The Trial: What's Inside

The Trial
Study Guide by Course Hero
TENSE
What's Inside The Trial is written in the past tense.
ABOUT THE TITLE

j Book Basics ................................................................................................. 1 The title, The Trial, refers to the legal case brought against the
protagonist. However, no actual courtroom trial takes place in
d In Context ..................................................................................................... 1 the novel, and guilt or innocence remains undetermined. The
meaning of the original German title encompasses the events
a Author Biography ..................................................................................... 3
that surround a trial, such as inquiries, investigations, and so
h Characters .................................................................................................. 4 forth, which the novel does address.
k Plot Summary ............................................................................................. 6
c Chapter Summaries ............................................................................... 11

d In Context
g Quotes ......................................................................................................... 31
The Trial was written in 1914–15 and only published
l Symbols ..................................................................................................... 34 posthumously. In one of the notebooks Franz Kafka kept, he
wrote that literature should be "the axe that destroyed the
m Themes ...................................................................................................... 34
frozen sea within us." His works, especially The Trial, are so
b Motifs .......................................................................................................... 35 compelling and disturbing, so destructive of the ordinary world

people experience, that they ruthlessly (but artfully) shatter the
e Suggested Reading ............................................................................. 36 inner sense of individual and societal solidity.
World War I
j Book Basics
Kafka wrote The Trial as World War I was getting under way.
AUTHOR Even at that time, it was already clear that World War I would
Franz Kafka become a catastrophe that would leave tens of millions dead. It
was a war that patriotic young men from many European
YEAR PUBLISHED nations were at first enthusiastic about. Monarchs, politicians,
1925 and much of the press used patriotic propaganda to entice
young men to enlist in the armed forces to defend their
GENRE
nation's honor. Yet the Great War was not about honor. World
Allegory
War I was ostensibly fought over maintaining "the balance of
PERSPECTIVE AND NARRATOR power on the continent of Europe ... [Britain had a] foreign
The events of The Trial are related through third-person limited policy holding to a longstanding principle that no one nation
narration, focusing on the perspective of Josef K. without should ever be permitted to dominate the continent." The war
distinguishing between Josef K.'s impressions and reality. was a prolonged and bloody combat to prevent any one
The Trial Study Guide In Context 2
imperial power from gaining ground over any other imperial people are either caught up in the web of irrational events or
power. The Allied forces (Great Britain, Italy, France, Japan, are totally disengaged from them. They are alienated from the
and Russia, joined by the United States in 1917) battled the irrational, senseless society in which they live. In his diary entry
Central Powers (Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Turkey) to for August 2, 1914—two days before Great Britain declared war
restore this balance. on Germany—Kafka noted, "Germany has declared war on
Russia—Swimming in the afternoon." Kafka notes what
It was this jockeying for position within Europe that sent happened but does not try to find meaning or rationality in it. A
millions of young men into battle. Once they reached the front, declaration of war has the same weight and depth of meaning
these patriotic and idealistic soldiers found that the "glories" of as going for a swim.
war trumpeted by their leaders were a sham. Nearly the entire
war was fought by soldiers living, sleeping, and eating in When society's rules and reasons are irrational, life in that
narrow trenches dug into the ground. Conditions were society becomes absurd. When an ordinary person living an
unspeakably awful, with mud and rats and the stench of waste ordinary life is thrust into an existentially threatening and
and dead bodies permeating everything. World War I was also incomprehensible situation in which he or she is powerless, life
the first war in which chemical weapons—mustard gas—was is overtaken by the absurd. The Trial explores the absurdity of
used to kill enemy forces. Death by lethal gas was agonizing. life controlled by remote, incomprehensible, and irrational
Other soldiers died in the "no-man's land" between their and authority. The reader should perhaps not seek a logical
the enemy's trenches. Soldiers charged "over the top" of their narrative or rational underpinnings in the tale Kafka tells in The
trench onto the open battlefield where many were gunned Trial. However, the reader should be aware that Kafka was
down. The purpose of these attacks was to gain just a bit more keenly aware of how funny absurdity and irrationality can be.
of the enemy's territory, sometimes just a few yards. The reader should be open to the occasionally laugh-out-loud
humor found in the more absurd events and dialogues in the
More than 8 million soldiers were killed in the war and at least novel.
21 million more were injured. Those who survived carried the
scars of war throughout their lives. By war's end, it became Kafka's contribution to the absurdist movement is best
clear to most Europeans—and especially those of the younger summarized by the common use of the term Kafkaesque to
generation—that their terrible sacrifice had had little real describe inexplicably irrational and absurd events. Many
purpose or meaning. The horrific slaughter seemed unrelated languages—including German, French, Spanish, and
to the noble-sounding rationales that instigated the war. For Greek—use a form of Kafkaesque to describe absurd
many, there arose a feeling that millions of lives had been situations. One scholar defines Kafkaesque as "when you enter
sacrificed by bureaucrats and political and military leaders for a surreal world in which ... your control patterns, all your plans
an ultimately pointless conflict. Among those who survived, the ... your behavior, begins to fall to pieces, when you find yourself
"realization that they [had] fought for [their] nation which gave against a force that does not lend itself to the way you
them no rights" (most nations in the conflict were not perceive the world. You don't give up ... you struggle against
democracies) embittered them and led them to question—and this with ... whatever you have. But of course you don't stand a
often reject—the authority of government, social institutions, chance. That's Kafkaesque." That certainly describes Josef
and prewar social mores. K.'s predicament in The Trial. Kafka is the only modern writer to
have his name used as an adjective that is "representative of
our times."
The Absurd
Many young people lost faith not only in authority and leaders, Allegory
they questioned reason itself because deceitful rationales had
been used to justify the war. Thus, the whole enterprise was The Trial is often read as an allegory, a story in which
irrational. Some people began to feel that life itself was characters and events stand for an idea or situation. Some
meaningless and irrational. The literary tradition that grew up literary critics have viewed The Trial as an allegory for inhuman
around this view was a "literature of the absurd," in which bureaucracy. In this case, the court and those who work for it
events are without meaning or understandable causes and are mindless government bureaucrats who carry out directives
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The Trial Study Guide Author Biography 3
that make as little sense to them as they do to their victims. punishing, and seemingly capriciously cruel God who demands
The law may be thought of allegorically as any political strict obedience to His laws no doubt influenced Kafka's view
authority—especially totalitarian or dictatorial—that wrests of authority and law as arbitrary and irrational.
control and agency from its citizens and demands abject
submission that leads to dire, unjust, and unsubstantiated Kafka had an extremely troubled relationship with his
punishment. In either case, the allegory is a critique of materialistic and domineering—some might say
authoritarian political order. tyrannical—father. In his posthumously published "Letter to

Father" (which he never sent during his lifetime), Kafka
The Trial may also be an allegory about the traditional morality described feeling persecuted and belittled by his
of society. If so, then Franz Kafka sometimes uses the humor "overwhelmingly powerful" father. Kafka had to struggle
in the novel to show that the smug certainties of moral leaders against this fearsome authoritarian, though he often felt that
and philosophers about what is moral or immoral—or right and his struggle was futile. Kafka blames his overbearing and
wrong—are wholly arbitrary and, thus, meaningless. In the disapproving father for many things in his life, such as his
novel, the law and the court represent those who hand down perceived failures and his deep sense of unworthiness and
and enforce an "official" morality on society, even though they uselessness. For example, Kafka's father pressured him to
keep themselves hidden so their rules and judgments cannot abandon his interest in literature and writing—pursuits he
be questioned or appealed. scoffed at—and instead to focus on a lucrative legal or
business career. Kafka's father was, in the author's mind, an
Others see The Trial as a religious allegory. It is particularly in unforgiving and cruel authority figure. Kafka's deep resentment
the parable, "Before the Law," that the notion of the human and anger at his father is woven into many of his writings,
relationship with the divine is most forceful. However, the especially in the cruel and arbitrary authority of the law as
Law—which is never explained or revealed in the novel—may described in The Trial. The tensions between father and son
also represent implacable divine judgment on the individual. play out in many other of Kafka's books and short stories.
Like God, the Law is omniscient. It is drawn to Josef K.
because, somehow, it knows of his guilt. Like God, the Law is A good student, Kafka attended a German school, Charles-
omnipotent because it has absolute power over Josef K.'s life Ferdinand University of Prague. He started out pursuing
and death. The Law is godlike in its unknowability. No one, chemistry but switched to law, a decision that appeased his
even those who work with the court, knows what the laws are, father and allowed him to take a few art and literature courses.
how the Law works, or how its judgments are reached. Josef K. He joined the university's literary club and thrived as a result of
is not allowed to know what he is accused of, although the Law his participation. After graduating in 1906, he worked as an
insists that it knows he is guilty. Only the divine can exert such unpaid law clerk and then as a lawyer with an Italian insurance
total and incomprehensible power over people. And, as with company. But the work left him with no time or energy to
God—at least in Kafka's view—there is no recourse and no cultivate his own writing. Kafka's unhappiness with this job and
appeal against the Law's fearsome justice. the fact that he was unable to pursue his own interests
because of the hectic work schedule is reminiscent of the
character Gregor Samsa in Kafka's novella The Metamorphosis
a Author Biography (1915). Also much like Gregor, Kafka suffered for years from
depression and anxiety. He found a more manageable position
with a government insurance institute, receiving several
Born July 3, 1883, Franz Kafka grew up in a middle-class
promotions over the years and finding time for writing in the
Jewish family in Prague, the capital of Bohemia, which was part
off-hours, usually late at night. As often as he could, Kafka met
of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Prague became the capital of
with other writers to share and discuss their works; through
the Czech Republic in 1993. Kafka's family spoke German at
these meetings, he developed close friendships with Max Brod
home, and his father, a successful businessman, worked as a
(1884–1968), a Jewish writer who became a biographer of
retailer of men's and women's clothing. Although Kafka was
Kafka, and Felix Weltsch (1884–1964), a Jewish philosopher,
born into a Jewish family, he declared himself an atheist by the
writer, and editor.
time he was a teenager. Still, it is very likely that Kafka was
aware of the wrathful God of the Old Testament. This angry, While his legal career paid the bills, Kafka's real passion was

The Trial Study Guide Characters 4
writing. Kafka studied and practiced law. His familiarity with the
law gave him deeper insight into its frequent injustices. It also h Characters
gave him first-hand experience of how an ordinary person
might get snared in its byzantine, incomprehensible
procedures. Kafka started publishing short stories and stuck to
a rigorous writing routine that enabled him to amass an
Josef K.
impressive body of work. All the while, he suffered from anxiety
Josef K. is a rather arrogant, haughty, and ambitious
and depression, and although he never married, he spent time
man—though he's fairly ordinary. He lives in a lodging house
in brothels and fell in love with a Jewish woman, Felice Bauer.
where one day he is arrested. He tries, hopelessly, to get a fair
The two were engaged twice, but Kafka broke off the
trial and prove his innocence. That is impossible in the novel's
engagement each time, believing marriage was not the right
absurdist reality.
path for him.
In 1917 Kafka became sick with tuberculosis and took leave

from his insurance position. He spent a great deal of time Dr. Huld
resting, under the care of his sister Ottla. Meanwhile, he had a
brief but fervent relationship with journalist Milena Jesenská Dr. Huld is an opaque, mysterious character who may or may
(1896–1944). Later he met and fell in love with a Jewish not be helping his clients, especially Josef K. Huld is bedridden
kindergarten teacher, Dora Dymant (sometimes spelled but may or may not be ill. He seems to take no action to help
Diamant) (1898–1952), who had socialist leanings much like his his client, K., but relies on his "connections" at court to
own. The two moved to Berlin, where Kafka concentrated on influence the outcome of the case.
his health and writing—and for the first time, lived away from
his family.
Leni
When his condition worsened, Kafka returned home to a
sanatorium in Prague, where he died at age 40, on June 3, Leni is an attractive woman. She is seductive and flirtatious.
1924. Many of Kafka's short stories and novels had not yet She is especially attracted to Dr. Huld's clients. She may be
been published and were incomplete at the time of his death. Huld's lover, but may also be involved sexually with his clients.
The Metamorphosis, his only completed novella, was written in Leni may be using her sexuality to divert Huld's clients'
1912 and published in 1915. Kafka did not become a well-known attention away from their cases or to relieve them of their
author until after his death. The Trial was published anxiety.
posthumously in 1925.
Kafka left explicit instructions with friend and fellow author

Max Brod for his work "to be burned unread." Brod decided to Block
go against Kafka's wishes, publishing several of his friend's
novels and stories over the next decade, including: Block is a long-time client of Dr. Huld. He is old and ragged and
has been ruined by his case. He is meek, debased, and
The Castle (1925) humiliated by Leni and Huld, who treat him badly and find him
Amerika (1927) pitiful.
Brod's move created a legacy for his friend; little known before
his death, Kafka is now considered a master of 20th-century
German literature.
Titorelli
Titorelli is a trustee of the court and paints imagined portraits
of judges he never sees. He tries to help K. with his case by
offering several approaches to his trial—each one paradoxical
and pointless.

The Trial Study Guide Characters 5
Character Map
Dr. Huld
Man of much talk and
little action
Lawyer Nurse
Block Leni
Broken and subservient man Passionate woman
Lawyer
Lovers
Fellow Josef K.
lodgers Indicted bank clerk
Miss Bürstner Legal Titorelli

Shares a brief kiss with K. adviser Court painter
Hears
speech Legal
adviser
Prison Chaplain
Judge
Relates "Parable of the
Sits at K.'s first hearing
Law" to K.
Main Character
Other Major Character
Minor Character

The Trial Study Guide Plot Summary 6
Full Character List Uncle Karl is Josef K.'s uncle who

takes him to a lawyer, Dr. Huld, to
Uncle Karl
handle his case; Karl is also K.'s
childhood guardian.
Character Description
Lanz is Mrs. Grubach's nephew, a

Chief clerk at a bank, Josef K., also Lanz
captain.
called simply K., is an ordinary, if
Josef K.
arrogant, young man; he is suddenly
arrested. Miss Montag is Miss Bürstner's
Miss Montag
friend; later, she is her roommate.
Dr. Huld is the lawyer and friend of
Dr. Huld Uncle Karl, who takes on Josef K.'s The prison chaplain has K. come to
case. Prison chaplain the cathedral and relates the
parable "Before the Law" to K.
Leni is a nurse to Dr. Huld and a
Leni
seductress to K. Rabensteiner, These three colleagues are K.'s
Kaminer, and bank coworkers present at his initial
Kullich arrest.
A client of Dr. Huld, Block is
Block engaged in a trial that has been
ongoing for five years. The supervisor is the boss of the
Supervisor
initial arresting policemen.
Titorelli is a painter and adjunct to
Titorelli
the court; he offers to help Josef K. At the end, the two gentlemen take
Two gentlemen
K. away and execute him.
Berthold is a law student who
Berthold assaults the washer woman and The court usher is the tour guide
procures her for the judge. who shows K. around the court
Court usher
premises; he is the husband of the
washer woman.
Miss Bürstner is a lodger in the
Miss Bürstner same house as K.; she is a typist
whom K. is sexually attracted to. The washer woman is a highly
seductive and sexual washer and
Washer woman
cleaner in the court offices; she is
The deputy director is K.'s boss at
Deputy director the wife of the court usher.
the bank.
The whip-man is the man who

In the parable "Before the Law," the
Whip-man whips Franz and Willem because of
doorkeeper guards the gate to the
Doorkeeper Josef K.'s complaints about them.
law, refusing entry to the man
waiting to go in.
Willem is one of the initial arresting
Willem
policemen.
Elsa is a waitress in a wine bar; K.
Elsa goes to see her once a week, likely
for sex.
Franz
Franz is one of the initial arresting k Plot Summary
policemen.
Mrs. Grubach Mrs. Grubach is Josef K.'s landlady.

