Give It Up! (Franz Kafka)
It was very early in the morning, the streets clean and deserted, I was on my way to the station. As I compared the tower clock with my watch I realized it was much later than I had thought and that I had to hurry; the shock of this discovery made me feel uncertain of the way, I wasn't very well acquainted with the town as yet; fortunately, there was a policeman at hand, I ran to him and breathlessly asked him the way. He smiled and said: "You asking me the way?" "Yes," I said, "since I can't find it myself." "Give it up! Give it up!" said he, and turned with a sudden jerk, like someone who wants to be alone with his laughter.
Original text: Es war sehr früh am Morgen, die Straßen rein und leer, ich ging zum Bahnhof. Als ich eine Turmuhr mit meiner Uhr verglich, sah ich, daß es schon viel später war, als ich geglaubt hatte, ich mußte mich sehr beeilen, der Schrecken über diese Entdeckung ließ mich im Weg unsicher werden, ich kannte mich in dieser Stadt noch nicht sehr gut aus, glücklicherweise war ein Schutzmann in der Nähe, ich lief zu ihm und fragte ihn atemlos nach dem Weg. Er lächelte und sagte: "Von mir willst Du den Weg erfahren?" "Ja", sagte ich, "da ich ihn selbst nicht finden kann." "Gibs auf, gibs auf", sagte er und wandte sich mit einem großen Schwung ab, so wie Leute, die mit ihrem Lachen allein sein wollen.
I take it this is toward the beginning of The Castle?
I haven't read The Castle yet. I only know this text which I really like.
I know you want comments on the substance of this, but the first thing that strikes me is the eccentricity of the punctuation. Here's how I'd punctuate it (I have also added one word).
It was very early in the morning, the streets clean and deserted, I was on my way to the station. As I compared the tower clock with my watch I realized it was much later than I had thought and that I had to hurry; the shock of this discovery made me feel uncertain of the way, I wasn't very well acquainted with the town as yet. Fortunately, there was a policeman at hand; I ran to him and breathlessly asked him the way. He smiled and said: "You [are] asking me the way?" "Yes," I said, "since I can't find it myself." "Give it up! Give it up!" said he, and turned with a sudden jerk, like someone who wants to be alone with his laughter.
Not a huge difference. Perhaps this break-neck headlong punctuation of the author's had a point of which I am unaware? I mean, sure, his character is in a hurry, but Kafka goes a little overboard, I think, with the stopless punctuation.
Interesting approach.
Stopless punctuation and endless sentences...wait...hmm...isn't that the Kant-syndrome?
Now a comment on the substance. (I've not read The Castle, but I have read The Trial.) I see this character as representing rational optimism, he believes he can find 'the way'. Even more confidently (naively?) he thinks a policeman will care about 'the way'. But Kafka knew that policemen, their optimism eroded by so often seeing the bad side of life, will probably not even believe in 'the way', let alone give advice on how to find it.
I haven't read it either, but I like the extract because it can stand on its own.
Your interpretation is fantastic. In my opinion everybody gets out of the text his/her own point.
Personally speaking, I think that the main character has either lost orientation and cannot find the way or he (who says that it's a "he"?) doesn't know how to get back to the way. In this context, time plays also an important part. (S)he compares his/her watch with the tower clock (a high authority probably? a father figure as typical for Kafka's work?), and then hopes that the policeman (representing protection and a possible point of orientation) will show the way.
As for the policeman's reply, one possibility is that everyone has got to find himself/herself the way, and nobody can help. Or the policeman hasn't found the way himself, or he has probably given up the quest for it. Also his laughing is interesting, as he wants to be alone with it. Maybe it's a desperate laughter?
That's my own interpretation.