Kafka Franz
In a penal colony
FRANZ KAFKA
IN THE CORRECTION COLONEY
"This is a very peculiar apparatus," the officer said to the traveling researcher, and, despite the fact that the apparatus was familiar to him for a long time, he glanced at him with a certain amount of admiration. The traveler, apparently, only out of courtesy accepted the commandant's invitation to be present at the execution of a soldier convicted of disobedience and insulting a higher rank. Although there was no particular interest in the execution in the colony itself. In any case, in this deep, sandy valley surrounded by bare slopes, besides the officer and the traveler, there was only the convict - a stupid, long-mouthed man with sloppy hair and face - and a soldier with him, holding a heavy chain, into which thinner chains were poured, fettering the ankles and the wrists of the convict and his neck, and also interconnected by chains. And the convict, meanwhile, looked so dog-like devotedly that it seemed to release him from the chains and let him run along the slopes - you just need to whistle him to the beginning of the execution.
"Maybe you will sit down?" he finally asked, pulling one out of a pile of folding chairs and handing it to the traveler; he couldn't refuse. He sat down at the edge of the ditch, into which he glanced briefly. It wasn't very deep. On the one hand, the excavated earth was heaped into a heap, on the other, there was an apparatus. "I don't know," said the officer, "whether the commandant explained to you how the apparatus works." The traveler made a vague gesture with his hand; the officer was only waiting for an opportunity to explain the operation of the apparatus himself. "This apparatus:" - he said and took hold of the handle of the ladle on which he leaned - ": the invention of the former commandant. I worked on it from the first samples, and also participated in all other works until their very completion. The merit of the invention belongs to only to him. Have you heard of our former commandant? No? Oh, I can say without exaggeration that the whole organization of the colony is the work of his hands. We, his friends, even when he was dying, knew that the organization of the colony was so perfect "that none of his followers, even if he had a thousand plans in his head, for many years will not be able to change anything created by his predecessor. And our prediction came true; the new commandant was forced to admit it. It is a pity that you did not find the former commandant! However , the officer interrupted himself, "I'm talking, and meanwhile the apparatus is standing in front of us. As you can see, it consists of three parts. Over time, a national designation has been strengthened to a certain extent for each. The lower one is called the bed, the upper one is called the draftsman, and the middle free part is called the harrow." "The harrow?" the traveler asked again. He did not listen very carefully, the sun was caught and held by the shadowless valley, it was difficult to collect his thoughts. The officer seemed all the more surprising to him in a tight dress uniform, hung with aiguillettes, heavy with epaulettes, who so diligently expounded his subject and, moreover, during the whole conversation, here and there, tightened the bolts with a screwdriver. The soldier seemed to be in the same condition as the traveler. He wrapped the chains of the convict around both wrists, leaned with one hand on the gun, his head dangled around his neck, and nothing attracted his attention anymore.This did not seem strange to the traveler, since the officer spoke French, and neither the soldier nor the condemned Frenchman, of course ", did not understand. All the more noteworthy was the fact that the convict, despite this, carefully listened to the officer's explanations. With a kind of drowsy persistence, he fixed his eyes where the officer was pointing, and when the traveler interrupted him with a question, the convict, like the officer, looked at the traveler.
"Yes, harrow," the officer confirmed, " appropriate name. The needles are arranged as on a harrow, and the whole thing is set in motion like a harrow, albeit in the same place and much more sophisticatedly. Yes, you will understand now. Here, on the bed, they put the convict. I am going to first describe the apparatus to you, and only then begin the procedure. It will be easier for you then to follow what is happening. In addition, the draftsman's gear train has worn out; it grinds a lot during work; it is almost impossible to hear each other; Spare parts here, unfortunately, are difficult to get. So, this is, as I said, a bed. She is covered with a layer of cotton wool; you will learn more about its purpose. On this cotton wool they put the condemned man on his stomach, naked, of course; here are straps for the arms, here for the legs, here for the neck, they fasten the convict with them. Here, at the head of the bed, on which, as I said, a person is first laid face down, there is a small felt roller, it can be easily adjusted so that it falls directly into the person's mouth. It is designed to prevent screaming and biting the tongue. Of course, a person is forced to take it in his mouth, otherwise the seat belt will break his neck. "Is this cotton?" the traveler asked and leaned closer. "Yes, yes, - the officer smiled, touch it." He took the traveler's hand and ran it along bed. "This is specially treated cotton, so it looks so unusual; I'll tell you about its purpose." The traveler was already a little carried away by the apparatus; raising his hand to his eyes, protecting them from the sun, he glanced at its top. It was a large structure. The bed and the draftsman were of the same size and looked like two dark chests. The draftsman placed about two meters above the bed, they were fastened together by four brass rods at the corners, almost shining in the rays of the sun.A harrow hovered between the boxes on a steel rim.
