"A Common Confusion" (German: "Eine alltägliche Verwirrung") is a

short story A short story is a piece of prose fiction that typically can be read in one sitting and focuses on a self-contained incident or series of linked incidents, with the intent of evoking a single effect or mood. The short story is one of the oldest ...

Franz Kafka Franz Kafka (3 July 1883 – 3 June 1924) was a German-speaking Bohemian novelist and short-story writer, widely regarded as one of the major figures of 20th-century literature. His work fuses elements of realism and the fantastic. It ...

. It was published posthumously in ''

Beim Bau der Chinesischen Mauer "The Great Wall of China" (original title "Beim Bau der Chinesischen Mauer", literally ''At the Construction of the Great Wall of China'') is a short story by Franz Kafka. While written in 1917, it was not published until 1930, seven years after h ...

'' (

Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...

, 1931). The first English translation by Willa and Edwin Muir was published by

Martin Secker Martin Secker (6 April 1882 – 6 April 1978), born Percy Martin Secker Klingender, was a London publisher who was responsible for producing the work of a distinguished group of literary authors, including D. H. Lawrence, Thomas Mann, Norman Dougl ...

in London in 1933. It appeared in '' The Great Wall of China. Stories and Reflections'' (

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

Schocken Books Schocken Books is a book publishing imprint of Penguin Random House that specializes in Jewish literary works. Originally established in 1931 by Salman Schocken as Schocken Verlag in Berlin, the company later moved to Palestine and then the Uni ...

, 1946).

Synopsis

The story details transactions between A and B. A meets B at H and comes home pleased with the events. Following this, he meets B again, but only after a delay to the very same H he arrived at successfully previously. B is not there. To add insult to

injury An injury is any physiological damage to living tissue caused by immediate physical stress. An injury can occur intentionally or unintentionally and may be caused by blunt trauma, penetrating trauma, burning, toxic exposure, asphyxiation, o ...

, A learns B had arrived early waiting for him. Thankfully he has an opportunity to explain to B what happened, but in his haste he trips and falls. He hears B above him stomping down the stairs enraged.

Analysis

The story has parallels with the dynamics of the officials within ''

The Castle (novel) ''The Castle'' (german: Das Schloss, link=no, also spelled ''Das Schloß'' ) is the last novel by Franz Kafka. In it a protagonist known only as "K." arrives in a village and struggles to gain access to the mysterious authorities who govern it ...

''. Like many of Kafka's characters the good intentions, hard work, and diligence are futile efforts in an indifferent world. Kafka begins the story by stating the events are a "common experience" suggesting the story is an example of a universal rule.

References

External links

''A Common Confusion''
complete short story on zork.net. * (film adaptation) {{DEFAULTSORT:Common Confusion, A Short stories published posthumously Short stories by Franz Kafka