Thesis and Outline

Thesis: Franz Kafka’s drive to highlight the corruption of government and lack of professionalism in Russian society is exceptionally portrayed through the characters and situations that occur in "The Trial." The implications of his belief system were cleverly interlaced in the novel to express his dissatisfaction in the unofficial, unethical customs of the modern Russian government. 

Outline: 

I.               Introduction: Thesis, brief summary

II.            K’s Arrest

III.          First court hearing

IV.         Importance of Innocence in the trial (Huld)

V.            Prolonging of the trial; importance of connections and conveniences (Titorelli, Leni, Huld)

VI.          Totalitarianism; power to the worthy

VII.        K’s Death; comparison between the guards who arrested him and killed him.

VIII.      Kafka’s analysis on Russian government during that time; indirect critique

IX.           Conclusion