“... The traveler did not show interest in the apparatus and walked behind the convict, obviously indifferently, while the officer, making final preparations, either climbed under the apparatus, into the pit, or climbed the ladder to inspect the upper parts of the car. These works could, in fact, be entrusted to some mechanic, but the officer performed them with great zeal - either he was a special supporter of this apparatus, or for some other reason no one else could be entrusted with this work ... "
- This is a special kind of apparatus, - the officer said to the traveler, not without admiring, looking, of course, at the apparatus that he knew very well. The traveler, it seemed, only out of politeness accepted the commandant's invitation to be present at the execution of a sentence pronounced on one soldier for disobedience and insulting his commander. Yes, and in the penal colony the upcoming execution great interest, apparently, did not cause. In any case, here, in this small and deep sandy valley, closed on all sides by bare slopes, besides the officer and the traveler, there were only two: the convict - a dull, wide-mouthed fellow with an uncombed head and an unshaven face - and a soldier who did not let out of the hands of a heavy chain, to which small chains converged, stretching from the ankles and neck of the condemned man and fastened in addition with connecting chains. Meanwhile, in all the guise of the convict there was such dog humility that it seemed that he could be let go for a walk along the slopes, but one had only to whistle before the start of the execution, and he would appear.
The traveler showed no interest in the apparatus and walked behind the convict, apparently indifferently, while the officer, making final preparations, either climbed under the apparatus, into the pit, or climbed the ladder to inspect the upper parts of the machine. These works could, in fact, be entrusted to some mechanic, but the officer performed them with great zeal - either he was a special supporter of this apparatus, or for some other reason no one else could be entrusted with this work.
- OK it's all over Now! he exclaimed at last, and got down from the ladder. He was extremely tired, breathing with his mouth wide open, and two handkerchiefs sticking out from under the collar of his uniform.
“These uniforms are perhaps too heavy for the tropics,” said the traveler, instead of inquiring about the apparatus, as the officer expected.
“Of course,” the officer said, and began to wash his hands, stained with lubricating oil, in the prepared pail of water, “but this is a sign of the homeland, we do not want to lose the homeland. But look at this apparatus,” he added at once, and, wiping his hands with a towel, pointed to the apparatus. Until now, it was necessary to work manually, but now the apparatus will operate completely independently.
The traveler nodded and looked where the officer was pointing. He wished to insure himself against any accidents and said:
- There are, of course, problems: I hope, it’s true, that today things will do without them, but you still need to be ready for them. After all, the apparatus must work twelve hours without a break. But if there are problems, then the most insignificant, and they will be immediately eliminated ... Would you like to sit down? he finally asked, and pulling one out of a pile of wicker chairs, he offered it to the traveler; he couldn't refuse.
Now, sitting at the edge of the pit, he glanced at it. The pit was not very deep. On one side of it lay dug earth in an embankment, on the other side there was an apparatus.
- Don't know. - said the officer, - has the commandant already explained to you the device of this apparatus.
The traveler waved his hand vaguely; the officer needed nothing more, for now he could begin the explanation himself.
“This apparatus,” he said, and touched the connecting rod, on which he then leaned, “is the invention of our former commandant. I helped him from the very first experiments, and participated in all the works until their completion. But the merit of this invention belongs to him alone. Have you heard of our former commandant? No? Well, I'm not exaggerating if I say that the structure of this entire penal colony is his business. We, his friends, already knew at the hour of his death that the structure of this colony was so complete that his successor, even if he had a thousand new plans in his head, would not be able to change the old order, at least for many years. And our prediction came true, the new commandant had to admit it. It is a pity that you did not know our former commandant! .. However, - the officer interrupted himself, - I chatted, and our apparatus - here it is standing in front of us. It consists, as you can see, of three parts. Gradually, each of these parts received a rather colloquial name. The lower part was called a sunbed, the upper part was called a marker, but this middle one, hanging, was called a harrow.
