Literary Legacy of Karel Čapek
•
CRITICISM:
•
Čapek „didn´t
really
understand the nature of evil“
• „was unoriginal, pedantic“
•
„was an optimist, was out of touch with reality“
• „instinctively was an anti-Semite“
• „was anti-intellectual“
IS ČAPEK´S WRITING STILL TOPICAL?
• His formative years: Austro-Hungarian Empire
• Traumatic experience of First World War
• Analysis of political relations under imperialism:
- topical again today
DID ČAPEK BELIEVE IN PROGRESS?
• Was Čapek the victim of „struthious escapism“?
• Did he believe that future will always be better?
FOR ČAPEK, CIVILISATION IS ALWAYSON THE BRINK
OF DESTRUCTION
(Impact of the First World War trauma)
WHAT ČAPEK WROTE:
• The short story line (
Boží muka, Trapné povídky,
Povídky z jedné a druhé kapsy, Devatero pohádek
,
journalism)
• The utopias (
RUR, Věc Makropulos, Továrna na
Absolutno, Válka s Mloky, Bílá nemoc)
• The „noetic“ line (
Hordubal, Povětroň, Obyčejný
život; Život a dílo skladatele Folýna)
BOŽÍ MUKA (WAYSIDE CROSSES)
(1917)
:
•
noetic uncertainty
• lyrical, fragmentary, expressionist texts
• latent horror of the „beastly“ aspects of Man
• The truth is unknowable
• Alienation, grotesqueness
• People´s motivation is hidden; sexual urges
TRAPNÉ POVÍDKY (PAINFUL STORIES)
(1921)
• well constructed social critical narratives
• sex and sexual relations are strongly present
• also greed, selfishness
ČAPEK´S STOCK IMAGES:
• Boys sit of fathers´shoulders
• Women touch their men with a shoulder, put
fingers through their hair
• Soldiers sleep in dirty railway stations (war)
• Nature is observed intensely
• „intimately buzzing lamp“ - coziness
• concrete experiences/facts lead to contemplation
• fear of the underclass – thin veneer of civilisation
KRAKATIT
(1924):
• A science-fiction theme is a point of departure for
philosophical contemplation
• A dramatic, lyrical evocation of a nightmarish military-
industrial complex in the era of imperialism
• Power is still held by the aristocracy
• Strong erotic line; but love is always unsatisfactory
RUR
(1921)
• importance of the sexual motif
• expressionist elements, horror of First World War,
• precarious balanc between existence and destruction
• but the existence of females saves civilisation
(• Čapek foresaw human cloning, decrease in fertility
in
men)
TOVÁRNA NA ABSOLUTNO (THE ABSOLUTE AT LARGE)
(1922)
• „newspaper novel“
• carburettor breaks down matter, releases energy and God
• religious intolerance – wars
• parody of churches, governments, journalists, scholars
• „We should tolerate other faiths because they are held by
human beings.“
VÁLKA S MLOKY (THE WAR WITH THE NEWTS)
(1936)
• a more mature re-working of
RUR
and
Továrna na
absolutno
• a scathingly ironic novel
• a parody of the selfishness of governments, scholars,
journalism, business
• There is no impartiality, no fairness
• Local canons of values are based on nationalist
misconceptions
HORDUBAL, POVĚTROŇ, OBYČEJNÝ ŽIVOT (HORDUBAL,
METEOR, AN ORDINARY LIFE)
(1933-34)
• „multiple mirroring“ – retelling the same facts and events
from different subjective points of view, anticipating Kundera
• „reality is unknowable“
• links to
Boží muka
and
Krakatit
• in
Obyčejný život,
startling revelations about paedophile
practices and the „dark side“ of the human personality
BÍLÁ NEMOC (THE WHITE DISEASE) (1937)
• the disease is can be seen as a moral affliction
• the book cannot be construed as propaganda for peace
• elements of existentialism (fear of death)
• anticipating Havel – everyone is part of the system,
even the dissidents
TO SUM UP:
• Čapek´s writing is rooted in Austria-Hungary, but:
• he was a keen observer and has described a number of
mechanisms still at play today
• His writing conveys an acute feeling of the precariousness
of the human condition
• It displays influences of Freud and existentialism
• It anticipates postmodernism
Delve into the life and works of Karel Čapek, a prominent Czech writer known for his thought-provoking themes and innovative storytelling. From his exploration of human nature to his analysis of societal issues, this overview provides insight into the enduring relevance of Čapek's writing and the impact of historical events on his literary perspective.
