It was as if his shame would outlive him. Shame in Franz Kafka's "The Trial" from a phenomenological perspective
Agata Mirecka
agata.mirecka@uken.krakow.plUniversity of the National Education Commission in Kraków (Poland)
Abstract
This article analyses the motif of shame in Franz Kafka‘s The Trial from a phenomenological perspective, focusing particularly on the interpretations of Sartre and Lévinas. While Sartre, in Being and Nothingness, understands shame as a moment of self-alienation under the gaze of the Other, Lévinas, in Totality and Infinity, emphasises its ethical dimension of responsibility towards the Other. Kafka’s portrayal of Josef K. combines these two perspectives, presenting shame as an existential experience of exposure and moral obligation. Consequently, shame emerges as a fundamental structure that reveals both individual vulnerability and ethical responsibility.
Keywords:
Franz Kafka, shame, phenomenology, Sartre , LévinasReferences
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Authors
Agata Mireckaagata.mirecka@uken.krakow.pl
University of the National Education Commission in Kraków Poland
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