- A harrow? the traveler asked.
He didn't listen very carefully, the sun was too hot in this shadeless valley and it was hard to concentrate. All the more surprised was his officer, who, although he was wearing a tight, formal uniform, weighed down with epaulettes and hung with aiguillettes, so zealously gave explanations and, moreover, continuing to talk, still no, no, yes, tightened the nut here and there with a wrench. The soldier seemed to be in the same condition as the traveler. Wrapping the prisoner's chain around the wrists of both hands, he leaned one of them on the rifle and stood with his head hanging down, with the most indifferent look. This did not surprise the traveler, since the officer spoke French, and neither the soldier nor the convict, of course, understood French. But it was all the more striking that the convict still tried to follow the officer's explanations. With a kind of sleepy obstinacy, he kept directing his gaze wherever the officer was pointing at that moment, and now, when the traveler interrupted the officer with his question, the condemned man, like the officer, looked at the traveler.
“Yes, with a harrow,” said the officer. - This name is quite appropriate. The teeth are arranged like a harrow, and the whole thing works like a harrow, but only in one place and much more intricate. However, now you will understand it. Here, on the bed, they put the convict... I will first describe the apparatus, and only then proceed to the procedure itself. This will make it easier for you to follow her. In addition, one gear in the scriber has been heavily machined, it grinds terribly when it rotates, and then it is almost impossible to talk. Unfortunately spare parts are very hard to come by... So, this is, as I said, a sunbed. It is completely covered with a layer of cotton wool, you will soon find out its purpose. On this cotton wool, the convict is placed belly down - of course, naked - here are the straps to tie him: for the arms, for the legs and for the neck. Here, at the head of the bed, where, as I said, the face of the criminal first falls, there is a small felt peg that can be easily adjusted so that it hits the convict right in the mouth. Thanks to this peg, the convict can neither scream nor bite his tongue. The criminal willy-nilly takes this felt into his mouth, because otherwise the neck strap will break his vertebrae.
- Is it cotton? the traveler asked, and leaned forward.
“Yes, of course,” said the officer, smiling. - Feel for yourself. He took the traveler's hand and ran it over the bed. - It's cotton in a special way dissected, which is why it is so difficult to recognize; I will say more about her appointment.
The traveler was already a little interested in the apparatus; shielding his eyes from the sun with his hand, he looked up at the apparatus. It was a big building. The sunbed and the marker had the same area and looked like two dark boxes. The marker was fixed two meters above the sunbed and connected to it at the corners by four brass rods, which really radiated in the sun. A harrow hung between the boxes on a steel cable.
The officer almost did not notice the former indifference of the traveler, but on the other hand he vividly responded to the interest awakened in him now, he even suspended his explanations so that the traveler, without haste and without interference, examined everything. The convict imitated the traveller; since he could not cover his eyes with his hand, he blinked, looking up with unprotected eyes.
“So, the condemned man is lying,” said the traveler, and, lounging in an armchair, crossed his legs.
“Yes,” said the officer, and pushing his cap back a little, ran his hand over his flushed face. “Now listen! Both in the bed and in the marker there is an electric battery, in the bed - for the bed itself, and in the marker - for the harrow. As soon as the convict is tied, the bed is set in motion. It vibrates slightly and very quickly, both horizontally and vertically. Of course, you have seen similar devices in medical institutions, only in our lounger all movements are precisely calculated: they must be strictly coordinated with the movements of the harrow. After all, the harrow, in fact, is entrusted with the execution of the sentence.
- What's the verdict? the traveler asked.
"You don't know that either?" the officer asked in surprise, biting his lips. “Sorry if my explanations are inconsistent, I beg your pardon. Previously, the commandant usually gave explanations, but the new commandant saved himself from this honorable duty; but what is such a distinguished guest, - the traveler tried to reject this honor with both hands, but the officer insisted on his expression, - that he does not even acquaint such a distinguished guest with the form of our sentence, this is another innovation that ... - A curse was spinning on his tongue , but he controlled himself and said: - I was not warned about this, it's not my fault. However, I am better than anyone else, I can explain the nature of our sentences, because here - he patted his breast pocket - I carry the relevant drawings made by the hand of the former commandant.
