The work is technically very good. Is suspected as the whip of the second paragraph, anticipating the outcome dialogue between the Jackal and head North abroad. Achieves a constant tension because the jackals surrounding abroad, holding the clothes, have a continuing threat no guarantee that can not end in tragedy for the poor man was just trying to sleep.
But the key question is: Did Franz Kafka here to write a story of Arabs and jackals? In principle, we agree that the story is fantasy: the jackals do not speak for most intelligent are .
From this detail, I understand that this whole thing is a metaphor. Regards a subject people battered and partly living in the land of another people, domineering and arrogant, but sometimes condescending.
Kafka known as one of Jews and Christians. He was a very educated and insightful he was born in a home in which they observed the Jewish traditions but in the midst of a dominant Christian community. His own father was a Christian clientele, his sisters and he had attended German schools, etc. Moreover, he knew-knew-the old battle, overlapping and sometimes not, Jews and Christians in the old continent. It was quite knowledgeable of love-hate relationship between both peoples. Of attitudes ambivalent Christians towards the Jews who lived among them and vice versa. Knew about the pogroms but also of tolerance and cooperation between them. Also resentment and mutual mistrust.
Who then are the Arabs of the story? European Christians.
And who the jackals? European Jews.
What is the oasis? Europe.
Several indications me lead to this conclusion:
1) Together but separate. In the story, Jackals and Arabs live together but separate. Just as Jews and Christians lived in Europe Kafka. "Is not it rather unfortunate that we live in exile among such people" , said the old jackal. That is, shared as half a territory and were to a certain type of contact but that's just. Arabic hospitality is known and even proverbial, and Kafka might also play with it, something like: I receive and be well cared for but you while indoors.
2) rulers and ruled. The Arab position is dominant (such as the European Christian) imposes the rule and has the whip to enforce it, also occupies the oasis (Europe), also ranging jackals (the Jews despised), but they approach as loitering. The Jackal is a good allegory of European Jewish then, the type that fails to settle at all because they dream of being independent, free. As for the rest, which is outside Europe, is like a desert oasis is outside, out of which may assist the survival of a Jewish people as the then relatively weak people that undoubtedly went terribly wrong.
3) Purifier and impure. The attitude of the dragons in the story is almost religious, mystical, which is in keeping with the tradition of Judaism. The important thing for the dragons is above all the purity of food. Something that is a constant biblical and Jewish. These are old traditions that still remain among many modern Orthodox Jews. No more to read Leviticus [1] Deuteronomy or [1] to see the importance of the purity of the food meant for the Jewish people. Arabs would be the Christian story, which contaminate food by not following the strict biblical and rabbinic guidelines, the eating part and leave the rest of the jackals (Jews) in the form of carrion. A real scandal. The jackals are then feel compelled to purge food, almost like an obsession. No, the Arabs (Christians) should not intervene in the affairs of dragons (the Jews), says his boss. As good old is also the one that best preserves the traditions of his people and clear: "We want the Arabs to leave us in peace, breathing air ... not hear the wail of Arabic slaughters sheep, that all animals die in peace, to be purified by us, without outside interference ... Purity, purity only want ... "
4) Love-Hate. As in the Europe of Christians and Jews in the story played by the constant love-hate between Arabs and jackals. There are a lot of resentment on both sides, but there is also admiration and, to some kind of love or respect for trying to cover up the apparent contempt for the other. Jackals do not hate all Arabs, at least not to the extent of contamination risk: "We will not kill them. There would be enough water in the Nile to cleanse " clarifies the chief jackal. For its part, the Arab says of jackals: "That's why we love them, they are our dogs, more beautiful than yours" . And at the end of the story tells the agent: "I've seen. Wonderful beasts, is not it? And how we hate! " However, this love of Arabic does not prevent whipping punish them without a good reason. The Arab is delighted with this ambivalence, is aware of this love-hate, maybe even a little more than jackals themselves.
5) The contradictions of both peoples. European Christians welcomed the Jews in their communities but after complaining without reason and made them more feel contempt. Arabic does something similar when expressly brings substantial food (a dead camel) but after playing, quite perversion, to throw them with whips. Jackals, meanwhile, eat what they bring as Arabic but still smarting from the maltreatment. Similarly, the attitude of European Jews was then similar to the jackals of the story: it is considered a distinct people, almost independent, but consented to use every opportunity presented to them material even came from Christian infidels. And it does not prevent them from permanently maintained in a resentful and whiny attitude against that protected them and allowed them to thrive.
6) messianic attitude. Jackals, like Jews, they hoped for freedom from oppression. What does North abroad then? Obviously, the Messiah. Someone supposed jackals than the Arabs. A warrior Messiah, not a peaceful one. This was always Jewish tradition and from ancient times. Someone who had just once and for all the oppression of the Jewish people.
