Contemplation, or Meditation (Betrachtung in German) is a sequence of eighteen short stories by Franz Kafka written between 1904 and 1912. Eight of these stories were published under the same title in the bimonthly Hyperion and were Kafka's first publication.[1] Some of the stories are also included, in whole or in part, in "Description of a Struggle". All the stories appear in The Complete Stories of Franz Kafka and were published in a single volume edition by Twisted Spoon Press. They have also been translated by Malcom Pasley and are available in the Penguin Books edition, The Transformation and Other Stories (1992).
The Stories
- Children on a Country Road
- Or "Children on the Country Road" Told from the perspective of a child.
Although the gender of the narrator is never specified, one can assume that it is female. Told from the perspective of an unnamed little child, this short story follows her thoughts as she experiences childhood nighttime escapades. The plot begins with this little child on a swing watching passing carts of laborers returning from the fields. After dinner, she ventures into the woods and plays a game with other village children. The game is similar to king-of-the-hill, where the girls are pushed into deep ditches by boys. Later, she goes to the train-tracks and sings. “When you mix your voice with others you are caught like a fish on a hook.” The night ends with our narrator kissing a boy, and hearing from him rumors of the next village where the residents never sleep. This story has a tone of innocence, playfulness, and retrospection as the reader is transported into the mind of an eight or nine year-old girl. Images of big grown-ups, ever-deepening ditches, and youthful recklessness serve to further our impression of this child as an innocent adventurer. The fact that the narrator's name and gender is never specified allows the story to maintain a level of non-specificity. These themes can transcend time and place, so as to capture the thoughts of a child living in anytime or anyplace.
- Unmasking a Confidence Trickster
“Unmasking a Confidence Trickster” is a short story by Franz Kafka, and is a part of his compilation of short stories titled, Meditation. At the beginning of the story, the narrator arrives at a grand house for a party, accompanied by a man whom he was vaguely familiar with. The narrator then claps his hands in a way that indicates that they should part. The companion asks the narrator if he is going up to the party, as he was not invited. The narrator mounts the steps which he describes as, “where I now so dearly wished to be” The narrator talks about the grand house in which he is standing in front of. He describes it as, “It was a silence, moreover, in which the surrounding houses at once took part, and the darkness above them right up to the stars. And the footsteps of invisible strollers, whose routes one had no desire to guess, the wind that kept pressing itself against the other side of the street, a gramophone that was singing up against the closed windows of some,- these made themselves heard out this silence as if it belonged to them for all time past and to come” The narrators companion then smiles and presses his cheek to a wall, the narrator then said that, “I never saw that smile through to the end, for shame suddenly whirled around me.” The story ends with the narrator separating from his companion and entering the grand house where he cannot follow. The last line in the story is, “Then with a sigh of relief and drawing myself up to full height I strode into the hall.” Which embodies the narrators sense of relief in detaching himself from his companion and is now free. There is a long list of imagery in this short story, some more important than others. The first main image seen in the story is of the grand house, the grand house seems to represent a place of refuge from his companion. The grand house is a place into which none can follow and is a place in which he can be free. A second important image is the image of the trickster, which is embodied by the companion of the narrator. The trickster is trying to prevent the narrator from attaining his freedom. The tone of this short story is a mixture of relief, wildness, shame, chaining, and freedom. The theme of this short story is the struggle to attain freedom.
- The Sudden Walk
- Resolutions
- Excursion into the Mountains
The story “Excursions into the Mountains” by Franz Kafka is a passage written in the first person so that the reader can hear the thoughts of the speaker. The story gives images and depicts sights of mountains, feelings of winds, and a crowd of “Nobodies.” In the passage, the speaker gives off a tone of indifference, “If nobody comes, well then, nobody comes.” The tone then shifts as the speaker becomes more excited, desirous for adventure, and joyous, “Our throats become clear in the mountains! It's a wonder we don't start singing.” In this story, there is talk of a coming together of “Nobodies” as if there were a person or people who have no effect and do not help anyone.
