Full Outline

In his novel The Trial, Franz Kafka criticizes societal institutions made by mankind’s destructive logic that ensure citizen confinement and lead to the inevitable failure of human values and beliefs. These institutions digress citizens’ attention from life’s chaos and uncertainty highlighted by the court system.

      I.         The different roles in society, their knowledge of and influence in the court system

a.     The inspector

                                               i.     Pg. 14 “Think less about us and what’s going to happen to you, and instead think more about yourself.”

                                             ii.     By saying that you are blatantly innocent, it makes you seem guilty

                                            iii.     Directly follows his duty of arresting K and noting his reaction, tells him that his ordinary life should not be disrupted. Knows everything about K’s life including his profession and love life

b.     The court usher

                                               i.     Physical pg. 66 “the court usher’s civilian jacket, which, in addition to the norml buttons, bore as sole emblem of the office two gold buttons, which seemed to have been taken off an old officer’s uniform”- the illegitimacy of the court system

                                             ii.     Talks to K about his wife having an affair with all of other men who belong to the court system, “you’re a defendant after all”- all of the risks you take will have no effect on the outcome of your trial

                                            iii.     Brought K to the law court offices- K’s perspective of the court system pg. 68

c.     Titorelli the painter

                                               i.     Paints portraits of officials in the court system, gossips about the court system but acts like a beggar when he tries to sell his artwork

                                             ii.     The manufacturer- “A person is naturally reluctant to allow himself to be advised by a fellow like that.”- may provide some information and insight about the judges

d.     Block the Merchant

                                               i.     When he is asked about his past with the lawyer- “I’ll confide in part, but you have to tell me a secret too, so that we both have something to hold over the other with regard to the lawyer” pg. 173

                                             ii.     Has 5 other lawyers because doesn’t want to overlook anything, spent everything on his trial (include his personal and career life)- gives K information about working with the court directly pg. 174

    II.        The confinement of following superstitions and traditions

a.     The reliance on lawyers

                                               i.     Need them in order to win the case, as they should know everything about bypassing all decisions

                                             ii.     Pg. 173 “The mind can’t deal with, people are simply too tired and distracted, and by way of compensation they resort to superstition”- the effect of the court on people involved with it

                                            iii.     Different superstitions found in the court and how irrelent and inconsequential they are. They are something to believe in pg. 174

b.     Pursuit of success and a final evident conclusion

                                               i.     K tries so hard to win his case that he misses a lot going on in his personal life and overlooks other outlets to escape from

                                             ii.     Titorelli gives him choices for his case but neither has a definitive conclusion. His trial will continue for the rest of his life. Leaves K. wanting more and making worse decisions

  III.         Cathedral’s allegory

a.     Why we believe the things that we don’t see

b.     The parable is about a man who is desperately trying to gain permission to enter a door and he dies before his wish is granted.

c.     Setting and characters are allusive- not all identical with our reality, dream-like and nonsensical, characters don’t have human characteristics and are translated to motives

                                               i.     Man from countryside is a persistent desire

                                             ii.     Doorkeeper is an obstacle to the idtentity of a hidden Law that neither of them knows

d.     K’s personal experience-

                                               i.      the man from the country side is waiting for permission from the doorkeeper like the man who is looking for freedom but always seem to block himself from it

                                             ii.      a man desiring an absolute ideal that doesn’t exist in reality

                                            iii.     K has never achieved the sense of isolation from the judicial system, there is no exit once you enter the system and there is no way to avoid the system

                                            iv.     It is an absolute that engulfs everyone even though we cant feel, perceive or know it.

  IV.         The difference between K’s personality before he was arrested and before he was killed- both highlights the weaknesses of the bureaucracy created by humans

a.     Before his arrest

                                               i.     Pg. 13- Aware of life’s unanticipated distractions and hardships “…had to make your way on your own you get hardened to surprises and don’t take them too seriously”

                                             ii.     Thinks the arrest isn’t important- since he can’t think of an offense of which he would be accused then he is rightfully innocent (misconception of human institutions)

                                            iii.     Personality- pg. 14- has a whole list of questions to figure out about his arrest, all logic based on observations and reasoning

                                            iv.     Men are rugged and poor individuals

b.     After his arrest

                                               i.     Men are formal and of a higher society in order to show that the role an individual holds in society is irrelevant to his vulnerability to hidden and oppressive institutions

                                             ii.     “So one of the men asked the other to let him work on positioning K on his own for a while, but that didn’t improve things either. Finally they left K in a position that wasn’t even the best of those they had already tried” – have lost all sense of their natural intelligence and consciousness, and when they come across issues that were not outlined in their directions they find themselves hesitant about what to do

                                            iii.     “Logis is no doubt unshakable, but it cant withstand a person who wants to live.” Give up all instincts that would allow them to thrive in reality, this institution arrests the men who thrive in reality

                                            iv.     “’Like a dog!’ –K”- the shame was to outlive him, people’s perspectives and influences on an individual are more important than how an individual lives their lives.