What does this quote mean? (Franz Kafka)?

Question

"If the literature we are reading does not wake us, why then do we read it? A literary work must be an ice axe to break the sea frozen inside us." - Franz Kafka

Answer 1

He is saying that books are written for a reason-- to tell a story, express a meaning, make a difference-- and then why would we read them unless we wanted to understand that meaning and somehow have it affect us?

I hope that this has helped!!

Hayley.

Answer 2

Kafka implies that within each reader is something that is blocked--our true feelings, latent sense of the truth that for some reason--social, personal, psychological--we do not see. We may not know it is there, but it remains even so. A work of literature will reach this hidden area and free us, making us truer, more liberated, and grander than we were before. The change ("a sea change," as Shakespeare expresses it in _The Tempest_) may be a seismic shift, one of large and disturbing proportions: an entire ocean may be frozen. Such is our unconscious power to deny, to repress, to ignore--and such is literature's power to release, by a single book or story or poem (ax).

Answer 3

Kafka implies with this quote that we need to seek what we want - not what others tell us we need.  In other words, read what inspires and entertains you - not necessarily the "good books" or "classics" as labelled by society.

Inside each of us there is a frozen sea; this refers to an emotion we are not aware we contain.  We must find the literature that awakens us and breaks the ice to reveal something we do not know about ourselves that has the ability to change our lives.

In this way, Kafka likens literature to a significant life experience.. IF one can find the right literary work(s) for themselves.

Answer 4

What Franz is saying is that the books we read should have the power to move us and influence the way we think or they're not worth reading.

Answer 5

To me it means, if literature don't interest us, then why are we reading it. Literary work needs to expand the horizon in our mind.