What do you think?
Rate this book
A Report for an Academy
Mit dem Werkbeitrag aus Kindlers Literatur Lexikon.Mit dem Autorenporträt aus dem Metzler Lexikon Weltliteratur.Mit Daten zu Leben und Werk, exklusiv verfasst von der Redaktion der Zeitschrift für Literatur TEXT + KRITIK.An sein "äffisches Vorleben" kann sich berühmte Varietékünstler Rotpeter kaum mehr erinnern. Nach seiner Gefangennahme an der afrikanischen Goldküste war ihm klar: Sein einziger Ausweg bestand darin, das "Affentum" aufzugeben und die Menschen zu imitieren. Das gelingt ihm erstaunlich schnell. Allegorie, geniale Satire auf die Assimilation, Zerrbild der Menschheit, Zivilisationskritik oder Darstellung der Künstlerexistenz? Jeder, der den Text liest, schafft neuen Sinn und neue Bedeutungen.
Unknown Binding
First published January 1, 1917
19 people are currently reading
965 people want to read
About the author
Franz Kafka
3,039 books37k followersPrague-born writer Franz Kafka wrote in German, and his stories, such as "
The Metamorphosis
" (1916), and posthumously published novels, including
The Trial
(1925), concern troubled individuals in a nightmarishly impersonal world.
Jewish middle-class family of this major fiction writer of the 20th century spoke German. People consider his unique body of much incomplete writing, mainly published posthumously, among the most influential in European literature.
His stories include "The Metamorphosis" (1912) and " In the Penal Colony " (1914), whereas his posthumous novels include The Trial (1925), The Castle (1926) and Amerika (1927).
Despite first language, Kafka also spoke fluent Czech. Later, Kafka acquired some knowledge of the French language and culture from Flaubert, one of his favorite authors.
Kafka first studied chemistry at the Charles-Ferdinand University of Prague but after two weeks switched to law. This study offered a range of career possibilities, which pleased his father, and required a longer course of study that gave Kafka time to take classes in German studies and art history. At the university, he joined a student club, named Lese- und Redehalle der Deutschen Studenten, which organized literary events, readings, and other activities. In the end of his first year of studies, he met Max Brod, a close friend of his throughout his life, together with the journalist Felix Weltsch, who also studied law. Kafka obtained the degree of doctor of law on 18 June 1906 and performed an obligatory year of unpaid service as law clerk for the civil and criminal courts.
Writing of Kafka attracted little attention before his death. During his lifetime, he published only a few short stories and never finished any of his novels except the very short "The Metamorphosis." Kafka wrote to Max Brod, his friend and literary executor: "Dearest Max, my last request: Everything I leave behind me ... in the way of diaries, manuscripts, letters (my own and others'), sketches, and so on, [is] to be burned unread." Brod told Kafka that he intended not to honor these wishes, but Kafka, so knowing, nevertheless consequently gave these directions specifically to Brod, who, so reasoning, overrode these wishes. Brod in fact oversaw the publication of most of work of Kafka in his possession; these works quickly began to attract attention and high critical regard.
Max Brod encountered significant difficulty in compiling notebooks of Kafka into any chronological order as Kafka started writing in the middle of notebooks, from the last towards the first, et cetera.
Kafka wrote all his published works in German except several letters in Czech to Milena Jesenská.
Jewish middle-class family of this major fiction writer of the 20th century spoke German. People consider his unique body of much incomplete writing, mainly published posthumously, among the most influential in European literature.
His stories include "The Metamorphosis" (1912) and " In the Penal Colony " (1914), whereas his posthumous novels include The Trial (1925), The Castle (1926) and Amerika (1927).
Despite first language, Kafka also spoke fluent Czech. Later, Kafka acquired some knowledge of the French language and culture from Flaubert, one of his favorite authors.
Kafka first studied chemistry at the Charles-Ferdinand University of Prague but after two weeks switched to law. This study offered a range of career possibilities, which pleased his father, and required a longer course of study that gave Kafka time to take classes in German studies and art history. At the university, he joined a student club, named Lese- und Redehalle der Deutschen Studenten, which organized literary events, readings, and other activities. In the end of his first year of studies, he met Max Brod, a close friend of his throughout his life, together with the journalist Felix Weltsch, who also studied law. Kafka obtained the degree of doctor of law on 18 June 1906 and performed an obligatory year of unpaid service as law clerk for the civil and criminal courts.
Writing of Kafka attracted little attention before his death. During his lifetime, he published only a few short stories and never finished any of his novels except the very short "The Metamorphosis." Kafka wrote to Max Brod, his friend and literary executor: "Dearest Max, my last request: Everything I leave behind me ... in the way of diaries, manuscripts, letters (my own and others'), sketches, and so on, [is] to be burned unread." Brod told Kafka that he intended not to honor these wishes, but Kafka, so knowing, nevertheless consequently gave these directions specifically to Brod, who, so reasoning, overrode these wishes. Brod in fact oversaw the publication of most of work of Kafka in his possession; these works quickly began to attract attention and high critical regard.
Max Brod encountered significant difficulty in compiling notebooks of Kafka into any chronological order as Kafka started writing in the middle of notebooks, from the last towards the first, et cetera.
Kafka wrote all his published works in German except several letters in Czech to Milena Jesenská.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 190 reviews
December 11, 2019
I feel honored by your invitation to present the academy with a report on my former life as an ape.
Freedom is to have free will and being without undue or unjust constraints. It is the plausibility of picking the choice of unfreedom. Free - picks, not free obeys wants. Freedom is a perspective; it is a philosophical idea mirroring a natural human right to understand one's human will. Outside of freedom, an individual can't understand the abundance of his inward world and his abilities. It starts precisely where an individual purposely confines himself. Freedom is awful: in the event that it is the quintessence of an individual, at that point, thus, it goes about as an obligation; man is subjugated by his opportunity. It is an overwhelming weight borne by man. He is answerable for his activities and what's going in the world. In this story the protagonist ape is confronted with the fact that he has lost his freedom; he can no longer live as an ape because there is "no way out." Thus, he can only gain a modicum of freedom by becoming something he wasn't: "I repeat: there was no attraction for me in imitating human beings; I imitated them because I needed a way out, and for no other reason."
The story ruminates on this theme in detail, the tragedy of being caught between two distinct states of being, two worlds. On the one hand, Red Peter has sought his development as a fully-fledged human; on the other, it has been forced upon him as a means of survival. The protagonist of the story- Red Peter, an ape- has decided to leave his ape state to be a human, the act in turn robs him off his freedom he has as an ape, the transformation which though seems to be an act of free will is in fact an ‘forced choice’ to be accepted in the society. Many a times people do such things just to exist on the bare thread of existence and do not necessarily live freely as we know freedom is a weight too heavy to be carried through. Red Peter takes on more characteristics of his human environment, he has trouble even comprehending the freedom of his past. It eludes his comprehension and gradually but certainly he loses track of his apedom which now has only a symbolic representation in his memory.