Arrest and the Court
The judge or examining magistrate
Judge One morning, Josef K. is arrested in his room in Mrs. Grubach's
presides over K.'s first hearing.
lodging house. K. is the chief clerk in a bank, and he has never

been in trouble with the law before. He is questioned by some concentrating at work. When meeting with a manufacturer, K.
policemen, but he can't make sense of what they're asking him. is unable to pay attention. His boss takes over for him. But as
They do not tell him the nature of the "crime" that led to his the manufacturer leaves, he tells K. that he's aware of his case.
arrest. That night, he visits Miss Bürstner, a fellow lodger, and He recommends K. visit a court painter, Titorelli. K. visits the
kisses her. painter at his strange studio. The painter tells K. of three
options he may pursue to gain some type of acquittal in his
The next Sunday as instructed, K. travels to the run-down case. Each option is illogical and absurd, and none leads to
suburb where the court is located in a dilapidated tenement. genuine acquittal. K. is surprised upon leaving to see that the
He is there to attend his first hearing. He cannot find his way to painter's studio is in the court offices.
the courtroom, so he asks various tenants for directions. One
woman shows him into the courtroom, which is filled with K. is so disgusted with his situation, he decides to fire his
people. A judge sits at a small table. K. defends himself by lawyer. He goes to Huld's house where he meets Block, a long-
making a speech that, essentially, insults the court. But he time client of Huld's. Block offers some generally useless
thinks he's helping assert control and his own innocence. The advice about how to deal with the court system. Both Block
judge, however, tells K. that he's actually damaged his case. and Leni try to prevent K. from dismissing Huld. The lawyer
explains that he can help K.—even though he never seems to
Although K. is told he'll have hearings every Sunday, when he leave his bed—because he has connections with high officials
goes to the court the next week, the court is not in session. He in the court system. Huld summons Block to show how he can
speaks with a woman who resides in the tenement, and she humiliate his clients who are still devoted to him. K. is repelled
flirts with him. But a pugnacious law student enters and carries by this behavior and leaves.
her away—ostensibly to have sex with a judge. Her husband, a
court usher, meets K. and says there's nothing he can do about
his wife having sex with other men of the court. K. feels
oppressed by the bad air in the court, and he's helped outside.
A Parable and an Execution
To help out his boss at work, K. agrees to guide a visiting
Italian businessman around the city's famous cathedral. The
Legal Aid and Obsession businessman never shows up. Instead, K. receives a sermon
from a priest who is actually a prison chaplain and, thus,
Some days later, K. hears strange sounds coming from a "junk" attached to the court. The chaplain relates the opening
room at the bank. He enters the closet-sized room and finds a paragraphs of the written law. This section of the law is an
whip-man beating the two policemen who had arrested K. They intricate and mysterious parable (known as "Before the Law")
are being punished because K. had said at his hearing that he about man's relationship to the law. The chaplain and K.
did not like the way they had behaved when they'd arrested discuss the many moral and philosophical meanings one can
him. They beg him to help them avoid whipping, but K. does not read into the parable.
want to harm his case or his reputation by aiding them.
Exactly one year after his arrest, two men come to K.'s room to
K.'s Uncle Karl visits him at the bank. Karl knows about K.'s take him away. They pin his arms but let him choose the
legal troubles. He takes K. to see Dr. Huld, a friend of his who is direction he wants to walk in. K. thinks he sees Miss Bürstner
a well-respected lawyer. The lawyer is at home, bedridden due and follows her for a while. But the three men end up in an
to some mysterious illness. Another court official is also there. abandoned quarry, where K. is seated next to a large stone.
The three men talk, ignoring K. Leni, Huld's nurse (a paid helper One man takes out a butcher knife and stabs K. in the heart,
and likely his lover), is an attractive woman who flirts with K. killing him.
and lures him away from the lawyer. When K. finally leaves, his
uncle is outside. Karl is furious that K. spent time with Leni and
did not speak with the lawyer, as this indifference harmed his
case.
K. is so obsessed with his case, he has a hard time

Plot Diagram
Climax
11
10
12
9
Falling Action
Rising Action 8
13
7
6 14
5
15
4
Resolution
3
2
1
Introduction
9. Titorelli tells K. of three types of acquittals.

Introduction
10. K. speaks with Block at the lawyer's house.
1. Josef K. is arrested at his lodgings.
Climax
Rising Action 11. Josef K. fires Dr. Huld; K. will handle his own case.
2. Josef K. is arrogant at his trial's first hearing.
3. At the empty court, K. meets the woman and student.

Falling Action
4. K. learns that Miss Bürstner doesn't want to speak to him.
12. K. waits in the cathedral for the Italian visitor.
5. K. finds the officers and whip-man in a bank closet.
13. The chaplain tells K. the "Parable of the Law."
6. Uncle Karl takes K. to Dr. Huld, the lawyer.
14. K. goes with the men who come to take him away.
7. Leni tries to seduce Josef K.
8. A manufacturer sends K. to the painter, Titorelli.

Resolution
15. Josef K. is executed.

Timeline of Events
K.'s 30th birthday
Josef K. is arrested.
Next Sunday
K. has his first court hearing.
Following Sunday
K. returns to court, but it's not in session.
Some time later
K. meets Miss Montag; Miss Bürstner will not speak with

him.
Few days later
K. finds policemen in a closet at the bank.
Some time later
K. visits a lawyer and meets Leni.
A month or so later
K. visits Titorelli's studio.
Some time later
K. visits his lawyer to fire him; K. meets Block.
Some time later
At the cathedral, K. hears the "Parable of the Law."
K.'s 31st birthday
Men take K. away and execute him.

The Trial Study Guide Chapter Summaries 11
of meeting a woman, Elsa (who is likely a prostitute), K. returns

c Chapter Summaries straight home after work and goes to talk to Mrs. Grubach. He
apologizes for any trouble the policemen may have caused
that morning. She waves off the apology and seems surprised
Chapter 1 that he even mentions what had happened. Mrs. Grubach says
the situation seems "complicated" but K. counters, saying it's a
"fuss about nothing." K. wants to shake her hand and she
"tears up."
Summary
Mrs. Grubach shows K. that Miss Bürstner's room is back in
One morning, Josef K. is arrested. He waits for his breakfast order, but reveals her suspicions that Miss Bürstner meets
but instead a strange man named Franz enters his bedroom. strange men, something a "decent" woman shouldn't do. Mrs.
Josef K. goes into the next room only to find another Grubach leaves K. to wait for Miss Bürstner to return home.
policeman, Willem. K. asks why he's under arrest, but they can't She gets home very late, but K. knocks on her door to speak
tell him. For some inexplicable reason, they take his nightshirt with her. She invites K. into her room and he apologizes to her
and other clothes. They advise him to "get a clear for the earlier untidiness of her room, saying it's his fault. Miss
understanding of his position." K. is bewildered, wondering how Bürstner is confused, as her room is now in perfect
this can happen in a "free country." K. shows his identity order—except for her photographs, which are in the wrong
papers to the policemen, but they ignore them. They admit that order. When K. tells her the police were there, she laughs at
they're low-level employees in the vast legal system. K. the thought that K. is a "serious criminal." She asks him about
ponders the pros and cons of various tactics to take control of his case, but K. admits he has no clue what it's about. Miss
his situation. He looks down on the "coppers" as people of a Bürstner promises to try to help him. K. takes the unusual step
lower status than himself, and K. plans what to do based on of acting out the early-morning scene with the policemen.
their lowly—and his higher—status. During his enactment, K. shouts as one of the cops did. This
awakens Mrs. Grubach's nephew in the next room. Miss
Rather than risk doing anything rash, K. goes back to his room,
Bürstner is afraid the landlady will evict her for having K. in her
lies on his bed, and eats an apple instead of his usual
room at night. K. swears he'll protect her. She asks him to leave
breakfast. He'll be late for work, but excuses this on the basis
and pulls him into the corridor, where he covers her with
of the "relatively high position" he holds at the bank he works
kisses.
in. Suddenly, K. is told he has to see the supervisor, but for
some unexplained reason he must wear a black coat. Back in his room, K. ponders his behavior with Miss Bürstner.
All in all, he decides that "he was satisfied" with what he did.
The policemen are assembled in the room of Miss Bürstner,
another lodger in Mrs. Grubach's house. This offends K., as
they have rearranged some of her furniture. Three other Analysis
people in the room (K. later learns they work at his bank) are
handling Miss Bürstner's photographs, which irritates K. The The novel opens with ambiguity, stating that "someone must
supervisor is seated and says that K. must be "quite surprised" have been telling lies about Josef K." But who or why a lie was
at what's happened to him this morning. K. says that he thinks told and the nature of that lie are not stated. K. is arrested by
this whole scenario must be some kind of "joke" arranged to the policemen, but never told what he is presumed to be guilty
celebrate his 30th birthday that day. K. asserts that he is of. The policemen insist that "they are not allowed to tell" Josef
innocent, even though he's unaware of what the charge K. why he is under arrest.
against him is. The supervisor insists he doesn't know anything
about the charges but that K.'s profession of innocence is only The theme of guilt and innocence is made clear from the very
damaging his case. K. chafes at the way the lowly supervisor beginning. The fact that K. cannot be told what he is being
treats him. The supervisor states that K.'s arrest should not charged with introduces the theme of the absurd. If one is
even interfere with his normal, day-to-day life. K. is allowed to being arrested for some crime, one should be told what it is. K.
take a taxi to the bank with his three colleagues. Later, instead is shown to be naive not only about himself (he vehemently

protests his innocence) but about his society. K. is indignant, Despite his feelings of superiority, K. submits to the absurd
thinking that he "was living in a free country, after all, ... all laws demands of the policemen. He gives them his clothes. He does
were decent and were upheld, who was it who dared accost not tell them to leave Miss Bürstner's room after they have
him in his own home?" Based on what is happening to him that taken it over and rearranged her things to make space for
morning, and certainly on what occurs later, K. is clearly naive themselves. At times, Josef K. tries to be reasonable with them,
and ignorant of the true nature of his society and the laws. though they represent a totally unreasonable (irrational) legal
system. K. shouts, "Who do you think you are? You want to see
His ignorance of the law hints at the possibility that Josef K. some point in it while you're carrying out something as
may, in fact, be guilty of something. For if a person does not pointless as it could be?" Without realizing it, K. has stumbled
know the law, then it's possible that he may unwittingly break it. on a truth about his arrest and the law—they are pointless, or
Josef K. is blithely unaware of this. K. says he "can't think of absurd. The policemen remain calm, as they have what K. later
[having committed] the slightest offense." The supervisor refers to as the "enormous organism" of the court behind them.
responds that K.'s insisting on his innocence is only damaging
his case. Yet Josef K.'s approach to life, "he crosses bridges The issue of women and sex arises when K. returns from work
when he came to them, [and paid] no heed for the future, even that evening and argues with his landlady, Mrs. Grubach, about
when everything seemed under threat" shows his deliberate Miss Bürstner. Mrs. Grubach expresses doubts about her
lack of awareness about himself and society. female lodger, saying that she thinks Miss Bürstner may see
"different gentlemen" in the evening. K. defends Miss
Josef K. took "life as lightly as he could." With this blasé Bürstner's "decency." Later, when she comes back to the
attitude toward life and events, it is little wonder Josef K. is lodging house, K. knocks on Miss Bürstner's door and speaks
convinced that his arrest is "a mistake" or a "joke" that he will to her in her room. K. reenacts the events of that morning,
clear up easily. Before they leave, the policemen tell K. that his emphasizing the absurdity of what happened. When he learns
arrest is not that big a deal, and he'll be able to "[carry] on with that Miss Bürstner works in a legal office, K. immediately says,
[his] usual life." This will prove to be quite misleading. "that means you'll be able to give me some help with my trial."
Although K. does not engage with her as crassly as he does
Josef K.'s character is revealed further by the statement that
with women later on, he immediately latches on to how he can
he "wasn't normally in the habit of learning from experience."
use her to further his case.
This underscores how naive he is, how incurious about himself
and the world he lives in. It also foreshadows the events to Throughout the novel, K. engages almost solely in transactional
come. For even if Josef K. was a person who did learn from relationships. His transactional approach to women and sex is
experience, the irrationality of the things he will experience introduced here. Josef. K. might truly like Miss Bürstner, but he
now that he is under arrest will make learning from them cannot resist casting their relationship as a transaction in
impossible. which he can use her for his own benefit. When he leaves her
room, he kisses her "like a thirsty animal." This image
The motif of hierarchy is introduced here. Josef K. has a pretty
reinforces the idea that K. is a kind of predator who is using
high opinion of himself and his status in society. He thinks he's
Miss Bürstner for his own benefit.
a keen observer of other people and can easily discern their
status relative to his. He refers to the arresting policeman as
being of the "lowest position." He feels that he will get the
situation sorted if he can speak to someone "of the same Chapter 2
social standing" as himself. The policemen know better. When
Josef K. demands to know why he's being arrested, a
policeman says, "In a position like yours, and you think you can Summary
start giving orders, do you?" K. does not understand his
position in relation to the court and the law. He sees only the Josef K. gets a phone call informing him that his first trial
status of the men before him. Based on his false sense of hearing is to be that Sunday. He decides he will attend. He is
status, Josef K. thinks he will be able to control the situation. certain that he will clear up all misunderstandings about his
Later, he will learn otherwise. arrest at this first hearing. K.'s boss, the deputy director of the