- By the hand of the commandant himself? the traveler asked. - What, did he combine everything in himself? Was he a soldier, and a judge, and a designer, and a chemist, and a draftsman?
"That's right," said the officer, nodding his head.
He looked critically at his hands; they didn't seem clean enough to him to touch the blueprints, so he went to the tub and washed them thoroughly again.
Then he took out a leather wallet and said:
“Our sentence is not harsh. The harrow records on the body of the condemned the commandment that he has violated. For example, this one,” the officer pointed to the convict, “will have the inscription on his body: “Honor your boss!”
The traveler glanced at the condemned man; when the officer pointed at him, he lowered his head and seemed to strain his ears to the utmost in order to at least understand something. But the movements of his thick, closed lips clearly showed that he did not understand anything. The traveler wanted to ask a lot of questions, but at the sight of the convict he asked only:
Does he know the verdict?
“No,” said the officer, and prepared to continue his explanation, but the traveler interrupted him:
“He doesn’t know the sentence that was handed down to him?”
“No,” said the officer, then hesitated for a moment, as if demanding from the traveler a more detailed substantiation of his question, and then said: “It would be useless to pronounce sentence on him. After all, he recognizes his own body.
The traveler was about to be silent, when he suddenly felt that the condemned man directed his gaze at him; he seemed to be asking whether the traveler approved of the procedure described. Therefore, the traveler, who had already leaned back in his chair, leaned over again and asked:
– But that he is condemned in general – does he at least know?
“No, and he doesn’t know that either,” the officer said and smiled at the traveler, as if expecting some more strange discoveries from him.
- That's it, - said the traveler and passed his hand over his forehead. “But in that case, even now he still does not know how they reacted to his attempt to defend himself?”
“He didn’t have the opportunity to defend himself,” said the officer and looked away, as if he were talking to himself and did not want to embarrass the traveler by describing these circumstances.
“But, of course, he should have had the opportunity to defend himself,” said the traveler and rose from his chair.
The officer was afraid that he would have to interrupt his explanations for a long time; he went up to the traveler and took him by the arm; pointing with his other hand at the convict, who now, when attention was so obviously paid to him - and the soldier pulled the chain - straightened up, the officer said:
- The case is as follows. I am here, in the colony, the duties of a judge. Despite my youth. I also helped the former commandant to administer justice and I know this apparatus better than anyone else. When passing sentence, I adhere to the rule: "Guilty is always certain." Other courts cannot follow this rule, they are collegiate and subordinate to higher courts. Everything is different with us, in any case, it was different under the previous commandant. The new one, however, is trying to interfere in my affairs, but so far I have been able to repel these attempts and, I hope, will succeed in the future ... You wanted me to explain this case to you; well, it's as simple as any other. This morning, a captain reported that this man, who was assigned to him as a batman and was obliged to sleep under his door, overslept the service. The fact is that he is supposed to get up every hour, with the chime of the clock, and salute in front of the captain's door. The duty, of course, is not difficult, but necessary, because the orderly who guards and serves the officer must always be on the alert. Last night the captain wished to check whether the batman was doing his duty. Exactly at two o'clock he opened the door and saw that he, huddled up, was sleeping. The captain took the whip and slashed it across the face. Instead of getting up and asking for forgiveness, the orderly grabbed his master by the legs, began to shake him and shout: “Drop the whip, otherwise I’ll kill you!”. Here you have the crux of the matter. An hour ago, the captain came to me, I wrote down his testimony and immediately pronounced a verdict. Then I ordered the batman to be put in chains. All this was very simple. And if I had first called the orderly and began to interrogate him, only confusion would have resulted. He would begin to lie, and if I could refute this lie, he would begin to replace it with a new one, and so on. And now I have it in my hands, and I won’t let it go… Well, is everything clear now? Time, however, is running out, it would be time to start the execution, and I have not yet explained to you the structure of the apparatus.
He forced the traveler to sit back in his chair, went to the apparatus and began:
– As you can see, the harrow matches the shape human body; here is a harrow for the torso, and here are harrows for the legs. Only this small incisor is intended for the head. Are you clear?
He bowed affably to the traveler, ready for the most detailed explanations.
End of introductory segment.
