A write up on 'An Imperial Message'
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Vaishali Prasad
Aug 21, 2012, 12:39:27 AM8/21/12
to Literature and Values Odd Sem
Hello,
Please post your 100 word write up on Kafka's 'An Imperial Message' on
this thread, if you have not submitted it already.
Franz Kafka’s ‘An Imperial Message’ deals with the idea of journey and
purpose in a futile world. The urgency of the message sent out by the
dying emperor - a message which remains a secret between the emperor
and his messenger - is contrasted with the tortuous route it takes to
reach the citizen, for whom the message is intended. The messenger is
powerful and determined, yet cannot circumvent this world devoid of
reason. No matter how hard he tries, the message will not be delivered
by him, and his struggle is in vain.
The existentialists believed that absurdity does not lie in the
irrationality of the world, but in the rationality of man who tries to
make sense of a chaotic universe. Communication does not always follow
direct channels, and Kafka concludes that even as you, the citizen,
may never receive the message, you would dream of it, and perhaps
comprehend what the emperor was trying to tell you through the medium
of silence.
-
Vaishali V
HS10H039
Please post your 100 word write up on Kafka's 'An Imperial Message' on
this thread, if you have not submitted it already.
Franz Kafka’s ‘An Imperial Message’ deals with the idea of journey and
purpose in a futile world. The urgency of the message sent out by the
dying emperor - a message which remains a secret between the emperor
and his messenger - is contrasted with the tortuous route it takes to
reach the citizen, for whom the message is intended. The messenger is
powerful and determined, yet cannot circumvent this world devoid of
reason. No matter how hard he tries, the message will not be delivered
by him, and his struggle is in vain.
The existentialists believed that absurdity does not lie in the
irrationality of the world, but in the rationality of man who tries to
make sense of a chaotic universe. Communication does not always follow
direct channels, and Kafka concludes that even as you, the citizen,
may never receive the message, you would dream of it, and perhaps
comprehend what the emperor was trying to tell you through the medium
of silence.
-
Vaishali V
HS10H039
Jacob Roshan
Aug 21, 2012, 3:26:07 AM8/21/12
to literature-and...@googlegroups.com
Suffocation wells up within you as you read this text. The portrayal of the despair and the futility is stunning. With the wonderful imagery, made possible through the detailed description of the palace and the stairs and the walls, we feel like we are the ones moving through that ocean people who are there to see the king die. The bare mention of the open fields feels like a breath of fresh air.
The person who is supposed to receive the message has been encompassed in one sentence, even though he or she is the most important part of the story, the part which probably represents everyone who reads this story. Kafka is epitomising the pessimism by probably telling us that the thing that we long for the most in our life, the message that we despair so much for, "can never, never happen". It is just a sad little story that is beautifully presented...
Jacob Roshan
HS10H014
The person who is supposed to receive the message has been encompassed in one sentence, even though he or she is the most important part of the story, the part which probably represents everyone who reads this story. Kafka is epitomising the pessimism by probably telling us that the thing that we long for the most in our life, the message that we despair so much for, "can never, never happen". It is just a sad little story that is beautifully presented...
Jacob Roshan
HS10H014
Arijit Banerjee
Sep 2, 2012, 6:41:15 AM9/2/12
to literature-and...@googlegroups.com
Hi, I'm sorry about the late interpretation. Sundays are a good time to go existentialist.
'An Imperial Message' is an interesting work by Kafka. One of the ways in which this text can be interpreted is of the futility of the world we live in. The messenger symbolizes how a person more than capable of accomplishing his destiny may fail to do so because of unforeseen obstacles and trials in his life. The inherent absurdity of the world is also evident here - a humble subject living on the remote fringes of a kingdom waits in vain for a message from the Emperor which he will never receive. In its absence, he conjures up his own version of what the message would contain. Rational arguments do not enter the text, it is simply about what happens. With its depiction of hope and despair in a world without reason, this text is representative of existentialism.
---
Arijit Banerjee
CS09B002
'An Imperial Message' is an interesting work by Kafka. One of the ways in which this text can be interpreted is of the futility of the world we live in. The messenger symbolizes how a person more than capable of accomplishing his destiny may fail to do so because of unforeseen obstacles and trials in his life. The inherent absurdity of the world is also evident here - a humble subject living on the remote fringes of a kingdom waits in vain for a message from the Emperor which he will never receive. In its absence, he conjures up his own version of what the message would contain. Rational arguments do not enter the text, it is simply about what happens. With its depiction of hope and despair in a world without reason, this text is representative of existentialism.
---
Arijit Banerjee
CS09B002
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