7) truth and comedy. But in Kafka can not miss the stark irony, the idea that nothing can be solved, it makes what we do, is try what is attempted.
The head of the jackals have a plan, but it is a child plan. It brings the unknown North scissors to exterminate all the Arabs, an element that is a weapon even though it may sometimes operate as such. But it is a rusty scissors, useless. Anyway, the task would be impracticable for the poor abroad because the Arabs are many. Simply would be foolish to try. Then what Kafka might have wanted to say is that the plans then Messianic Judaism (1916) were absurd. Just a kind of comedy that only served to keep faith, hope, generation after generation it took centuries of scissors from a jackal jackal, though he had lost his edge completely.
The more aware of this comedy that both groups interpreted (and this is the terrible of Kafka) is Arabic. Not the jackal head, the most known traditions. Perhaps in part because Arabic is aware of his own strength that makes arrogant, perhaps by considering the jackal unable to free a seriously (and maybe even a little funky) but also because he sees and knows everything from outside the intent is absurd "... everyone knows, while there are those scissors Arab stroll through the desert, and will wandering with us until the last day. A European whole it is offered, to carry out the corporation, all of Europe is precisely that they believe sent by fate. These animals feed a wild hope, boobies, boobies are real " .
latter would also be a metaphor. Christianity then, as the Arab story was also arrogant: he saw the Jewish messianic thinking with compassion, as useless as something silly or crazy, because for Christians, the Messiah had come and there could be another.
One last thought. For those who want to see some sign jackals offensive word, it is worth remembering that this was not the point of view of the ancient Hebrews, which is what matters here, since Kafka relates to very old traditions ( ... long ago, while I waited, my mother waited for you, also his, and one after another all their mothers, until the mother of all jackals ") .
The word jackals (always plural, never singular) appears fourteen [2] times in the Bible and this is a reliable source as to the true meaning of the word for old. The chapter of Job 30:28-29 is probably the most significant in this respect: "Saddened walked everywhere [...] Brother for the dragons came to be, and companion to the daughters of the ostrich" , giving understand the great distress of the patriarch Job, who felt abandoned and sad. Note that Job is not ashamed to call himself brother of jackals.
Jackals for the biblical patriarchs and prophets connoted no dangerous animals or cruel or unworthy , simply connected them with sad situations or places not fit for human habitation (desolate places), occupied by timidity or distrust natural to man (Jeremiah 49:33 vgr.: "... must become a shelter of jackals, a desolate to time indefinite ") . Even the female jackal was regarded as an excellent mother ( "Even the jackals they have submitted their udders.'ve Nursed her cubs ..." [3] ), in sharp contrast to what they thought the same Hebrew the ostrich in the same verse from Lamentations 4:3 ("... the daughter of my people [Jerusalem] is cruel, like the ostriches in the wilderness ") and in Job 39:13-15, where the bird is qualified as a bad mother.
[1] In particular Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy chapter 14.
[2] The fourteen biblical references to the jackals are: Job 30:29, Psalm 44:19, Isaiah 13:22, 34:13, 35:7, 43:20 Jeremiah 9:11, 10:22, 14:6, 49:33, 51:37, Lamentations 4:3, Micah 1:8 and Malachi 1:3. Under all the Old Testament, which is the interested in this case.
[3] Lamentations 4:3.
JACKALS AND ARAB
(from the book "A Country Doctor", 1916)
We camped in the oasis. My companions were asleep. An Arab, tall and white, passed me, he had been dealing with the camels and went to his shop.
I lay back on the grass, tried to sleep, I could not, a jackal howled in the distance, I sat down. And what was once so distant, suddenly came close. I was surrounded by a crowd of jackals, eyes that sparkled like dull gold and returned to fade, slender bodies that moved quickly and rhythmically, as under a whip.
Behind me, one of the dragons came, it passed under my arm, pressed against me, as if searching for my heat and then placed in front and told me, his eyes almost in mine:
-I, by far the oldest jackal. I am greatly pleased to greet you at last. I had almost lost all hope long ago, while I waited, my mother waited for you, also his, and one after another all their mothers, until the mother of all jackals. Believe it!
"I wonder" I said, forgetting to turn the pile of logs ready to drive away with the smoke of the jackals, "I wonder much what you say. Just by chance I came from the Far North and I'm passing through your country. What do you want me, jackals?
And encouraged by these words, perhaps too friendly, the noose tightened around me, all panting with his mouth open.
-know-the dean began to come from the North, in that our hopes lie. There exists an understanding that we find among the Arabs. In this cold arrogance, as you well know, no You can start the spark of understanding. Kill animals to eat carrion and despise.