bank, invites K. sailing that same Sunday. K. is ambitious and the front row are stunned. The atmosphere in the room
wants very much to go to further his career, but his trial makes becomes tense.
that impossible. K. talks himself into believing that the deputy
director humbled himself with this invitation. K. is convinced K. then launches into a speech in which he condemns the trial
that the invitation shows how high his status is at the bank. K.'s and the proceedings. Some folks in the assembly shout
ambitions and sense of superiority are bolstered. "Bravo!" Emboldened, K. then begins a long description of his
initial arrest and how outrageous he thinks it was. Yet he
The day of the trial is dull, and K. is tired, as he had been out describes himself as being calm and respectful throughout that
drinking the night before. He travels to the remote suburb ordeal. He says that, at most, he felt a "temporary irritation" at
where the hearing will be held. He cannot find his way and is being arrested. As he speaks, the air in the room becomes
somewhat late, but he refuses to ask for help, as that will oppressive. Yet K. continues his oration, criticizing the
"humiliate" him. He also thinks that his lateness is acceptable, "organization" of the court system, what happened during his
as being punctual for a lowly trial committee would be beneath arrest, the court's habit of arresting "innocent" people and
him. conducting "pointless prosecutions," among other complaints.
When K. finally finds the correct building, he sees that it's a Suddenly, a scream rings out. It is the washer woman at the
decrepit tenement filled with poor people and families. He back of the room who is being sexually assaulted by a man. No
enters but does not know where to go, as there are several one moves to help the woman. They even block K. from moving
passageways and staircases leading to the upper floors. He to aid her.
does not want to lower (or reveal) himself as being on trial, so
he knocks on apartment doors, saying he's looking for "Lanz K. notices that everyone in the room is wearing what seems
the joiner." No one seems to know where to find this Lanz. K. like a color-coded badge. K. is moved to stand and speechify
begins to worry about being far too late for his hearing. Finally, once more. He accuses the assembled crowd of working for
K. asks a woman washing clothes in her apartment about Lanz. the court system, of being "cheats and liars" Speaking loudly
The washer woman points toward the open door leading to an and gesticulating dramatically, K. accuses the assembly of
adjacent room. K. and the woman enter this room. "having fun" in their plot to "trap an innocent man."
The room is filled with people of all kinds. It's stuffy in there, Throughout, K. has been bold and self-assured, even arrogant
but the woman assures him that's the room where he'll find and insulting. When K. finishes speaking, the judge tells him
Lanz the joiner. She leaves and closes the door behind K. A that his behavior has "robbed [K.] of the advantages" a hearing
young man leads K. toward a podium. As he walks into the might afford the accused. K. arrogantly laughs out loud and
room, K. notices that two distinct groups of people seem to calls them all "a bunch of louts" who can "keep their hearings!"
occupy each half of the room. Those on the right seem rigidly He then turns on his heel and storms out the door of the
divided from those on the left. The people in each group are hearing room.
talking together animatedly. When he reaches the podium, K.

sees a small, fat man—the judge—sitting at a small table. The
judge looks at his watch and rebukes K. for being more than an
Analysis
hour late. K. replies rather offhandedly, "Well ... I'm here now." A
The motif of hierarchy is played out throughout this chapter.
few people applaud this, and K. wonders what else he might do
Josef K. hesitates to ask for directions because he feels that
to get the support of more people in the room.
will humiliate him, or lower his status relative to those he's
The judge looks in his notebook and asks K. if he's "a house asking. K. then uses the ridiculous lie about seeking "Lanz the
painter." K. uses this mistake to sharply criticize and denounce joiner" to cover up his humiliation at being under arrest. He
the whole proceeding, saying, "There are proceedings only if I does not want the tenement dwellers to know he's looking for
acknowledge that there are." He says he'll acknowledge them a courtroom where his hearing is to take place. In a sense, K.'s
out of "pity" for the judge and the assembly. K. impulsively and deceit in asking for Lanz is reflected back on him when he's
arrogantly picks up the judge's notebook. He flaps it in the air asked if he's a house painter. Is this misunderstanding the
and then drops it carelessly on the small table. The old men in court's way of mocking K.'s deception about Lanz? If it is, K.

still takes it so seriously that he launches into a tirade about system is "some enormous organization" and a huge
how far above the status of house painter he really is. He uses bureaucracy. He boldly asserts that the court and its
the court's mistake to reinforce his argument that this court proceedings are "devoid of meaning" and have the sole
has such low status and is so far beneath him, he cannot take intention of "trap[ping] an innocent man!"
the proceedings seriously. When K. states that he's the chief
clerk in a bank, some of the assembly applaud. This leads K. to After K. has finished his astonishing oration, the judge informs
think of ways to gain the approval of the crowd to improve his him of "something you seem not yet to be aware of: today you
position with the court. have robbed yourself of the advantages that a hearing of this
sort always gives to someone who is under arrest." Incredibly,
When K. handles and then drops the judge's notebook, he the naive K. laughs at this and, as he's leaving the hearing
thinks that it is a "deep humiliation" for the judge. The pointless room, calls, "You can keep your hearings as a present from
exercise was intended to lower the status of the judge and me." K.'s arrogance and ignorance of the law is shocking and
raise the supposed power of the accused. K. hoped the judge's will be his undoing.
humiliation would draw the crowd's approval, but they are
shocked. Later, in his oration, K. asserts that he's defending The motif of deformity by the court is introduced when K.
himself so vehemently in order to safeguard his "reputation" notes that the people in the gallery are pressed down by the
and his "position at the bank." He is concerned with his status low ceiling. They could only stand "bent down with their heads
and doesn't understand the seriousness or the nature of the and their backs touching the ceiling." The court, as
proceedings against him. represented in the hearing room, deforms the body by forcing
it into a servile posture.
This chapter also deals with the theme of guilt and innocence.
Finding a courtroom in a large, labyrinthine tenement by asking The symbol of oppressive air in the court is introduced here. As
for a joiner would seem to be impossible. Yet the washer those in the assembled crowd mingle and seem to discuss K.'s
woman leads K. to the hearing room as soon as he asks for oration, he notices that "the air in the room was fuggy and
Lanz. This shows that K.'s guilt is known and is obvious to the extremely oppressive." The oppressive air represents the
people in the tenement. As is written later, it's one's guilt that oppressiveness of the court and the law. The court deprives
draws the law to you. K.'s guilt is obvious to everyone but the accused of life-affirming fresh air. It thus muddles K.'s mind
himself. When K. shockingly mishandles the examining during his hearing, preventing him from either comprehending
magistrate's notebook, K. says, "I really don't have anything in what is happening to him or of mounting a creditable defense.
this charge book to be afraid of." He is arrogantly confident of

The motif of sex and the court is made plain in the assault, or
his innocence and so is dismissive of the court. He says that
rape, of the washer woman at the back of the hearing room.
the court's purpose "is to arrest innocent people and wage
She screams as she's attacked, but no one in the packed room
pointless prosecution against them ... that are devoid of
comes to her aid. It's as if assaulting a woman for sex is an
meaning."
ordinary occurrence at court. Why would sex be an accepted
The theme of justice and the law relative to the individual is transaction in the court system? This will become clear later in
also presented in this chapter. Josef K. tells the crowd that he the novel. When K. tries to help her, his way is deliberately
is openly challenging the current proceedings not only for blocked by the crowd in the room. K. thinks that "his freedom
himself, but "on behalf of [the many] who are similarly was being limited, as if his arrest was being taken seriously." Is
charged." He does not understand, as the Chapter 9 parable he beginning to see the reality of what is happening to him?
makes clear, that each person must face the law as an

The theme of the absurd is clearly present. The hearing room
individual. K. is haughty and arrogant throughout the
is packed, yet K. has no idea who the people are, what purpose
proceedings. He thinks he is in control of the court and his fate.
they have, or what their different badges mean. Significantly,
He alone speaks and is "satisfied to hear nothing but his own
he has no real notion of how he is supposed to behave or
quiet words." K. mocks the court by stating "assuming that this
present his defense. For how can an accused, such as K.,
so-called court is of any real importance ... he will [be able to]
defend himself when he is not told of the charges against him?
make a calm assessment of it." He insists that "none of this
The unpredictable reactions of the assembled crowd to the
concerns me." Yet K. is aware enough to realize that the court
things he says confuse K. still further. He wants their support.

He wants to impress them, yet he has no guidelines as to how why he should not give in to her allure." Still, he wonders if she
to go about it. It is possible that the confidence he shows in his is trying to entrap him "on behalf of the court." K. fantasizes
oration is merely bravado that K. uses to cover up his about snubbing the court by having the woman all to himself.
confusion about what is really going on. The woman goes to Berthold, who starts kissing her. K. tries to
insult Berthold, but the student reminds K. that his arrogant
speech at his first hearing was a "mistake" that harmed his
Chapter 3 case. Berthold then hoists the woman over his shoulder to
carry her away—to an assignation with the examining judge. K.
tries to intervene, but the woman screams that he must not
Summary because it is the judge that has asked for her. K. backs off,
seeing the incident as his first "unambiguous" setback.
Josef K. waits for a second hearing summons scheduled for

K. leaves the assembly room and climbs a flight of rickety
the following Sunday, but none ever comes. He assumes that
wooden stairs. They are the "Entrance to the Court Offices" in
the lack of a summons means he should just show up. On
the attic of the building. The court usher arrives and
Sunday, he goes to the suburb and into the tenement. Inside,
recognizes K. The usher is enraged that his wife has been
the washer woman of the week before informs him that
carried off for sex, but he knows there's nothing he can do.
"there's no session today." K. can't believe it, but she shows
The usher says that K. might get revenge on the student for
him the empty hearing room. The woman says she can give the
him because there is "no hope" of K.'s trial ending favorably. K.
examining judge a message because she knows the judge. Her
disagrees.
husband is the court usher, and she cleans for the court. They
discuss the assault of the previous week, but she sloughs it off. The usher shows K. into the court premises, which are long,
She explains that a law student, Berthold, uses her for sex. She dark corridors with offices off them. The walls are thrown
doesn't really mind because later on Berthold will have together with ill-fitting planks of wood. The people waiting in
influence at the court. the corridor—the accused—sit on benches in ratty clothes.
They're bent and despondent, like street beggars. When K.
At K.'s request, the woman allows K. to look at the books on
asks one broken man what he's waiting for, he can barely
the judge's table. He opens them and finds that they are not
answer, but he stutters that he's just "waiting." When he
law books but books containing pornographic pictures. K. says,
becomes able to speak, he seems proud of his indictment.
"[so] this is the sort of person sitting in judgment over me." The
woman turns seductive and tells K. she can help him and his K. begins to tire and decides he wants to leave. But he can't
case. K. thinks "she's degenerate," though he admits he finds find his way out by himself. The usher can't take him to the exit,
her attractive. K. rejects her sexual advances, belittling her by but a woman approaches who can. K. feels unwell from the
saying, "I'm sure you only know the lower employees" of the oppressive air that "is almost impossible to breathe." A man,
court. The woman is upset that he's "misjudged" her. K. the information giver, offers to take K. to the sick room, but K.
explains that he doesn't want her to get in trouble and that, insists he wants to leave the building. Together, the woman
anyway, he "just laughs" at his arrest and trial. K. insists his and man support K. and begin to lead him away. K. feels dizzy
case will be settled favorably, but if court officials expect him and "seasick." Finally, they bring him to the exit. The woman
to bribe them, he will not do it. K. arrogantly insists that "any opens the door, and K. is quickly refreshed by the outside air.
unpleasantness for me ... I will make a blow against them." K. is K. is rather alarmed at the contrast between how sick and
confident that he has power and agency in the court system. weak he'd felt in the court offices and how refreshed he feels
Yet the woman tells him that the judge had been up all night now that he's outside.
writing up a report on K.'s case.
Berthold, the law student, appears and takes the washer

Analysis
woman supposedly to have sex with her. The woman assures
K. that if he wants, she'll return and allow him to "do whatever The arbitrary and irrational nature of the law is made clear
[you like] with me." K. is aroused and can "find no good reason when Josef K. shows up for his scheduled hearing only to find

that the court is not in session. He does not understand why, woman." Is she truly helpless when faced with Berthold's
and he wonders how this will affect his case. However, K. demands, or is she willingly submissive to gain his influence in
begins to understand the absurdity, saying that the court not the court for her own benefit? As Berthold carries her off, the
only "[tries] people who are innocent, but [even tries] them woman informs K. that she's been summoned for sex with the
without letting them know what's going on." Yet K. continues to judge. She cannot refuse someone who has that much power
be baffled by this irrationality. He persuades himself that he is in the court. She pushes K. away. It's even a bit humorous when
in control. He tells the washer woman, "there's nothing hanging K. muses that losing her is the "first unambiguous setback" he
on the outcome of this trial ... whatever the verdict, I will just has suffered in his trial. He's oblivious to the ambiguities of his
laugh at it" and that "this affair is really not so important to me first hearing and how (in the court's view) unambiguously badly
as they think." that hearing had been for him.
Sexual seduction in the court plays an important role in this When K. meets the court usher, the usher is very upset about
chapter. All of the so-called relationships in this chapter are the way his wife is used by the court for sex. Yet he says
wholly transactional. The washer woman explains that she there's nothing he can do about it. The court has the power,
allowed herself to be raped the previous Sunday because the and the usher is afraid to insult court officials more powerful
student who assaulted her would one day "be very powerful" in than he is. He suggests that K. might be able to intercede
the court. She allows herself to be raped to curry favor with a because, after all, "there's no hope at all" for K.'s case. So K.,
man who will one day have influence at the court. Sex is supposedly, has nothing to lose.
transactional, or occurs to further one's self-interest or status.
It's got nothing to do with affection, intimacy, or even pleasure. The hierarchical motif of the attic is used here. K.
The student, too, uses sex as a way to assert his power and to condescendingly dismisses the judge because he seems to be
control others. The washer woman is powerless to fend off any in the attic, waiting for the woman. K. condemns the shoddy
sexual demands coming from those in the court. The attic, but does not yet understand its potential for having many
importance of sex in the court—and a symbol of its levels for those of differing status. K. compares his large office
absurdity—is underlined when K. finds that the so-called law at the bank with what he assumes is a cubbyhole in an attic
books he opens contain pornographic pictures. that the judge occupies. This makes K. feel superior.
K. and the washer woman start flirting, but their sexual interest The court usher escorts K. up the narrow stairs to the first
in each other is entirely transactional. K. rubs her soft hands. level of the attic. It must be assumed that the judges have
She asks him to help make things better for her at court. He offices at higher levels of the attic, which indicate their higher
says he might but only "because you [the woman] can be of status. K. and the usher reach a floor where shabby and
some help to me." When the woman says K. has nice eyes, he dejected people are waiting on benches. The supplicants are
decides she's "degenerate." He will have nothing to do with her described as being "bowed," as "none of them stood properly
because he doesn't think she "can be of any real assistance to upright." Thus, they are almost deformed by their endless
me." K. then shows his obsession with status by rejecting her waiting at the court. These two motifs—deformity and
with the statement, "I'm sure you only know the lower waiting—underscore the way the court oppresses and crushes
employees [at the court]," while he needs someone who has its victims. The endless, and no doubt hopeless, waiting
influence with "high officials." indicates the court's indifference to the accused. The accused
have sacrificed their lives to waiting in the court to further their
The washer woman defends her good reputation but she cases. K. refuses to identify with the humiliated supplicants.
continues to flirt with K. K. is attracted to her and thinks about When he is with the waiting accused man, K. makes a point of
having sex with her. Yet he's suspicious that she's setting a mentioning that he has been indicted, too. It's as if K. was
trap for him. He dismisses this suspicion and thinks that having proud of this fact, which somehow makes him superior to the
sex with her would be a kind of "revenge" on the judge and the accused waiting on the benches.
court.
K. becomes sick and dizzy after breathing the foul air in the
When Berthold enters and kisses the woman, K. thinks, "this is court attic. The bad air symbolizes the oppression of the court.
a confirmation of the tyranny the student held over the Tellingly, over time and through long waiting the others in this