Does he really become free of his apedom, does his consciousness leave traces of his previous state since after all he himself has chosen this life- the human form. Or is apedom still lingers around somewhere in his consciousness. As it happens in our life we may take certain appearances to be accepted in the society and we feel we’ve shred off the traces of our past, however as soon as we face the piercing gaze of free will, all our appearances shred to nothingness and our inauthentic existence falls apart. The sense of comfort we might be driving from that inauthentic existence fly away in thin air.
Our protagonist here choses to be human at the cost of leaving his ‘free will’ which he might be having as an ape, however he is being constantly reminded of his lost freedom-his apedom, he is now being caught between two modes of existence. His wounds, which are aggravated by his sense of free will which is lost, are brazenly open to the world now, he does everything to be humane, takes over many appearances to be accepted but his existence is torn apart between inauthentic mode his has chosen the free will he had. At his heart, he still craves for the ‘free’ apedom which he essentially his, however the desire to be human, to be accepted as one of them proves to be too significant for him.
The storm that followed me from my past abated, and today it is nothing more than a breeze to cool my heels, and that distant aperture through which it blows, the same opening I once passed through myself, has grown so small that I would have to scrape the fur off my body to make it through-assuming I had the strength and willpower for the journey back. Frankly speaking, much as I enjoy finding images to describe all this, frankly speaking, esteemed sirs, your own apedom, insofar as something similar may lie in your own past--could not be further from you than mine is from me. But every creature that walks the earth has a ticklish heel: from the small chimpanzee to the great Achilles.
We see that the narrator’s report to the academy is a constant dilemma between his apedom- his past which he does not represent anymore and which he has consciously chosen to not to- and his present which he is not in essence. His dilemma is illustrated in the fact that he exists among humans during the day, at lectures and variety shows, but at night, he returns to sleep with his chimpanzee mate who is half-trained. He has a hard time facing her as he describes the look in her eye as that of a broken animal. For him, becoming human and living in their world was a choice, although not an easy one. For her, however, living among humans is sure to drive her crazy. The experiences of his human form are superficial in nature as it represents his inauthentic existence and essentially he is still an ape. However the irony lies in the fact that he is unable to tell account of his apedom since he does not remember anymore what is to be an ape, what does it take to return to it, as it becomes increasingly difficult with advent of time proportionate with his development as a human.
The narrator has taken over some of the appearances which are supposed to be humane, like he casually boasts of having "emptied many a bottle of good red wine with the expedition leader" and when he jeers at such ridiculous human demonstrations of freedom as that acted out and applauded in the course of a circus trapeze act. It represents his seemingly achievements of doing things which are generally assumed out of human beings, but at the same time he remains in a constant fix since these are just dramatizations of what is supposed to be humane and not essentially represent what human beings are.
I come from the Gold Coast. As to the method of my capture I have to rely on the accounts of strangers. A hunting party of the firm Hagenbeck-incidentally I have since downed many a bottle of good red wine with the leader of that expedition-had set up a blind in the bushes by our watering place along the riverbank, where I went in the evening together with my tribe. Shots were fired, I was the only one hit, I took two bullets.
This existential dilemma of the narrator throws him in the hell of non-being wherein he is tripped off of any presumed comfort of acting like human beings and also the essence of being an ape is somewhere become repressed and downtrodden in his advent, so he becomes essentially trapped in the hell of non-being wherein the protagonist has not merely lost his sense of identity, but he has actually lost this identity itself. Kafka has deftly used, he invariably does, the otherness of human or apedom to represents the cruelty of human existence wherein inauthenticity and unattainability of humanity is perfectly portrayed.
I'm afraid that you may not understand exactly what I mean by a way out, which I mean in the most ordinary and fullest sense of the phrase. I am deliberately avoiding the word freedom, because I don't mean this grand feeling of freedom on all sides. As an ape I may have known it, and I've met humans who yearn for exactly that. But I myself have never asked for freedom, neither then nor now. As an aside: freedom is something people deceive themselves with far too frequently. And just as it counts as one of the most sublime feelings, so, too, can it lead to the sublime disappointment.
Freedom is to have free will and being without undue or unjust constraints. It is the plausibility of picking the choice of unfreedom. Free - picks, not free obeys wants. Freedom is a perspective; it is a philosophical idea mirroring a natural human right to understand one's human will. Outside of freedom, an individual can't understand the abundance of his inward world and his abilities. It starts precisely where an individual purposely confines himself. Freedom is awful: in the event that it is the quintessence of an individual, at that point, thus, it goes about as an obligation; man is subjugated by his opportunity. It is an overwhelming weight borne by man. He is answerable for his activities and what's going in the world. In this story the protagonist ape is confronted with the fact that he has lost his freedom; he can no longer live as an ape because there is "no way out." Thus, he can only gain a modicum of freedom by becoming something he wasn't: "I repeat: there was no attraction for me in imitating human beings; I imitated them because I needed a way out, and for no other reason."
The story ruminates on this theme in detail, the tragedy of being caught between two distinct states of being, two worlds. On the one hand, Red Peter has sought his development as a fully-fledged human; on the other, it has been forced upon him as a means of survival. The protagonist of the story- Red Peter, an ape- has decided to leave his ape state to be a human, the act in turn robs him off his freedom he has as an ape, the transformation which though seems to be an act of free will is in fact an ‘forced choice’ to be accepted in the society. Many a times people do such things just to exist on the bare thread of existence and do not necessarily live freely as we know freedom is a weight too heavy to be carried through. Red Peter takes on more characteristics of his human environment, he has trouble even comprehending the freedom of his past. It eludes his comprehension and gradually but certainly he loses track of his apedom which now has only a symbolic representation in his memory.
Does he really become free of his apedom, does his consciousness leave traces of his previous state since after all he himself has chosen this life- the human form. Or is apedom still lingers around somewhere in his consciousness. As it happens in our life we may take certain appearances to be accepted in the society and we feel we’ve shred off the traces of our past, however as soon as we face the piercing gaze of free will, all our appearances shred to nothingness and our inauthentic existence falls apart. The sense of comfort we might be driving from that inauthentic existence fly away in thin air.
Our protagonist here choses to be human at the cost of leaving his ‘free will’ which he might be having as an ape, however he is being constantly reminded of his lost freedom-his apedom, he is now being caught between two modes of existence. His wounds, which are aggravated by his sense of free will which is lost, are brazenly open to the world now, he does everything to be humane, takes over many appearances to be accepted but his existence is torn apart between inauthentic mode his has chosen the free will he had. At his heart, he still craves for the ‘free’ apedom which he essentially his, however the desire to be human, to be accepted as one of them proves to be too significant for him.
The storm that followed me from my past abated, and today it is nothing more than a breeze to cool my heels, and that distant aperture through which it blows, the same opening I once passed through myself, has grown so small that I would have to scrape the fur off my body to make it through-assuming I had the strength and willpower for the journey back. Frankly speaking, much as I enjoy finding images to describe all this, frankly speaking, esteemed sirs, your own apedom, insofar as something similar may lie in your own past--could not be further from you than mine is from me. But every creature that walks the earth has a ticklish heel: from the small chimpanzee to the great Achilles.
