A Common Confusion

An everyday confusion is a short parable -like story by Franz Kafka, which was created in 1917 and which was published posthumously. It is a representation of the daily perils and trials that end in a failure.

Content

The story begins with the programmatic statement: " An everyday incident: his enduring an everyday confusion. "

However, this set of springs from a read error (or errors Edition ) Max Brod; in the critical edition ( and in the manuscripts ) is not " mess " but " an everyday heroism ".

Person A and Person B from H intend to complete a major business in H. But do not come together. The duration of the different path lengths and the lack of agreement of the meeting point lead for both a confusion and prevent the meeting.

They are even encountered the meantime, without any A which was aware, though he has thereby talking to B. But he was obviously fixated on being able to reach B only in H and could it not take note elsewhere. B waits for him at home. When A finds out, he hastened to come to his apartment, but collapsed on the stairs.

At the end A remains are hurt and angry B disappears.

Text analysis and interpretation approach

The story reads like a math or physics task. The persons A and B and H are the place arbitrary sizes, which also means they are available for any person and any place. Also, the time and location references are variable and elude a fixing access. It could also be a playful association be recognized by the theory of relativity with its redefinition of space and time.

Time and space are overcome. What could actually be a relief now, but it has just against the human quest. There are no physical causes that make time and space seem so relative and fuzzy. There are the assessments of people, their hope, their fear but also simple luck, or, as here: misfortune that leave the way sooner or later will or prevent attention or pretend wrong places.

In the opening sentence, the relationship between the neutral facts " everyday occurrence " connected with its agonizing effect on people " enduring an everyday confusion ". Again, the failure of Kafka's theme, here the failure on the treachery of everyday life. While it seems the one hand, random and paradoxical, on the other hand also fully inevitable logic. Again it is similar to the story, the village schoolmaster two people who actually want the same thing, their intention is prevented but by fate. Or rather by their own inadequacy, by volatility and impatience?

Expenditure

  • Paul Raabe (Editor): Franz Kafka. All narratives. Fischer -Taschenbuch -Verlag, 1970, ISBN 3-596-21078- X.
  • Roger Herms (Editor): Franz Kafka. The narratives. Original Version Fischer Verlag, 1997, ISBN 3-596-13270-3.
  • Jost Schillemeit (Editor): Franz Kafka. Posthumous writings and fragments II Fischer Taschenbuch, 2002, page 35 /36.

Secondary literature

  • Peter- André Alt: Franz Kafka: The eternal Son. A Biography. Publisher C. H. Beck, 2005. ISBN 3-406-53441-4
Association (psychology) The Aeroplanes At Brescia Richard and Samuel Contemplation (Kafka) The Judgment The Stoker The Metamorphosis A Fratricide In the Penal Colony A Country Doctor (short story) Description of a Struggle A Crossbreed The Knock at the Manor Gate The Great Wall of China (collection) My Neighbor Prometheus (Kafka) Letter to His Father The Problem of Our Laws The City Coat of Arms A Little Fable The Silence of the Sirens Poseidon (Kafka) Investigations of a Dog The Married Couple Give It Up! (short story) The Departure (short story) The Burrow (short story)
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