Many believe that The Last Judgment was the most autobiographical of Kafka's works. To provide a complete picture it is necessary to analyze both. Franz Kafka was born in 1883 in Prague, Bohemia, to a Jewish family. His father was Hermann Kafka, whose father was Jacob Kafka. Hermann Kafka worked in his father's butcher's shop until he was able to provide for himself. A few years later he married the daughter of his employer, who owned a shop. In short, he "married" to Julie Kafka. She was much more educated than her husband (especially considering that Herman had never received any education). She later gave birth to Franz and 5 more children. Kafka was the eldest child of 2 brothers (Georg and Heinrich) and 3 sisters (Eli, Valli and Ottla). His mother helped run his father's business, so he wasn't home often, like most others at the time. Just like in The Judgment, Franz Kafka's relationship with his father is extremely dysfunctional. According to the European Graduate School, Hermann was seen as a “tyrannical figure in the family”. Kafka's father, Hermann, is depicted as the antagonist in many of Kafka's books and tends to make life miserable for his son figure (in the book and in real life). Because Franz's father, Hermann, grew up in a poor environment, he valued hard work and dedication to his work. For Herman, it was very important to provide a good life for his family. Franz's mother, Julie, was similar; although she did not grow up in poverty, she also worked to support the family, leaving Franz with a housekeeper. Due to his parents' regular absences, Franz feels abandoned by them. Their high expectations only made them hate him more. Although an impartial observer would probably say that F...... middle of paper ......tant. and the only important thing was what he thought was important. His mother was distant, his father was harsh, his relationships failed, his sexuality was an element of internal conflict. His work was meaningless and exhausting, and his country was on the brink of epic conflict. Suffice it to say, his life hasn't exactly been a box of chocolates. When you combine this with depression (which may or may not have been a result of all of the above) and some suicidal desires, you get a pretty unhappy person. The Judgment illustrates a series of perceived judgments on Kafka from those around him, culminating in his father judging him, sentencing him to death. He does as his father asks and jumps from the bridge. The vast and vast parallels between Kafka's works and Kafka's life illustrate the degree to which his life was reflected in his work.