REFLEXÕES SOBRE O SISTEMA JURÍDICO E A BUROCRACIA EM KAFKA

UMA INTERLOCUÇÃO COM HANNAH ARENDT

Resumo

Based on a dialogue with Hannah Arendt, this article aims to analyze Franz Kafka's work as a critique of bureaucracy and the legal system. During the research, the impotence of the characters created by the writer and their impact on the understanding of society will be analyzed. Kafka's writing is known for containing absurd and fantastic elements, for mixing personal experiences and the conditions of his time, blurring the line between fiction and reality. In order to understand the fundamental aspects of this relationship, the works that allow an intertwining of these themes will be explored, identifying the close ideas and circumstances, as well as the bibliographical coincidences between the authors and protagonists of the novels. The research will use two of Kafka's novels, “The Trial” and “The Castle”, as well as Arendt's essays dedicated to the writer: “Kafka – A Reappraisal” and “The Jew as Pariah”. It will also be supported by the historical context, indicating that Kafka's novels showed signs that bureaucracy was gaining consistency, that there was fertile ground for the suppression of rights and that his narrative can be interpreted in the shadow of totalitarianism.

Keywords: Franz Kafka; Hannah Arendt; legal system; bureaucracy; totalitarianism.