In The Penal Colony Essay

Franz Kafka’s “In The Penal Colony” is a dark and unsettling story that explores themes of power, violence, and the human condition. The story is characterized by two distinct tones. It begins dark and foreboding but later shifts to disillusionment and despair. Over the course of the story, the tone evolves, reflecting the changing attitudes of the characters and the shifting balance of power between them. When witnessing an execution, people tend to be more callous while those that are obsessed tend to be more earnest.
The explorer begins to feel a sense of callousness after viewing an execution. The early tone of the story is one of dark, foreboding, and ominousness. From the opening paragraphs, we are introduced to a remote island where

As the story progresses, the tone shifts from one of foreboding to one of disillusionment and despair. The officer, who initially believes in the justice and efficacy of the execution machine, becomes increasingly disillusioned as he witnesses the breakdown of the system. He realizes that the machine is no longer functioning properly and that the society that created it is corrupt and unjust. “The explorer, on the other hand, felt greatly troubled; the machine was obviously going to pieces; its silent working was a delusion; he had a feeling that he must now stand by the officer, since the officer was no longer able to look after himself” (223-224). This shows a sense of earnestness. The tone becomes more introspective and contemplative as the officer reflects on the meaning and purpose of the

The early tone is characterized by a sense of dark, foreboding, and ominousness, which is created by the description of the brutal execution machine and the inhumane nature of the punishment. The later tone, on the other hand, is marked by a sense of disillusionment and despair, as the officer realizes that the system he believed in is corrupt and unjust. The explorer witnesses, “And here, almost against his will, he had to look at the face of a corpse. It was as it had been in life; no sign was visible of the promised redemption; what the others had found in the machine the officer had not found; the lips were firmly pressed together, the eyes were open, with the same expression as in life, the look was calm and convinced, through the forehead went the point of the great iron spike” (224-225). This portrays the shift of callous to earnest. The tone becomes more introspective and contemplative, as the officer reflects on the meaning and purpose of the punishment. So, the difference between the early tone and the later tone is that the early tone is characterized by a sense of horror and unease, while the later tone is marked by a sense of disillusionment and