The City Coat of Arms
The coat of arms is a short story by Franz Kafka. She's probably originated in 1920 and published posthumously. Your report on the construction of a gargantuan tower corresponds to the history in the construction of the Great Wall.
Content
The story is about the construction of the Tower of Babel. Before construction starts, the worker accommodations are furnished first extensive. There is the opinion that one can not slow enough to begin with the actual construction. For one, the once broader thought of the sky -reaching tower could no longer be removed from the general thinking anyway. On the other hand, any future generation will develop an even higher architecture. The architecture of the future is therefore more suitable for the actual construction of the tower.
So you would rather deals with the design of the working-class town. However, this leads among the various country teams of workers to disputes. There will be bloody battles, followed by periods of rest, but where again the foundation is laid for new battles. The second and third generation of the workers recognizes the futility of Turmbaues, but you do not want to leave the working-class city, you are already connected to each other very.
Tell all of the city are filled with a prophesied day when a gigantic fist five blows crushed the city. Therefore, the city has the fist coat of arms.
Text analysis
The story is not presented by a single narrator, but repeatedly changes the narrative perspective. Is abhorrence of the project, which can be satisfied only induce a desired total destruction from the initial unease about the hesitant approach to the construction. The city performs a fist in the coat of arms. The choice of this coat of arms, whose symbolic meaning is only revealed at the end of the narrative seems to reveal the long cherished desire of the people for destruction. Or is that just the interpretation of anonymous suffering from the failure of the narrator? Would not it obvious that, for the simple workers fist was the symbol for the active hand -build. Perhaps the coat of arms was originally meant as, and has but its meaning but actually converted into Liberating Negative under the progressively ominous development.
Interpretive approaches
Philosophical interpretation
How often in Kafka, it is here again a story of failure. There is even a double failure. First, the actual construction is not carried out energetically. You lose yourself in insignificant side activities and in human inconsistencies and struggles. Then, as we recognize the futility, one fails again by one remains out of convenience in a torturous uncreative situation and waits for the terminating bang from outside. It is an allegory of the impossible. The frenzy of activity with which the people under ever-changing requirements of his superiors pursues an architectural project for generations, which is not lockable, includes nonsense and hubris. Who wants zurücken near to God must be so reads Kafka's conviction sink deep into the world, not looking for her to escape to breezy ways.
The confusion of tongues that came according to the Bible by God because of the infinite tower over the man corresponds, in Kafka human shortcomings. And without the direct action of a punishing God gives the same, namely the Tower does not occur. But is not the hesitancy and intolerance of the people just as the work of God?
Historical and sociological interpretation
A historical- sociological interpretation says that this is a parable of the body up to the downfall of the imperial Monarchy is. Parallels the structure of the multi-ethnic state are the different languages and the high officialdom. Likewise, the number of generations ( three correspond to the period of Franz Kafka's grandfather to himself) and the "five strikes" ( five war years) evidence that it is a parable of the history of Austria - Hungary.
The coat of arms of the city of Prague with a comprehensive to the sword fist could have been modeled for the present story ( See Example interpretation of D. Rettig ).