part of the court building have become inured to the vile air. his request to speak to Miss Bürstner. He haughtily thinks that
When the woman and the information-giver lead K. to the exit he couldn't have thought it important because, after all, "Miss
door, he begins to revive. It is interesting to note that the Bürstner was [just] a little typist." While Lanz and Miss Montag
people who work at the court "found it hard to bear the converse, K. knocks on Miss Bürstner's door. There is no
comparatively fresh air" near the door. When one is fully answer, so he knocks again, harder. K. then just opens her
acclimated to the oppressive atmosphere of the court, one is door and goes in. He finds the room empty. Yet the furniture is
no longer able to breathe the free, open air. completely rearranged to accommodate Miss Montag. As he
leaves Miss Bürstner's room, he's sure that Lanz and Miss
Montag are watching him. He retreats to his room.
Chapter 4
Analysis
Summary The motifs of hierarchy, status, and transactional relationships
drive most of the action in this chapter. The concept of guilt is
Josef K. has been trying, with little success, to speak with Miss
also explored.
Bürstner. Somehow, she always finds a way to avoid him. He
gets up an hour early to meet her before she leaves for work. Mrs. Grubach abjectly apologizes to Josef K. for having
He writes her letters. But nothing elicits a response from her. thought badly of Miss Bürstner. K. takes his time but comes
K. wants to apologize for his behavior the night of his initial around to forgiving Mrs. Grubach. Throughout their
arrest. He writes Miss Bürstner that the next Sunday he'll stay conversation, K. seems to be acting magnanimously in his
in his room all day waiting for her. forgiveness. However, he forgives Mrs. Grubach because he
feels so far superior to her and her "dumb helplessness." She
That Sunday, instead of seeing Miss Bürstner, K. meets the
even begins to weep at his generosity, saying, "Do you really
small, pale French teacher, Miss Montag. K. learns that Miss
think I'd want to make an enemy of you for the sake of a girl?"
Montag is moving in to Miss Bürstner's room as her roommate.
K. allows Mrs. Grubach to run on, letting her "feel superfluous."
K. has not spoken to Mrs. Grubach in several days because
He is described as being almost "contemptuous" of her.
he's angry that she insulted Miss Bürstner. When Mrs. Grubach
brings K. his breakfast, she asserts that she did not mean what K. meets Miss Montag, Miss Bürstner's new roommate, in the
she had said about Miss Bürstner's behavior. Mrs. Grubach lodging house dining room. She says she speaks for Miss
even cries about K. having taken offense. However, they soon Bürstner who feels that a face-to-face meeting with K. would
forgive each other and make up. "be of no benefit to anyone" and that his request for a meeting
was "futile." Here again, relationships are transactional.
Miss Montag requests a meeting with K. in the dining room.
Miss Montag wants to speak with K. about Miss Bürstner, who K. is barely polite to Miss Montag. Then Lanz enters the dining
she says is unwell. Miss Montag says that Miss Bürstner room and shows tremendous courtesy to Miss Montag, kissing
believes a meeting with K. is unnecessary and would be of no her hand and bowing to her. K. notes the sharp contrast
benefit either to herself or to K. between his impolite and Lanz's courteous behavior toward
Miss Montag. K. bolsters his self-importance. Clearly, K. thinks
K. gets up to leave, but as he opens the door Captain Lanz
that his impoliteness and disrespect display his higher status
walks in. Lanz is a large, middle-aged man. He bows to K. and
than these others. K. acts as if he believes that he need not be
Miss Montag, even kissing her hand. K. notes that Lanz's
respectful to those of lower status.
courtesy contrasts sharply with his own less-than-polite
treatment of Miss Montag. She tries to introduce Lanz to K., K. decides to sneak into Miss Bürstner's room. The
but K. haughtily declines the introduction. He's determined to pointlessness of this action harkens back to his pointless
show no friendliness to either of them, as he's intent only on his hearing and the court. The impropriety of his action points to
pursuit of Miss Bürstner. what might be considered a justification for his indictment. K. is
acting immorally by sneaking into Miss Bürstner's room. It is
K. thinks that Miss Montag has exaggerated the importance of

perhaps selfish and unjustified actions, such as this, that he is Franz begs for mercy, claiming that it was Willem who led him
guilty of. When K. sees that no one is in the rearranged room, astray. The impatient whip-man brings the cane down on
he rushes back to his own room. He scuttles past Miss Montag Franz, who screams loudly. K. is unnerved, but he is more
and Lanz, hoping they have not caught him in this improper worried that the screams will be heard by everyone in the
invasion. In some ways, then, K. is flawed. He understands on bank—including his boss. How would this reflect on him? How
some level that he is guilty of some things. He cannot know would it affect his reputation and position at the bank? K.
what the court thinks he's guilty of, but the absolute innocence shoves Franz, who falls to the floor. The whip-man continues
he proclaims for himself is clearly disproven in this incident. beating him while he's prostrate.
K. leaves the closet and opens a window. The screams have
Chapter 5 stopped. K. is uncertain what to do. He doesn't want to go back

into the junk room, but neither does he want to go home. He
feels "anguish" at being unable to stop the beatings. K. feels he
must "maintain control of [himself]." K. realizes that if he really
Summary wants to act against the court, he should act against it here
and now by preventing the beatings. But, of course, he thinks
One day in the bank where he works, Josef K. hears strange
it's "impossible for him to do anything."
sighing sounds coming from behind a door. As far as K. knows,
the room the sounds are coming from is just the bank's supply K. then realizes that acting to stop the beatings might
room, or "junk room." K. is curious and opens the door. He's negatively affect his case. He thinks, "Nobody could really
shocked to see three men in the tiny, closet-like room. One of expect that sort of sacrifice of him." Though K. is upset that he
the men is powerful and leather-clad. He holds a long cane in can't help the policemen, he will see "somebody" who will have
his hand. The other two K. recognizes as Willem and higher court officials punished, as it is they who "really were
Franz—the policemen who had initially arrested him. The two guilty."
policemen cry out to K. to save them from the beating they are
about to endure. They are to be beaten because of K.'s K. thinks about the beaten policemen throughout the next day.
complaints about them. He is so consumed with them that he can't concentrate on his
work at the bank. As he leaves for home that day, he casually
K. is confused, saying he did not complain about them. Yet it opens the door to the junk room. Everything is exactly the
turns out that some of the things he said about his arrest at his same as it was. The whip-man and the two policemen are still
first hearing might well have been interpreted as complaints there. The policemen begin to wail and call to K. to save them.
about the arresting policemen. For example, K. had mentioned K. slams the door shut. Nearly in tears, K. orders a subservient
that the policemen had taken his clothes. Although this is coworker to "get that junk room cleared out!" They agree to do
common practice, it is actually not allowed by the court. That is it the next day. K. feels numb as he heads home.
why, the whip-man says, "this punishment is both just and
unavoidable." The two policemen blame K. for their plight. They
tell him that they'll likely lose their jobs because of him. Analysis
The whip-man orders the coppers to take off all their clothes. The fact that the whip-man and the policemen are in a closet
K. feels very guilty about their situation, and he offers the whip- at the bank shows that the court and the law are everywhere,
man a bribe not to beat them. The whip-man declines, saying and its judgments and punishments are inescapable. His case
that if he took the bribe, K. would likely then complain about is closing in on Josef K. and intruding into all aspects of his life.
him—and then he'd be beaten. K. tries to shift the blame from Of course, it is irrational that the punishment being meted out
himself to the "organization," or the court. He holds the court to the policemen is taking place in a bank's junk closet. The
system responsible for the policemen's actions, not the brutality of the punishment reveals that K.'s case has taken a
policemen themselves. K. boldly claims that if he could, he decidedly sinister turn. This cruelty also reveals the savage and
would have the top court officials beaten, not these lowly unforgiving nature of the overwhelming court system.
employees.

The theme of ambiguity surrounding guilt and innocence is "junior officers [who] were contemptible" yet who he sincerely
paramount. The two terrified policemen accuse K. of being wanted to "get ... freed." K. ponders his guilt and his
guilty of having them punished. His guilt lies in his description powerlessness, thinking he was "no longer in a position to help
at the hearing of what transpired during his initial arrest. Some anyone." He's coming to realize the enormity of being
of the things K. said revealed improper behavior on the part of entangled in the court system and how ambiguous guilt and
the policemen. K. was ignorant of these rules, but that fact has innocence really are.
no bearing on their punishment. Ignorance of the law is no
defense. The court system is implacable.
K. did not know how to behave or what to say at this hearing.

Chapter 6
He'd been given no guidance. He said what he did to defend
himself. The policemen's petty theft would have gone
unnoticed if not for K. "Do you call that justice?" asks one
Summary
policeman. That raises some important questions. Is guilt truly
One day while Josef K. is working at the bank, his Uncle Karl
guilt only if one is caught at it? Is justice truly justice if its
shows up. Karl lives in the country where he owns some land.
foundation is so flimsy? The court system is not only
Josef K. had somehow been expecting a visit from his uncle,
ubiquitous, it is beyond appeal. It is a monstrous "organism"
who had also been his guardian. K., therefore, feels obligated
that infiltrates everything. It judges and metes out "justice" as it
to be his host when he visits the city, even though the visits
pleases according to rules that are beyond the ken of ordinary
make K. feel like he's "haunted by a ghost from the country."
people.
Uncle Karl insists that he must speak to K. in private. K. has his

In contrast to the policemen who blame K. for their
subordinates leave, and he closes the door to his office. As K.
punishment, the whip-man justifies the punishment based on
had expected, his uncle is very upset about K.'s trial. K.'s half-
the infallibility of the court system. The whip-man takes justice
sister, Erna, had written a letter to Uncle Karl about the case.
and the law at face value. He says, "This punishment is both
The uncle can't believe it, but K. admits it's true. In her letter,
just and unavoidable" because the law says it is. Justice is the
Erna states she's sure the case is some mistake and "all will
law and the omnipotent court, so punishment for acting against
turn out for the best ... [though] in the meantime things do not
the law or the court is always just.
look good at all." When K. admits it's a criminal trial, Uncle Karl
K. tries to bribe the whip-man not to beat the policemen. But is very upset. Yet it's clear that most of his concern is for the
the whip-man refuses the bribe in case K. then complains reputation of the family. Uncle Karl assures K. that his trial is
about him. In that case, he would be whipped. K. finally realizes "much worse" than a normal courtroom proceeding. They leave
that the system is so deranged that it is those who run "the the bank discussing the case that, Karl states, must have been
degenerate" court who truly deserve punishment. Instead of "developing a long time beforehand." Karl suggests that K. take
beating these low-level policemen, the whip-man should whip a holiday in the country, but K. explains that that might be
those who prop up the rotten court system, such as "senior interpreted as flight and an admission of guilt.
judge[s]" and "high officials." But the whip-man will not be
Uncle Karl remembers his old friend, the lawyer Dr. Huld. He
diverted from his duty. As K. closes the closet door on Franz's
insists that K. accompany him to see the lawyer immediately.
screams, he is deeply disturbed. Yet he feels that there's
Dr. Huld will represent K. in court and see that his case is
nothing he can do. His main concern, however, is that no one at
resolved favorably. Huld's residence/law office is in the same
the bank becomes aware of the horrific beatings taking place
suburb as the court. Uncle Karl pounds on the door but is told
in the closet. When K. thinks "nobody could really expect that
that Dr. Huld is ill and cannot see anyone. But then the woman
sort of sacrifice of him," he is not thinking of the monetary
at the door—Leni—relents, opens it, and lets them inside. She
bribe he'd offered but the damage to his reputation at the bank
reiterates that Dr. Huld is ill with heart trouble. K. is transfixed
if he asked coworkers to help him stop the torture.
by Leni's good looks.
K. reasserts his need to "maintain control of [himself]" to
Leni leads them into Dr. Huld's huge, dark bedroom, where he
maintain his position at the bank. He thinks of the policemen as
is laid up in bed. When Huld is told that his old friend has come,

he rouses himself a bit from the bedclothes. As Karl and Huld When K. reaches the street, his uncle is there, hopping mad. He
talk, Leni stares at K. Leni fluffs up Huld's pillows and seems to demands to know where K. disappeared to when he was
be stroking his hand, but he asks her to leave. He has legal supposed to be discussing his trial with Dr. Huld. He yells at K.
business to discuss with Karl and K. Karl is glad she's gone as for fooling around with Leni who is "obviously the lawyer's
he thought of her as a "witch." As Karl and Huld talk, it beloved." Despairing of K.'s return, the office director had
becomes clear that Huld is already familiar with K.'s left—and he might have been very helpful in K.'s case. Further,
case—which is of great interest to him. Huld tells K. that he K. made no attempt to win the lawyer over to his side. Uncle
knows many higher-ups in the court and that is how he knows Karl is beside himself with rage at K.'s behavior. Uncle Karl is
about K.'s trial. He also states that it's who he knows in the further bewildered by K.'s seeming indifference to his own trial.
court that is far more important to the outcome than any facts He is also angry that he's been standing out in the rain and is
about the case. Influence with the court seems to be the most now soaking wet.
important factor in a trial.
When K.'s uncle raises a candle, he and K. notice an old man Analysis
sitting in a dark corner. The man rises, and Huld introduces him
as the office director of the court. The office director takes Transactional relationships, especially sexual ones, dominate
part in the conversation, but everyone seems to have forgotten this chapter. Status and reputation are at play, as is the theme
K., who is ignored. K. thinks he may have seen the office of guilt and innocence.
director at the court offices or at his hearing, but he's not sure.
Josef K. is unaware of the power and influence the office Josef K.'s relationship with his Uncle Karl seems to lack true
director can wield. affection. The attention K. gives to his uncle arises more from a
sense of obligation than true feeling. K. says his uncle "haunts
When the sound of breaking porcelain shatters the him like a ghost." This is not the statement of a loving relative.
conversation, K. offers to go see what happened. He leaves the Karl, too, is undemonstrative in his behavior toward K. It's clear
bedroom slowly, "as if giving the others a chance to stop him." that he's visiting K. because he's heard about his trial. Although
But no one does. Karl professes to be worried about K.'s case, his greatest
concern is for status. "Think about your family, think about our
When K. steps out of the bedroom, Leni takes him by the hand
good name," the uncle says. By taking K. to see the lawyer who
and leads him into Huld's formal legal office. Leni says she
may resolve his case, Uncle Karl is more interested in ensuring
broke a plate to get K.'s attention. K. sits down, and Leni sits
that his family's position is not harmed than in proving K.'s
close beside him. Leni flirts with K., who embraces her. As part
innocence.
of her seduction, Leni tries to get K. to stop thinking about his
trial. However, she does tell him that the best way to terminate K.'s involvement with Leni is purely transactional (though more
the proceedings is for him to confess his guilt. K. protests that than a bit lustful). As she seduces him, K. thinks, "I'm
he'll never do that because he's not guilty of anything. As she accumulating women to help me" with his case. K. wants her to
speaks, Leni presses herself against K., then sits on his lap and help him, but his attraction to and lust for her overcome his
wraps her arms around his neck. She claims that if he doesn't self-interest. Leni, however, seems to seduce him to further the
freely confess, there is nothing she can do to help him. interests of the court. She appears to be an agent of the court
or controlled by it. Thus, her seduction of K. seems intended to
Leni gets K. to admit that the closest thing he has to a lover is
deflect him from what he should be doing—seeing Huld to
Elsa, the waitress and possible prostitute. Leni coquettishly
further his case.
asks if K. would dump Elsa and take her as a lover. Leni speaks
of bodily defects and shows K. her webbed fingers, which he The motif of hierarchy and the symbol of the attic are also
finds fascinating. K. kisses them, and Leni straddles him and used in this chapter. K. assumes that the lawyer is powerful
kisses his neck. She pretends to fall and pulls K. down to the and has influence in court because he "work[s] in the High
floor on top of her. "Now you're mine," she says. It's likely, Court, not that court in the attic." The attic courts are at a far
though not stated, that they have sex. As K. leaves her, Leni lower level than those above that really matter.
gives him a key to the house so he can come and go anytime.

