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The Hands as Self-image: The Metaphor of Hand in Kafka’s Autobiographies

Abstract: In his self narratives such as diaries and letters, Kafka has an inclination to describe his body. There are quite some hand images, whether in the sense of description or metaphor . Why does Kafka repeatedly pick up “hand” as the object for survey and performance? The answer seems to be that the hand is the combination of body and mind and is the medium which links life and writing. By focusing on the ability and limitations of his hands, he actually makes the body as an analogy for making choices and thinking between life and writing. He tries to grasp the metaphysicality of words and texts, but often in vain. In Kafka’s old age, although the greatness of life is within his touch, it is too late. Therefore, hands, as a mediaum, provide us with a secret path to the understanding of Kafka.


Key words: Kafka; hand metaphor; split; identity


Liang Qingbiao is Associate Professor of World Literature inCollegeofHumanitiesatJiangxi Normal University,China. He gets his Ph.D fromNanjing University,China. His research interest is on biography studies. He is the author of “Self-consciousness and Identity: theNew Waysof the Interpretation of Autobiography” (2011) and “The Construction of Identity in Dialogue: The Autobiographical Narrative of Günter Grass’s Peeling the Onion” (2010). Currently he works on two Research Projects: the State-Sponsored Major Project “Compilation and Research of Overseas Life-Writing on Modern Chinese People (Hong Kong and Macao Section;IN:11&ZD138)” and the State-Sponsored Youth Project “Research on the Theory and Criticism of Autobiography in Current West” (11CWWO18).