Kafka Franz
In a penal colony
FRANZ KAFKA
IN THE CORRECTION COLONEY
"This is a very peculiar apparatus," the officer said to the traveling researcher, and, despite the fact that the apparatus was familiar to him for a long time, he glanced at him with a certain amount of admiration. The traveler, apparently, only out of courtesy accepted the commandant's invitation to be present at the execution of a soldier convicted of disobedience and insulting a higher rank. Although there was no particular interest in the execution in the colony itself. In any case, in this deep, sandy valley surrounded by bare slopes, besides the officer and the traveler, there was only the convict - a stupid, long-mouthed man with sloppy hair and face - and a soldier with him, holding a heavy chain, into which thinner chains were poured, fettering the ankles and the wrists of the convict and his neck, and also interconnected by chains. And the convict, meanwhile, looked so dog-like devotedly that it seemed to release him from the chains and let him run along the slopes - you just need to whistle him to the beginning of the execution.
"Maybe you will sit down?" he finally asked, pulling one out of a pile of folding chairs and handing it to the traveler; he couldn't refuse. He sat down at the edge of the ditch, into which he glanced briefly. It wasn't very deep. On the one hand, the excavated earth was heaped into a heap, on the other, there was an apparatus. "I don't know," said the officer, "whether the commandant explained to you how the apparatus works." The traveler made a vague gesture with his hand; the officer was only waiting for an opportunity to explain the operation of the apparatus himself. "This apparatus:" - he said and took hold of the handle of the ladle on which he leaned - ": the invention of the former commandant. I worked on it from the first samples, and also participated in all other works until their very completion. The merit of the invention belongs to only to him. Have you heard of our former commandant? No? Oh, I can say without exaggeration that the whole organization of the colony is the work of his hands. We, his friends, even when he was dying, knew that the organization of the colony was so perfect "that none of his followers, even if he had a thousand plans in his head, for many years will not be able to change anything created by his predecessor. And our prediction came true; the new commandant was forced to admit it. It is a pity that you did not find the former commandant! However ", the officer interrupted himself, "I was talking, and in the meantime the apparatus was standing in front of us. As you can see, it consists of three parts. Over time, a national designation has strengthened behind each to a certain extent. The lower one is called the bed, the upper one is the draftsman, and the middle the free part is called the harrow." "Harrow?" - asked the traveler. He didn't listen very carefully, the sun was caught and held by the shadowless valley, it was hard to collect his thoughts. All the more surprising seemed to him an officer in a tight-fitting dress uniform, hung with aiguillettes, weighted with epaulettes, who so diligently expounded his subject and, moreover, during the whole conversation, here and there, tightened the bolts with a screwdriver. The soldier appears to have been in the same condition as the traveller. He wrapped the convict's chains around both wrists, leaned on the gun with one hand, his head dangled around his neck, and nothing attracted his attention anymore. This did not seem strange to the traveler, since the officer spoke French, and neither the soldier nor the convict, of course, understood French. All the more noteworthy was the fact that the convict, despite this, carefully listened to the officer's explanations. With a kind of drowsy obstinacy, he fixed his eyes where the officer was pointing, and when the traveler interrupted him with a question, the convict, like the officer, turned his gaze to the traveler.
“Yes, a harrow,” the officer confirmed, “an apt name. The needles are arranged like on a harrow, and the whole thing is set in motion like a harrow, albeit in the same place and much more sophisticated. Yes, you will understand now yourself. Here, on the bed I'm going to first describe the apparatus to you, and only then begin the procedure, it will be easier for you to follow what is happening. Spare parts are, unfortunately, difficult to obtain here. So, this is, as I said, a bed. It is all covered with a layer of cotton wool; you will learn about its purpose later. On this cotton wool they put the condemned man on his stomach, naked, of course; Here, at the head of the bed, on which, as I said, a person is first laid face down, there is a small felt roller, it is easy to adjust it so that it hits the person right into your mouth. It is designed to prevent screaming and biting the tongue. Of course, a person is forced to take it in his mouth, otherwise the seat belt will break his neck. "Is this cotton?" the traveler asked and leaned closer. "Yes, yes, - the officer smiled, touch it." He took the traveler's hand and ran it along bed. "This is specially treated cotton, so it looks so unusual; I'll tell you about its purpose." The traveler was already a little carried away by the apparatus; raising his hand to his eyes, protecting them from the sun, he glanced at its top. It was a large structure. The bed and the draftsman were of the same size and looked like two dark chests. The draftsman placed about two meters above the bed, they were fastened together by four brass rods at the corners, almost shining in the rays of the sun.A harrow hovered between the boxes on a steel rim.