- Bachelor's Ill Luck
Also called “The Fate of a Bachelor,” this story is written in the third person. The narrator is a married man with children. He is pondering what it would be like to be a bachelor when one grows old and how lonely one would feel. The narrator throws in images of “empty rooms” and the “strange children” the bachelor will never get to have. The theme in this story is loneliness. The tone is a pessimistic view, as the narrator is looking at being a bachelor with a negative view.
- "The Businessman"
This short story is narrated through the perspective of a businessman. It is spoken in first person. He begins with describing the mental and physical stress that his work causes him such as aches, worry, anxiety, and fear. He explains his role in the business as well as his duties. When he gets off of work, he is liberated from the stressful demands of his business. He goes further to describe his excitement and anticipation for this time that he has to do whatever he wishes. He turns this anticipation, however, to no purpose and he simply decides to walk home and suddenly the tone of the passage swings to slightly depressing and lonesome. The businessman’s friendly nature causes one to feel sympathy for him. On his way home, the narrator begins to fantasize. He has violent thoughts as he imagines killing a pedestrian. The reader soon learns that the character is actually quite wealthy and active as he comes home to a maid and a grand house. As the reader becomes exposed to the businessman’s general thoughts and doings outside of work, it is clear that the character is not the same person as he appears to be in work. It causes the reader to wonder what one might not know about those whom one works with and if their true personality is disguised by the role/ duties they take on as a worker.
- The Tradesman
- Description of the sysiphean life of a tradesman.
- Absent-minded Window-gazing
- The Way Home
This story is told in first person by an unknown narrator as he walks home along a street after a thunderstorm. The power of the newly calmed air brings him to reflect upon his power over everything that happens along the street. This reflection leads him to weigh his past against his future and he concludes that there is nothing to criticize in his life except for his unjust amount of good fortune. Although the narrator can find no imperfections in his life, the tone is not boastful. Instead, the narrator is simply contemplating the importance of his life and his accomplishments. The tone even becomes slightly melancholy as the narrator fails to find meaning in his life despite all his good fortune. It is not until he reenters his house, that the narrator enters into a state of true internal mediation and evaluation. He tries to find some aspect of his life to reflect upon, but finds nothing of importance. He throws open the window, unlocking a gate to reveal the outside world, and music pours in. This breach in the shelter of his house allows real life to intrude upon his realm of contemplation, banishing any opportunity for true reflection.
- Passers-by
- In “The Men Passing By” the narrator contemplates the vision of a man running past him down the street during the night. This man is followed by another man, and the narrator lets them run by. The narrator imagines several scenarios between these two men running past him. These scenarios include the two playing a game, the first running away from the second, or the two teaming up to catch an unknown third person. Depending on the scenario the narrator feels that he would have different responsibilities. After these images pass through his mind he begins to think that the two could have nothing to do with each other, they could be sleepwalking or returning home to their families. He then meditates on the image of the first man being the one in trouble, him being armed. The imagery in this short story is very important because, as the narrator changes his idea of the relationship between the two men, the image of the two men shifts drastically. The tone changes drastically with the narrator's change of scenario because he sets or takes away blame from one of the men, or the other. The theme of “The Men Passing By” is that of guilt and perception. The narrator's level of guilt changes with each shift of scenario and perception because, depending on the scenario, he feels that he needs to decide whether or not to intervene.
- On the Tram
“On the Tram” is a short story told in first-person perspective. It describes a man standing on a tram platform, contemplating the uncertainties of his place in the world. At one point, a woman approaches the tram and the narrator is struck by her vibrance. The story focuses on images of the uncertainty of existence and one's purpose in the world, and the tone is contemplative and existential. The man on the tram cannot even defend the fact that he is on the tram, holding onto the strap, and watching people move about in the streets. When he sees the woman, however, his perspective changes. The narrator sees the girl “as distinctly as if [he] had run [his] hands over her.” He goes on to describe the woman's physical attributes with incredible detail, from her clothing to her hair. He ends his contemplation by wondering, “How is it that she is not astonished at herself, that she keeps her lips closed and says nothing of that kind?” Although the narrator does not understand his own place in the world, he understands the woman's with strange clarity.