The omnipresence of the court also factors into Karl's visit. It's The pernicious court system seems to deform many of those
unclear how K.'s half-sister, Erna, heard about K.'s case. It's who become closely involved with it. However, during her
also curious that, unlike K. himself, she knows that "things do seduction of him, K. finds her deformity strangely attractive.
not look at all good" for K. It seems as if everyone but K. knows "What a freak of nature," he says, and then he kisses the
more about his case than he does. But how do they know? webbing.
Why does he not know? Is the answer to the latter question
that K. is deliberately deceiving himself? Or is he purposely K. sits out of the way as his uncle and the lawyer chat as
kept in the dark by the court? friends. K. seems detached; he "looked on calmly" as they
conversed. He was "glad [his uncle's enthusiasm] had now
Uncle Karl provides what may be an insight into K.'s been distracted without his [K.'s] having to do anything about
predicament and possible guilt. He says, "Things like this [the it." K. still doesn't take his case seriously, so convinced is he of
indictment and trial] don't come all of a sudden, they start his innocence. However, K. is surprised that the lawyer already
developing a long time beforehand, there must have been knows about his case and finds it "interesting." K. remains
warning signs of it." Here, Karl refers to the theme of guilt and uninvolved in the discussion, even as the office director of the
innocence. He implies that K.'s guilt has arisen from his lifelong court reveals himself and joins the conversation. K. pays so
behavior. It's the accumulation of the many small things that a little attention, he's oblivious to the amount of power this
person does that, like K.'s behavior toward Miss Montag, official has at the court. Instead of engaging with the lawyer
accumulate until the guilt cannot be ignored. The implication is and the magistrate to help his case, K. is glad to be distracted
that the court may be omniscient, recording every action by Leni.
people under its jurisdiction take. Or the statement may refer
to an omniscient God's judgment of all human actions. Yet the While the men speak together, Leni attends to the lawyer,
relationship, if any, between the court and God is not clarified. gently stroking his hand. Leni may be Huld's lover, but she is
also a powerful seductress. She stares fixedly at K. as soon as
K. seems "indifferent" to his case, so he acquiesces to his he enters the house. She breaks some porcelain to attract K.'s
uncle's demand that they go see a lawyer. Uncle Karl tells K. attention, and he leaves the other three men to go find her. As
that the lawyer has a good reputation, even when "working he steps out of the lawyer's bedroom, Leni grabs his hand. K.
with the poor." K.'s perpetual attention to status is clear when admits that he "was thinking about [her] too." Leni presses
he thinks, "It was not very encouraging ... to be taken to a against K. and then leads him into the lawyer's office. As she
lawyer for poor people." But they go together to the lawyer's leans into him, Leni tells K. that she can help him only if he
house, which is in the neighborhood of the court. This proximity confesses his guilt. This seems to indicate that she's working
may imply that the lawyer may be closely aligned with the for the court in some way. Otherwise, why would she care
court. He may be more concerned with the court than being an about his plea and not believe in his innocence? She may
advocate for the accused. understand that proving innocence is impossible, and this
further implicates her as an agent of the court. That she
The motif of deformity—and illness—is important in this distracted K. from discussing his case with the lawyer and the
chapter. When they gain entry to the house, Karl and K. are office director reinforces the notion that she's a creature of the
told that the lawyer is unwell. He has "trouble with his heart." court. She does the court's bidding by trying to elicit a
As the reader soon learns, Dr. Huld is so ill that he's never confession of guilt from the accused and by taking him away
shown leaving his bed. It's possible that dealing for so long and from those who might help him.
so closely with the malignant court has sickened Dr. Huld. That
he has a heart condition may reflect the effect the court has Leni seduces K. and likely has sex with him. "Now you're mine,"
had on him. It may be that dealing with the sinister she says, perhaps meaning that by succumbing to her
machinations of the court system has damaged the organ seduction, K. has now succumbed to the court. He is under her
associated with empathy and forgiveness. Later on in the spell and thus irretrievably ensnared in the court system. The
chapter, the reader is told that Leni, too, is deformed. She has text implies that K. and Leni have sex for hours.
webbed fingers. Leni works for Dr. Huld and may be his lover.
She may also work for the court system itself. Her closeness to When K. finally leaves the house, his Uncle Karl is waiting for
the lawyer and the court may be associated with her deformity. him. Karl is furious that K. had disappeared with "some dirty

little thing" instead of attending to his case. K. allowed himself has suffered since he attempted to draw up his own trial
to be seduced and deflected from his purpose. The lawyer and documents. The amount of work this entails is wearing him out.
especially the powerful office director were baffled by K.'s And completing the documents is made much more difficult by
behavior and the indifference to his case his absence the fact that K. does not even know what he's accused of.
demonstrated. K. allowed himself to be irremediably damaged
by a seduction that was likely orchestrated by the court. His K. wonders at Dr. Huld's complex and often contradictory
indifference and desire—his total lack of control over his advice about how his case should be handled. The lawyer's
actions and his life—are destroying K.'s case and sealing his descriptions of the workings of the court reveal an
fate. impenetrable and irrational system. Only Huld's influence with

high-level court officials can have any positive effect on K.'s
case. Or so he says.
Chapter 7 K.'s musings on his case are interrupted when he's told that
some very important clients of the bank are waiting to see him.
The manufacturer enters K.'s office and begins to tell K. about
Summary the business at hand. K. cannot concentrate on what the
manufacturer is saying. K. is so distracted that the deputy
Josef K. is at work, but he cannot concentrate on anything. He director of the bank, who has an adjoining office, comes in to
can think of nothing but his trial. He contemplates writing a take over the business with the manufacturer. K. worries
document in his own defense. That might be more effective slightly about his status at work when the manufacturer leaves
than relying on his lawyer who doesn't seem to be actively with the deputy director. K. wonders if the deputy director
defending him. K. considers the things his lawyer has told him knows about the trial and if he'll use it to gain power over K. K.
about the law. Dr. Huld has told K. that he has won many similar wanders over to sit by the window. Eventually, he decides to
cases. Yet K. is concerned because Huld has not completed fire his lawyer and defend his case himself.
any of the initial court documents K. needs. K. cannot be told
about the progress of his case because all court documents The manufacturer returns to K.'s office when his business with
and proceedings are secret—as is the actual indictment. Even the deputy director is finished. He says there is something he
worse, the court just "tolerates" defense lawyers, often must tell K. that might help with his trial. The manufacturer tells
deliberately preventing a defense from being mounted. Despite K. about the painter, Titorelli, who has connections with the
his disgust with Huld, K. realizes that he needs the lawyer's court and might be able to further K.'s case. Titorelli paints
connections with higher-ups in the system to have his case portraits of judges, so he's knowledgeable about how they
resolved favorably. think and work and about the intricacies of court cases. The
manufacturer gives K. a letter of recommendation and the
K. ponders the incomprehensible intricacies of court cases. He painter's address. He says that K. should visit the painter to get
doesn't know what he should do. K. knows that some action his advice.
must be required, yet he also realizes that the accused should
"never attract attention" to himself. K. is trapped in a K. decides to leave and visit the painter right away. He barely
conundrum. He can't figure out how to deal with the "enormous acknowledges the other bank customers who have been
organism" that is the court system. If, as it seems, the waiting hours to see him. The deputy director comes out of his
accused's guilt or innocence is predetermined by the court, office and says he'll take over K.'s meetings with these
what's the point of doing anything? Yet Dr. Huld insists he can customers. Again, K.'s career is being undermined. But he
make progress on K.'s case. K. thinks that, above all, he must cannot delay. He must see the painter immediately.
reject the idea that he is guilty of anything.
K. locates the painter's studio in the same suburban
K. also worries that many people now know about his case, neighborhood as the court. He enters the filthy tenement. A
though he can't imagine how they found out. This widespread flirtatious young girl directs him to the studio high up in the
knowledge threatens K.'s love life (the trial is known to Miss attic. A large group of "childish, depraved" girls accompany him
Bürstner) and his position at the bank. K.'s work at the bank up the stairs. K. knocks on Titorelli's door and is invited in,
though the girls are chased away. Titorelli says he gets his

cramped studio for free because he paints portraits of court they or other court officials produce. Thus, the defense cannot
officials. Titorelli tells K. he never sees the judges he paints, but know how to respond to the prosecution. Even worse, the
uses his imagination to depict them. Titorelli says he's a court tries "to prevent any kind of defense." The defense is
"trustee of the court," whatever that means. K. is bothered by kept ignorant of the indictment, so cannot defend against it.
the oppressive air and heat in the studio, but he asks the Some court officials are open to sharing trial information with a
painter if he can help with his case. When asked, K. states with lawyer. Yet "you should never trust them," as they may give
conviction that he's "totally innocent." Titorelli admits that once contradictory information in a report. Because the report is
someone is accused, the court assumes guilt. But he says secret, the accused has no way to refute it.
there are ways he might be able to help K.
Deceit among court officials is to be expected. You should
Titorelli explains three types of "acquittal" that he might help K. work hard at pursuing your case, but "never attract attention to
achieve. "Absolute acquittal" is possible only when the accused yourself" for then court officials may "seek revenge." If you
is truly innocent, but Titorelli knows of no case of absolute seem to make progress in one part of the court, the "
acquittal. "Apparent acquittal" and "deferment" are called malevolent ... enormous organism" will replace it with an
acquittals, but the accused is never truly acquitted, or declared obstacle somewhere else. Yet, Huld explained, "There was
innocent. With these types of "acquittal," the accused is never always some progress, but [the lawyer] could never be told
free of the court; thus, the assumption of guilt. what sort of progress it was." Whether you work diligently on
your case or ignore it, the outcome is the same. The judgment
K. is feeling faint from the heat and bad air. He wants to leave is predetermined. Despite all the effort that the lawyer
but promises to return soon. He buys some paintings to stay in recommends, he admits that inevitably "the trial will ... enter a
Titorelli's good graces. Titorelli has him leave by a door that, to stage where no more help can be given."
K.'s surprise, leads directly into the court offices. K. staggers
through the court offices, barely able to breathe. Titorelli calls In spite of these dire warnings, K. decides that the most
out to K. not to wait too long to decide which form of acquittal important thing for him was "to reject in advance any idea that
he wants to pursue. he might be in any way guilty." Although everything points to
the inevitability of a guilty verdict, K. persists in asserting his
innocence. Both his guilt and innocence regarding the trial are
Analysis ambiguous to the point where it might not actually matter if
he's innocent or guilty.
Josef K.'s musings emphasize the irrationality of the court and
the impossibility of pursuing a defense. K. ponders what he's K. reflects on how the physical premises of the court "remove
heard from his lawyer about the court. K. is so obsessed by his the dignity" of the accused. Those on trial are kept in "low-
court case, he cannot concentrate on his work at the bank. He ceilinged" places in the court tenement. They wait endlessly in
worries that his inefficiency may damage his status there. K. the lowest level of the attic, while the lawyers—who have more
also realizes that the only reason he retains Dr. Huld is the status—occupy the second floor of the attic. K. pictures the
lawyer's insistence that his status gives him influence with court officials working on his case in an attic space even
high-level officials at the court. Status is everything. higher than that of the lawyers, indicating their higher status.
The attic and the interminable waiting are symbols used here
The absurd and irrational workings of the court take center to reveal the low, almost subhuman status of the accused, and
stage in this chapter. K. goes over and over in his mind the even of low-level lawyers and judges. Each has his place on a
incomprehensible and irrational procedures of the court that floor of the attic, reflecting the hierarchy of the court. Huld tells
his lawyer has told him about. K. has "no idea what actions the K. that "the different ranks and hierarchies of the court are
lawyer was taking" but feels compelled to believe Huld's endless," so there's no possibility of truly influencing the most
assertion that his influence is crucial. K. tries to make sense of powerful, high-ranking court officials. Those you can deal with
the irrational things Huld has told him. For example: It is are so low in rank, what they say is totally unreliable. Yet they
essential to file the initial court documents, though these are are the only access you have to the court. The infinite
often lost or never read, and thus are useless. Because the trial hierarchy of the court hints that God is the final arbiter of
is secret, K. and his lawyer never get access to any documents justice, for God is totally unreachable.

