Apocalyptic Futures: Marked Bodies and the Violence of the Text in Kafka, Conrad, and Coetzee

248 Pages·2011·1.63 MB·English

by  Russell Samolsky

Apocalyptic Futures
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Apocalyptic Futures
marked bodies and the violence
of the text in kafka, conrad,
and coetzee
Russell Samolsky
fordham university press New York 2011
this book is made possible by a collaborative grant
from the andrew w. mellon foundation.
©2011 Fordham University Press
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Samolsky, Russell.
Apocalyptic futures : marked bodies and the
violence of the text in Kafka, Conrad, and Coetzee /
Russell Samolsky. — 1st ed.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-0-8232-3479-0 (cloth : alk. paper)
ISBN 978-0-8232-3480-6 (pbk.)
1. Fiction—20th century—History and criticism.
2. Kafka, Franz, 1883–1924—Criticism and
interpretation. 3. Conrad, Joseph, 1857–1924—
Criticism and interpretation. 4. Coetzee, J. M.,
1940—Criticism and interpretation. 5. Spiegelman,
Art—Criticism and interpretation. 6. Ethics in
literature. 7. Apocalyptic literature. 8. Prophecy
in literature. 9. Violence in literature. 10. Mimesis
in literature. I. Title. II. Title: Marked bodies
and the violence of the text in Kafka, Conrad, and
Coetzee. III. Title: Violence of the text in Kafka,
Conrad, and Coetzee.
PN3347.S26 2011
809.3'04—dc23
2011032058
Printed in the United States of America
131211 54321
First edition
For Rita, with love and admiration
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contents
List of Figures viii
Acknowledgments ix
Introduction: Writing Violence: Marked Bodies
and Retroactive Signs 1
1. Metaleptic Machines: Kafka, Kabbalah, Shoah 33
2. Apocalyptic Futures: Heart of Darkness, Embodiment,
and African Genocide 64
3. The Body in Ruins: Torture, Allegory, and Materiality
in J. M. Coetzee’s Waiting for the Barbarians 123
Coda: The Time of Inscription: Maus
and the Apocalypse of Number 177
Notes 211
Index 233
figures
1. The Thirteenth Book of the Dead, in which the
publisher reads his own fate inscribed on the body
of the sumo-wrestler sent to assassinate him 21
2. Leonard’s body tattooed with the injunction to kill.
The license plate number that will establish John
Gammell as his next victim is inscribed on his thigh 22
3. Time cover (August 1994) 75
4. Maus: Hitler did it! 184
5. Maus: Prisoner on the hell planet comic 187
6. Maus: Spiegelman at the drawing board 190
7. Maus: reading the number 198
acknowledgments
Work on this book began at the University of Colorado, Boulder.
It has been a number of years in the making and the path from
the inception of the project to its becoming a book has taken
me through many twists and turns. Some valued friends and col-
leagues accompanied me along the way, and I want to express
my gratitude to those who offered their help and to pass on my
thanks to those who read this book in its various stages.
I want first of all to thank Richard Halpern for kindly reading
and commenting on my work. His belief in the merit of my writ-
ing has always meant a great deal to me. Particular thanks are
due to Sue Zemka not only for her readings and thoughts on the
project but also for her intimate friendship. Eric White, Adeleke
Adeeko, and Paul Gordon read and remarked on the earliest draft
of this book. I wish also to acknowledge R. L. Widmann, who of-
fered her support during my early years at the University of Colo-
rado, and to thank Katheryn Rios for her friendship. For her sage
advice on matters professional, I owe thanks to Katherine Eggert.
I would like further to acknowledge a number of people who
have in their various ways played important parts in my life dur-
ing the course of the composition of this book: Rohan Quince for
early imparting an appreciation for the powers of literature. Our
friendship has been long and abiding. Christopher Brown for his
encouragement at a moment when it was needed. Dirk Aardsma,
who followed and encouraged the progress of this book from its