An Old Manuscript
Encyclopedia
"An Old Manuscript" alternatively translated as "An Old Leaf", is a short story
by Franz Kafka
. It was originally written in 1919 in German.
(a shoemaker) concludes his observations by saying: "The salvation of our fatherland is left to us craftmen and tradespeople, but we are not equal to such a task, nor indeed have we ever claimed to be capable of it. This is a misunderstanding, and it is proving the ruin of us." This is a kafkaesque scenario, where the protagonist faces unimaginable challenges from society. A similar situation takes place in "A Country Doctor", where the protagonist, a doctor, faces the unyielding challenge of curing a patient who's about to die.
Short story
A short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels. Short story definitions based on length differ somewhat, even among professional writers, in part because...
by Franz Kafka
Franz Kafka
Franz Kafka was a culturally influential German-language author of short stories and novels. Contemporary critics and academics, including Vladimir Nabokov, regard Kafka as one of the best writers of the 20th century...
. It was originally written in 1919 in German.
Plot summary
The story begins when a shoemaker begins to open up his shop at daybreak. He notices that a large group of nomads from the north have filled the town square. The nomads show no signs of culture, and soon trash the city into "a veritable sty". They also show no respect for the town people and take everything they want from the stores without making any sort of payment. The Emperor appears at one of the palace windows and looks on as nomads take control of the city—but he's not able to do anything.Analysis
The protagonistProtagonist
A protagonist is the main character of a literary, theatrical, cinematic, or musical narrative, around whom the events of the narrative's plot revolve and with whom the audience is intended to most identify...
(a shoemaker) concludes his observations by saying: "The salvation of our fatherland is left to us craftmen and tradespeople, but we are not equal to such a task, nor indeed have we ever claimed to be capable of it. This is a misunderstanding, and it is proving the ruin of us." This is a kafkaesque scenario, where the protagonist faces unimaginable challenges from society. A similar situation takes place in "A Country Doctor", where the protagonist, a doctor, faces the unyielding challenge of curing a patient who's about to die.
External links
- "The Old Manuscript" - English translation.