Hey guys, I'm finally blogging again--after reading away passively for a while, I finally decided to pick Kafka up and take a look. About the self-inflicted punishment/self-correction: (My viewpoint, obviously!)The inscribing that is supposed to take place is like Tae-Yeoun's point--physically inscribing what is to be corrected upon that certain individual. This purpose is the only thing that makes the machine-thing somewhat acceptable in terms of morals (at least by the opinion of the officer), because it achieves its purpose--instilling societal correctness upon the person, literally. He is so convinced of its correctness, that, when the explorer refuses to help him convince the new commandant that the machine is as great as the officer thinks it to be, that he substitutes the prisoner/criminal with himself. Here, it is obvious that the machine controls everything through conformity--it punishes/corrects those who are incorrect, eliminating the differences. Since he is obviously the only one with a societal difference, he implements the machine for upon himself--he is the one that deviates from what is currently correct. However, the machine malefunctions, and the stabbing action all the needles perform do not carve out words, but merely destroy his human form. Hence, taking the human form as a physical manifestation of his mind/soul/person (I really cannot think coherently today), I think Kafka's penal colony conveys that the strict adherance to societal standards is destructive to humanity. So, to outline my points (which I am sure make no sense whatsoever):
1.) Human body = humans in the general; humanity
2.) Machine = Bryan's idea - it is a manifestation of society
3.) The machine's function = to force conformity of wayward individuals to current societal ideas (so society's main function is to force adherence to what is currently correct)
This explains the sudden change when the explorer disagrees with the officer, because at that moment, the officer realizes that he is the one that requires the machine's work; he sees that his devotion to the machine stands alone, all others do not support the use of the machine (in terms of financially, ideally, entertainment-valuely --I know that's not an adverb-- etcetc...)
(Jacob--please excuse my horrific use of dashes, you must clarify their differences once again)
4.)The malfunction of the machine when used on the officer = The punishment that society tries to use to instill what is "correct" on the individual is completely destructive, it doesn't even achieve the initial physical purpose of the machine-the needles do not engrave anything on the officer's body, they merely mutilate him.
5.)Hence, the mutilation of the body is an indirect statement against forced conformity, because mutilating the body employs the body=humanity comparison. This destructive quality of forced conformity applies even to those that support its enforcement, that's why Kafka uses the officer instead of the prisoner.
But then, what of the malfunctioning gear in the machine? If the machine symbolizes the society as a whole, as Bryan pointed out, wouldn't Kafka be saying two contradictory things? That forced conformity is bad, yet one squeaky gear is enough to destroy the entire machine?
I'm terribly sorry, that was incredibly long and discombobulated. I am guilty of posting an enormously long and disjointed blog. Sorry...sorry..I'll stop typing. Now.

posted by Eunice   [8:13 PM]

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