An Analysis of Kafka's "On Parables"

In the begining of "On Parables", Kafka suggests that parables are only words that are wise but unuseful in daily life. In that short story he talks about that dilemma, what is wise and true is not part of our daily life. The only thing we may know, according to Kafka, is the incomprehensibility of life with our daily problems and struggles. He expresses that idea with "All these parables really set out to say merely that the incomprehensible is incomprehensible". There could be more than one interpretation for that short story.

First of all, this parables itself emphasizes lack of communication between our daily life and meaning of life. What is wise and purely good is something that cannot be explained, therefore uncertain in "some fabulous yonder". Thus, it can be suggested that while we try to explain what is beautiful, we may make that ugly and meaningless. For that manner, incapability of communication doesn't necessarily lead to a bad thing. He underlines the value of life with "which is the only life we have" and he suggests that we should not give that much effort to shape that life with unnatural paradoxes, meanings or categories. Like the expression suggests, when we say something too many times, it may lose its value for others. The idea of Kafka gives in that story is similar to that.

Secondly, he argues that there is no win in the real life since in order to win in a parable, which is the wise and truth, we have to lose in daily life. "If you only followed the parables you yourselves would become parables and with that rid of all your dailt cares", with that expression, he emphasizes the real life and how it works. In order to understand, or in other words win the parables, we need to express what is inexpressible. On the other hand, if we want to get over with our daily problems, or win the real life, we have to make parables useful. Therefore, he underlines a choice we have to make in our lives. The reason why he adds another parable in the parable is may be to show this duality in real life by making us to read and understand the comment of "no, in reality: in parable you have lost."

Correspondingly, what Kafka tries to do with these parables is exactly the same what he says in "On Parables". He does not give the message (or the parable) directly to the reader because he wants us to think further like what sage does in that particular story. For that purpose, Kafka shows himself as a sage who wants to guide the reader to think deeper but not giving the direct guidance since it won't be a success in terms of understanding the real meaning. By explaining that parable, we are also loosing its meaning and value since we are trying to win the parable.