The Village Schoolmaster

"The Village Schoolmaster", or "The Giant Mole" ("Der Dorfschullehrer," or "Der Riesenmaulwurf") is an unfinished short story by Franz Kafka. The story, written in December 1914 and the beginning of 1915, was not published in Kafka's lifetime. It first appeared in "Beim Bau der Chinesischen Mauer" (Berlin, 1931) and in English translation in "Great Wall of China" (New York, 1946. Translated by Willa and Edwin Muir)

Plot introduction

The narrator discusses the phenomenon of a giant mole in his village and the different attitudes surrounding it. He and the old village schoolmaster attempt to bring the existence of the mole to the public's attention, though the two differ on how to do this, as well as what results are desirable or even possible.

Process of Writing

Kafka discusses the story in a diary entry from December 19, 1914:

Yesterday wrote "The village schoolmaster" almost without knowing it, but was afraid to go on writing later than a quarter to two; the fear was well founded, I slept hardly at all, merely suffered through perhaps three short dreams and was then in the office in the condition one would expect. yesterday Father's reproaches on account of the factory: 'you talked me into it.' Then went home and calmly wrote for three hours in the consciousness that my guilt is beyond question, though not so great as father pictures it. [ Kafka, Franz. "The Diaries, 1910-1923". New York: Schocken books, 1975. p. 322 ]

In a January 6, 1915 entry Kafka mentions abandoning the story.

References

* Kafka, Franz (ed. Nahum N. Glatzer). The Complete Stories. New York: Schocken Books, 1995. ISBN 0805210555

Footnotes