Re: There are few thrills to be gleaned from Kafka’s writing, fo
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21 Mar 2019, 11:31
The clue is that the characters are not fleshed out enough for the reader to really feel their predicaments. The characters are largely disembodied ideas, which prevents readers from empathizing with them.
The word "vicarious" means to experience something yourself in response to someone else's situation. So if my friend is on vacation having a great time, I might experience vicarious happiness: I'd be happy in response to my friend's being on vacation.
In any case, it's a tricky word, but it fits the context here, as the reader doesn't experience anything through the characters, as the characters are not relatable enough.