| "The Problem of Our Laws" | |
|---|---|
| Short story byFranz Kafka | |
| Original title | Zur Frage der Gesetze |
| Language | German |
| Genre | Short story |
| Publication | |
| Published in | Beim Bau der Chinesischen Mauer |
| Media type | book (hardcover) |
| Publication date | 1931 |
| Published in English |
|
"The Problem of Our Laws" (German: "Zur Frage der Gesetze") is a shortparable byFranz Kafka. It was published posthumously inBeim Bau der Chinesischen Mauer (Berlin, 1931). The first English translation byWilla and Edwin Muir was published byMartin Secker in London in 1933. It appeared inThe Great Wall of China. Stories and Reflections (New York City:Schocken Books, 1946).[1]
The story is a short narrative, wherelaws of the land are described as esoteric, created by the elite. Thus, being such they are out of the hands by the common people, yet binding.Nobility is seen as theauthority, the creator and executor of laws, yet completely separate from those whom they apply to. Yet, these laws create a sense of security among those who follow them, an empty one, since they are in fact a type of cruel joke. Incidentally, the story echoes the labyrinthine system of law and regulations in place among the official in Kafka's earlier novel,The Castle.[2]The parable has also been translated by Michael Hofmann in theLondon Review of Books July 6, 2015.[3]
