A Report to an Academy

In literature, the first-person point of view uses the “I” to present the narrator’s perspective. With this point of view, the story arrives through the narrator’s thoughts and experiences. “A Report to an Academy” follows Red Peter’s first-person POV. By telling his own story, Red Peter is able to shape the narrative to reflect his own feelings about his transformation from ape to human. If the POV were omniscient, or from the perspective of an Academy member, it’s possible that Red Peter would have seemed more apish, but because Red Peter has control over the narration, Kafka portrays him in a more human light.

The story is a report to the Academy, but it is more akin to a personal essay than a scientific analysis. The first-person POV greatly contributes to how the story’s tone is more anecdotal than academic. In a report that is supposed to appeal to a bureaucratic institution, the first-person narration brings humanity to a report that likely would’ve otherwise been soulless.