In 《In the Penal Colony》, a Western traveler was invited by a commandant to inspect an execution of a criminal on an island and a succession of events happened. First of all, we can notice that the Officer was so proud of the “artistic” apparatus and he introduced and explained eagerly the most comprehensive process of judicial operation to the Traveler. There were lots of details describing the apparatus in motion, not that bloody but it was really a nauseating inhumanity. The Officer was the single advocate and defender, but he lacked the Old Commandant’s power. He knew the apparatus’ objections and he realized the Traveler would be dissatisfied with the execution, but he still tried to persuade the Traveler to support him. The Traveler, who came from the Europe with an open cultural ideology could accept different ideologies, but was incapable of approving historical retrogression. However, as a foreigner, an outsider, the Traveler prefer to stay silent with an ambivalence in attitude toward this death penalty until the Officer begged him to be his partner, the Traveler resolutely opposed the Officer’s suggestions. He showed his respect, understanding and sympathy to the Officer, and he didn’t intervene in the process when the Officer decided to put himself to torture. The Soldier and the Condemned Man were the symbol of the masses in that epoch—who gathered together to watch the execution as a grand and spectacular occasion. The Condemned Man didn’t even know he had been condemned or sentenced, and he had no right to defend himself, which is regarded by the Officer as meaningless. When the inscription was made on his body, he was suffering, but later, he enjoyed the rice buddings with the Soldier. It’s a transformation in attitude from resistant passively to insensitive. Without the Traveler, the death penalty would have been executed successfully as usual, nothing would change, why the “passer-by” is so important in this story? Kafka wrote this character as a stranger out of the social structure and constraint, it’s a rescue altering the criticized judicial systems. To escape the situation as a bystander, it’s also a personal thought of Kafka.

In this novel, we can find many literal elements, like mystical transformations, alienation, physical cruelty. Besides, lots of implied meanings are hidden in this story. First of all, I’ll like to talk about the relation between the technology and the human being. This apparatus was designed by the Old Commandant, who controlled the organization of the entire penal colony and had the absolute power of life and death over millions. Like the phrase said in a passage, the Old Commandant is the combination of soldier, judge, engineer, chemist and draftsman. The Old Commandant took the machine as an achievement—a combination of technologic breakthrough and aesthetic principles, it was endowed without any emotion, it’s an sternly indifferent machine rather than a cruel machine. So how can we deal with the relation between the technology and the humanity? Technological advancements strength human being’s force, but also accelerate the alienation between them, people are getting indifferent. Secondly, Kafka implied different political strategies through the description of two commandants. The Old Commandant advocated the hegemonism—the concentration of power, but the Present Commandant, he didn’t like the process of execution invented by the Old Commandant and he had a bad relationship with the Officer, he didn’t show up, but he invited the Traveler to represent him, to help him achieve the goal of consolidating the new power. He might have human opinions and supported a more civilized judicial system, but he didn’t take a firm hand to forbid the method of execution, he wanted to cripple and disorganize the old power and forces from the viewpoint of political consideration. Politicians are always tricky. Finally, another noticeable plot—the obstinate attitude and compromise of the Officer. The Officer eventually chose to end his life by experiencing the operation of apparatus, I believe he must had a fierce inward struggle for ages, then the Traveler made him clear-minded, his behaviors stir up our inmost feelings, his ultimate result even made him heroic. This successful character and his unstable thoughts were created as a representation of those anxious people who were living in the period of cultural transition.

In addition, there are other things for us to ponder, like the death, the penalty, the rescue, the wisdom and the conspiracy, etc.. Kafka left us lots of enigmas to probe, everyone may have their own understanding and choice in different historic periods, this is one of the charms of Kafka’s works as well.