- Clothes
- "Clothes" is told form a first person perspective by an unknown narrator. The narrator observes the dresses of women and the women who wear them. Dresses over time gain wrinkles and dirt. Some women refuse to wear dresses with those faults; they change into new dresses at the first sign of a flaw. In other words some women refuse to wear their own faults. Other women, who see themselves in the mirror day after day, seeing and recognizing the same hands and face, wear their faults. From time to time women who wear their faults face themselves in the mirror. They face the reality of their tired dresses, and find that they will never be able to iron out their wrinkles. These women find that they are unable to remove their own flaws, and that they will always wear them. Kafka uses the images of dresses and a "looking-glass" as images of self-evaluation.
- The Rejection
Told from the perspective of a man who is discussing what happens when he meets a pretty girl, “The Rejection” is structured as an imagined dialogue between this man and a hypothetical 'pretty girl.' The narrator says that she will go by without saying a word, but imagines that what she means is that she does not want anything to do with him. This is also imbued with a series of images relating to lovemaking, with mention of a limousine which 'carries you in long thrusts swaying through the street' and an 'escort of gentlemen, pressed into their suitings, following behind you in a strict semi-circle and murmuring their blessings on your head.' The images also present of sexual desire, ranging from commenting on the girl's breasts to her thighs and hips. The taffeta dress she is wearing represents delight, though the story's tone is told with a sense of longing and a sense of frustration evident in the narrator's attempt at chasing women, with themes focusing on love, sexuality, and rejection.
- Reflections for Gentlemen-Jockeys
- Or “For the Consideration of Amateur Jockeys”
Told from the perspective of a jockey, the narrator tells the reader about the dangers and consequences of being a jockey. The narrator uses images of envious opponents, successful and unsuccessful gambling friends, and women looking down upon the pride of the winners. The tone used in the story is that of a wiser, seasoned veteran warning amateurs and rookies of the consequences of their sport. The story focuses in depth on the unfortunate events that take place after a victory. The narrator goes on to tell of the envy of the losers and how their influences in the community will create distress for the victor. The narrator also goes on to describe the fortunes and misfortunes of friends, of those who gambled for one's victory and those who did not fearing the anger of their friend had he lost both his race and their bet. He also goes on to describe the women in the crowd, who disapprove of the victor, finding it ridiculous that the victor is so proud of his victory and of the handshaking and baby kissing that comes with it. The narrator ends his description with the unfortunate announcement of overcasting skies, foretelling rain. The story centers around the theme of the consequences and misfortunes that follow a victory, describing how winning does not always bring fortune.
- The Street Window
- The Narrator of this story omnisciently takes perspective of life through a window overlooking our character's street. The connection he has to the outside world through his window is all that's required to draw him from his solitude. The imagery of “horses...drag[ing]... him into the train or their wagons... towards the harmony of man” show the break of our solitude character's life being ripped through the window he will never cross.
- The Wish to Be An Indian
- This story focuses primarily on the subject of social repression in English gentry society. The work is notable for early use of experimental writing techniques, though often considered incomprehensible by literary scholars.
- The Trees
- Humanity is compared to tree trunks in the snow. Seemingly, a single push could move them, but in reality they are firmly rooted to the ground. This too, however, is only seemingly.
- A comics adaptation of the story, illustrated by Peter Kuper, is included in Give It Up!.
- Unhappiness
Footnotes
- ^ Kafka, Franz. The Complete Stories. New York: Schocken Books, 1995 p. 472-473.
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