A Report to an Academy by Franz Kafka
"A Report to an Academy" by Franz Kafka is a thought-provoking narrative that explores the themes of identity, transformation, and the nature of freedom through the character of Rotpeter, a former ape who presents his story to a scientific academy. The tale unfolds as Rotpeter recounts his dramatic shift from an ape in captivity to an accomplished performer in the human world, emphasizing his struggle to adapt and assimilate into human society. He reflects on the profound changes he underwent during his captivity, where he learned to imitate human behaviors in order to survive, ultimately choosing the stage over a life in a zoo.
Rotpeter's account is marked by a sense of irony, as he grapples with the loss of his former identity while striving to fit into a world that both fascinates and alienates him. The narrative raises questions about the authenticity of his new existence and the concept of freedom, suggesting that his transformation may be more a form of confinement than liberation. Through his story, Kafka invites readers to reconsider what it means to be human and the complexities of self-identity in a society that often demands conformity. This exploration highlights the tension between the desire for individuality and the constraints imposed by social norms. Kafka's work thus serves as a rich commentary on the human condition, appealing to those interested in existential themes and the intricacies of personal evolution.
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A Report to an Academy by Franz Kafka
First published: "Ein Bericht für eine Akademie," 1917 (English translation, 1946)
Type of plot: Animal tale
Time of work: The early twentieth century
Locale: Perhaps Hamburg
Principal Character:
Rotpeter , the narrator and protagonist, an ape that is becoming human
The Story
Asked by a scientific academy to report on his former life as an ape, Rotpeter responds by saying that his development into a human being during the last five years has erased virtually all memories of his youth in the Gold Coast. In his address to the distinguished gentlemen of the academy, he concentrates instead on his penetration into the human world, where he now feels well established as an accomplished artist in variety shows.
According to his captors, he was shot twice by members of an expedition of the Hagenbeck circus, on the cheek and below the hip. The first wound gave him his name, Rotpeter ("Red Peter"), which he finds distasteful but which differentiates him from a trained ape named Peter that has recently died. He is not at all bashful about showing his second wound to journalists, especially those who claim that he has not completely suppressed his ape nature. In the interest of truth, he believes that he may take down his pants whenever he wishes to reveal his well-groomed fur and the maliciously inflicted wound.
His first memories stem from the time of his captivity in a small cage in the Hagenbeck steamship. Overwhelmed by distress at not having a "way out" for the first time in his life, he was unusually quiet, which was taken as a sign that he either would die soon or could be easily trained. Realizing that he could not live without some kind of way out, he decided to cease being an ape. This solution meant, however, neither escape nor desire for freedom "in all directions," a quality he perhaps knew as an ape and for which some humans long. Freedom is among the noblest of human self-deceptions, comparable in his mind to the precarious movements of trapeze artists in the variety theaters.
The quiet that the ship's sailors afforded Rotpeter allowed him to observe them carefully. They moved slowly, often sitting in front of his cage, smoking and watching him in turn. He began to imitate them, first spitting in their faces, then smoking a pipe. It took him weeks to bring himself to drink schnapps. One sailor in particular persisted in giving him drinking lessons. Rotpeter watched attentively as the man uncorked a bottle and repeatedly set it to his lips. Eager to imitate him, Rotpeter soiled his cage, to the sailor's great satisfaction. Then, with an exaggerated didactic gesture, the sailor emptied the bottle in one gulp and ended the "theoretical" part of the instruction by rubbing his stomach and grinning. It was now the ape's turn, but despite all of his efforts, he could not overcome his aversion to the smell of the empty bottle when he brought it to his lips.
One evening, the ape grabbed a schnapps bottle that had been left in front of his cage. It was perhaps during a party—a gramophone played—and a number of spectators gathered around as he uncorked the bottle, raised it to his mouth, and emptied it without hesitation. He then threw away the bottle, not in despair but as an artist. His senses intoxicated, he called out suddenly "Hallo," and with this cry "leaped into the human community." Although his voice failed him for months afterward and his disgust at the schnapps bottle increased, he had found his way out: He would imitate humans.
After his arrival in Hamburg for training, he did not hesitate to choose between the two paths open to him: zoo or variety stage. The zoo was only a different sort of cage. Wearing out many instructors in the process, he learned rapidly how to abandon his ape nature. When he became more confident of his abilities and the public began to follow his progress, he hired his own teachers, placed them in five neighboring rooms, and learned from them simultaneously by jumping from one room to another without interruption.
Looking back on his development, Rotpeter is relatively happy with the gains he has made, yet he is also aware that his enormous exertion has given him only the "average culture of a European." Nevertheless, it has provided him with his way out, his human way out. He has "taken cover"; this was his only path, for he could not choose freedom.
During the day, he lounges in his rocking chair and looks out the window. His impresario sits in the anteroom and waits for his ring. In the evening there is the performance, followed by social or scientific gatherings. Afterward, he comes home to a small, half-trained chimpanzee, with whom he takes his pleasure according to the manner of apes, yet whose sight he cannot stand in the daytime.
On the whole, he has achieved what he had set out to achieve. He does not want any human judgment of his efforts, but rather wishes only to spread knowledge and to report. To the distinguished gentlemen of the academy as well, he has only reported.