Franz Kafka
"Kafkaesque"

The term " Kafkaesque " is used to describe concepts and situations reminiscent of Kafka's work, particularly Der Process (The Trial) and Die Verwandlung (The Metamorphosis). Examples include instances in which bureaucracies overpower people, often in a surreal, nightmarish milieu that evokes feelings of senselessness, disorientation, and helplessness. Characters in a Kafkaesque setting often lack a clear course of action to escape a labyrinthine situation. Kafkaesque elements often appear in existential works, but the term has transcended the literary realm to apply to real-life occurrences and situations that are incomprehensibly complex, bizarre, or illogical.

Numerous films and television works have been described as Kafkaesque, and the style is particularly prominent in dystopian science fiction. Works in this genre that have been thus described include Patrick Bokanowski 's film The Angel (1982), Terry Gilliam's film Brazil (1985), and Alex Proyas ' science fiction film noir, Dark City (1998). Films from other genres which have been similarly described include Roman Polanski 's The Tenant (1976), Joseph Losey ’s Monsieur Klein (1976) and the Coen brothers ' Barton Fink (1991). The television series The Prisoner and The Twilight Zone are also frequently described as Kafkaesque.

However, with common usage, the term has become so ubiquitous that Kafka scholars note it is often misused. More accurately then, according to author Ben Marcus, paraphrased in "What it Means to be Kafkaesque" by Joe Fassler in The Atlantic, "Kafka's quintessential qualities are affecting use of language, a setting that straddles fantasy and reality, and a sense of striving even in the face of bleakness—hopelessly and full of hope."
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