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The Hunter Gracchus by Franz Kafka
The story 'The Hunter Gracchus' has been written by the German philosopher Franz Kafka. This story has presented a bizarre view of human existence. It is about the problems faced by hunter Gracchus after his death. This text has shown the misery of an individual and also the indifference of others towards him. People in the world are indifferent to the sufferings of others. We can say this story is mythological because most of the events here in this text are supernatural and closely related to the ancient myths of Adonis, Osiris, and Jesus.
Hunter Gracchus is the central character of this story. He was a great hunter in ancient times. He died a long time ago while hunting a deer in the Black Forest of Germany. He fell from a high cliff. After death, his soul had to be sailed to the other world by the death ship, but unfortunately, the pilot of the death ship lost his way because of his absentmindedness. After that, Gracchus's soul was tormented in the miserable world, and the death ship remained in the earthly water. He climbed the great stairs to reach another world, but when he reached the golden gate, he suddenly awoke in an old ship. He lived even after his death because his soul didn’t get a place in heaven because of the carelessness of the pilot.
His dead body was brought to the town called Riva by the ship. His dead body was placed in the two-story house near the sea. The magistrate of Riva was informed by a dove about the dead hunter. The magistrate moved towards the two-story house to watch the dead body of the hunter. He went closer to the dead body, put his hand on the forehead of the hunter, and started praying. Later on, the hunter opened his eyes and described his evil fate to the magistrate. He said that his soul was still suffering in this miserable world. He said that being a hunter is not a sin but a rewarding task. Because of the fault of the pilot, he had been suffering. He also said that his hunting is blessed. He was suffering from severe punishment for nothing. For him, there was no place in another world and lifelessness on earth.
The people in this world are quite indifferent towards others’ sufferings and miseries. The writer says that at the time of the arrival of the dead body of the hunter in the harbour, boys were playing, a man was reading a newspaper at the monument, a girl was filling her bucket in a fountain, two men were drinking wine at the café, and the proprietor was dozing off. All these people were indifferent towards the dead body of the hunter. Nobody took even a glance at his body. All these things present the meaninglessness, absurdity, and hollowness of human existence.
The hunter’s story resembles the stories of Adonis, Osiris, and Jesus. All of these legends were supposed to be resurrected in the world after their deaths as the hunter Gracchus. Adonis, a hunter, was supposed to be killed by a wild boar. He was widely worshipped. He was loved by both the goddesses of love and the goddesses of death. His death was supposed to be winter, and his resurrection was celebrated as spring. Osiris was also killed while hunting. Because of the devotion of his wife, Isis, he was resurrected. The Bible has also mentioned the resurrection of Jesus after three days of his death in the tomb.
THE HUNTER GRACCHUS AS
BIZARRE STORY OF HUMAN EXISTENCE
This story can be interpreted as a bizarre story of human existence. It presents strange, bitter, mysterious, and supernatural experiences. The hunter, Gracchus, has been dead since long ago, but in a sense, he is alive too.
He is a great hunter, and while chasing a deer, he falls from a high cliff and dies. He is to be sailed to another world, but because of the absentmindedness of the pilot of the death ship, the ship loses its way, and the hunter is suspended in this miserable world. Since then, his ship has been sailing the earthly waters. He has been trying to climb the great stairs to the other world, but when he reaches the golden gate, he awakens suddenly and finds himself in the old ship. The chief magistrate of Riva is informed by a dove to welcome the arrival of the dead hunter in the name of the city. When the magistrate goes to the dead body, the hunter opens his eyes and describes his evil fate. At the arrival of the death ship at the harbour, Kafka describes that two boys are playing dice, a man is reading a newspaper at the monument, a girl is filling her bucket in the fountain, a fruit seller is looking at the sea, two men are drinking wine in a café, and the proprietor is dozing, but none of them is interested in the arrival of the hunter. All these activities look absurd, mysterious, and meaningless. Kafka presents the vague concept of the rebirth or resurrection of the hunter. The story presents the hollowness (emptiness) and absurdity of human existence. The hunter says that he has no part in another world and that he has been lifeless in this world. He has been suffering endlessly because of the mistake of the pilot of the death ship. He tries to justify that being a great hunter is not a sin, but it's a rewarding task. He says that his hunting is blessed. But he is bearing severe punishment for nothing. The same fate has prevailed in the modern world. Thus, the story is the bizarre experience of the modern human being.
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