Literature Studies 03.

THE CASTLE FRANZ KAPKA

This novel written by Franz Kafka explores issues of systemization, alienation and bureaucracy. The protagonist K arrives at the village determined to gain access to the castle, the heart of the controlling bureaucratic system that welds full command over the immediate area.

The castle itself is therefore symbolic of the regime. It thus ceases to be a material object and instead acquires a persona and presence dictated by the functions that take place within it. The closed, alienating form of the building is a symbol of the non-hierarchical government that occupies it, where responsibly is shifted from department to department where in fact no one is ultimately truly responsible.

In an architectural context however the novel can be read as an illustration of how buildings can dictate and facilitate the functions that they accommodate and visa versa. There is therefore far more to a building that just a static and material object. However a building is only imbued with a presence through the associations and applied perceptions that give its aura and character.

The novel raises the question of semiotics and symbolism. Buildings can acquire associations and meanings For example the closed and impenetrable nature of the castle is symbolic of oppression and control. In the same way a church spire is a symbol of the enduring continuality of the English Church. Therefore because of the meaning associated with buildings, specific architectural types are imbued with a presence that transcends their physically tangible existence as physical artifacts.