The officer hardly noticed the traveler's initial indifference, but his present nascent interest did not go unnoticed by him; he interrupted his explanation to give the traveler time for an undisturbed exploration. The condemned man followed the example of the traveller; not being able to cover his eyes with his hand, he blinked his unprotected eyes into the air.
“Well, the man is laid down,” said the traveler, leaning back in his chair and crossing his legs.
“Yes,” said the officer, pushing his cap back a little and running his hand over his hot face, “now listen! Both the bed and the draftsman each have an electric battery; the bed uses it for itself, the draftsman uses it for a harrow. As soon as a person is fastened ", the bed is set in motion. It vibrates simultaneously in the horizontal and vertical plane. You probably met similar apparatuses in hospitals; but the movements of our bed are clearly calculated - namely, they must biasedly follow the movements of the harrow. The harrow is entrusted with the execution of the very sentence."
"And what does the sentence sound like?" - asked the traveler. “You don’t know that either?” the officer was surprised and bit his lip: “I beg your pardon if my explanations are inconsistent; excuse me. Previously, the commandant gave explanations; the new commandant relieved himself of this responsibility; the fact that he is such a distinguished visitor:" Traveler tried to protect himself from praise with both hands, but the officer insisted on his wording: - ": such a high-ranking visitor does not inform about the form of the sentence - this is another innovation that:" - He hardly kept the curse on his lips, pulled himself together and said only : - "I was not informed about this, it's not my fault. Besides, I the best way aware of all kinds of our sentences, because here, - he patted his breast pocket, I wear the appropriate drawings from the hand of the former commandant.
We do not know either the exact time or the exact place where the author placed his characters. Except that this is some kind of tropical island for convicts, where the authorities speak French. The closed space of the island - perfect place for a literary experiment on any topic, especially social. The fact that the traveler, at least a contemporary of the author, is indicated by the mention in the text of an electric battery, as one of constituent parts infernal machine.
The story is such that it may well have several interpretations and can be safely considered a parable or an allegory. Doubts do not leave me that my version sins with amateurism, but nevertheless let me introduce it to you.
The state apparatus, the mechanism of the state, the system of organs state power... Apparatus, mechanism, system and other technical terms simply scream that the state is a machine and it is opposed to a person as a person. The state is a soulless and faceless machine, and everyone who serves it is nothing more than cogs. The machine is not only an apparatus for executions. In the story, the machine personifies the system of power, it is a metaphor for a soulless and mechanical bureaucracy. In this context, power is, of course, the embodiment of evil and absurdity, and is intended to suppress and destroy the individual. This story is, in fact, a paraphrase of the novel The Trial, in which the author, in compressed form reflected the problem of power and violence against a person, i.e. everything that will later be deployed in the misadventures of Josef K.
In a few decades after the writing of the story, the largest and most powerful totalitarian systems in the history of mankind will appear on the world stage, destined to grind millions in their millstones. human destinies. But Kafka saw all this already in 1914. good writer must be a bit of a prophet.
The most terrible fragment of the story is the one that describes the breakdown human personality. The executor believes that this moment begins with the appearance of " ... enlightenment on a tormented face ...". sadism in pure form, but the system can break a person not only with the help of pain. " Enlightenment of thought occurs even in the most stupid. It starts around the eyes. And it spreads from there. This sight is so seductive that you are ready to lie down next to the harrow. In fact, nothing new is happening anymore, just the convict begins to parse the inscription, he concentrates, as if listening. You have seen that it is not easy to make out the inscription with your eyes; and our convict takes it apart with his wounds».
Terrible is an officer who does his duty the way he understands it. After all, not everyone was driven by force into the Einsatzgruppen, many went to them at the behest of their hearts.