We see that the narrator’s report to the academy is a constant dilemma between his apedom- his past which he does not represent anymore and which he has consciously chosen to not to- and his present which he is not in essence. His dilemma is illustrated in the fact that he exists among humans during the day, at lectures and variety shows, but at night, he returns to sleep with his chimpanzee mate who is half-trained. He has a hard time facing her as he describes the look in her eye as that of a broken animal. For him, becoming human and living in their world was a choice, although not an easy one. For her, however, living among humans is sure to drive her crazy. The experiences of his human form are superficial in nature as it represents his inauthentic existence and essentially he is still an ape. However the irony lies in the fact that he is unable to tell account of his apedom since he does not remember anymore what is to be an ape, what does it take to return to it, as it becomes increasingly difficult with advent of time proportionate with his development as a human.
The narrator has taken over some of the appearances which are supposed to be humane, like he casually boasts of having "emptied many a bottle of good red wine with the expedition leader" and when he jeers at such ridiculous human demonstrations of freedom as that acted out and applauded in the course of a circus trapeze act. It represents his seemingly achievements of doing things which are generally assumed out of human beings, but at the same time he remains in a constant fix since these are just dramatizations of what is supposed to be humane and not essentially represent what human beings are.
I come from the Gold Coast. As to the method of my capture I have to rely on the accounts of strangers. A hunting party of the firm Hagenbeck-incidentally I have since downed many a bottle of good red wine with the leader of that expedition-had set up a blind in the bushes by our watering place along the riverbank, where I went in the evening together with my tribe. Shots were fired, I was the only one hit, I took two bullets.
This existential dilemma of the narrator throws him in the hell of non-being wherein he is tripped off of any presumed comfort of acting like human beings and also the essence of being an ape is somewhere become repressed and downtrodden in his advent, so he becomes essentially trapped in the hell of non-being wherein the protagonist has not merely lost his sense of identity, but he has actually lost this identity itself. Kafka has deftly used, he invariably does, the otherness of human or apedom to represents the cruelty of human existence wherein inauthenticity and unattainability of humanity is perfectly portrayed.
I'm afraid that you may not understand exactly what I mean by a way out, which I mean in the most ordinary and fullest sense of the phrase. I am deliberately avoiding the word freedom, because I don't mean this grand feeling of freedom on all sides. As an ape I may have known it, and I've met humans who yearn for exactly that. But I myself have never asked for freedom, neither then nor now. As an aside: freedom is something people deceive themselves with far too frequently. And just as it counts as one of the most sublime feelings, so, too, can it lead to the sublime disappointment.
August 9, 2020
English: A Report for an Academy
You know what species behaves most inhumanely? That's right: Humans. In this short story, Rotpeter (Red Peter), the most famous monkey in German-language literature, gets captured in the West African jungle by an expedition for Hagenbeck and he is shipped away in a brutally small cage. Trying to figure out a way to survive and to escape the cage, Rotpeter starts to imitate humans, learning gestures and even the human language. When he finally arrives in Europe, he doesn't want to live in a zoo (which just means a bigger cage), so he starts working as a performer in a variété. With the help of teachers, he learns more and more about human behavior and even gets a proper education, thus becoming extremely popular - the whole text is written by himself and aims to explain his transformation and his former life as an ape to an enigmatic academy.
Alas, Rotpeter doesn't properly remember his life in the jungle: His assimilation is complete. What is tragic is that he did not learn the ways of humans because he wanted to or because he finds them particularly convincing; no, he simply wanted to survive, so he decided to deny his own nature and exchange it for the weird behaviors of the cruel species that shot and captured him. He even goes so far to have a chimpanzee as a lover who is traumatized by his life in captivity, and to state that he doesn't want to see her by day because he doesn't want to face her inner brokenness. We, the readers, never get to know what the title-giving "academy" is all about.
The obvious theme here is Jewish assimilation: Kafka was Jewish and the text was first published by Martin Buber in a magazine called "Der Jude" (The Jew). But there are more ways to read the text: In Prague, there really was a monkey performing in a variété, and Kafka was probably aware of that. On top of that, Kafka was very interested in social darwinism and animal behvior as depicted by Alfred Edmund Brehm. Just like in some of his other stories, Kafka questions what the difference between humans and animals really is (see: The Metamorphosis, The Burrow). And then, the whole thing works as a parody of the idea of education as imitation of what's socially acceptable, no matter how stupid.
And that's where the humor comes in: For instance, there is an episode in which Rotpeter has to learn to drink schnapps, because that's what humans do. Yup, the really absurd parts are the ones depicting human behavior that the poor (reasonable) monkey tries to adapt.
All in all, a slightly enigmatic, funny, sad and profound story about the weird species that is humanity. Kafka at his best.
You know what species behaves most inhumanely? That's right: Humans. In this short story, Rotpeter (Red Peter), the most famous monkey in German-language literature, gets captured in the West African jungle by an expedition for Hagenbeck and he is shipped away in a brutally small cage. Trying to figure out a way to survive and to escape the cage, Rotpeter starts to imitate humans, learning gestures and even the human language. When he finally arrives in Europe, he doesn't want to live in a zoo (which just means a bigger cage), so he starts working as a performer in a variété. With the help of teachers, he learns more and more about human behavior and even gets a proper education, thus becoming extremely popular - the whole text is written by himself and aims to explain his transformation and his former life as an ape to an enigmatic academy.
Alas, Rotpeter doesn't properly remember his life in the jungle: His assimilation is complete. What is tragic is that he did not learn the ways of humans because he wanted to or because he finds them particularly convincing; no, he simply wanted to survive, so he decided to deny his own nature and exchange it for the weird behaviors of the cruel species that shot and captured him. He even goes so far to have a chimpanzee as a lover who is traumatized by his life in captivity, and to state that he doesn't want to see her by day because he doesn't want to face her inner brokenness. We, the readers, never get to know what the title-giving "academy" is all about.
The obvious theme here is Jewish assimilation: Kafka was Jewish and the text was first published by Martin Buber in a magazine called "Der Jude" (The Jew). But there are more ways to read the text: In Prague, there really was a monkey performing in a variété, and Kafka was probably aware of that. On top of that, Kafka was very interested in social darwinism and animal behvior as depicted by Alfred Edmund Brehm. Just like in some of his other stories, Kafka questions what the difference between humans and animals really is (see: The Metamorphosis, The Burrow). And then, the whole thing works as a parody of the idea of education as imitation of what's socially acceptable, no matter how stupid.
And that's where the humor comes in: For instance, there is an episode in which Rotpeter has to learn to drink schnapps, because that's what humans do. Yup, the really absurd parts are the ones depicting human behavior that the poor (reasonable) monkey tries to adapt.
All in all, a slightly enigmatic, funny, sad and profound story about the weird species that is humanity. Kafka at his best.
July 9, 2017
La perfecta transición de un animal, a un hombre promedio. El reflejo de la imposibilidad de la libertad, y la aceptación de una salida por medio del engaño.
Tremendo.
Tremendo.
