Knowledge (XXG)

The Silence of the Sirens

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the mast. Kafka's telling asserts that the Sirens' silence is an even more deadly weapon than their song, and further states that the Sirens fell silent when they saw the expression of "innocent elation" on Ulysses face. Yet because Ulysses' stratagem involved stoppering his ears to block out their singing, Ulysses didn't realize that the Sirens were silent. Finally, Kafka mentions an additional possibility that has been "handed down": that Ulysses knew the Sirens were not singing, but pretended not to notice it in order to protect himself from divine wrath over his victory. But Kafka admits that the human understanding is beyond its depths on this issue.
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without being driven mad and jumping into the sea. He ordered his crew to stop their ears with wax, so that they would not be tempted by the siren song to steer the ship into the rocks on which the creatures perched. In Kafka's version, however, Ulysses puts wax in his own ears, and is then tied to
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The story can be interpreted as a commentary on the futility of complicated approaches to daunting problems. Kafka himself (in English translation) introduces the story as, "Proof that inadequate, even childish measures, may serve to rescue one from peril."
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The story briefly discusses and re-analyzes the famous journey of
155:. It was not published until 1931, seven years after his death. 261: 159:
selected stories and published them in the collection
977: 959: 904: 870: 787: 576: 399: 339: 332: 300: 100: 92: 84: 72: 67: 57: 47: 37: 21: 247:Franz Kafka: The Silence of the Sirens. S Moses - 236:The Great Wall of China: Stories and Reflections 176:The Great Wall of China. Stories and Reflections 273: 147:" (German: "Das Schweigen der Sirenen") is a 8: 336: 280: 266: 258: 943:Letters to Family, Friends, and Editors 620:Josephine the Singer, or the Mouse Folk 216: 18: 238:. Franz Kafka - 1946 - Schocken Books 7: 1110:Short stories published posthumously 348:Shamefaced Lanky and Impure in Heart 1064:Franz Kafka's It's a Wonderful Life 362:Wedding Preparations in the Country 165:. The first English translation by 173:in London in 1933. It appeared in 14: 224:The Complete Stories and Parables 194:in which he confronts the deadly 1079: 1078: 162:Beim Bau der Chinesischen Mauer 78:Beim Bau der Chinesischen Mauer 16:Short story by Franz Kafka 1: 427:Blumfeld, an Elderly Bachelor 1115:Short stories by Franz Kafka 634:The Truth about Sancho Panza 539:The Knock at the Manor Gate 22:"The Silence of the Sirens" 1141: 1120:Works based on the Odyssey 690:The Conscription of Troops 455:A Message from the Emperor 414:"The Village Schoolmaster" 1074: 888:The Blue Octavo Notebooks 861:Description of a Struggle 641:The Silence of the Sirens 567:The Cares of a Family Man 390:The Aeroplanes at Brescia 355:Description of a Struggle 145:The Silence of the Sirens 42:Das Schweigen der Sirenen 26: 990:Franz Kafka and Judaism 819:The Great Wall of China 683:The Problem of Our Laws 599:Investigations of a Dog 448:The Great Wall of China 968:The Warden of the Tomb 847:Parables and Paradoxes 462:A Report to an Academy 1033:Statue of Franz Kafka 881:The Diaries 1910–1923 655:The City Coat of Arms 985:Ottla Kafka (sister) 915:Letter to His Father 826:The Complete Stories 249:The Denver Quarterly 226:, Franz Kafka - 1983 167:Willa and Edwin Muir 101:Published in English 1025:Head of Franz Kafka 1007:Franz Kafka Society 950:The Office Writings 895:The Zürau Aphorisms 441:The Hunter Gracchus 408:In the Penal Colony 38:Original title 1125:Sirens (mythology) 1048:The Loves of Kafka 1002:Franz Kafka Museum 996:Richard and Samuel 760:The Married Couple 627:A Common Confusion 1092: 1091: 1012:Franz Kafka Prize 936:Letters to Milena 922:Letters to Felice 783: 782: 532:An Old Manuscript 504:Jackals and Arabs 497:A Visit to a Mine 476:Up in the Gallery 383:The Metamorphosis 169:was published by 141: 140: 1132: 1082: 1081: 929:Letters to Ottla 840:The Penal Colony 805:A Country Doctor 525:The New Advocate 518:The Bucket Rider 490:The Next Village 434:A Country Doctor 337: 282: 275: 268: 259: 252: 245: 239: 233: 227: 221: 130: 128: 120: 114: 112: 93:Publication date 88:book (hardcover) 19: 1140: 1139: 1135: 1134: 1133: 1131: 1130: 1129: 1095: 1094: 1093: 1088: 1070: 973: 