The Conscription of Troops
Encyclopedia
The Conscription of Troops is a short story
by Franz Kafka
. The piece details the process of organizing troops for combat
. First, every citizen reports to their homes, then the chief inspects each residence, both to assure every member of the house is home and that the people who are fit for service are registered.
The story takes a dark turn when a young woman
from another town goes to a house, dressed up, in order to be noticed by the chief. She is apparently looking for a suitor. However, she is subsequently ignored and is hit on the head by him. The narrator notes no one from other towns especially women, are to be conscripted into the ranks.
Short story
A short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels. Short story definitions based on length differ somewhat, even among professional writers, in part because...
by Franz Kafka
Franz Kafka
Franz Kafka was a culturally influential German-language author of short stories and novels. Contemporary critics and academics, including Vladimir Nabokov, regard Kafka as one of the best writers of the 20th century...
. The piece details the process of organizing troops for combat
Combat
Combat, or fighting, is a purposeful violent conflict meant to establish dominance over the opposition, or to terminate the opposition forever, or drive the opposition away from a location where it is not wanted or needed....
. First, every citizen reports to their homes, then the chief inspects each residence, both to assure every member of the house is home and that the people who are fit for service are registered.
The story takes a dark turn when a young woman
Woman
A woman , pl: women is a female human. The term woman is usually reserved for an adult, with the term girl being the usual term for a female child or adolescent...
from another town goes to a house, dressed up, in order to be noticed by the chief. She is apparently looking for a suitor. However, she is subsequently ignored and is hit on the head by him. The narrator notes no one from other towns especially women, are to be conscripted into the ranks.