Franz
Kafka (1883-1924) was born to a Jewish family in Prague. He is a 20th-century
novelist and short story writer known for his innovative, imaginative, and
profound thoughts on modernism, post-modernism, realism, absurdism, and existentialism.
Clothes
Clothes is one of the shortest poems of Franz Kafka. This short poem is the epitome of the post-modernism and modernism movement with the immense use of imagery and symbolism. It may be interpreted in many ways, but we will discuss its post-modernism point of view.
From this short story, he explores the themes of deteriorated civilization, alienation, fragmentation, frenzy state, struggles to grapple with reality, and isolation from reality. Its very title, and clothes interpret different themes. He explains that the beautiful manifold pleats, frills, and appendages are no longer charming. In this phenomenon, clothes are covered with so much dirt that they cannot be cleaned anymore.
It will remain there forever while he thinks that it will be a foolish act to wear valuable clothes all day long. You must come out of these artificial appearances and keep your contact with reality. But still, he sees so many foolish people who show their attractive sides all day long and try to reflect them from the mirror, using the imagery of deceiving themselves.
The only small fraction at night, while coming home late at night: see themselves unattractive while looking at looking glass.
Clothes
are taken as a symbol to distinguish themselves from otherworldly evictions
though according to Kafka, it is not fulfilling this purpose anymore. The
modern era overwhelms the psychological thoughts of the human mind that the
dust (wrong deeds), on them is so strong that these cannot be able to
eradicate.
According
to him, in this era, three types of people occur in different scenarios.
Some
might think that it will be foolish enough to distinguish themselves in clothes
to conceal their inner frustration and isolation. Outwardly they show
themselves happy, even though the dust under the pleats and frills is so strong
that it cannot be brushed away.
Secondly, he explains the lovely young girls, to whom they are showing their beauty through their dresses and delicate hair: and seeing themselves in a looking mirror. By deciphering this, he explains the natural beauty of young girls who are not involved in the pain-stricken situation of the world yet.
He creates the
imagery with the words, “attractive muscle”, “small bones”, “smooth skin", and
"delicate hair" He expresses the themes of realism and imaginative
thoughts to express the beauty of a girl.
In a third passage, he explains those who are tender enough while showing outward beauty to the world. When they come home after seeing themselves from so many people, they feel worn out, “puffy”, “dusty”, and done with showing anxiety to the world.
Their clothes are hardly wearable any longer. Inside they are
worn out: their dear ones learn their perturbations and failures from their
clothes (appearances). In short, they are unable to reflect their true self.
This article is written by Avisra Ijaz, one of the contributors at the School of Literature.
