“ It's sometimes quite astonishing that a single, average life is enough to encompass so much that it's at all possible ever to have any success in one's work here. ”
Franz Kafka, The Trial (1925). copy citation
| Author | Franz Kafka |
|---|---|
| Source | The Trial |
| Topic | life work average |
| Date | 1925 |
| Language | English |
| Reference | |
| Note | Translated by David Wyllie |
| Weblink | http://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/7849/pg7849-images.html |
Context
“But then, with no particular reason, surprisingly enough, some little joke that was only ever attempted because everything seemed so hopeless will make them laugh and they'll be reconciled. It's both difficult and hard at the same time to deal with them, and there's hardly any reason for it. It's sometimes quite astonishing that a single, average life is enough to encompass so much that it's at all possible ever to have any success in one's work here. On the other hand, there are also dark moments, such as everyone has, when you think you've achieved nothing at all, when it seems that the only trials to come to a good end are those that were determined to have a good end from the start and would do so without any help, while all the others are lost despite all the running to and fro, all the effort, all the little, apparent successes that gave such joy.”
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Meaning and analysis
