Power&Imagination*

KafkaInthePenalColonyEssay

DRAFTDUE:Tues,Dec2.(bring2copies:1tomentorsessionforpeerreviewandpeerletterresponse,1tomain
classforAlan)
FINALDUE:Thurs.Dec4(bring1copytomainclass)
Inourlatestclasssessions,wevebeenexploringtheimaginationdimensionofpowerbylookingathowculture
shapeshowweknowtheworld,whichinturnimpactshowweactintheworld.Weveexploredtheseideassofar
throughColombo,LakoffandJohnson,andZerubavel.NowweturntoanexplanationofBergerandLuckmans
theoryofthesocialconstructionofreality;Wallacessummarystatesthatrealityconstruction[means]theprocess
wherebypeoplecontinuouslycreate,throughtheiractionsandinteractions,asharedrealitythatisexperiencedas
objectivelyfactualandsubjectivelymeaningful(Wallace262).RussellsReelingfortheEmpirewasanexample
ofhowsomeoftheseideascouldbeexploredinfiction
TheshortstoryInThePenalColonycanbeseenasanillustrationofthesocialconstructionofrealityasrevealed
inallofourperceptionreadingssofar;ofcoursethemachineisaphysicalobject,aliteraltoolofpower,but
perceptionplaysapowerfulroleinthestory.SotheproblemIdliketoposefortheclasswiththisassignment:In
whatwayisKafkasmachineasymbolofliteralpower,andhowitissymbolicofimaginedpowerasocially
constructedreality?Writea3pageessayexploringthisquestion,andusetheoriesfromclasstohelpyou
understandthatpowerthatis,includesomedialogwithtwooftheauthorsofourperceptiontexts(Bergerand
Luckmann,Colombo,LakoffandJohnson,Zerubavel),tohelpyoudevelopathesisaboutthepowerofthemachine.
ThefollowingaresomeavenuesyoumighttakewithapplyingthesetheoriststoKafka:
ColombodescribeshowsocietiesdevelopCulturalMyths,beliefs(whichmayormaynotbetrue)sharedand
rarelyquestioned.Whenculturescollidethesemythsbecomeapparent.
LakoffandJohnsonwritethatmetaphorsareunconscious,partofourordinaryconceptualsystem,intermsof
whichweboththinkandact(3);theycontinue,theessenceofmetaphorisunderstandingandexperiencingone
kindofthinkintermsofanother(5).TheOfficerdescribesindetailthefunctionofpartsofthemachine.Think
ofitsspecificpartsandhowtheyarenamedwhatdotheydo?Whatothermeaningsofthewordsmightmake
themmetaphoricinsomeway?
ZerubavelwritesthatoursocialorderisaproductofthewaysinwhichweseparateEveryclasssystem
presupposesafundamentaldistinctionbetweenpersonalfeaturesthatarerelevantforplacingoneinaparticular
socialstratum..andthosethatarenot,basedontheneedtodistinguishusfromthem(2).Howdoes
Zerubavelsdiscussionofsuchboundaries(suchaschunksofidentity)definewhoholdspoweroverwhomin
Kafkasstory,andhow?Inwhatwaysdothecharactersbelieve(orresist)theseboundariesarereal?
HowmightthemachinesgruesometorturebeanillustrationofritualtransitionasdescribedinZerubavel?
CompareandcontrasttheCondemnedandtheOfficer(oranyothercharacters)inthisregard.
BergerandLuckmannarguethatrealityissociallyconstructedthroughtheprocessofexternalization,
objectivation,and/orinternalization.Howmightthisprocessorfailureatanystageofthisprocessexplainthe
machineseventuallackofsupport?
BergerandLuckmannwritethattheinterruptionofthesesocialprocessesthreatensthe(objectiveand
subjective)realityoftheworldsinquestion(263).Howdoesthefullquoteinthetextapplytothestory?Where
inthestoryisrealitybeinginterrupted,andhowdoesthatimpactvariouscharacterspower(orlackofpower)?
KarenRussellwasclearlyawareofthePenalColonywhenshewroteReelingfortheEmpire.Themachinein
herstoryoccupiesasimilarrole,withadifferentoutcome.
Thinkofyourownconnection(s)betweentheperceptiontextsandKafkasstory,anddiscusshowtheyrelateto
theassignmentprompts.

WritingIssues(whatIamevaluatinginyourpapers):Pushingyourthinkingbymakingconnections;interpreting
textsusingquotations,paraphrase,andsummarytosupportyourinterpretation;afocusedthesis;citation
format/workscited;organizationandmechanics.YourpapershoulduseeitherMLAorAPAformat.
ThisassignmentisadaptedfromA.Trimble