K. is worried about his status at the bank but feels there's acquittal entails the accused's trial remaining indefinitely in its
nothing he can do about it. He is worn down by his efforts to initial stages. Generally, the accused is not in danger of
write his own court documents, especially "because he did not rearrest. But "the defendant is never free," because he must
know what the charge was or even what consequences it spend his life attending to the proceedings constantly
might bring." K. is paralyzed by these thoughts and distraught underway against him. To call this an acquittal is absurd
that they prevent him from dealing with the manufacturer because the accused is continually fighting against his
client. Although K. had been musing on how pointless his assumed guilt. The painter actually sums up the absurdity of
efforts at the court were, he jumps at the chance that the these last two so-called acquittals: "Both have in common that
painter, Titorelli, might be of use to him because he has close they prevent the defendant being convicted ... But they also
ties to the court. K. leaves his other clients waiting prevent his being properly acquitted." K.'s head is spinning
"pointlessly"—which diminishes them as the accused are from the oppressive air and the irrationality of the options
diminished—to visit Titorelli at his studio. Titorelli described. K. rejects both types of acquittal because
neither supports his claim that he is innocent.
K.'s experience with Titorelli is rife with ambiguity and legal
irrationality. Titorelli's studio is in a rough, horrible tenement.
The painter never sees the judges whose portraits he paints
because they never reveal themselves. Thus, Titorelli must
Chapter 8
conjure up an image to paint. Titorelli's work is an exercise in
absurdity, as a portrait depicts an individual. A painting cannot
be a portrait if the individual's likeness is unknown. Titorelli's
Summary
studio is in an attic, which might reflect his low status. The air
Josef K. has decided to dismiss his lawyer, Dr. Huld. He goes to
in his studio is hot, rank, and nearly unbreathable—it is the
Huld's house to see his reaction to this news. A "small, wizened
oppressive air of the court. The primary information the painter
man" opens the door. As K. enters, he sees Leni running out of
has for K. regards the three forms of acquittal. Josef K. is still
Huld's room in her nightshirt. K. immediately asks the old man if
determined to prove his innocence, so he's eager to hear how
"he's [Leni's] lover." The old man vehemently denies it. He
he may be acquitted of all charges (whatever they may be).
introduces himself as Block, a businessman and another of
The forms of acquittal present more examples of absurdity,
Huld's clients. K. treats him arrogantly because Block is "of
irrationality, and hopelessness. They are deliberately absurd
lower standing" than himself. They go into the lawyer's office,
and irrational because the court always assumes the accused
but it's empty. K. asks where Leni is, and Block says she's
is guilty.
probably in the kitchen. They find her there, making soup for
"Absolute acquittal," Titorelli tells K., is when the accused is Huld.
innocent—but that is never the case. The means for obtaining
While stirring the soup, Leni puts an arm around K. She sneers
this type of acquittal are contradictory and irrational. There are
at Block and calls him "pitiful." K. asks Leni if Block is her lover.
only "legends" about absolute acquittals. Titorelli knows of no
She embraces K. and tries to kiss him, but he pushes her away.
instances when an absolute acquittal actually occurred. K.
Oddly, he's consumed with jealousy. Yet Leni never really
remarks that, in that case, "they could replace the whole court
denies a relationship with Block. She hugs K. closer and invites
with a single hangman." An "apparent acquittal" involves having
him to spend the night with her. Leni leaves to bring Huld some
an advocate draw up an assertion of innocence that is
soup.
circulated and cosigned by numerous judges. Unfortunately, in
an apparent acquittal you are only "apparently free," because
K. treats Block with contempt. But when K. learns that Block's
you can be rearrested at any time. To call this an acquittal is
case has been ongoing for five years, they discuss the lawyer
irrational because the innocence attested to carries no weight
and the courts. Block has K. promise to keep an important
and has no meaning. This is supported by the fact that court
secret. He's hired five low-level lawyers in addition to and
proceedings against the accused continue indefinitely and any
unbeknownst to Huld to work on his case. He knows that's not
court can order rearrest, which sets you back to step one.
allowed, but he's anxious because his case is not progressing.
Block has given up everything he has to mount his case, and he
The final form of acquittal is called "deferment." In this form,

is ruined. That's one reason he often lives in Huld's house. The servile. Huld proceeds to humiliate Block, confusing him with
other reason is so he can be there during the rare instances irrational questions and abusing him verbally. Block kneels
that Huld summons him. Block had seen K. at the court. Block down by Huld's bed, "like a dog," to receive whatever news the
tells K. of a ridiculous notion that an accused's fate can be lawyer has. K. is enraged at Block's self-humiliation and
detected by the shape of his lips. Block explains that there are renounces him. But Block lashes out, telling K. that they are
many reasons why K.'s initial documents have not yet been equals in their oppression by the law.
filed with the court. He then says that it doesn't matter, as
these documents are deemed "worthless." K. learns from Block Leni leaves K. and goes over to Block, who asks her to
that Huld is only a "minor lawyer," and that the "great lawyers" intercede with Huld on his behalf. Leni indicates that Block
are beyond reach. should kiss Huld's hand, which he does. Leni then leans over
the lawyer and strokes his hair. Huld asks Leni about Block's
Leni returns, but now K. ignores her to get more information behavior today, and she describes how docile and
from Block. Yet Leni persists in interrupting their conversation. conscientious Block has been. But Huld then says the judge
She says Huld is ready to see K. However, rather than taking K. he'd spoken to about Block's case did not "speak well of him."
to see Huld, Leni invites K. to go with her into the bedroom. He Huld is keeping Block servile by scaring him with bad news (or
follows her, but nothing happens between them. K. returns to lies) about his case. But then Huld states, "What the judge said
the kitchen with Leni and announces that he's going to dismiss has no meaning." Huld says that he's insulted that Block
Huld. Leni and Block are shocked. K. rushes from the kitchen, doesn't trust him and that he dislikes Block's anxiety.
with Leni racing after him. He gets to the lawyer's room first,
but Leni tries—and fails—to pull him out. K. locks the door to [Franz Kafka never finished writing this chapter.]
keep her out.
The bedridden Huld has K. sit by his bed, and he apologizes for Analysis
Leni's "importunate" behavior. Huld explains that Leni "finds
most of the accused attractive ... [and] attaches herself to Josef K.'s sexual desire, jealousy, and status open this chapter.
each of them." K. feels that Huld is trying to confuse him. Then K. goes to Huld's house to fire him. When the door to the
he forcefully announces that he's firing the lawyer. The lawyer lawyer's house opens, K. is outraged to see Leni running out of
states that they should discuss this "plan," but K. states it's not Huld's bedroom wearing only her nightshirt. K. realizes that she
a plan, it's a firm decision he's made. K. explains that he'd is probably Huld's lover. Sexual jealousy takes hold of K. But he
wanted quicker results from Huld, who says he understands vents his anger at the "wizened old man" who'd opened the
that K. is "impatient." K. contradicts himself when he denies door to him. It is the businessman, Block. All K. can think to ask
being impatient but states that he's tired of waiting for him is if he's also Leni's lover, which Block denies.
progress on his trial. The lawyer counters by saying that "after
To regain control over the situation, K. reverts to his feelings of
a certain point in the proceedings ... nothing new of any
superiority. K. feels more possessive and deserving of Leni's
importance ever happens." He says that K.'s judgment is
attention because he feels superior to this disheveled "little
questionable and his decision is unwise. Huld explains that he's
man." K. and Block talk together on their way to the kitchen. K.
given K.'s case more attention than most because he finds it
"felt at liberty ... [because he was] speaking with [someone] of
"especially interesting." K. wonders why Huld would "humiliate"
lower standing" than himself. They find Leni making soup. She
himself in this way. K. demands to know what specifically Huld
puts her arm around K., but he demands to know if Block is her
will do in the near future to further his case. Huld replies by
lover. They go into the lawyer's office, where Leni embraces
telling K. that he has so far been treated either too leniently or
and kisses K. She never actually answers his accusation about
been too neglected. That is what has led to K.'s rash decision.
Block, whom she says she's "helping." Back in the kitchen,
To make a point, Huld has Block called into his room. Huld rolls Block asks K. if he's a client of Huld's. "What business of that is
over in bed, turning his back on the room. He huddles under yours?" Josef K. fires back. Again, his contempt for those of
the covers as Leni brings Block in. Then she sits near K. and lower status is revealed in his rude and imperious behavior.
runs her hands through his hair and over his face. K. holds her
K. becomes even more incensed and jealous when Leni tells
hands to stop her. Block tiptoes into the room. He is tense and

him that Block sleeps at the lawyer's house. K. automatically Block expands on the court's absurdity with a humorous
assumes that Leni is sleeping with him. Leni laughs at K. for description of how the shape of the accused's lips, and other
believing this, but later Huld admits that Leni is sexually superstitions, are believed to reveal guilt or innocence. When a
attracted to accused men. Whether or not this means she's system is absurd and irrational, resorting to superstition may
having sex with Block is not clarified. When K. is ready to go be the only way to make sense of it.
see the lawyer, Leni deflects him from his purpose (again) by
showing him the closet that Block sleeps in. Here, she uses The irrationality and absurdity of the court is reinforced when
sexual jealousy, not sex itself, to deflect K. from his purpose. Block describes filing his necessary but "worthless"
The incident also undermines K.'s certainty that he, K., was documents. There's humor in his statement that he actually got
using her for his own benefit. Now he sees that he wasn't in to read one of these vital documents, which "was very learned
control, she was. Who was benefiting from whom? ... [but] it didn't actually say anything. Most of all there was lots
of Latin." Block admits that he'd been expecting progress on
The importance of status shows up again when Block tells K. his case, which "should have been moving on in some way
that though Huld is a good lawyer, he is a "minor lawyer." Huld according to the rules." The irony here is that Block must
is far below those the court deems "great lawyers." But, Block surely be aware, as the reader is, that there are no knowable
says, "there is probably no way of contacting" these high- rules by which the court operates. Block's statement about
ranking lawyers." Like the judges, the upper echelons of the rules is absurd and simply reveals his self-delusion.
court have a status that makes them unknowable and
unreachable. Huld's relatively low status is revealed when, The motif of waiting is introduced by Block who says, "Waiting
curiously, he pleads with K. not to fire him. K. is amazed that is not pointless ... It's only pointless if you try and interfere
the lawyer would "humiliate" himself in this way. Huld's yourself." This statement underscores the passivity of the
humiliation lies in the tacit admission that he's not as powerful accused who find meaning in waiting in the court corridor only
or well connected as he pretends to be. K. even remarks that because they hope that someone will call on them to further
Huld "was showing no regard for the dignity of his position" their case. K., however, refuses to demean himself by waiting
when he demeans himself in trying to retain K. as a client. so abjectly.
Huld's abasement proves his lack of status.

When K. finally sees Huld and tells him he's fired, the motif of
When Leni leaves to bring Huld his soup, K. and Block begin to waiting is again used. K. says he expected "more vigor" from
talk. K. decides that Block's more extensive experience with his defense lawyer. Huld counters that K. is "impatient." K.
the court system might help him. K. later admits that "the man denies this, even though that is the reason he's dismissing
was of some value" because Block had been of use to K. Huld. K. says he was "waiting for you to do something, getting
Block's case has been ongoing for five years. Here again, K.'s more and more tense, but you did nothing." But K. has been
relationship with another person is purely transactional. waiting for results that the lawyer says are unrealistic: "After a
certain point ... nothing new of any importance ever happens."
When K. describes his initial hearing, Block tells K. that his K. is forced to wait for his case to proceed in the same way as
interpretation of the proceeding is completely wrong. Block the "wretches" in the court corridor must wait. But unlike the
had been in the crowd during K.'s hearing. Block says that accused in the waiting room, K. has not yet given in to passivity
rather than appearing smart, K.'s behavior seemed "stupid." and hopelessness. K. blames the lawyer who "would try to
Block says that regarding the court, there are "things that you mislead K. with hopes that were never specified and to make
just can't understand with reason alone." The irrational him suffer with threats that were never clear." K. shall dismiss
foundation of law and the ambiguous meaning and him "to put a stop to that" and to the pointless waiting it
interpretation of its procedures are highlighted in this section. entailed.
K. thought he'd been in control at his hearing and that he'd won
over the crowd. But his experience of the hearing and his Huld has been revealed to have low status in the court. He is a
assessment of his position were totally incorrect. He'd had no "minor lawyer." But he has Block brought into his bedroom to
way to know how the crowd and the judge viewed his behavior. impress K. with his, Huld's, power over servile clients. Block's
This situation is absurd. How can the accused defend himself debasement and powerlessness in Huld's presence mirror the
when he does not know how his actions will be interpreted? accused's humiliation by the court system. Huld turns his back

on Block. He uses irrational and contradictory statements to K. arrives in time. He walks around the mostly empty cathedral,
undermine Block, as when he says, "You were summoned ... but waiting for the Italian, but the man never shows up. After
you have still come at a bad time." Huld has him kneel at his wandering in the cathedral for an hour, K. decides it's pointless
bedside, kiss his hand, and stroke his blankets. Block's to wait any longer as the Italian is probably not coming. K.
humiliation attracts Leni, who goes to him. Block begs her to looks at a painting in which an armed guard stands near the
intercede on his behalf with the lawyer. "He [is] the lawyer's interred body of Christ. K. then examines a stone carving of
dog," K. thinks, disgusted by the scene. The lawyer then leaves that seem to "trap a deep darkness ... and hold it
speaks to Block but is almost certainly lying to him. He toys prisoner." He notices a man in a cassock who is gesturing to
with Block to frighten him with contradictory information. Huld direct him to another part of the cathedral. K. is amused and
tells Block that the judge "did not speak well of him at all." Then feels superior to the childlike monk, but he follows anyway. K.
Huld nearly crushes Block by insisting that the same judge notices a tiny pulpit and lamp far from the center of the
scorns Block's efforts to further his case because "his trial still cathedral. The lamp indicates that a sermon is about to be
hasn't begun." Block has devoted the last five years of his life given there. But for whom? K. is the only person around. Then
to the case, only to hear this. Block is clearly shaken, so Huld a young priest goes up into the small pulpit. Will the sermon be
tries to calm him by saying, "What the judge said has no only for K? K. wants to leave the cathedral, whose size is
meaning for you ... you needn't be frightened at every word. If almost more than "a man could bear."
you do it again, I won't tell you anything else at all." The tale the
lawyer has spun has shaken Block to the core. Although it is Suddenly, the booming voice of the young priest "pierced" the
likely untrue, it reveals that Huld is probably an inveterate liar silence of the cathedral, calling out K. by name. K. freezes but
when it comes to his clients' demands for information about realizes that he is still "free" to leave. He might pretend he did
their case. It seems likely that Huld must lie to his clients "not understand ... [or] chose not to pay attention" to the priest.
because he, too, has no access to the upper echelons of the If he acknowledges the summons, K. will be "trapped." K. turns
court where decisions are made. The lies and the slightly and sees the young priest beckon to him. K. runs back
contradictions are further indications of the court's irrationality to the small pulpit and stands before it. "You have been
and ambiguity. It cannot be known by anyone, even a accused" the priest says, and K. admits that it's true.
supposedly well-respected lawyer.

