Sources: Kafka's Community

a story by Franz Kafka. orig. Gemeinschaft, 1924.

Community

We are five friends. Once we came out of a house one after another, first came one and stood next to the gate, then came, or rather slid as easy as a drop of quicksilver, the next, through the gate and stood not far from the first one. Then the third, then the fourth, then the fifth. Finally we all stood in one row. The people became aware of us, pointed at us and said: Those five came out of this house now. Since then we live together, and it would be a peaceful life if there wouldn’t be a sixth person that keeps getting involved. He doesn’t do anything to us, but it is annoying and that’s already enough. Why does he force himself into something, where he isn’t welcome. We don’t know him and don’t want to have him here. The five of us didn’t know each other before as well, and if you think about it, we don’t know each other now either, but what is possible and tolerated between the five of us, does not apply to this sixth person and cannot be tolerated. Apart from that we are five, and don’t want to be six. And what kind of sense should this constant being together have in the first place, also between us five it doesn’t make sense, but as we are already together now, we will stay together, and we don’t want a new community, precisely because of our common experiences. But how should you explain this to a sixth? Long explanations would almost mean acceptance into our circle, we rather don’t explain anything and won’t accept him. He can try to persuade us with all his might; we push him away with our elbows, but as much as we push him away, he always comes back.

K’s Community. 2025. 8sec, ♾️ loop.

Translation by harry caul. Illustrations generated with googlefx.