July 1, 2015
ما هى الهوية؟
كيف نفرق بين الكائنات الحية؟
ما الذي يميز الفرد و يجعله مختلفا عن الأخرين؟
هل الاختلاف في حد ذاته مقبول أم مرفوض؟
كافكا في هذه القصة يناقش ازمة الهوية مرة أخرى.. و على العكس من قصة المسخ حيث يتحول فيها الإنسان إلى حشرة.. يتحول هنا الحيوان إلى إنسان..
كيف حدث هذا التحول المعاكس؟ حدث عندما قرر القرد أن يقلد الإنسان.. حدث عندما قرر القرد ان يتصرف كيفما يرى الناس من حوله تتصرف...
القرد ليس قردا حقيقيا.. إنه فقط شخص مختلف عن الناس.. شخص حاول ان يندمج مع الناس فوجد الطريقة الوحيدة للاندماج هى ألا يكون مختلفا..
بداية القصة القرد عندما انتقل إلى عالم البشر وجد معاناة.. معاناة لأنه يتصرف بطبيعته.. طبيعته "كقرد".. تلك الطبيعة المرفوضة من الناس.. تلك الطبيعة التي يعتبرها الناس لاأخلاقية..
"قرأت مقالة لأحد الصحفيين الذين أشاعوا ان طبيعتي كقرد لم تختف حتى الآن.. و الدليل على ذلك هو انه عندما تأتيني زيارة أخلع السروال بكل سرور و أشير إلى المكان الذي أصابتني فيه الطلقة..
لو كنا نسعى إلى الحقيقة فكل إنسان محترم عليه أن ينبذ تلك الأساليب النخبوية... فلو أن الكاتب خلع سرواله امام الضيوف سيكون الامر مختلفا.. لكني أعتقد أنه من الفطنة ألا يفعل ذلك"
فلابد للآخر ان يتبع نفس ما اعتنقه أنا من أفكار و إلا سيتم النظر إليه باعتباره حيوانا!!
و هنا يعرف القرد أنه لا يستطيع الحياة مختلفا.. لابد له من الاندماج.. فالاندماج هو الطريق الوحيد -و ياللتناقض!- للحرية الذاتية!!
"لم يكن لدي دافع لتقليد البشر.. قلدتهم لأني كنت أبحث عن مخرج و ليس لسبب آخر.. لكن الفوز لم يكن يعني لي الكثير"
"حصلت على معدل متوسط من معارف المواطن الأوروبي بمجهود لا يقارن بأي مجهود غيره على وجه الأرض.. ربما هذا لا يعني شيئا في حد ذاته و لكنه ساعدني في أن أخرج من القفص و أمن لي مخرجا إنسانيا"
فالقرد لم يكن لديه حلولا آخرى.. فالبديل لدى القرد لم يكن بديلا مقبولا..
"عرفت ان امامي خيارين.. حديقة الحيوان.. او المسرح الهزلي..
لم اتردد!!
قلت لنفسي : استجمع كل قواك حتى تصل إلى المسرح الهزلي.. هذه هى نقطة الإنطلاق.. فحديقة الحيوانات ليست سوى قفص كبير.. و لو ذهبت إلى هناك فانت ضائع لا محالة!"
فإما أن يتم وصمه بأنه حيوان و يوضع في قفص و يصبح سجينا منعزلا عن الناس..
و إما أن يتقبل أن يكون "مقلدا/مضحكا" في عروض السيرك.. كخطوة لينضم للمجتمع البشري..
فهو يضحي بكامل كرامته من أجل الحصول على القبول من الآخرين!
و بمرور الوقت يبدأ القرد في اعتناق كل ما يراه من آراء بشرية.. حتى لو كانت تخالف طبيعته الحقيقية..
"أسندت وجهي على الصندوق و الشباك تقطع في لحم ظهري.. يعتبرون أن هذا مناسب لتربية حيوان بري في الفترة الأولى.. و لا يمكنني اليوم -بعد تلك التجارب- أن أنفي أن هذا -من المنظور البشري- صحيح"
فهو -و هو الذي تعرض للتعذيب في حياته القديمة- أصبح متقبلا لفكرة التعذيب حتى يكون فقط جزءا من المجتمع البشري!
هذا التحول الذي لم يؤثر فقط على تصصرفات القرد و لكنه لغى حتى أفكاره و كلماته.. لغى مشاعره القديمة .. ضحى بذاكرته و ذكرياتها بأكملها فقط لأنه اراد الانضمام لعالم البشر..
"كل ما شعرت به وقتها كقرد يمكنني أن أصفه الآن فقط بكلمات بشرية و بهذا لن يكون وصفا دقيقا"
هل كان القرد محقا في إلقاء حياته بأكملها من أجل أن يكون فردا آخر في القطيع؟؟
هل لم يكن الإنسان أي خيار سوى الانصياع للتيار العام؟؟
كافكا يقول أن هذه هى الحقيقة.. و للأسف انا اتفق معه..
كيف نفرق بين الكائنات الحية؟
ما الذي يميز الفرد و يجعله مختلفا عن الأخرين؟
هل الاختلاف في حد ذاته مقبول أم مرفوض؟
كافكا في هذه القصة يناقش ازمة الهوية مرة أخرى.. و على العكس من قصة المسخ حيث يتحول فيها الإنسان إلى حشرة.. يتحول هنا الحيوان إلى إنسان..
كيف حدث هذا التحول المعاكس؟ حدث عندما قرر القرد أن يقلد الإنسان.. حدث عندما قرر القرد ان يتصرف كيفما يرى الناس من حوله تتصرف...
القرد ليس قردا حقيقيا.. إنه فقط شخص مختلف عن الناس.. شخص حاول ان يندمج مع الناس فوجد الطريقة الوحيدة للاندماج هى ألا يكون مختلفا..
بداية القصة القرد عندما انتقل إلى عالم البشر وجد معاناة.. معاناة لأنه يتصرف بطبيعته.. طبيعته "كقرد".. تلك الطبيعة المرفوضة من الناس.. تلك الطبيعة التي يعتبرها الناس لاأخلاقية..
"قرأت مقالة لأحد الصحفيين الذين أشاعوا ان طبيعتي كقرد لم تختف حتى الآن.. و الدليل على ذلك هو انه عندما تأتيني زيارة أخلع السروال بكل سرور و أشير إلى المكان الذي أصابتني فيه الطلقة..
لو كنا نسعى إلى الحقيقة فكل إنسان محترم عليه أن ينبذ تلك الأساليب النخبوية... فلو أن الكاتب خلع سرواله امام الضيوف سيكون الامر مختلفا.. لكني أعتقد أنه من الفطنة ألا يفعل ذلك"
فلابد للآخر ان يتبع نفس ما اعتنقه أنا من أفكار و إلا سيتم النظر إليه باعتباره حيوانا!!
و هنا يعرف القرد أنه لا يستطيع الحياة مختلفا.. لابد له من الاندماج.. فالاندماج هو الطريق الوحيد -و ياللتناقض!- للحرية الذاتية!!
