The Memorandum (Cyclopedia of Literary Characters)
At a glance:
- Author: Vaclav Havel
- First Published: 1966
- Type of Work: Play
- Type of Plot: Satire
- Time of Work: Unspecified, post-World War II
- Setting: Prague
- Genres: Satire, Drama, Political drama
- Subjects: Language or languages, Communism or communists, Communication, World War II, Work or workers, Bureaucracy or bureaucrats, Office employees, Czechoslovakia or Czechoslovakians
- Locales: Prague, Czechoslovakia
Characters Discussed
Josef Gross, the managing director of an anonymous administrative department in a large bureaucratic organization. Stymied by the paralyzing amount of paperwork required by the bureaucracy to effect even the smallest actions, he authorizes the purchase of a new mail register without going through the proper channels. Manipulated by the conniving deputy director for taking this initiative, he gradually becomes enmeshed in a bureaucratic nightmare, in which he will be perceived as guilty of illegal conduct no matter what course of action he chooses. A major...
[The entire page is 745 words long]
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