When describing the commandant, the characters of the novels by Joseph Conrad "Hearts of Darkness" and Blaise Cendrars "The Ripper Prince, or Genomore" first of all come to mind. Commandant " there was a soldier, and a judge, and a designer, and a chemist, and a draftsman". He is the creator of the infernal machine and certainly extraordinary person, having its explicit or secret adherents. " his supporters hid, there are still many of them, but everyone is silent». « ... there is a prediction that through certain number the commandant will rise again and lead his supporters to retake the colony...". His ideas are popular, and their seeds will lie in fertile soil for a long time to come. " the structure of this colony is so integral that his successor, even with a thousand new plans in his head, will not be able to change the old order, at least for many years.". And this once again proves that the power of the system is absolute, it seems that formally it no longer exists, but it still sits in the minds.
The story leaves a lot of questions mostly with its ending. Why does the representative of an enlightened society, which is the scientist-traveler, not want to sail in the same boat with people who have just got rid of the old order and law? After all, it seems like known fact that against all sorts of "isms" (fascism, nizism, Stalinism, etc.) there is only one remedy - enlightenment. This can still be somehow understood, attributed to the eternal half-heartedness of the actions of humanists of all stripes, but why did the executioner become a victim? What is this strange suicide? This is what I can't understand.
Regarding other interpretations, I would like to say the following. The religious interpretation, to which there are several references in the text, did not receive from me further development but I thought about it. " The baron writes on the body of the convict the commandment that he violated". This version is just a special case of the system, when the institution of the church plays its role. But it is no longer the mechanism of “guilt-suffering-enlightenment (suppression)”, but “sin-suffering-redemption”. The machine is Moloch. Moreover, if in the first case, as the officer claims, “ Guilt is always certain”, then in the second, sinfulness is also given to humanity a priori.
- This is a special kind of apparatus, - the officer said to the traveler, not without admiring, looking, of course, at the apparatus that he knew very well. The traveler, it seemed, only out of politeness accepted the commandant's invitation to be present at the execution of a sentence pronounced on one soldier for disobedience and insulting his commander. And in the penal colony, the upcoming execution, apparently, did not arouse much interest. In any case, here, in this small and deep sandy valley, closed on all sides by bare slopes, besides the officer and the traveler, there were only two: the convict - a dull, wide-mouthed fellow with an uncombed head and an unshaven face - and a soldier who did not let go of the heavy chains, to which small chains converged, stretching from the ankles and neck of the condemned and fastened in addition with connecting chains. Meanwhile, in all the guise of the convict there was such dog humility that it seemed that he could be let go for a walk along the slopes, but one had only to whistle before the start of the execution, and he would appear.
The traveler showed no interest in the apparatus and walked behind the convict, apparently indifferently, while the officer, making final preparations, either climbed under the apparatus, into the pit, or climbed the ladder to inspect the upper parts of the machine. These works could, in fact, be entrusted to some mechanic, but the officer performed them with great zeal - either he was a special supporter of this apparatus, or for some other reason no one else could be entrusted with this work.
- OK it's all over Now! he exclaimed at last, and got down from the ladder. He was extremely tired, breathing with his mouth wide open, and two handkerchiefs sticking out from under the collar of his uniform.
“These uniforms are perhaps too heavy for the tropics,” said the traveler, instead of inquiring about the apparatus, as the officer expected.
“Of course,” the officer said, and began to wash his hands, stained with lubricating oil, in the prepared pail of water, “but this is a sign of the homeland, we do not want to lose the homeland. But look at this apparatus,” he added at once, and, wiping his hands with a towel, pointed to the apparatus. Until now, it was necessary to work manually, but now the apparatus will operate completely independently.
The traveler nodded and looked where the officer was pointing. He wished to insure himself against any accidents and said:
- There are, of course, problems, I hope, it’s true that today things will do without them, but you still need to be prepared for them. After all, the apparatus must work twelve hours without a break. But if there are problems, then the most insignificant, and they will be immediately eliminated ... Would you like to sit down? he finally asked, and pulling one out of a pile of wicker chairs, he offered it to the traveler; he couldn't refuse.
Now, sitting at the edge of the pit, he glanced at it. The pit was not very deep. On one side of it lay dug earth in an embankment, on the other side there was an apparatus.
“I don’t know,” said the officer, “whether the commandant has already explained to you the device of this apparatus.
The traveler waved his hand vaguely; the officer needed nothing more, for now he could begin the explanation himself.