955: 906: 900: 872: 866: 812:A Hunger Artist 789: 779: 592:A Hunger Artist 572: 395: 328: 296: 286: 256: 255: 246: 242: 234: 230: 222: 218: 213: 137: 126: 124: 116: 110: 108: 17: 12: 11: 5: 1138: 1136: 1128: 1127: 1122: 1117: 1112: 1107: 1097: 1096: 1090: 1089: 1087: 1086: 1075: 1072: 1071: 1069: 1068: 1060: 1052: 1044: 1036: 1029: 1021: 1016: 1015: 1014: 1004: 999: 992: 987: 981: 979: 975: 974: 972: 971: 963: 961: 957: 956: 954: 953: 946: 939: 932: 925: 918: 910: 908: 902: 901: 899: 898: 891: 884: 876: 874: 868: 867: 865: 864: 857: 854:Dearest Father 850: 843: 836: 829: 822: 815: 808: 801: 793: 791: 785: 784: 781: 780: 778: 777: 770: 763: 756: 749: 742: 735: 728: 725:A Little Fable 721: 714: 707: 700: 693: 686: 679: 672: 665: 658: 651: 644: 637: 630: 623: 616: 609: 606:A Little Woman 602: 595: 588: 580: 578: 574: 573: 571: 570: 563: 556: 549: 542: 535: 528: 521: 514: 507: 500: 493: 486: 479: 472: 465: 458: 451: 444: 437: 430: 423: 420:Before the Law 416: 411: 403: 401: 397: 396: 394: 393: 386: 379: 372: 365: 358: 351: 343: 341: 334: 330: 329: 327: 326: 319: 312: 304: 302: 298: 297: 287: 285: 284: 277: 270: 262: 254: 253: 240: 228: 215: 214: 212: 209: 185:Schocken Books 139: 138: 136: 135: 133:Schocken Books 121: 104: 102: 98: 97: 94: 90: 89: 86: 82: 81: 74: 70: 69: 65: 64: 59: 55: 54: 49: 45: 44: 39: 35: 34: 24: 23: 15: 13: 10: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 1137: 1126: 1123: 1121: 1118: 1116: 1113: 1111: 1108: 1106: 1103: 1102: 1100: 1085: 1077: 1076: 1073: 1067: 1065: 1061: 1059: 1057: 1053: 1050: 1049: 1045: 1043: 1041: 1037: 1035: 1034: 1030: 1028: 1026: 1022: 1020: 1019:Kafka Project 1017: 1013: 1010: 1009: 1008: 1005: 1003: 1000: 998: 997: 993: 991: 988: 986: 983: 982: 980: 976: 970: 969: 965: 964: 962: 958: 952: 951: 947: 945: 944: 940: 938: 937: 933: 931: 930: 926: 924: 923: 919: 917: 916: 912: 911: 909: 903: 897: 896: 892: 890: 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269: 264: 263: 260: 250: 244: 241: 237: 232: 229: 225: 220: 217: 210: 208: 204: 201: 197: 193: 188: 186: 182: 181:New York City 178: 177: 172: 171:Martin Secker 168: 164: 163: 158: 154: 150: 146: 134: 122: 119: 118:Martin Secker 106: 105: 103: 99: 95: 91: 87: 83: 80: 79: 75: 71: 66: 63: 60: 56: 53: 50: 46: 43: 40: 36: 33: 29: 25: 20: 1063: 1055: 1046: 1040:Kafka's Dick 1039: 1031: 1024: 994: 966: 948: 941: 934: 927: 920: 913: 893: 886: 879: 859: 852: 845: 838: 831: 824: 817: 810: 803: 796: 739:First Sorrow 711:The Helmsman 640: 560:A Crossbreed 483:A Fratricide 381: 369:The Judgment 321: 314: 307: 248: 243: 235: 231: 223: 219: 205: 189: 174: 160: 144: 142: 76: 73:Published in 41: 1066:(1993 film) 1058:(1991 film) 1051:(1988 film) 1042:(1986 play) 871:Diaries and 790:collections 788:Short story 774:On Parables 767:Give It Up! 704:The Vulture 585:The Refusal 553:My Neighbor 546:Eleven Sons 289:Franz Kafka 153:Franz Kafka 149:short story 68:Publication 62:Short story 32:Franz Kafka 28:Short story 1099:Categories 907:and essays 732:Homecoming 669:Fellowship 648:Prometheus 613:The Burrow 511:The Bridge 376:The Stoker 316:The Castle 211:References 131:New York, 85:Media type 873:notebooks 753:Advocates 577:1917–1923 400:1914–1917 340:1902–1912 309:The Trial 187:, 1946). 1105:Odysseus 1084:Category 833:The Sons 697:The Test 676:At Night 662:Poseidon 157:Max Brod 115:London, 58:Genre(s) 48:Language 978:Related 905:Letters 718:The Top 469:A Dream 323:Amerika 192:Ulysses 125: ( 109: ( 1027:statue 301:Novels 251:, 1976 200:Sirens 196:Sirens 52:German 1056:Kafka 960:Plays 293:works 127:1946 123:1946 111:1933 107:1933 96:1931 151:by 30:by 1101:: 183:: 776:" 772:" 769:" 765:" 762:" 758:" 755:" 751:" 748:" 744:" 741:" 737:" 734:" 730:" 727:" 723:" 720:" 716:" 713:" 709:" 706:" 702:" 699:" 695:" 692:" 688:" 685:" 681:" 678:" 674:" 671:" 667:" 664:" 660:" 657:" 653:" 650:" 646:" 643:" 639:" 636:" 632:" 629:" 625:" 622:" 618:" 615:" 611:" 608:" 604:" 601:" 597:" 594:" 590:" 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Index

Short story
Franz Kafka
German
Short story
Beim Bau der Chinesischen Mauer
Martin Secker
Schocken Books
short story
Franz Kafka
Max Brod
Beim Bau der Chinesischen Mauer
Willa and Edwin Muir
Martin Secker
The Great Wall of China. Stories and Reflections
New York City
Schocken Books
Ulysses
Sirens
Sirens
v
t
e
Franz Kafka
works
The Trial
The Castle
Amerika
Shamefaced Lanky and Impure in Heart
Description of a Struggle
Wedding Preparations in the Country

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