“Dread of night. Dread of not-night.”
- July 3, 1883 – June 3, 1924
- Born in the Austro-Hungarian Empire
- Writer, lawyer
- Had a major influence on 20th century literature with works such as “The Metamorphosis,” “The Trial,” and “The Castle”
Quote
“Dread of night. Dread of not-night.”
Explanation
In this brief but evocative statement, Franz Kafka expresses the feeling of existential anxiety that pervades both the known and the unknown. The “dread of night” suggests a fear of the darkness, often symbolizing the unknown, uncertainty, or death. Night, in Kafka’s context, could represent the unconscious, a time when the mind is left to wander into irrationality, nightmares, or even the finality of death. However, the “dread of not-night” reveals an equally unsettling fear of daylight, of clarity, or perhaps of the responsibilities, routine, and mundane realities that come with being awake and fully conscious. Both the night and the day seem to provoke a sense of dread—whether because of the fear of the unknown in the darkness, or the fear of living in the harsh light of reality.
Kafka often depicted characters caught between fearful opposites, such as the search for meaning in a world that offers no clear answers, or the impossibility of choosing between conflicting desires or actions. In works like The Trial and The Castle, his characters experience a kind of existential paralysis, unable to escape the oppressive forces of bureaucracy, alienation, or their own inner conflict. This quote reflects that inability to find peace, whether in the quiet of night or the noise of day, a state of perpetual dread that can’t be resolved through any external change.
In contemporary terms, this quote might resonate with the anxiety many experience in modern life. We can fear the silence and solitude of night, when our thoughts become more intrusive, yet we can also dread the chaos of day—the constant demands of work, social obligations, or the pressure of having to make sense of everything. Kafka’s words capture a universal sense of existential dread that transcends time and circumstance. It suggests that, in life, there is no true escape from fear—whether in the quiet, contemplative moments of night, or in the demanding, action-driven hours of the day. The anxiety is constant, regardless of time or place.
