Kafkas Akademiebericht: Die auflösende ‚Ruhe’ als lebendige Varieténummer

This paper explores the key concept of ‘Ruhe’ in “A Report to an Academy” (1917), essential for an understanding of its inception and Kafka’s spiritual ties to the Christian and Greek tradition. While Kafka scholarship has already made some reference to Schiller’s irony and typological writing “On Naive and Sentimental Poetry” (1795), it has yet to recognize Kafka’s poetic appropriation of Goethe’s observing mode of ‘Ruhe’ as narrative mode. The entertaining variety show acts, along with making the ape’s philosophical reflections on his mortifying cage experience evident to the critical eye, help create a streaming gaze that morphs all activities and gestures into simple human rituals. The ship (a modern version of Noah’s Ark), a microcosm of human society, entails in embryo all elements that will shape the ape’s life on the continent after achieving a certain degree of ‘humanity.’ The report culminates in a drinking parody of Goethe’s theoretical writing “Simple Imitation, Manner, Style” (1789), depicting the ape’s breakthrough and ascension to human and academic status through language. In this new light the report humorously manifests Kafka’sdefiance of Goethe’s literary authority while, at the same time, paying an homage to ancient classicism.