KAFKA AND TOLSTOY READING GROUP

facilitated by Dr. Dena Fehrenbacher

This semester, we will engage two works that place questions of human dignity at the center of literary and moral attention: The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka and The Death of Ivan Ilyich by Leo Tolstoy.

These two novellas present protagonists afflicted in ways that highlight the failure of those around them to recognize their humanity and inherent dignity. Yet, both of these European novellas make use of third person omniscient narration; readers are given a glimpse into the interior life of the protagonist that the other characters cannot see. In this, both novellas offer implicit arguments about the dignity and value of human life, and the challenge of seeing such value clearly. They resist sentimental solutions, do not let ritual provide easy answers, and are clear-eyed about the rarity and social inconvenience of true acts of love and witness.

Join us in reading and discussing this text together, alongside our Spring 2026 semester theme “Human Dignity.”

This reading group will meeting monthly, during lunch hour. You will find the reading schedule below. Feel free to drop in to the meetings that best suit your schedule (i.e. you do not need to commit to attending all monthly meetings).

This reading group is open to the general public. RSVP is requested as lunch will be provided.

Reach out to info@binst.org with any questions.