The young priest says he's the prison chaplain, and so an
adjunct of the court. The chaplain asks K. if he knows his case
is going badly, but K. insists that he has "expended a lot of
Chapter 9 effort on it." The chaplain tells K. that "your guilt is seen as
proven." K. immediately asserts that he's not guilty, that there's
"been a mistake." The chaplain chastises K. for looking too
Summary much for help from others, especially women. K. defends this
behavior by saying that women can be useful, especially in a
An Italian businessman who deals with the bank is visiting the court whose judges are "women-chasers." K. rambles on until
city. The deputy director asks Josef K. to show him the sights. the chaplain screams at him like "one who sees another fall
K. knows that his preoccupation with his trial has compromised and, shocked and without thinking, screams against his own
his position. He feels that succeeding in this task will improve will." K. does not understand. He just wants the priest to give
his status at the bank. K. studies some basic Italian language him an "acceptable piece of advice" about his trial, such as how
and grammar. He anticipates difficulties with the Italian, so his to evade it.
boss suggests that K. only take a tour of the city's famous
cathedral. The priest comes down from the pulpit, and K. decides to trust
him. The chaplain tells K. that the written opening paragraphs
On the day of the tour, before K. leaves the bank, Leni phones of the law describe how those accused, such as K., deceive
him. K. explains why he can't speak now. She says the bank is themselves. The priest then tells K. the parable of the law as it
"harassing" K. K. bristles at the tone of pity in her voice. So he is written in the law. [This section of the book is often called
agrees that, yes, he is being harassed. He hangs up to go to "Before the Law."]
the cathedral to meet the Italian at the appointed time.

In the parable, a doorkeeper stands before the open door to He's been so distracted by his case and unable to do his job,
the law. A. man comes to this door and asks the doorkeeper he feels that he must help out his boss in this way. K. feels
for entry. But the doorkeeper cannot let him in at this time. The somewhat paranoid that the mission is to "get him out of the
man asks if he can go in later, and the doorkeeper says "it's office ... [because he was] dispensable." He realizes, though,
possible," because the door to the law is always open. So the that if this tour goes well, his boss will think of K. as a "success
man decides to sit and wait. He waits for years and at work."
contemplates running through the door past the keeper. After
all, the law should be "accessible to anyone at any time." But When K. gets to the cathedral, he waits more than an hour for
when the doorkeeper tells the man that he is just the lowliest the Italian man to show up. His waiting intensifies K.'s paranoia
of doorkeepers and that many other, more powerful keepers about his job and his status at work. After wandering the
guard other doors beyond this one, the man decides he will cathedral, K. feels that there's "no point in waiting" any longer.
await permission to enter. At one point he tries to bribe the Waiting here, as in the court, seems to K. to be pointless. The
doorkeeper who says he'll take the bribe just so the man Italian never shows.
believes he's done everything he can to gain entry. As the man

The motifs of deformity and status are introduced. The man in
is dying, he seems to see a glint of brilliant light coming from
a cassock gesturing to K. is probably a monk. The monk walks
the room behind the open door. Just before he dies, the man
with a limp. This deformity may imply that the man in the
asks the doorkeeper why no one else has come to this door to
cassock is associated with the court. K. feels superior to the
gain access to the law. The doorkeeper explains that it's
"old man [who] is like a child" and who "doesn't have the sense
because this door "was meant only for you." As the man dies,
for anything more than serving in a church." For no apparent
the doorkeeper closes the door to the law.
reason, K. asserts his superiority over someone he knows
What follows is a lengthy discussion between K. and the priest nothing about. Yet with a condescending smile, K. decides to
about what the parable means—and how it has been variously follow the monk. The motif of deformity is presented again
interpreted by the court. They agree that it is extremely when K. is led to a pulpit whose low, curved top would make it
ambiguous and contains several contradictions. Who was impossible for anyone to stand upright. K. wonders if perhaps
cheated—the man or the doorkeeper? Why do the man and the this cramped pulpit was designed "to make the priest
doorkeeper act the way they do? Is the doorkeeper suffer"—in the way that the court deforms the accused and
empathetic? Is the man too weak or obedient to risk entering makes them suffer.
the door meant for him? Who is more afraid of what lies
A lighted lamp by this pulpit indicates that a sermon is about to
beyond the door—the man or the doorkeeper? How much, if
be given there. K. wonders if he should leave right away. K. is
anything, does the doorkeeper know about the law? Who has
the only person around. Can K. be the sole recipient of the
lower status—the doorkeeper or the man? Which of them is
sermon? Is it somehow planned and intended only for him?
freer? Which of them is more deluded? There are numerous
These thoughts foreshadow the parable to come. K. hastens
moral and philosophical questions raised by the parable.
toward the exit of the cathedral as a priest mounts the small
As the priest's lamp lights their way toward the exit, K. sees it pulpit. As he moves toward the exit, K. hears a voice calling out
briefly illuminate a saint that "glitter[s] ... with silver," a sight his name. K. considers running away because if he turned
reminiscent of the man's glimpse of light through the door to toward the voice, he would be "trapped."
the law. The priest points toward the way out, but K. seems to
When K. returns to the pulpit, the chaplain states, "You are
panic. He begs the chaplain not to "abandon" him. But the
Josef K. ... You have been accused." K. admits it's true. The
prison chaplain replies coldly that, as he "belongs to the court,"
priest says that he has specifically summoned K. to the
he "doesn't want anything" from K. He is indifferent to K.
cathedral. That makes it clear that K.'s boss knows of his trial.
The meeting with the Italian was a ruse to get K. to the
cathedral. K. is caught in some widespread conspiracy that
Analysis involves the court in every aspect of his life.
Josef K. agrees to show the Italian businessman around in The irrational court seems to be omnipresent. The priest tells
order to retain his position and status in the bank hierarchy. K. that he is the prison chaplain. This makes him an official of

the court system. The system in which K. is entangled notion. The prison chaplain then relates the parable.
becomes vastly, if not infinitely, enlarged. That the court
system is operating within a religious setting reveals its vast "Before the Law" is an ambiguous parable about hope, futility,
new scope. The reader may interpret this situation as the court and justice. As the subsequent discussion between K. and the
and its unknowable procedures, and judgments as priest shows, it can be understood and interpreted in a wide
encompassing the infinite omnipotence and omniscience of variety of ways. The contradictions within the parable make it
God. Yet the question remains: Is the court part of God's impossible to comprehend and to be used as a guide in
infinite and ineffable power, or is God the ultimate unreachable navigating the law. In this way, though the story is linear, it is
and unknowable pinnacle of the court system? Are God and not rational. The text explains some of the ways the parable
the irrational, meaningless, and absurd court system one and may be interpreted. If the door to the law was meant only for
the same? Is divine justice as arbitrary and absurd as court the man, should he have run past the doorkeeper to claim the
justice? Is there as little rationality and hope for justice with justice that was rightfully his? After all, the doorkeeper was
God as with the court? kind to the man and never threatened him.
The prison chaplain tells K. that his "case is going badly" and Yet, did the man assume that entering the door to the law
that he's "considered guilty ... your guilt is seen as proven." K. would bring him peace or absolution? He knew, after all, that
protests: How can he have been proven guilty when there's many other doors existed beyond this first door. At his death,
been no charge, no evidence, and no reasons given for this the man sees "an inextinguishable light" shining out through
verdict? Yet the chaplain tells K. that "[his guilty] verdict does the open door. Does that light signify God's grace and
not come suddenly, proceedings continue until a verdict is satisfying justice? Or is it another type of light that might
reached gradually." K. thinks this is absurd, because as far as signify a more dire judgment? Should the parable be
he knows there's been only one hearing. What has been interpreted as expressing the irrationality and ambiguity of the
happening "gradually" that has proven his guilt to the court? He court? Or is it a parable about God's incomprehensible
has no idea. The system is not rational and cannot be judgment? After all, the doorkeeper says that his is only one of
understood. an infinite number of doors to the law. What obstacles await in

front of the other doors?
The chaplain tells K., "You look for too much help from people
you don't know—especially from women." K. tries to retain a The parable is rife with ambiguity and contradictions. One legal
modicum of control by reasonably explaining why he sought commentary on this parable states, "A correct understanding
help with his case. The chaplain then screams at K. "Can you of a matter and a misunderstanding of the same matter are not
not see two steps in front of you?" The implication here is that mutually exclusive." So one may think one understands and yet
there is no outside help that can affect an individual's trial. In totally misunderstand simultaneously—and both views are, in a
the same way as the chaplain was in the cathedral for K. alone, way, acceptable. The chaplain says that the "various opinions
K.'s guilt or innocence before the law rests with him alone. This, [about the parable] are often no more than an expression of
too, presages the parable to come. It also reinforces the idea despair over it."
that the court encompasses the judgmental God, for each

Finally, there's the question of where the court system fits into
individual is judged by God for his or her own actions and
this parable. After all, the parable is the opening section of the
motivations. No other person can have any effect on God's
written law, or legal code, of the court system. Does the
judgment of an individual.
doorkeeper represent the court in his refusal to allow entry to
K. persists in his misunderstanding. He wonders if it's still the law? Or is the court system the, perhaps infinite,
possible for the chaplain to give "him some acceptable piece of progression of doors that lay beyond this first door? It's all
advice that could make all the difference [in his case]." K. open to interpretation.
cannot free himself from his erroneous ideas about the court
When he's about to leave, K. is taken aback by the chaplain's
system. Because the chaplain is part of this system, K. can see
chilly attitude and dismissive behavior. K. is still confused and
him only transactionally as someone who might advise or
wonders aloud, "[But] you were so friendly to me earlier on." To
intercede for him—someone he can use. K. feels that he "can
this, the chaplain coldly instructs K.: "I belong to the court. So
trust" the chaplain. But the priest disabuses him of this false
why would I want anything from you? The court doesn't want

anything from you. It accepts you when you come and it lets knife deeply into K.'s heart. He twists it there twice. As he dies,
you go when you leave." This statement of the court's utter Josef K. gazes at his killers. "Like a dog," he says.
indifference to the individual ends this chapter.
Analysis
Chapter 10
Josef K. is somehow dressed as if he's been waiting for these
"gentlemen" to come. This might indicate that he has finally
given up hope and resigned himself to the guilty verdict the
Summary court has passed on him. He may or may not have accepted
that he is guilty, but he's recognized the futility of fighting the
Josef K. was arrested on his 30th birthday. Now it is his 31st
irrational and all-powerful court system. He simply awaits the
birthday. It is 9 p.m. when two "gentlemen" come,
fate that he knows is inevitable for a guilty man.
unannounced, to his room. Though he hadn't known they were
coming, somehow K. is dressed and ready to leave. He says, The men who come to take him away are wearing frock coats.
"You've come for me then?" and they nod. K. is somewhat This detail harkens back to the scene at K.'s first hearing. He
annoyed that these men seem to be of such low status. He noted then that many of the men assembled in the hearing
ridicules their clothing, asking what theater they act in. They're room wore frock coats. The frock coats these gentlemen wear
confused by the reference. may indicate that they may be from the same court assembly.
K. finds their attire so ridiculous, he even adds a touch of
Out in the street, the gentlemen grab K.'s arms and pin them
humor by thinking that maybe they are operatic "tenors."
close to his body. They hold his arms tightly, seeming to form a
"single organism." As they march K. away, K. thinks he sees The gentlemen pin K.'s arms in such a way that the trio "forms
Miss Bürstner on the street. They do not acknowledge one a unit of the sort that normally can be formed only by matter
another. K. understands it's pointless to resist the men by that is lifeless." K. has become one with the court, which he
attempting a heroic escape. The gentlemen allow K. to earlier described as a "monstrous organism." Yet once he's
determine in which direction they will walk. K. decides to have trapped by the system, K.'s life is over. When it gets its
them follow the woman who may be Miss Bürstner. K. wants to tentacles on K. and ensnares him, the court system renders
keep her in sight. But the young woman turns down a side him essentially lifeless. Yet K. is still able to exert some agency
street, and the three men continue over a bridge and toward a and retains a bit of his old self. When he says, "Why did they
quarry. K. runs toward it, dragging the breathless men with him. send you, of all people?" he's asserting his superiority over the
gentlemen. He is disgusted that such buffoonish men are to be
At the abandoned quarry, the two gentlemen release K. and
his last human contacts in his life.
begin discussing something together. One man has K. take off
his jacket and shirt. Then he marches K. to a large stone lying The gentlemen allow K. to guide them in whatever direction he
in the quarry. The man sits K. down by the stone and has him wants to go. When he thinks he sees Miss Bürstner, K. tries to
lean back. The other man takes a long, thin butcher knife from follow her. K. doesn't particularly want to catch up with her but
his coat. The men pass the knife back and forth over K. K. just to "keep her in sight ... so that he would not forget the
thinks they want him to take the knife and kill himself with it. reproach she represented for him." Perhaps she represents a
But he will not do that. He will not let them off that easily. K. purer, less transactional type of relationship that he rejected in
understands that his value and his strength have been taken his pursuit of women who could be of use to him in his trial.
from him by "whoever had denied [them] to him." He looks up Exactly why she is a reproach to K. is not clear. However, K.'s
and thinks he sees someone stretching their arms out to him next thought is that "the only thing I can do now ... is keep my
from an open window. But he doesn't know who it is or why common sense and do what's needed right till the end." This
they are gesturing in this way. K. wonders about his may indicate that Miss Bürstner represents the good, simple,
predicament: "Was he alone? Was it everyone? Would anyone ordinary life that K. somehow was unable to pursue. His
help?" "common sense" tells K. that now he should not let "anyone say
after I'm gone that at the start of the proceedings I wanted to
One of the men grabs K.'s neck, while the other pushes the

The Trial Study Guide Quotes 31
end them, and that now that they've ended I want to start them question, his predetermined guilty verdict. And he is executed
again." K. will accept his fate—whether it is just or unjust—with "alone" in an "abandoned" and desolate place. Perhaps K.'s
all the dignity he can muster. eternal shame is his inability to understand the court (the law
and justice) or his acceptance of a fate he cannot
K. begins to run, dragging the breathless gentlemen with him. comprehend. The novel ends simply but ambiguously.
Is running and discomfiting the gentlemen K.'s last act in
defiance of the court? Or is K. running toward the inevitable
g Quotes
end that awaits him and that he now welcomes?
When the group reaches the abandoned quarry, the gentlemen

release K. He "wait[s] in silence" for what will happen next. The
narrator tells the reader that "the moonlight lay everywhere "Our authorities ... don't go out
with the natural peace that is granted to no other light." This
looking for guilt ... it's the guilt that
may refer back to the light the man in the parable sees through
the open door to law just before he dies. Thus, K. may be draws them out."
granted a bit of reflected light (but not brilliant, direct sunlight
or the divine light implied in the parable) and peace before he — Franz, Chapter 1
dies.
K. is led to a large stone in the quarry and settled against it. This quotation introduces the idea of Josef K.'s innate guilt. It is
The large stone may represent a sacrificial stone used long his guilt that has attracted the attention of the law and brought
ago when humans (or nonhuman animals) were sacrificed to on his arrest. It is not, as he insists, that his arrest is a mistake
the gods. Of course, in this case K. is sacrificed to the gods of because he is innocent.
the court. The gentlemen position K. in a way that further
reminds the reader of a sacrifice. K.'s head is pulled back, as if
his throat is to be cut. "My lord ... there are proceedings
The gentlemen pass the "double-edged" butcher knife over K.'s only if I acknowledge that there
neck so he can see it. The double-edged blade may signify the
ambiguity of all that has gone before. It may also represent the
are."
ambiguity of K.'s still rationally unestablished guilt or
innocence. K. thinks they want him to take the knife and kill — Josef K., Chapter 2
himself, but he will not release them from carrying out the final
act required by the irrational court system. When Josef K. makes this statement during his first hearing at
court, he is revealing his arrogance and his ignorance. He
Moments before he dies, K. questions himself and his life. He
assumes he is so superior, and so innocent, that he is in control
wonders why he is completely alone and without help. Still, he
of the proceedings. However, he fails to realize that he has
thinks, "Were there [legal] objections that had been forgotten?
already acknowledged the proceedings by presenting himself
... Where was the judge he'd never seen? Where was the high
at the hearing and making a speech. The statement illustrates
court he'd never reached?" K. still expresses his bewilderment
K.'s abysmal ignorance about what is happening to him.
at the vast, irrational, incomprehensible court. He
wonders—against all evidence—if he might have done
something to save himself.
"[Its] purpose is to arrest innocent
At the moment of death, K. thinks he is dying "Like a dog ... it
was as if the shame of it should outlive him." K. has failed to
people and wage pointless
understand anything of what's happened to him. He's failed to prosecutions against them ...
defend himself before the court. The law has won, and its
victory shames K. He has been unable to overturn, or even devoid of meaning."

