What are our lungs supposed to do?" I shouted. Shouted: "If they breathe fast they suffocate themselves from inner poisons; if they breathe slowly they suffocate from unbreathable air, from outraged things. But if they try to search for their own rhythm they perish from the mere search.
In the passage from Franz Kafka's "Description of a Struggle and Other Stories," the speaker expresses a deep concern about the function of the lungs. They highlight a paradox where rapid breathing leads to suffocation from internal toxins, while slow breathing results in suffocation from the surrounding harmful environment. This illustrates the struggle of finding a balance in breathing, metaphorically representing the struggles humans face in navigating life's complexities.
The speaker's frustration with the lungs' inability to find an optimal breathing rhythm symbolizes a broader existential dilemma. The quest for a personal rhythm can become a source of despair, leading to one's downfall. Kafka captures the essence of human conflict in striving for balance amidst overwhelming pressures, revealing a sense of futility in trying to reconcile the myriad of external and internal challenges.