"Not so loud," I said, there are Arabs who sleep nearby.
"Really, you are a foreigner," said the jackal, otherwise you would know that not once in the history of the world a jackal has feared an Arab. Why should we fear them? Is not it rather unfortunate that we live in exile among such people?
"Maybe, it can be," I said, I do not try cases that are away from my competition looks like a very old enmity, must be in the blood may only end with blood.
"You are very subtle," said the old jackal, and all most eagerly panted, agitated, despite being still, a rancid smell, which sometimes forced me to grit my teeth, emanating from its mouth open- . You are very insightful, what you said is consistent with our tradition. Yes, your blood shall flow, and finish the fight.
- Oh! "I said, perhaps too strongly," they will defend themselves, with their guns will kill thousands.
"We do not understand," he said, is a very human condition, which as I see it also exists in the North. We do not want to kill them. There would be enough water in the Nile to cleanse. We just see their living bodies to run, to pure air, into the desert, that's why our home.
And all the dragons of the circle, which had been added while many others came from further away, buried their snouts between the front legs, and rub it to clean and seemed to want to hide such a reluctance dreadful, that I felt like make a big jump on their heads and escape.
-So what do you propose? I asked, trying to stand up but could not: two young beasts had stuck me with teeth jacket and shirt from behind, I had to stay seated.
"I hold the tail, calmly explained the old jackal," a sign of respect.
- Soltadme! I exclaimed, turning alternately to the old and to youth.
-course I let you go, "said the old man, and that is your desire. But take a little, because they have bitten deeply, as usual, and now must slowly loosen teeth. Meanwhile, hear our call.
"Your conduct has predisposed me to serve you too" I said.
"No blame our stupidity," he said, and for the first time resorted to plaintive tone of his natural voice, "we are a poor beasts, we only have our teeth, to everything we do, the bad and the well, just have our teeth.
"Well what do you want? I asked, not reconciled.
"Sir," she said, and all the jackals howled, distant, remote, I found a melody. Lord, you must put an end to this struggle, which divides the world into two camps. Just like you, our ancestors described a man who carried out the task. We want Arabs to leave us alone, that the air breathable, the gaze is lost in a horizon purified without their presence, that we do not hear the wail of Arabic slaughters sheep, that all animals die in peace, for be purified us, without outside interference, until we have emptied their bare bones and bones. Purity, purity, and we are only here crying, sobbing all. How do you put this world, good-hearted and gentle womb? Crap is their whiteness; crap is his blackness, a horror are his beard just to see the orbits of his eyes to spit, and when we stand arm in their armpits the gates of hell. So, sir, why, oh, dear sir, with the help of your powerful hands cut its throat with these scissors.
And responding to a movement of his head, appeared a jackal, one of whose tusks hung a tiny pair of sewing scissors, covered with old rust.
"Well, came the scissors, i just now! Exclaimed the Arab guide our caravan, which had slipped to us with a headwind and made his enormous whip cracking.
Everyone fled quickly, but stopped some distance away, tightly packed, all beasts are gathered in a group so stiff and cramped, it looked like a small herd, cornered by wisps.
"So you also, Sir, you have watched and heard this comedy-Arab said, and laughed as merrily as allowed by the sobriety of his race.
- You also know what they want those beasts? I asked.
"Naturally, sir," he said, everyone knows that, while there are those scissors Arab stroll through the desert, and will wander with us until the last day. A European whole it is offered, to carry out the corporation, all of Europe is precisely that they believe sent by fate. These animals feed a wild hope Boobies, boobies are real. That's why we want to, they are our dogs, more beautiful than yours. Look, a camel died tonight, what I bring here.
four young men appeared before us who threw the heavy body. Just deposited it, jackals raised their voices. Like so many strings pulled by irresistible approached, hesitantly, rubbing the ground with the body. They had forgotten the Arabs, forgotten their hatred, the presence of stinking corpse spells, erased everything else. And it lit a neck, with the first bite came into the aorta. As a tiny suction pump patent, which would as vigorously as unlikely to succeed off a huge fire, every muscle in his body trembled and struggled in his task. and soon all were given the same task, huddled over the body, like a mountain.
Then, the guide again and again lashed out with his cutting whip vigorously. Looked up in a sort of ecstatic frenzy, they saw before them the Arabs, felt the lash on their snouts, they flew back and fell running for some distance. But the camel's blood had already formed puddles on the ground, smoked, the body was opened in several places; again, again raised his whip guide, stopped his arm.
"You're right, sir," he said, let them continue their work, in addition, it is time to break camp. I've seen. Wonderful beasts, is not it? And how they hate us!
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