Kafka’s last straw on his father

“The Judgement” by Franz Kafka

There’s arguably no better way to begin 2026 for me than reading another Kafka classic.

This particular short story begins quite slowly, with the main character Georg Bendemann writing a letter to his friend who has left to St. Petersburg for a business opportunity 3 years prior. The letter fill-in on what’s been going on in Georg’s life, including the death of his mother 2 years ago. And this seems to be the root cause of the problem.

You see, ever since his mother passed away Georg has been living with his estranged father, where the already difficult father slumped into a depression-like state. The book then becomes a narrative over the conversation between father and son, which suffered from a nasty turn when the father begin to lash out over Georg’s friend, his fiancee, and his life in general.

It was bizarre and confusing at first, that is unless you know beforehand Kafka’s bitterness towards his real-life father. The entire story was said to be written in one night full of rage, filled with themes of alienation, guilt, and inner conflict. 8 hours to be precise, between the night of 22 September – 23 September 1912.

And the tragic ending? It was so unexpected, especially after judging from the exchange of words that seems light compared with other stories that are more gruesome. But I guess it’s just the tip of an already mounting iceberg, and it symbolises the last straw of a frustration. So powerful, so disturbing, so Kafkaesque.