"لم يكن لدي دافع لتقليد البشر.. قلدتهم لأني كنت أبحث عن مخرج و ليس لسبب آخر.. لكن الفوز لم يكن يعني لي الكثير"
"حصلت على معدل متوسط من معارف المواطن الأوروبي بمجهود لا يقارن بأي مجهود غيره على وجه الأرض.. ربما هذا لا يعني شيئا في حد ذاته و لكنه ساعدني في أن أخرج من القفص و أمن لي مخرجا إنسانيا"
فالقرد لم يكن لديه حلولا آخرى.. فالبديل لدى القرد لم يكن بديلا مقبولا..
"عرفت ان امامي خيارين.. حديقة الحيوان.. او المسرح الهزلي..
لم اتردد!!
قلت لنفسي : استجمع كل قواك حتى تصل إلى المسرح الهزلي.. هذه هى نقطة الإنطلاق.. فحديقة الحيوانات ليست سوى قفص كبير.. و لو ذهبت إلى هناك فانت ضائع لا محالة!"
فإما أن يتم وصمه بأنه حيوان و يوضع في قفص و يصبح سجينا منعزلا عن الناس..
و إما أن يتقبل أن يكون "مقلدا/مضحكا" في عروض السيرك.. كخطوة لينضم للمجتمع البشري..
فهو يضحي بكامل كرامته من أجل الحصول على القبول من الآخرين!
و بمرور الوقت يبدأ القرد في اعتناق كل ما يراه من آراء بشرية.. حتى لو كانت تخالف طبيعته الحقيقية..
"أسندت وجهي على الصندوق و الشباك تقطع في لحم ظهري.. يعتبرون أن هذا مناسب لتربية حيوان بري في الفترة الأولى.. و لا يمكنني اليوم -بعد تلك التجارب- أن أنفي أن هذا -من المنظور البشري- صحيح"
فهو -و هو الذي تعرض للتعذيب في حياته القديمة- أصبح متقبلا لفكرة التعذيب حتى يكون فقط جزءا من المجتمع البشري!
هذا التحول الذي لم يؤثر فقط على تصصرفات القرد و لكنه لغى حتى أفكاره و كلماته.. لغى مشاعره القديمة .. ضحى بذاكرته و ذكرياتها بأكملها فقط لأنه اراد الانضمام لعالم البشر..
"كل ما شعرت به وقتها كقرد يمكنني أن أصفه الآن فقط بكلمات بشرية و بهذا لن يكون وصفا دقيقا"
هل كان القرد محقا في إلقاء حياته بأكملها من أجل أن يكون فردا آخر في القطيع؟؟
هل لم يكن الإنسان أي خيار سوى الانصياع للتيار العام؟؟
كافكا يقول أن هذه هى الحقيقة.. و للأسف انا اتفق معه..
April 24, 2022
Buenísimo.
March 19, 2025
3.5/5
I love how Kafka always picks the simplest stories and infuses them with his writing, making them deep
I love how Kafka always picks the simplest stories and infuses them with his writing, making them deep
June 17, 2016
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=beCYG...
By far my favorite short story from Kafka. The story has hints of Kafka playing with the idea of Metamorphosis of a creature into a conscious and creative being whose only aim is to break free from his abductors. Kafka shrewdly leaves the reader thinking if the Ape actually broke free from bondage which he so eagerly wanted to do or unconsciously became accustomed to it.
By far my favorite short story from Kafka. The story has hints of Kafka playing with the idea of Metamorphosis of a creature into a conscious and creative being whose only aim is to break free from his abductors. Kafka shrewdly leaves the reader thinking if the Ape actually broke free from bondage which he so eagerly wanted to do or unconsciously became accustomed to it.
January 10, 2021
unglaublich vielschichtig und dicht. Ein wahres Vergnügen. Zugegeben ein nicht gleich zu erschließender Text. Habe zunächst Deleuze/Guattari Kafka.Eine kleine Literatur gelesen, die Tiermotivik, Kritik an dem „Trüben Blick dieser Menschen“ und die Suche nach dem Ausweg, statt der Freiheit regen mehr als zum Denken an. Wahnsinn, was man auf 11 Seiten unterbringen kann. Stellenweise musste ich an Rilkes Der Panther denken. Wunderbar!
December 5, 2019
I have reviewed this story with those in the collection, The Country Doctor: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I've also reviewed a brilliant one-woman play based on this story, Kafka's Monkey: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I've also reviewed a brilliant one-woman play based on this story, Kafka's Monkey: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
July 13, 2018
Kafka provokes us in this story full of irony and sharp criticism on humanity, pointing out several times that finding an exit from a situation does not mean freedom; shows us the violence and idiocies of men, whether in their pleasures like smoking and alcohol; the zoo and the circus; and beyond all: the idea of human power -the supreme specie before all other animals.
In this tale, it is a monkey that sees the poverty of man's spirit. He finds as the only way out for his survival, to live as a human in all stupidy, vanity and arrogance typical of humans. Because in that way, through the monkey's eyes, it is the only way out of its own survival. For him, it is preferable to live as a human than behind the bars of a cage in a zoo.
The criticism of man comes to one of his radical points, when the monkey describes his evolution: "through an effort that has not been repeated on earth until now, I have reached the average formation of a European. it was nothing, but it is something, since it helped me out of the cage and gave me this special exit, this human exit. There is an excellent quote in German idiom .... that's what I did, I fell out.I had no other always assuming that it was not possible to choose freedom. "
And again as in other tales, Kafka provokes us about laws, judgments and absurd explanations, in a situation also absurd and ironic: a monkey making a speech to intellectuals in a University: "I no longer want no judgment of men, I just want I only make a report, and to you, eminent members of the Academy, I have just presented a report. "
------
Kafka nos provoca nessa história repleta de ironia e crítica afiada sobre a humanidade, apontando diversas vezes que encontrar uma saída de um situação não significa liberdade; nos mostra a violência e a idiotice dos homens, seja em seus prazeres como o fumo e a bebida alcoólica; o zoológico e o circo; e além de tudo: a ideia de poder, o da espécie suprema perante a todo os outros animais.
Nesse conto, é um macaco que vê a pobreza de espirito do homem. Ele encontra como única saída para sua sobrevivência, viver como um idiota humano em toda sua idiotice, vaidade e arrogância típicas humanas. Porque dessa forma, pelos olhos do macaco, é a única saída à sua própria sobrevivência. Para ele, é preferível viver como um humano do que atrás das grades de uma jaula em um zoológico.
A crítica ao homem chega a um dos seus pontos radicais, quando o macaco descreve sua evolução: "através de um esforço, que até agora não se repetiu sobre a terra, cheguei à formação média de um europeu. Em si mesmo, talvez isso não fosse nada, mas é alguma coisa, uma vez que me ajudou a sair da jaula e me propiciou essa saída especial, essa saída humana. Existe uma excelente expressão idiomática alemã ....foi o que fiz, caí fora. Eu não tinha outro caminho, sempre supondo que não era possível escolher a liberdade".
E mais uma vez como em outros contos, Kafka nos provoca sobre leis, julgamentos e explicações absurdas, em uma situação também absurda - a do macaco fazendo um discurso para intelectuais em uma Universidade: "no mais não quero nenhum julgamento dos homens, quero apenas difundir conhecimentos; faço tão somente um relatório; também aos senhores, eminentes membros da Academia, só apresentei um relatório".
