In the Penal Colony

Kafka highlights the human desire for judgement and revenge that, for better of for worse, is present throughout human history. In the case of the officer in the story, justice is swift and brutal, seeing guilt as beyond doubt. The perspective of the visitor, however, shows us the fanaticism of the officer and cowardice of the crowds who came to watch the machine in the past yet now object to it's use when they are no consequences on them for doing so. Kafka never attempts to provide a solution to the problems in many justice systems, only showing us the moral failings and condemnations that we ignore. Even the officer, in his dedication to his morals and justifications for his actions, submits himself to the machine in the end as he sees the shift in perspective around him and is ultimately killed by his refusal to reconsider his actions. It clearly represents to us the excuses and justifications that have been used all throughout history to justify actions that would normally seem reprehensible to those who commit them.

While this is not my favourite of Kafka's works, I think it teaches many important lessons and has nuances I am not smart enough to fully understand, but even on the surface the level the messages it includes about our attitudes to justice and morals, and how we justify our actions are clear and important.

The first work of Franz Kafka that showed me he wasn't completely pessimistic. The story implies that evil and tyranny are self-destructive but stupid ignorant people can always bring them back and that we have to debar them always from any power to prevent tyrannic rulers from coming to power. I love the story and the ending. Franz Kafka is one of the greatest writers to have ever existed.

Something that I love about Kafka is that I enjoy and feel spiritual experiences from reading him even if I have no clue what is going on in the story. Examples include “A Judgment” and “A Country Doctor.” These stories feel like the literary equivalent of a David Lynch short, and to try and parse out a meaning from them feels to me almost an injustice (though I could be naive in that respect). Even during stories where I can come up with an idea as to “the meaning of it all,” such as “In the Penal Colony” and “The Metamorphosis,” there still remains an underlying surrealism that carries with it a hint of unidentified menace. I find myself uncertain whether to laugh, cry, or hide. That is the beauty of these stories to me. I need a break from Kafka for the moment, but I am so excited that there is so much more of his writing I have not encountered yet.

Realmente aterrorizante. Por muitos momentos a mente por trás daquele “aparelho” cruel me espantou. Uma boa novela e uma escrita magnifica do Kafka.