Ambiguity of Characters in Franz Kafka’s ‘in the Penal Colony’ and ‘Waiting for the Barbarians’
Ambiguity of Characters in Franz Kafka’s ‘In The Penal Colony’ and ‘Waiting for The Barbarians’
J.M. Coetzee is one of many well-known post-colonial writers. He was born and spent hid childhood in South Africa. Therefore, many people think that his novel “Waiting for The Barbarians” is an allegory of the situation of South African in a time of apartheid (Head 75). In addition, Coetzee is strongly influenced by the famous author, Franz Kafka. As a result, it is not surprised that “Waiting for the Barbarians” has many similarities to Kafka’s “In The Penal Colony”. In terms of intertexuality, this essay will discuss the ambiguity of characters in Kafka’s ‘In The Penal Colony’ and Coetzee’s ‘Waiting for The Barbarians’ in order to learn the significance of ambiguity and its effects on the readers.
1. Allegory: Historical Context In both novels, the story happens in a penal and a frontier in an unknown land at and unknown time. Therefore, the readers are tempted to look at the setting and time as an allegory of a history of some countries. In ‘In The Penal Colony’, many readers might interpret that the story happens on Devil’s island when it was one of French penal colony because in the story the Officer communicates in French. This island is located in South America off the coast of French Guiana. The penal was first opened by Emperor Napolean III in 1852, and became one of the most notorious prisons in history. It imprisoned everyone from political prisoners to thieves and murderers. Many prisoners had to suffer from disease, harsh labor, and torture, and, thus made them hard to survive. Many were never seen again. This resonates the Old Commandant era. In the end, the dreadfulness of this penal settlement came to light when Alfred Dreyfus, the French army captain, who had been unjustly convicted of treason, was sent there on 5 January 1895 (René -). In ‘Waiting for Barbarians’, people normally relate it with South African history during the apartheid in
J.M. Coetzee is one of many well-known post-colonial writers. He was born and spent hid childhood in South Africa. Therefore, many people think that his novel “Waiting for The Barbarians” is an allegory of the situation of South African in a time of apartheid (Head 75). In addition, Coetzee is strongly influenced by the famous author, Franz Kafka. As a result, it is not surprised that “Waiting for the Barbarians” has many similarities to Kafka’s “In The Penal Colony”. In terms of intertexuality, this essay will discuss the ambiguity of characters in Kafka’s ‘In The Penal Colony’ and Coetzee’s ‘Waiting for The Barbarians’ in order to learn the significance of ambiguity and its effects on the readers.
1. Allegory: Historical Context In both novels, the story happens in a penal and a frontier in an unknown land at and unknown time. Therefore, the readers are tempted to look at the setting and time as an allegory of a history of some countries. In ‘In The Penal Colony’, many readers might interpret that the story happens on Devil’s island when it was one of French penal colony because in the story the Officer communicates in French. This island is located in South America off the coast of French Guiana. The penal was first opened by Emperor Napolean III in 1852, and became one of the most notorious prisons in history. It imprisoned everyone from political prisoners to thieves and murderers. Many prisoners had to suffer from disease, harsh labor, and torture, and, thus made them hard to survive. Many were never seen again. This resonates the Old Commandant era. In the end, the dreadfulness of this penal settlement came to light when Alfred Dreyfus, the French army captain, who had been unjustly convicted of treason, was sent there on 5 January 1895 (René -). In ‘Waiting for Barbarians’, people normally relate it with South African history during the apartheid in
References: Belbenoit, René. 1940. Hell on Trial. Translated from the Original French Manuscript by Preston Rambo. E. P Dutton & Co. Reprint by Blue Ribbon Books, New York, 1941. Coetzee. J.M. Doubling the Point: Essays and Interviews. Ed. David Attwell. Cambridge: Harvard UP, 1992. Print. Head, Dominic. J.M. Coetzee. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press 1997. “Kafkaesque.” Urban Dictionary. [n.d.]. 18 Mar. 2012 . Witz, Leslie (2003). Apartheid 's festival: contesting South Africa 's national pasts. Indiana University Press. p. 134.