In this tale, it is a monkey that sees the poverty of man's spirit. He finds as the only way out for his survival, to live as a human in all stupidy, vanity and arrogance typical of humans. Because in that way, through the monkey's eyes, it is the only way out of its own survival. For him, it is preferable to live as a human than behind the bars of a cage in a zoo.
The criticism of man comes to one of his radical points, when the monkey describes his evolution: "through an effort that has not been repeated on earth until now, I have reached the average formation of a European. it was nothing, but it is something, since it helped me out of the cage and gave me this special exit, this human exit. There is an excellent quote in German idiom .... that's what I did, I fell out.I had no other always assuming that it was not possible to choose freedom. "
And again as in other tales, Kafka provokes us about laws, judgments and absurd explanations, in a situation also absurd and ironic: a monkey making a speech to intellectuals in a University: "I no longer want no judgment of men, I just want I only make a report, and to you, eminent members of the Academy, I have just presented a report. "
------
Kafka nos provoca nessa história repleta de ironia e crítica afiada sobre a humanidade, apontando diversas vezes que encontrar uma saída de um situação não significa liberdade; nos mostra a violência e a idiotice dos homens, seja em seus prazeres como o fumo e a bebida alcoólica; o zoológico e o circo; e além de tudo: a ideia de poder, o da espécie suprema perante a todo os outros animais.
Nesse conto, é um macaco que vê a pobreza de espirito do homem. Ele encontra como única saída para sua sobrevivência, viver como um idiota humano em toda sua idiotice, vaidade e arrogância típicas humanas. Porque dessa forma, pelos olhos do macaco, é a única saída à sua própria sobrevivência. Para ele, é preferível viver como um humano do que atrás das grades de uma jaula em um zoológico.
A crítica ao homem chega a um dos seus pontos radicais, quando o macaco descreve sua evolução: "através de um esforço, que até agora não se repetiu sobre a terra, cheguei à formação média de um europeu. Em si mesmo, talvez isso não fosse nada, mas é alguma coisa, uma vez que me ajudou a sair da jaula e me propiciou essa saída especial, essa saída humana. Existe uma excelente expressão idiomática alemã ....foi o que fiz, caí fora. Eu não tinha outro caminho, sempre supondo que não era possível escolher a liberdade".
E mais uma vez como em outros contos, Kafka nos provoca sobre leis, julgamentos e explicações absurdas, em uma situação também absurda - a do macaco fazendo um discurso para intelectuais em uma Universidade: "no mais não quero nenhum julgamento dos homens, quero apenas difundir conhecimentos; faço tão somente um relatório; também aos senhores, eminentes membros da Academia, só apresentei um relatório".
November 8, 2022
Кафка и метафорите! За вечното порастване, за трудното порастване, за съзнателния избор, който се налага да правим - да растем, като се превърнем в нещо друго, или да се откажем от пътя си, защото все пак “за маймуната няма нищо по-лесно от бягството”.
December 15, 2024
تقرير قرد كان من سوء طالعه أنه تعرف على عالم البشر، بعد أن تم أسره، كان سبيله الوحيد للنجاة أن يتعلم كيف يكون إنسان.
أسفي على القرد الذي اضطرته الظروف أن يعيش في عالم البشر المعقد.
قصص كافكا مليئة بالرمزية، تناقش هذه القصة فقدان الهوية، فالبطل وجد نفسه محاط بنوع مختلف عنه وعلم أنه لا سبيل للهروب ولا داعي للغضب والاستنكار فلا نتيجة مرجوة منهما، لذا فقد قرر الاندماج حتى يجد حلا لورطته.
تبدأ معضلة فقدان الهوية أن يدّعي المرء أنه فقط يتماهى اجتماعيا مع المحيطين به ولكنه في قرارة نفسه يؤمن بحفاظه على قيمه ومبادئه وأنه فقط يندمج لينجو ثم بعد فترة يجد أن شخصيته الجديدة بدأت تطغى وتحتل شخصيته الأصلية ليجد نفسه أصبح جزء من القطيع.
لذا عندما دعته الأكاديمية إلى تقديم تقرير بصفته قرد سابقا يجد نفسه يبدأ بالاعتذار فقد أصبح إنسانا وأما عن حياته السابقة كقرد فأصبحت ذكريات ضبابية.
استمتعوا...
دمتم قراء…❤❤❤
December 29, 2024
„Zoologischer Garten oder Varieté. Ich zögerte nicht. Ich sagte mir: Setze alle Kraft an, um ins Varieté zu kommen; das ist der Ausweg; Zoologischer Garten ist nur ein neuer Gitterkäfig; kommst du in ihn, bist du verloren.“
Kafka zerlegt die perverse Freizeit-Institution „Zoo“ in 9 Seiten literarisch in seine Einzelteile. Welcher andere deutschsprachige Autor kann sowas?
Mehr zu dem Thema ist bei diesem großartigen Vortrag von Colin Goldner zu finden:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=MfS9Gny...
Kafka zerlegt die perverse Freizeit-Institution „Zoo“ in 9 Seiten literarisch in seine Einzelteile. Welcher andere deutschsprachige Autor kann sowas?
Mehr zu dem Thema ist bei diesem großartigen Vortrag von Colin Goldner zu finden:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=MfS9Gny...
April 17, 2020
افضل قصص المجموعة إلى الآن يحكي البطل كيف تحول من قرد إلى انسان من الممكن أن تكون قصة للشخص الذي يتخلى عن هويته ويقرر أن يصبح مجرد مقلد لطبيعة مختلفة ومن الممكن أن تكون قصة تطور البشرية بشكل قد يراه البعض انتكاسة
February 11, 2024
Ok i think I need to psychoanalyze this tmrw
May 1, 2024
"Jeigu mane būtų prikalę, mano laisvė nuo to nė kiek nebūtų sumažėjusi."
September 8, 2021
Kafka is definitely into fauna!! First a cockroach (The Metamorphosis), now an ape!
Opening Line: You show me the honour of calling upon me to submit a report to the Academy concerning my previous life as an ape.
So the 'ex-ape' tells his story.
"I come from the Gold Coast. For an account of how I was captured I rely on the reports of strangers."
"No, I didn’t want freedom. Only a way out—to the right or left or anywhere at all."
"Imitating human beings was not something which pleased me. I imitated them because I was looking for a way out, for no other reason."
He did a fine job of imitating humans and is now here to tell his story"
5 stars
Opening Line: You show me the honour of calling upon me to submit a report to the Academy concerning my previous life as an ape.
So the 'ex-ape' tells his story.
"I come from the Gold Coast. For an account of how I was captured I rely on the reports of strangers."
"No, I didn’t want freedom. Only a way out—to the right or left or anywhere at all."
"Imitating human beings was not something which pleased me. I imitated them because I was looking for a way out, for no other reason."
