#16499
Mentioned in 2 episodes
In the Penal Colony
Book • 1919
The story takes place on a tropical island where a penal colony operates under a strict and inhumane system of justice.
An officer, deeply devoted to the old Commandant who invented the execution apparatus, explains its workings to a traveler.
The apparatus writes the sentence of the condemned onto their body over several hours, leading to a slow and agonizing death.
The officer's enthusiasm for the machine contrasts with the traveler's growing discomfort and moral outrage.
When the traveler refuses to support the officer's plea to continue using the apparatus, the officer frees the condemned prisoner and subjects himself to the machine, which malfunctions and kills him brutally.
The story explores themes of power, control, and the critique of authoritarian systems.
An officer, deeply devoted to the old Commandant who invented the execution apparatus, explains its workings to a traveler.
The apparatus writes the sentence of the condemned onto their body over several hours, leading to a slow and agonizing death.
The officer's enthusiasm for the machine contrasts with the traveler's growing discomfort and moral outrage.
When the traveler refuses to support the officer's plea to continue using the apparatus, the officer frees the condemned prisoner and subjects himself to the machine, which malfunctions and kills him brutally.
The story explores themes of power, control, and the critique of authoritarian systems.
Mentioned by
Mentioned in 2 episodes
Mentioned by Nick, Eric, and ![undefined]()
David
13 snips
85 - Franz Kafka's Short Stories (The Judgment, A Country Doctor, In the Penal Colony)
Mentioned by ![undefined]()
Mary Gaitskill
Mary Gaitskill on Subjects That Are Vexing Everybody
