Narrentum and Being-Jewish: Kafka and Benjamin

Abstract

Abstract This essay examines the notion of Narrentum (foolishness) in Franz Kafka’s writings, reflecting Walter Benjamin’s engagement with the legacy of Kafka’s fools. The Narr, associated with playfulness, irony, and resistance, provides a comic perspective on the question of being-Jewish. Alongside its Germanic, mostly Baroque, heritage, the Narr incorporates traditional Jewish tropes, primarily rooted in Aggadic traditions. However, in Kafka’s world, the Narr embodies performative skills also linked to Yiddish theatre. In Benjamin’s readings, Kafka’s Narr is associated with the crisis of modern Judaism and with different modes of wisdom. The Narr signifies particular sorts of nihilistic freedom, which Benjamin refers to as redemptive.