He did a fine job of imitating humans and is now here to tell his story"
5 stars
Read
August 29, 2023Fand ich genial. Ein Affe berichtet einer Akademie von seinen Erfahrungen und seinen Erlebnissen in Gefangenschaft der Menschen und betont dabei immer wieder, dass er unter den unwürdigen und grausamen Umständen lediglich einen Ausweg gesucht hat, nicht die Freiheit. Dass die Freiheit unmöglich ist. Fand ich ein mega starkes Bild, um den Begriff zu dekonstruieren. "Ein Bericht für eine Akademie" dient auch als gutes Beispiel dafür, mit wie viel Humor und satirischem Geschick Kafka schreiben konnte.
January 18, 2024
Pedro el Rojo, que vivía en la selva en absoluta libertad, elige la falsa libertad del hombre. Sus secuelas son todavía visibles en su leve cojera y una gran cicatriz roja sin pelo, de donde procede aquel apelativo. Pedro no quería la libertad, sólo una "salida"; la libertad es propia de la desdichada especie humana. Y su "salida" fue dejar la jaula y convertirse en hombre tras un largo y arduo aprendizaje.
"No, yo no quería libertad. Quería únicamente una salida: a derecha, a izquierda, adonde fuera. No aspiraba a más. Aunque la salida fuese tan sólo un engaño" :c
"No, yo no quería libertad. Quería únicamente una salida: a derecha, a izquierda, adonde fuera. No aspiraba a más. Aunque la salida fuese tan sólo un engaño" :c
August 9, 2021
Denuncia allo sfruttamento coloniale e/o a quello animale (?)
November 14, 2024
Heel kort maar krachtig, echte banger
April 5, 2025
Jak już mówiłam kocham Kafke
April 12, 2025
I don’t think I will ever have the guts to give Kafka anything less than a 5 star.
April 21, 2025
رغم أنها قصة قصيرة، إلا أنها تحتوي على قدر كبير من الحكمة... سأكتب مراجعتي لاحقاُ لضيق الوقت الآن.
February 29, 2024
wow vaya
October 24, 2024
wish i could yap in such a structured way... kafka is great! deep and intense discussion of things... i do need to debrief .
December 24, 2024
في عالم فرانز كافكا، كل شيء ممكن: تتحول الحشرات إلى بشر، والبشر إلى مجرد ترس صغير في ماكينة بيروقراطية ضخمة، وحتى القرود يمكنها أن تصبح متحدثة أمام أكاديميات البشر. هذا هو المشهد الذي يقدمه لنا كافكا في قصته القصيرة “تقرير إلى الأكاديمية”، حيث يتحول كائن بري إلى تجسيد رمزي للإنسانية المضطربة.
القصة، رغم بساطتها الظاهرة، تحمل في طياتها تعقيدات لا تنتهي. تُروى بأسلوب خطاب رسمي يلقيه قرد أمام نخبة أكاديمية. لكن هذه السردية البسيطة تتحول سريعًا إلى تأمل عميق حول التكيف، الهوية، والثمن الباهظ الذي يدفعه الفرد مقابل البقاء في مجتمع لا يرحم.
ملخص القصة: من القفص إلى المنصة
في القصة، يعرض القرد، الذي يُدعى “القرد الأحمر”، تجربته في التحول من كائن بري يعيش في الغابة إلى “إنسان” يتكيف مع الحياة المدنية. بعد أن أسره البشر، يجد نفسه أمام خيارين لا ثالث لهما: إما أن يُسجن في قفص طوال حياته، أو يتعلم كيفية التكيف مع معايير البشر.
بذكاء استثنائي، يختار القرد الخيار الثاني. فيتعلم تقليد السلوك البشري: شرب الكحول، التدخين، وحتى الحديث. لكنه يوضح للجمهور الأكاديمي أن هدفه لم يكن أن يصبح إنسانًا، بل أن يهرب من القفص.
تحليل رمزية القصة: السجن في كل مكان
ما يجعل “تقرير إلى الأكاديمية” قصة خالدة هو قدرتها على أن تكون أكثر من مجرد حكاية عن قرد. القصة تحمل مستويات متعددة من الرمزية، يمكن أن تُقرأ على أنها نقد اجتماعي، فلسفي، وسياسي.
1.التكيف مقابل الحرية
يعرض كافكا مفهوم الحرية بطريقة غير مألوفة: القرد لم ينل حريته حقًا، بل استبدل قفصًا ماديًا بقيود نفسية واجتماعية. في محاولته للتكيف، فقد شيئًا جوهريًا من طبيعته الأصلية، وهو ما يعكس وضع الإنسان الحديث الذي يُجبر على التنازل عن هويته من أجل البقاء أو الاندماج في مجتمع يفرض معاييره الخاصة.
2.الاغتراب الوجودي
القرد في القصة ليس قردًا تمامًا، وليس إنسانًا تمامًا؛ إنه كائن عالق بين عالمين. هذا الوضع الرمادي يُبرز الإحساس الكافكاوي بالاغتراب: كيف يصبح التكيف مع المجتمع مصدرًا للانفصال عن الذات.
3.نقد المجتمع الحديث
الأكاديمية التي يستعرض القرد تجربته أمامها تمثل مؤسسة السلطة والمعرفة. كافكا يُظهر كيف تصبح هذه المؤسسات جزءًا من النظام القمعي الذي يُجبر الأفراد على الامتثال، ويحولهم إلى “نماذج” قابلة للدراسة بدلاً من كائنات حية ذات كرامة مستقلة.
أسلوب كافكا: المزج بين العبثية والجدية
تميز كافكا في هذه القصة بأسلوبه الساخر الذي يمزج بين العبثية والواقعية. القرد، بحديثه الواضح والمباشر، يبدو أكثر إنسانية من مستمعيه، مما يعكس المفارقة الموجعة التي يتقن كافكا التعبير عنها.
الجملة الافتتاحية للقصة، التي يبدأ فيها القرد بسرد تجربته بلهجة هادئة وعقلانية، تخلق تناقضًا قويًا مع موضوعها الأساسي. هذه المفارقة هي ما يجعل القصة عبقرية: كافكا يقدم واقعًا غير منطقي تمامًا بطريقة تبدو منطقية للغاية، مما يجبر القارئ على إعادة التفكير في “طبيعية” العالم من حوله.
لماذا تظل “تقرير إلى الأكاديمية” ذات صلة اليوم؟
في عالم اليوم، حيث يُجبر الأفراد على التكيف مع ضغوط العولمة، التكنولوجيا، والمعايير الاجتماعية المتغيرة بسرعة، تظل رسالة كافكا صالحة. القصة تسلط الضوء على الثمن الذي ندفعه مقابل الانتماء، وكيف يمكن أن يتحول التكيف من وسيلة للبقاء إلى شكل جديد من العبودية.
