SHORT STORY "IN THE PENAL COLONY" BY FRANZ KAFKA AND ITS CONNECTION WITH KAFKA’S DIARY NOTES OF 1914
The article is devoted to one of the most famous and dramatic short stories of Franz Kafka “In the penal colony” analyzed in tight connection with the diary notes on the relevant political and historical issues of 1914, when the story was created. That short story is one of the few Kafka’s masterpieces, which creating was many times mentioned in his diaries. It was written in 1914 and while getting acquainted with it the reader can reveal Kafka’s true attitude to it. Although the historical context seems insignificant from the first sight, as the first days of the WWI and the main events, which were connected with it, are mentioned briefly if ever, the creating of that short story in that period makes it possible to understand the depth of Kafka’s understanding of the absurd tragedy which was taking place. There are only a few notes on the war issue in the diary, however the most significant works have been created by Kafka in this period - these are the novel “The trial”, the short stories “Memories of the Kalda railway”, “The village schoolmaster”, “The junior prosecutor“, “In the penal colony”. The detailed analysis given in the article includes the characteristics of the composition, the main characters, their counterparts and antagonists (every character of the story opposes the other one) reveals correlation between the story and the political situation in Europe in 1914.