Home > In the Penal Colony Summary & Study Guide > Characters
In the Penal Colony | Characters
Colonel
See Officer
Condemned man
See Prisoner
Explorer
The narrative of "In the Penal Colony" primarily recounts the explorer's experiences. Typical of Kafka's protagonists, the explorer is a somewhat tenuous character, with little will of his own. The explorer has accepted an invitation to view an execution. Initially, he is a disinterested bystander, but the means of execution and the officer's behavior lead the explorer to question the present Commandant's motives in issuing the invitation. He wonders if he is expected to play a...
[The entire page is 1157 words long]
Join eNotes
The above is a free excerpt. Get total access to this content with the:
Summary and Analysis – Themes – Characters – And much more...
Join eNotes
Over 3,500 study guides, question and answer forums, literature criticism, reference content, and much more!
Navigate
- In the Penal Colony: Introduction
- In the Penal Colony: Summary
- In the Penal Colony: Franz Kafka Biography
- In the Penal Colony: Characters
- In the Penal Colony: Themes
- In the Penal Colony: Style
- In the Penal Colony: Historical Context
- In the Penal Colony: Critical Overview
- In the Penal Colony: Essays and Criticism
- In the Penal Colony: Compare and Contrast
- In the Penal Colony: Topics for Further Study
- In the Penal Colony: What Do I Read Next?
- In the Penal Colony: Bibliography and Further Reading
- In the Penal Colony: Pictures
- Copyright
Related Topics
Tell a friend about In the Penal Colony at eNotes.