“This apparatus,” he said, and touched the connecting rod, on which he then leaned, “is the invention of our former commandant. I helped him from the very first experiments and participated in all the works until they were completed. But the merit of this invention belongs to him alone. Have you heard of our former commandant? No? Well, I'm not exaggerating if I say that the structure of this entire penal colony is his business. We, his friends, already knew at the hour of his death that the structure of this colony was so complete that his successor, even if he had a thousand new plans in his head, would not be able to change the old order, at least for many years. And our prediction came true, the new commandant had to admit it. It is a pity that you did not know the former commandant! .. However, - the officer interrupted himself, - I chatted, and our apparatus - here it is, is standing in front of us. It consists, as you can see, of three parts. Gradually, each of these parts received a rather colloquial name. The lower part was called a sunbed, the upper part was called a marker, but this middle one, hanging, was called a harrow.
- A harrow? the traveler asked.
He didn't listen very carefully, the sun was too hot in this shadeless valley and it was hard to concentrate. All the more surprised was his officer, who, although he was wearing a tight dress uniform weighed down with epaulettes and hung with aiguillettes, so zealously gave explanations and, moreover, continuing to talk, still no, no, and tightened the nut here and there with a wrench. The soldier seemed to be in the same condition as the traveler. Wrapping the prisoner's chain around the wrists of both hands, he leaned one of them on his rifle and stood with his head hanging down with the most impassive expression. This did not surprise the traveler, since the officer spoke French, and neither the soldier nor the convict, of course, understood French. But it was all the more striking that the convict still tried to follow the officer's explanations. With a kind of sleepy obstinacy, he kept directing his gaze wherever the officer was pointing at that moment, and now, when the traveler interrupted the officer with his question, condemned just like the officer, he looked at the traveler.
“Yes, with a harrow,” said the officer. - This name is quite appropriate. The teeth are arranged like a harrow, and the whole thing works like a harrow, but only in one place and much more intricate. However, now you will understand it. Here, on the bed, they put the convict... I will first describe the apparatus, and only then proceed to the procedure itself. This will make it easier for you to follow her. In addition, one gear in the scriber has been heavily machined, it grinds terribly when it rotates, and then it is almost impossible to talk. Unfortunately spare parts are very hard to come by... So, this is, as I said, a sunbed. It is completely covered with a layer of cotton wool, you will soon find out its purpose. On this cotton wool, the convict is placed belly down - of course, naked - here are the straps to tie him: for the arms, for the legs and for the neck. Here, at the head of the bed, where, as I said, the face of the criminal first falls, there is a small felt peg that can be easily adjusted so that it hits the convict right in the mouth. Thanks to this peg, the convict can neither scream nor bite his tongue. The criminal willy-nilly takes this felt into his mouth, because otherwise the neck strap will break his vertebrae.
- Is it cotton? the traveler asked, and leaned forward.
“Yes, of course,” said the officer, smiling. - Feel for yourself. He took the traveler's hand and ran it over the bed. – This cotton wool is prepared in a special way, which is why it is so difficult to recognize it; I will say more about her appointment.
The traveler was already a little interested in the apparatus; shielding his eyes from the sun with his hand, he looked up at the apparatus. It was a big building. The sunbed and the marker had the same area and looked like two dark boxes. The marker was fixed two meters above the sunbed and connected to it at the corners by four brass rods, which really radiated in the sun. A harrow hung between the boxes on a steel cable.
The officer almost did not notice the former indifference of the traveler, but on the other hand he vividly responded to the interest awakened in him now, he even suspended his explanations so that the traveler, without haste and without interference, examined everything. The convict imitated the traveller; since he could not cover his eyes with his hand, he blinked, looking up with unprotected eyes.
“So, the condemned man is lying,” said the traveler, and, lounging in an armchair, crossed his legs.
“Yes,” said the officer, and pushing his cap back a little, ran his hand over his flushed face. “Now listen! Both in the bed and in the marker there is an electric battery, in the bed - for the bed itself, and in the marker - for the harrow. As soon as the convict is tied, the bed is set in motion. It vibrates slightly and very quickly, both horizontally and vertically. Of course, you have seen similar devices in medical institutions, only in our lounger all movements are precisely calculated: they must be strictly coordinated with the movements of the harrow. After all, the harrow, in fact, is entrusted with the execution of the sentence.
