
hopeless",=20
says one. Another replies, "No! Life is hopeless, but not=20
serious!"</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"NewBskvll BT">perhaps entirely in keeping with the =
most=20
profound existential angst, that they should laugh.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>----- Original Message ----- </DIV></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE dir=3Dltr=20
style=3D"PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; =
BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV=20
style=3D"BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: =
black"><B>From:</B>=20
<A title=3DBarry@abrahamsons.co.uk=20
href=3D"mailto:Barry@abrahamsons.co.uk">Barry</A> </DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A=20
title=3Dngfp-bookclub@lists.ngfp.org=20
=
href=3D"mailto:'ngfp-bookclub@lists.ngfp.org'">'ngfp-bookclub@lists.ngfp.=
org'</A>=20
</DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Wednesday, May 19, 2004 =
9:05=20
AM</DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> RE: [NGFP-BookClub] =
it is not=20
a normal trial before a normal court</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D125465222-18052004><FONT color=3D#0000ff =
size=3D2>This is all=20
so serious, but can someone explain to me why Kafka and his =
friends =20
were laughing as he read the first chapter to them? Was the =
joke on=20
us. the reader - or what?</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D125465222-18052004><FONT color=3D#0000ff =
size=3D2>Barry=20
=
Abrahamson</FONT></SPAN></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>
------=_NextPart_000_0008_01C43D78.182FC450--