List of Franz Kafka references in Resident Evil

Franz Kafka is a German novel author, he was a major inspiration in the themes of Resident Evil: Revelations 2. This page is a limited list of Franz Kafka references in Resident Evil.

References

• In the main site of Resident Evil: Revelations 2, a teaser showing a quote from one of the aphorisms of Franz Kafka flashes on screen. It reads: Hiding places are beyond number, and yet only one deliverance. But there are as many chances for deliverance as there are hiding places.
• The cuffs that are equipped on Claire Redfield and Moira Burton also act as intercoms through which the Overseer contacts them, often reciting works of Kafka.
• The beginning of each section of each Episode is accompanied by a Kafka quote such as Dread of night. Dread of not-night. This quote is a reference to The Blue Octavo Notebooks, a collection of Kafka's poems, stories, and general thoughts.
• The traveler Claire and Moira find in the village is a reference to "the Traveler", main character in Kafka's in the Penal Colony who comes to an unnamed penal colony located on the island to witness an execution.
• Torture bed with spikes where Claire finds a golden cog key in the detention facility is the same torture device from Kafka's in the Penal Colony which is used for executions.
• The pub in the fishing village "Wossek" is named after the Czech village of Wossek, birth place of Kafka's father.
• During episode 2 while Gabriel Chavez is piloting the helicopter, the Overseer refers to him as "Gregor", which is the name of the protagonist in The Metamorphosis.
• Several drawings can be found on the walls throughout the game by using Moira's flashlight, these are real sketches drawn by Kafka himself.
• The Factory that the Overseer used as trap for Claire and Moira which she calls "Kierling", place where "all things come to an end" is a reference to the place of death of Franz Kafka - Kierling, located in Austria.

Works

All of the episodes in Revelations 2 are named after Franz Kafka's various works:

• Episode 1: Penal Colony named after In the Penal Colony (In der Strafkolonie), a short story by Kafka.
• Episode 2: Contemplation named after Contemplation (Betrachtung), a collection of short stories by Kafka.
• Episode 3: Judgment named after The Judgment (Das Urteil) a short story about the relationship of a man and his father, written by Kafka.
• Episode 4: Metamorphosis named after The Metamorphosis (Die Verwandlung), a novella about a man who suddenly and inexplicably transforms into an insect-like creature.