The Birth of a Bug

Tracing the Origins of Kafka's Metaphor in "Wedding Preparations"

Kafka had a curious affinity for the incomplete. Yet, his fragments aren’t just literary leftovers; they give us a rare insight into the workings of his mind. One such fragment is “Wedding Preparations in the Country” (Hochzeitsvorbereitungen auf dem Lande, PDF pp. 74-100), written between 1907 and 1909. Though left unfinished, this piece foreshadows the themes and narrative techniques characterising his future work.

The story follows the failed journey of Eduard Raban, a 30-year-old urbanite heading to the countryside to wed his fiancée, Betty, an “oldish pretty girl”. Raban, a name with two As, echoes that of Kafka—names starting with a K or containing two As are a hallmark of Kafka’s fictional alter egos. So this Raban fellow is about to embark on a journey, not to some exotic locale but to the countryside for his wedding. Yet, the title of the story ironically suggests that we are not moving towards a celebration but a non-wedding, a fiasco. Indeed, rather than bringing Raban happi…