Kafka the Country Doctor
Country Doctor Franz Kafka 3 July 1883 – 3 June 1924. Known to be one of Germany’s most influential authors of the twentieth century, had a termed coined after his last name and writing style, Kafkaesque, and it is used by many modern day critics. Kafka’s narratives have been called “anti-fairy tales” (Kafka 332). Unlike fairy tales, where the hero or protagonist is sent on an adventure in order to save the day, Kafka’s journey is meant to bog down the hero and makes them feel like all hope is lost. The following essay will summarize “the Country Doctor” and find evidence of its surrealism which is used to give the story a dream like appeal to readers and show why his narratives were called “anti-fairy tales”.
“The Country Doctor” by Franz Kafka is an interesting short story that sends readers on a bizarre house call with “the country doctor”. Called in the middle of the night, the doctor seeks a horse (as his died the night before) to get to his patients house which is ten miles away. To make matters worse, it is the dead of winter and dreadful storm is blowing quite hard. Along with the doctor we meet Rose, the doctor’s servant girl and the groom, a man with a blue eyed-face which appeared as if out of no-where from the sty. Moments after meeting this trio we are introduced to a family consisting of father, mother, daughter and son. Of which the son is the patient needing medical attention.
The meeting of the trio is a bit odd to say the least. The problem here is that the winter storm had killed the doctors’ horse the night before. He had his servant girl, Rose, going from door to door looking for someone to lend him a horse. Just as all hope seemed lost, he kicks his pigsty (which had been empty for all of a year) only to find out that there is a groom with two good and healthy horses ready to take the doctor on his journey. Odd thing is that the horses are much too big to even fit into the sty. Just as Rose begins to help the groom, the groom grabs
“The Country Doctor” by Franz Kafka is an interesting short story that sends readers on a bizarre house call with “the country doctor”. Called in the middle of the night, the doctor seeks a horse (as his died the night before) to get to his patients house which is ten miles away. To make matters worse, it is the dead of winter and dreadful storm is blowing quite hard. Along with the doctor we meet Rose, the doctor’s servant girl and the groom, a man with a blue eyed-face which appeared as if out of no-where from the sty. Moments after meeting this trio we are introduced to a family consisting of father, mother, daughter and son. Of which the son is the patient needing medical attention.
The meeting of the trio is a bit odd to say the least. The problem here is that the winter storm had killed the doctors’ horse the night before. He had his servant girl, Rose, going from door to door looking for someone to lend him a horse. Just as all hope seemed lost, he kicks his pigsty (which had been empty for all of a year) only to find out that there is a groom with two good and healthy horses ready to take the doctor on his journey. Odd thing is that the horses are much too big to even fit into the sty. Just as Rose begins to help the groom, the groom grabs