كما أنها تفتح الباب للتساؤل حول الهوية: ما الذي يجعلنا “بشرًا” حقًا؟ وهل التكيف مع معايير المجتمع هو انتصار أم تنازل؟
خاتمة: كافكا والسؤال الأبدي
“تقرير إلى الأكاديمية” ليست مجرد قصة عن قرد تعلم تقليد البشر؛ إنها دعوة للتأمل في القفص الذي نعيش فيه جميعًا، سواء كان قفصًا ماديًا أو نفسيًا. كافكا، كعادته، لا يقدم إجابات مباشرة، لكنه يطرح أسئلة عميقة: إلى أي مدى يمكن أن نذهب لنكون جزءًا من هذا العالم؟ وهل التكيف يعني فقدان الذات؟
بصوت هادئ ومؤلم، يذكرنا كافكا أن الحرية ليست مجرد الخروج من القفص، بل القدرة على أن نكون على طبيعتنا، حتى في وجه عالم يطالبنا دائمًا بأن نكون شيئًا آخر.
In Franz Kafka’s world, anything is possible: insects transform into humans, humans become mere cogs in an enormous bureaucratic machine, and even apes can stand before human academies and deliver speeches. This is the surreal premise of Kafka’s short story, “A Report to an Academy”, where a wild animal becomes a symbolic embodiment of humanity’s turmoil.
The story, despite its apparent simplicity, carries profound complexities. It is narrated as a formal speech by an ape to an academic audience. Yet, this seemingly straightforward narrative quickly unfolds into a deep meditation on adaptation, identity, and the heavy price of survival in an unforgiving society.
Synopsis: From Cage to Podium
In the story, an ape named “Red Peter” recounts his journey from being a wild animal in the jungle to becoming a “human-like” creature adapting to civilized life. Captured by humans, he faces a stark choice: remain imprisoned in a cage for the rest of his life or learn to assimilate into human society.
Driven by the instinct to survive, the ape chooses the latter. He learns to mimic human behavior, including drinking alcohol, smoking, and even speaking. However, he makes it clear to his audience that his transformation was not out of a desire to become human but rather as a means to escape the cage.
Symbolism in the Story: Cages Everywhere
What makes “A Report to an Academy” timeless is its ability to transcend its literal narrative. The story is laden with layers of symbolism, offering insights into social, philosophical, and political critiques.
1. Adaptation as Survival
Kafka highlights the survival instinct as a double-edged sword. The ape does not truly gain freedom; he merely exchanges a physical cage for psychological and social constraints. His adaptation underscores the sacrifices individuals make to conform to societal expectations.
2. Existential Alienation
The ape occupies a liminal space—neither fully ape nor fully human. This in-between existence mirrors Kafka’s signature theme of alienation, where adaptation to society often comes at the cost of one’s authentic self.
3. Critique of Modern Society
The academy, as the ape’s audience, represents an institution of authority and knowledge. Kafka critiques the power dynamics of such institutions, which study and judge individuals, reducing them to objects of scrutiny rather than recognizing their intrinsic value.
Key Themes in the Story:
1. Freedom and Captivity
Freedom in Kafka’s story is a relative concept. The ape escapes the physical cage but remains trapped by the expectations and judgments of human society.
2. Transformation
Like other Kafka works (e.g., “The Metamorphosis”), transformation in this story is not merely physical but also psychological and social.
3. Civilization as Oppression
Kafka portrays human civilization as coercive, forcing individuals—like the ape—to abandon their true nature in exchange for societal acceptance.
Kafka’s Narrative Style: Blending Absurdity with Gravity
Kafka’s brilliance in “A Report to an Academy” lies in his ability to blend absurdity with realism. The ape, with his clear and rational speech, appears more human than his audience, highlighting a biting irony.
The opening sentence, in which the ape begins his speech with a calm and logical tone, creates a stark contrast with the surreal nature of the story. This paradox is the essence of Kafka’s genius: presenting an utterly illogical reality in a way that feels disturbingly logical, forcing readers to reevaluate the “normalcy” of their own world.
Why Is “A Report to an Academy” Relevant Today?
In today’s world, where individuals are increasingly pressured to conform to the demands of globalization, technology, and shifting societal norms, Kafka’s message remains poignant. The story underscores the cost of belonging and raises the question of whether adaptation is a victory or a form of surrender.
It also invites reflection on identity: What truly makes us “human”? Is conforming to societal standards an act of liberation or a loss of self?
Conclusion: Kafka and the Eternal Question
“A Report to an Academy” is not just a story about an ape learning to mimic humans; it is an invitation to contemplate the cage we all live in, whether physical or psychological. As always, Kafka does not provide direct answers but instead raises profound questions: How far will we go to belong to this world? And does adaptation mean sacrificing our true selves?
With a quiet yet piercing voice, Kafka reminds us that freedom is not merely escaping the cage but the ability to remain true to our nature, even in the face of a world that demands we become something else.
October 30, 2020
…nicht mehr als Verzweifelter, sondern als Künstler die Flasche hinwarf; zwar vergaß den Bauch zu streichen; dafür aber, weil ich nicht anders konnte, weil es mich drängte, weil mir die Sinne rauschten, kurz und gut »Hallo!« ausrief, in Menschenlaut ausbrach, mit diesem Ruf in die Menschengemeinschaft sprang und ihr Echo – »Hört nur, er spricht!« wie einen Kuß auf meinem ganzen schweißtriefenden Körper fühlte.
Ich wiederhole: es verlockte mich nicht, die Menschen nachzuahmen; ich ahmte nach, weil ich einen Ausweg suchte, aus keinem anderen Grund. Auch war mit jenem Sieg noch wenig getan.
Und ich lernte, meine Herren. Ach, man lernt, wenn man muß; man lernt, wenn man einen Ausweg will; man lernt rücksichtslos. Man beaufsichtigt sich selbst mit der Peitsche; man zerfleischt sich beim geringsten Widerstand.
Ich hatte keinen anderen Weg, immer vorausgesetzt, daß nicht die Freiheit zu wählen war.
Ich wiederhole: es verlockte mich nicht, die Menschen nachzuahmen; ich ahmte nach, weil ich einen Ausweg suchte, aus keinem anderen Grund. Auch war mit jenem Sieg noch wenig getan.
Und ich lernte, meine Herren. Ach, man lernt, wenn man muß; man lernt, wenn man einen Ausweg will; man lernt rücksichtslos. Man beaufsichtigt sich selbst mit der Peitsche; man zerfleischt sich beim geringsten Widerstand.
Ich hatte keinen anderen Weg, immer vorausgesetzt, daß nicht die Freiheit zu wählen war.
November 17, 2023
(Only 8 pages long but a book is a book🤪) interesting exploration of free will - is the Ape learning to speak/write to improve his life or to find some kind of escape? The connection between language and identity is also explored, as if someone can't communicate they cannot be perceived by others. If we are looking at the anthropomorphism from a post-colonial viewpoint, you could argue some might distance themselves from their own homeland/original identity in order to make themselves more appeasable to the new place they find themselves in. Ultimately, it is sad we would have to give an Ape the ability to communicate in what is deemed as a 'human' way in order to sympathise with it, but that's life I guess.
September 1, 2024
Insomnia Kafka #4. This story is literally about an ape giving a report to an academy on how he became human to avoid confinement. I guess he’s trying to talk about conforming to stupid human behavior instead of being instinctual, but it’s a little too ridonkculous for me. 6.5/10
Displaying 1 - 30 of 190 reviews