The influence of literature
in vegetarianism
By Neelam Shah
in vegetarianism
By Neelam Shah
Author Franz Kafka had an epiphany..
“Suddenly he began to speak to the Fish in their illuminated tanks, “Now at last I can look at you in peace, I don’t eat you any more.” …
Franz Kafka has begun to look at the fish in a different perspective. He has both utilised vegetarianism and literature in a meaningful way in combining both elements of animal ethics and principles of not eating the fish with narrative.
He encompassed a belief in the roots and heart of vegetarianism philosophy and in doing so with writing strong classical literature too which appeals to all audiences out for readers who have an interest in animal welfare or fishes as well.
Frank had many philosophical beliefs and ideologies that mainly stemmed from experimentalism and pragmatism and idealism surrounding the concept of vegetarianism due to his connections to animal and fish’s lives. His reasons perhaps were to establish his beliefs which stems from the fish bonding connections and his peaceful approaches to his personal talks and discussions with the fishes from the illuminated tanks. Therefore trying to idealise the fishes as humans and from the philosophical theory experimentalism and pragmatism (in a true reality), in an ideal realism world of the doctrine of knowledge and theory of God’s living, existentialism of freedom of choice with defining their own meaning in life with rational decisions of both converging man and nature together under one universal law. Which is what I believe Frank’s reasons on what he was trying to convey in his literature in advocating a strong emphasis on vegetarianism based on these philosophical ideologies by making these connections with the fish.
When he speaks to the fish, he is connecting with them, almost like building a bond with the fish, he doesn’t want to eat them. He understands they are living and almost feels like he has empathetic understanding or compassionate understanding for them and perhaps he gains a moral compass to eat them again would be wrong.
Kafka has adopted a certain ethos or a principle of not eating them any more, a vow or a pledge he has taken not to eat them and turn into a strict vegetarian, after speaking to the fish in tanks.
His beliefs and attitudes towards certain species of animals and fish may have changed after talking to them. He may have realised they are living and have perhaps made a self realisation change to adopt the vegetarianism philosophy to empower his spiritual strength and beliefs on everything living possesses a soul or a energy and adopting the no harm to living philosophy and protecting the welfare of animal life instead of eating them. Regaining a new level of consciousness in projecting his views in his literature on making the fish seem valuable rather than see as food on a plate.
In terms of literature Kafka has used a stronger sense of narrative and voice to describe the fishes he talked to in illuminated tanks; he gave them a personal identity and tried to personify them, making them seem more equal and human to him in his perspective.
He tried to make them as the main protagonists or characters in his novel and gave them some value rather than seeing them as food or more unequal than human life.
His narrative voice in his literature was used to amplify the fish’s meaning in making them seem more human by the way of speech in talking with them rather than using them as food that is why he decided to follow a strict vegetarian diet.
It seems like classical 20th century literature with a realistic approach on how Kafka was persuaded into vegetarianism and choosing not to eat fish any more after speaking with them. A sense of perhaps moral obligation to see fish as equal to him had struck his consciousness and spiritual awakening of not to harm and kill and eat fish but to create a bond with them instead.
Vegetarianism and literature
Both vegetarianism and literature over time might have both positively impacted readers over time and may have influenced their future decision making over diet choices and whether to become a vegetarian and choose a meat and fish free diet for health benefits.
The powerful symbolism behind the literature in the way authors write about the way of animal’s lives and fish’s lives can strike readers' mind in helping them develop a sort of deeper compassionate or empathetic understanding, consciousness and enlighten their minds into animal lives and open up the ethical roots behind vegetarianism.
Both vegetarianism and Literature has compelled readers into believing in different beliefs and ethos’ of ways of believes as well in regards to the love or compassion of animals in opening up the philosophy of no harm to living and adopting spiritual believes by the way Kafka describes when he talks to the fishes in tanks for example.
In regards to the fish, becoming an equal member of society, therefore not to be killed or eaten but to have a human understanding that they are part of the living world. With this new frame of thinking Kafka refuses to eat fish, he instead turns vegetarian allowing further trains of thought to develop both a compassion and respect that fish are living forms that have their own language, a way of thinking that isn’t necessarily apparent to a human form of intelligence. Therefore they should not be harmed. - A train of thought that not only gives Kafka the moral high ground but quite possibly a sense of inner peace, described by the gurus in meditation.
Psychologically or spiritual diet choices
Psychologically or on a spiritual or conscious level is a connection he might have built with the fishes in the illuminated tanks in realising their living. The diet choices for him then changed, he suddenly thought he did not want to eat them. He then in his mind might have thought endangerment to living is cruel so he had learnt that the vegetarian philosophy was a healthier route to choose and had considered the moral, ethical and religious implications that followed on from vegetarianism and the roots behind vegetarian diets. His powerful words in literature in bringing the fishes into a character making them seem human more by mentioning he talked with them gave the readers a chance to think about their lives on how they see animals or fishes, questioning their perspectives on them, he might have impacted readers as well and directly influenced their decisions on diet choices too after seeing the fishes a more fairer member of society in not eating them.
For the readers both the symbolism behind the narrative of literature which Kafka has written about may have enlightened readers to have taken a different approach of how they see animals or fishes, whether they would consider eating the fish a choice of moral implications or a choice of ethical reasons or is it simply just for diet chances.
Thus the literature in its simple form of narrative literature has opened the eyes of what vegetarianism is and the deep understanding of the roots, philosophy and moral compass of vegetarianism and the regards to protecting animal and fishes lives rather than eating them or doing no harm to living philosophy.
More about this week's writer
Neelam Shah
Neelam Shah
Masters Psychoanalysis Kingston University graduate-2017. I am currently a temp freelance Researcher/reporter/Analyst for Fintech Pharmaceuticals and a freelance multicultural web researcher for Discover I Limited, and Adhoc Randstad Disability Support Worker/Specialist Note Taker. I am also a current volunteer Research assistant for Yes to Life science directory.
In my spare time I genuinely enjoy tutoring online, baking, painting, drawing, travelling, photography, dancing, playing the keyboard, In addition to my passion for writing blogs and articles, creative writing poems and short stories, I relish in reading novels and visiting historical and art exhibitions, I am also an e-activist, Global Citizen Leader, Campaigner, and political lobbyist for PETA, Walk for Freedom Slavery Activist and End Global Poverty, Unicef Children’s Champion, Greenpeace and Climate Reality activist and GQ Transforming Mental Health Supporter/Campaigner.
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This post first appeared on What Tiger King Can Teach Us About Writing A Good Story, please read the originial post: here
