The biblical book of Ecclesiastes is replete with statements exclaiming ideas that “all is vanity,” “chasing after the wind,” and “grasping for the air.” The reference of these claims is to all the natural and human work that can be done on the earth. The author of Ecclesiastes, which scholars believe to have been King Solomon, depicts human labor as a fruitless and futile pursuit because it will all eventually be left behind after death without a trace of remembrance. It appears that Franz Kafka attempts to make a similar claim in his book The Castle. The main character, K, could in himself be a representation of King Solomon who, being the wisest man the world had ever known, sets his heart to find fulfillment and meaning in earthly pursuits. At the end of all his searching, however, he never arrives. The insanity of K’s futile journey to the castle is like King Solomon’s pursuit of meaning on Earth—both unattainable and even indescribable, like chasing after the wind.
This concept can be explained by a certain type of dream that many individuals experience throughout the dormant moments of their lifetimes. This kind of dream is characterized by the sensation of trying relentlessly to accomplish something, but possessing instead the complete inability to carry it out. It frequently appears as a desire to see something, but eyes will not open; a desire to run, but legs will not move; a desire to scream, but no sound will come forth. These are unconscious manifestations of the same ecclesiastical idea of meaninglessness and futility in earthly pursuits. K’s efforts to reach the castle demonstrate the same helpless sensation that such dreams produce in that there is no possible way that he could ever arrive, no matter how much he desires to be there. And it’s true. He never does. He never reaches his destination, he never arrives at the castle. Because of this result, it is evident that Kafka desires to portray futility in K’s attempts.
From Solomon and K’s perspectives, this is the lot of all who live and breathe under the sun—as long as mankind continues its journey on Earth, there will always be a hint of grasping for the wind in every facet of life. Yet, it is interesting to note that while K never arrives at his destination, he also doesn’t lose sight of it. He steadily pursues it throughout his life, and even enjoys himself along the way. He falls in love, makes friends who help him on his journey, fights for what he believes in, and learns and grows as a human being. Solomon expresses in his book that the best thing for man to do on earth is to enjoy the fruit of all his hard work and to be content with it—to enjoy one’s ‘lot’ in life. With the reference to lots, it is interesting that K’s profession is a “land surveyor,” and that his job is to survey the castle’s land, or rather, its “lot.” In many respects, that is exactly what Solomon does as well. If the castle represents meaning and fulfillment on Earth, then Solomon too, with his life, concludes that it is impossible to reach.
Both Kafka and King Solomon preach the same message through their texts: earthly pursuits, earthly labor, and earthly fulfillment are all futile and unreachable for life under the sun. It appears that the conclusion from both authors is that the only attainable aspect of human desire is a choice to be content within the lot of life that is already present; to work hard on Earth, and to enjoy the benefits of that labor. Whether a wealthy and wise king, or a lowly land surveyor, the foundation of fulfillment is the same, and so long as both are breathing on Earth, arrival beyond that point is as unattainable as grasping for the wind.
September 25, 2018