— Josef K., Chapter 2 — Josef K., Chapter 4
This is another part of Josef K.'s oration to those assembled at Josef K. says this to the whip-man. The statement shows K.'s
his first hearing. In this statement, K. accuses the court of complete misunderstanding of the court system. He believes
pursuing meaningless prosecutions. Here, K. is dismissive of its power resides in its hierarchy; that those in the lower
the absurdity of the court. Yet he doesn't realize that this echelon are meaningless, while real power exists higher up.
meaninglessness is not a criticism, but a statement of reality. However, although he constantly hears rumors of greater
He mocks the court's irrationality, but it will destroy him. judges and lawyers—people with more power at higher
levels—he is only ever confronted with those in the lowest
levels of power. They are the ones who decide his fate.
"This court [tries innocent] people
... without letting them know what's "Having a trial like that means
going on." losing a trial like that."
— Josef K., Chapter 3
— Uncle Karl, Chapter 5
Josef K. is protesting against the irrationality of the court. He

This is presented as a cliché that Uncle Karl relates to Josef K.
keeps insisting he is innocent. He complains that he's kept in
Uncle Karl says this to convince K. that he really does need an
the dark about his indictment and court procedures. K. holds
experienced lawyer to settle his case. The saying hints,
on to his rationality and his demand for reasons. He is still
however, at what becomes very clear later on: a person on trial
unaware of the fact that they do not exist in the court
is doomed to lose his case.
system—or will not be revealed by the law.
"There's nothing you can do to

"Was he not ... so free that he
defend yourself from this court,
could crush the entire court
you have to confess."
whenever he wanted?"
— Leni, Chapter 6
Leni says this to Josef K. after she has seduced him and led
This statement reveals Josef K.'s hubris and his inflated sense
him away from his interview with Dr. Huld. She has deflected K.
of self-importance. It also shows how unaware he is of the
from getting the legal advice he might be able to use. In this
nature of his situation. He thinks he's free and thus has power
statement, she tries to get him to confess to a guilt he rejects.
over the court. He has not yet understood how puny his
The reader is uncertain if Leni demands a confession at the
existence is in the eyes of the law.
behest of the court or the lawyer, or if she sincerely wishes the
best for K.
"If you had a senior judge beneath

your stick ... I would do nothing to "Everything is connected ... and
stop you." will continue ... even more
malevolent."

— Dr. Huld, Chapter 7 Titorelli affirms that the court is always right in assuming that
the accused is guilty. His statement seems not to be about
ordinary guilt, for he says the court reaches into a place where
Dr. Huld says this to Josef K. to convince him to retain his
there was nothing—no guilt. Yet it finds guilt in this empty, guilt-
services as a lawyer. He is playing up the connections he has
free place. He implies that the court can almost implant guilt in
with court officials and insisting that because everything in the
anyone it decides to accuse.
court is connected, he can influence K.'s case only by
influencing those court officials with whom he has connections.
Huld implies that if this approach is not followed, terrible things
will happen to K. and his case. "Provisionally, at least, your guilt is
seen as proven."
"The most important thing ... was — Prison chaplain, Chapter 9
to reject in advance any idea that
he might be ... guilty." The prison chaplain at the cathedral reaffirms that Josef K. is
assumed to be guilty. In a reversal of normal jurisprudence, the
accused in K.'s situation would have to prove he is not guilty,
even though he doesn't know what his guilt consists of. Just
being accused is an indication of proven guilt. Can an accused
Here, Josef K. reasserts his innocence. He has convinced man disprove proven guilt? The chaplain is telling K. that his
himself that the only way to win his case is to deny any case is hopeless.
knowledge of or connection to guilt.
"You don't need to accept

"Was it not ... very likely ... there
everything as true, you only have
were ... dangers he had failed to
to accept it as necessary."
see or ... was even running
toward?" — Prison chaplain, Chapter 9
— Josef K., Chapter 7 The prison chaplain explains to Josef K. the irrationality of his
situation. He's telling K. that fighting the court is pointless. The
chaplain is saying that he understands why K. cannot accept
Josef K. begins to doubt his approach to his case and his
the irrationality of the court and its assertion of his guilt. Yet he
thinking about it. He is coming to realize how labyrinthine and
is telling K. that he must submit to the idea that whatever the
irrational the court system is. He starts to see that his human
court does is necessary or inevitable. This is another
understanding may be insufficient in keeping him from doing
statement of the utter hopelessness of K.'s situation.
things that will endanger his case.
"Like a dog ... as if the shame of it

"[The court] reaches into some
should outlive him."
place where ... there was nothing
and pulls enormous guilt out." — Josef K., Chapter 10
— Titorelli, Chapter 7

The Trial Study Guide Symbols 34
This is the last line of the novel. Josef K. sees his death as fetid, foul air in the building. The heavy, noxious air represents
demeaning and meaningless. He recognizes that it is shameful, the oppression of the accused by the court system.
perhaps because he submitted to the court and allowed Sometimes the air is so awful, K. almost passes out. He is
himself to be executed. Kafka leaves the last line ambiguous: overcome by the oppression of the court, or legal system. The
Why will this shame outlive K.? Is it because his eternal soul is oppressive air in the court building may also represent its
foul? Is it because he has acted somehow in a subhuman way? insularity. The court, though lowly, deals with laws that are
It's open to interpretation. secret and hidden—that are confined and surrounded by
protective ambiguity. To keep the law protected and secret, it
must be isolated from the open air. K. feels better once he's
outside and can breathe fresh air again. Fresh air is life, and in
l Symbols the novel the law thrives not on life but on an irrational tyranny
that is inimical to life.
The Court: Tenement and Attic

m Themes
The court offices are not, as in most modern cities, located in
magisterial buildings—often the largest and most impressive
building in town. Instead, Franz Kafka sites the court in a run-
Justice and the Law
down, almost derelict tenement on the outskirts of the city. The
tenement is decrepit and depressing, symbolizing the lowly
status of the accused and lower-level court officials. The The Trial is about receiving justice—a moral good that human
tenement's disrepair also represents the neglect of the society should afford to every person. Yet in the novel, justice
supplicants by the true governors of the law, who exist in some is corrupted because it is ruled over by a court system that
higher, unreachable realm. The tenement is described as being itself is corrupt and even sinister. In ordinary life, justice is
cobbled together with rotting planks of wood that are not even attained through the law. In the novel, justice is unattainable
aligned. This slapdash construction reflects the contempt the because the law throws up arbitrary, irrational impediments to
court has for its supplicants, the accused. The court is accessing it. Josef K. is accused, but the law cannot or will not
indifferent because the level of the law as carried out in the let him discover what he is accused of. When the law, which
tenement is so far beneath the actual law, which is hidden. ideally is supposed to be a clear-cut system of rules of
behavior, is so ambiguous and secretive, finding justice through
The attic is mentioned in several places in the novel. Most the law is impossible.
often it refers to the status of various groups of people. The
accused sit around in the lower level of the attic. The lower- The law is designed not only to prevent the accused from
level judges are found above them, in an upper level of the attaining justice, its procedures are inscrutable and cannot be
attic. Thus, the attic symbolizes status and the hierarchy of the navigated. They ensnare the accused in a labyrinth of malign
court system. It is implied in the novel that the "higher" court bureaucracy that ensures that the accused is never
officials exists either in the upper levels of the attic or in exonerated. Any action the accused may take to control or
another, higher realm altogether. make sense of legal proceedings ends up being
counterproductive, even comical.
A person cannot receive justice if he is ignorant of the charges

Oppressive Air against him. The Trial has been variously interpreted as a
denunciation of social institutions and bureaucracy, or as a
more profound examination of the innate guilt of the individual
as judged by a totally remote but judgmental God. The novel
When K. visits the court building, he is often overcome by the
may be read to imply that for God all people are guilty because

The Trial Study Guide Motifs 35
no one is ever truly and fully innocent. In any case and distinction between guilt and innocence—which are states that
whatever the interpretation, justice is presented as a moral are normally based on laws. Josef K. never discovers what law
state that can never be realized. he's broken that makes him guilty. The law is so blurry that guilt
is assumed and the accused can do nothing to disprove it.
Josef K. cannot know where he stands in his case because all
documents and other vital information are withheld from him.
The Absurd Their content is ambiguous and has a questionable,
indecipherable impact on his case. Their utility, too, is
ambiguous. Dr. Huld is supposedly busy preparing K.'s court
The law in The Trial is irrational, incomprehensible, and documents, which he says are at once vital and useless. Facts,
therefore, absurd. The more Josef K. tries to pursue his case also, are malleable. What may be stated as fact in one
rationally, the more enmeshed in irrationality he becomes. His paragraph or chapter may be clearly refuted in another.
rational actions just make his situation worse. The nonsensical Statements and behavior are equally tenuous. The characters
aspects of his predicament, and his futile efforts to understand in the novel lie, cheat, and manipulate each other for their own
or control them, lend humor to the otherwise grim aspects of ends. The truth, if it exists, is buried under a mountain of
the story. ambiguity.
It is worth repeating here Franz Kafka's approach to the The greatest ambiguity in the novel is presented in the parable,
absurd: "When you enter a surreal world in which ... your "Before the Law." The law is both open and accessible and at
control patterns, all your plans ... your behavior, begins to fall to the same time withheld and unattainable. The characters in the
pieces, when you find yourself against a force that does not parable have several options open to them, but all have
lend itself to the way you perceive the world ... You don't give uncertain outcomes and most are contradictory. The parable is
up ... you struggle against this with ... whatever you have. But of so ambiguous that the prison chaplain makes equally cogent
course you don't stand a chance." Josef K. tries to prove his yet diametrically opposite interpretations of it. By extension,
innocence, but the harder he tries, the more certain is his guilt. the law itself has the same impenetrable ambiguity.
That is absurd. In an absurd system, all logical thoughts and
Guilt and innocence are mentioned throughout the novel. The
plans are equally pointless and ineffective—if not actually
guilt of the accused is assumed, and there's nothing he can do
counterproductive.
to reverse that judgment. Because the law is unfathomable,
To make matters worse—or even more absurd—K.'s fate rests what this guilt consists of is ambiguous. The novel seems to
with the upper echelons of the court—the highest judges—who present guilt as an innate part of the human condition. Kafka
are so beyond the mundane world of the accused (and even of also treats innocence—which Josef K. loudly and repeatedly
the lawyers and lower judges) that no one knows them, has proclaims for himself—as something almost alien. If the law
ever seen them, or can exert any influence on them. Nothing a cannot be known, then it's easy to break laws you know
person does can have any impact on the ineffable powers that nothing about. If that is the state of the world, then no one can
hold one's fate in their hands. Yet the accused must save his claim to be innocent. The qualities of guilt and innocence are
life by scurrying frenziedly around on the ground trying to find ambiguous; the line between them (if it exists) is barely
a way to salvation. The futility of action in an absurd, irrational discernible.
universe can be comical, but it is certainly terrifying.
b Motifs
Ambiguity: Guilt and Innocence
The law in The Trial is enigmatic and highly equivocal. It is

ambiguous because there is no clear, or even distinguishable,

The Trial Study Guide Suggested Reading 36
Sex and the Court Hierarchy and Status

Sex and seduction are described as a means used by those Throughout the novel, Josef K. is judging others' status against
women in some way attached to the court to deflect the his own. He is arrogant and rude to those he deems of lower
accused from pursuing his case. For example, when K. visits status than himself. He is very judgmental of those who he
his lawyer to talk over his case, Leni lures him away for an believes are beneath him, and he treats them badly. His
assignation. She uses her seductiveness to prevent K. from haughty, not to say snobbish, dismissal of and insulting
(supposedly) making any headway in his trial. The woman at behavior toward those he judges as lower than himself quite
the court also seduces K. and distracts him from his legal often gets Josef K. in trouble, especially by damaging his case.
purpose. It might be argued that because these women are As Josef K. is pulled ever deeper into the court system, he
close to the court or to those involved with the court, the court begins to lose some of his hauteur. He begins to realize that
system uses them to undermine the efforts of the accused. when it comes to the court and the law, perhaps the criteria he
uses for judging others is faulty.
Deformity
e Suggested Reading
Throughout the book, there are people who are involved with
the court who are described as having bodies that are
Clark, Philip. "Franz Kafka's The Trial: Musings on Life &
deformed, either permanently or temporarily, Leni has webbed
Literature." Philip Clark, 2013.
fingers. Dr. Huld is ill, often so much so that he is unable to
walk or leave his bed. Others, from the accused to the prison Dienert, Herbert. "Kafka's Parable 'Before the Law': An
chaplain, are pressed down by low ceilings that force them to Interpretation." Cornell University, 1964.
be bent over in what must be extremely uncomfortable
postures when they are acting in or with the court. Deforming Glen, Patrick. J. "The Deconstruction and Reification of Law in
the human body supports the inhuman role of the court and Franz Kafka's 'Before the Law' and The Trial." University of
the way it treats people. Southern California, n.d.
Golding, William. Franz Kafka's The Trial. Chelsea, 1987.
Waiting Kafka, Franz. Metamorphosis. