10-03-2007, 08:29 PM | #1 |
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Kafka, Franz: In the Penal Colony, v1, 4 Oct 2007.
Franz Kafka: In the Penal Colony, (In der Strafkolonie)
(1919) (Translated from the German by Ian Johnston) A short story of about 12,000 words. Set in an un-named penal colony, this is at first sight very similar to Octave Mirbeau’s ‘The Torture Garden’. In both cases the torturer gets a taste of their own medicine. But this is an incomparably greater work than Mirbeau’s (which I find merely nasty) because it is enigmatic and capable of many interpretations. Some have seen it as a metaphor for Christianity: the Jehovah-like Commandant has devised a machine to implement retributive justice in a world where all are guilty. When the visitor points out that this system is unfair, the young Officer submits to the torture-machine in a Christ-like atonement. Or it may be a comment on the Great War. Or something else. Decide for yourself. Copyright Statement (from http://www.kafka.org ) “This translation, which has been prepared by Ian Johnston of Malaspina University-College, Nanaimo, BC, Canada, is in the public domain and may be used by anyone, in whole or in part, without permission and without charge, provided the source is acknowledged. Released October 2003. ” This work is assumed to be in the Life+70 public domain OR the copyright holder has given specific permission for distribution. Copyright laws differ throughout the world, and it may still be under copyright in some countries. Before downloading, please check your country's copyright laws. If the book is under copyright in your country, do not download or redistribute this work.
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