Juan Pino first 500 words

            Franz Kafka introduced the idea that our society revolves around three pillars: State, Church, and Family. These three pillars of society were greatly affected by the Beat Generation in the 1950’s, and that is a fact. Evidence of this is visible in how the culture changed from the 40’s to the 50’s to the 60’s and so on. The so-called “Beat Generation” who began this social revolution is comprised of mavericks that in essence rejected all conventional society. On the Road, by Jack Kerouac, provides insight to the Beat Generation, thus illustrating the presence of Kafka’s pillars in our society, as well as how the Beat Generation bent and altered it.

            Through his work Kafka meticulously developed his concept of how our society works. By way of his works Kafka is able to boil everything down to the three separate institutions: church, state, and family. In his analysis Kafka argues that the institutions are all linked and work together to corral and guide our society down a certain path; to behave in a certain manner. In exchange for abiding by each of the institutions’ regulations, the individual is rewarded. The state provides protection, though we are punished if we fail to obey laws. Family provides love, shelter, and money, but we are disowned and cut off should we disrespect any rules our families may have set. The church promises paradise if we live according to its commandments, and eternal damnation if we fail to do so.

            Simultaneously, Kafka believes that, despite their connections to each other and having mutual goals, the institutions that constitute our every day lives contradict each other. In consequence, the system we live in is a flawed one and although it has been designed to set our moral standards and maintain order, ultimately we are only doomed to fail. By choosing to abide by one of the institutions’ rules, Kafka argues that we are bound to infringe upon rules set by the other institutions. His work clearly reflects this idea. For example, in “A Country Doctor”, the protagonist is confronted with a situation that forces him to pick a single institutions’ rules to follow because if he does not do his job he is disobeying the state, but if he leaves the woman there to be harmed he is breaking family and church rules. Furthermore, after electing to go aid the boy, the boy asks him to let him die, putting him in another situation where he must elect to follow one of the pillars while disregarding another.