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Presentation Transcript
CRITICISM: apek didn t really understand the nature of evil was unoriginal, pedantic was an optimist, was outof touchwith reality instinctivelywas an anti-Semite was anti-intellectual
IS APEKS WRITING STILL TOPICAL? His formative years: Austro-Hungarian Empire Traumaticexperienceof First World War Analysis of political relations under imperialism: - topical again today
DID APEK BELIEVE IN PROGRESS? Was apek thevictim of struthious escapism ? Did he believe that futurewill always be better? FOR APEK, CIVILISATION IS ALWAYSON THE BRINK OF DESTRUCTION (Impactof the First World War trauma)
WHAT APEK WROTE: The short story line (Bo muka, Trapn pov dky, Pov dky z jedn a druh kapsy, Devatero poh dek, journalism) The utopias (RUR, V c Makropulos, Tov rna na Absolutno, V lka s Mloky, B l nemoc) The noetic line (Hordubal, Pov tro , Oby ejn ivot; ivot a d lo skladatele Fol na)
BO MUKA (WAYSIDE CROSSES) (1917): noetic uncertainty lyrical, fragmentary, expressionist texts latent horror of the beastly aspects of Man The truth is unknowable Alienation, grotesqueness People s motivation is hidden; sexual urges
TRAPN POVDKY (PAINFUL STORIES) (1921) well constructed social critical narratives sex and sexual relations are strongly present also greed, selfishness
APEKS STOCK IMAGES: Boys sit of fathers shoulders Women touch their men with a shoulder, put fingers through their hair Soldiers sleep in dirty railwaystations (war) Nature is observed intensely intimately buzzing lamp - coziness concreteexperiences/facts lead to contemplation fearof the underclass thin veneerof civilisation
KRAKATIT (1924): A science-fiction theme is a point of departure for philosophical contemplation A dramatic, lyrical evocation of a nightmarish military- industrial complex in theeraof imperialism Power is still held by thearistocracy Strong erotic line; but love is always unsatisfactory
RUR (1921) importanceof the sexual motif expressionistelements, horror of First World War, precarious balanc between existence and destruction but theexistence of females saves civilisation ( apek foresaw human cloning, decrease in fertility men) in
TOVRNA NA ABSOLUTNO (THE ABSOLUTE AT LARGE) (1922) newspaper novel carburettorbreaks down matter, releases energyand God religious intolerance wars parodyof churches, governments, journalists, scholars We should tolerateotherfaiths because theyare held by human beings.
VLKA S MLOKY (THE WAR WITH THE NEWTS) (1936) a more mature re-working of RUR and Tov rna na absolutno a scathingly ironic novel a parodyof the selfishness of governments, scholars, journalism, business There is no impartiality, no fairness Local canons of valuesare based on nationalist misconceptions
HORDUBAL, POVTRO, OBYEJN IVOT (HORDUBAL, METEOR, AN ORDINARY LIFE) (1933-34) multiple mirroring retelling thesame facts and events from differentsubjective pointsof view, anticipating Kundera reality is unknowable links to Bo muka and Krakatit in Oby ejn ivot, startling revelationsabout paedophile practices and the dark side of the human personality
BL NEMOC (THE WHITE DISEASE) (1937) thedisease is can be seen as a moral affliction the book cannot beconstrued as propaganda forpeace elements of existentialism (fearof death) anticipating Havel everyone is part of the system, even thedissidents
TO SUM UP: apek s writing is rooted in Austria-Hungary, but: he was a keen observerand has described a numberof mechanisms still at play today His writing conveysan acute feeling of the precariousness of the human condition Itdisplays influences of Freud and existentialism Itanticipates postmodernism
