"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 his death. Its first publication occurred in ''
Der Morgen'', a German literary magazine. A year later,
Max Brod included it 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 ...
'', the first posthumous collection of short stories by Franz Kafka.
Contained within the story is a parable that was separately published as "A Message from the Emperor" ("Eine kaiserliche Botschaft") in 1919 in the collection ''
Ein Landarzt'' (''A Country Doctor''). Some sub-themes of the story include why the wall was built piecemeal (in small sections in many different places), the relationship of the Chinese with the past and the present and the emperor's imperceptible presence. The story is told in the first person by an older man from a southern province.
The first English translation, by
Willa and Edwin Muir Willa is a feminine given name. Notable people and characters with the name include:
* Willa or Guilla of Provence (died before 924), early medieval Frankish queen
* Willa of Tuscany (died 970), queen consort of Berengar II of Italy
* Willa Brown ...
, was published by
Martin Secker in London in 1933. It appeared in ''
The Great Wall of China. Stories and Reflections'' (
New York City:
Schocken Books, 1946).
[''The Great Wall of China: Stories and Reflections''. Franz Kafka - 1946 - Schocken Books]
References
External links
* The full text o
"The Great Wall of China"
1931 short stories
Short stories by Franz Kafka
Great Wall of China
Short stories published posthumously
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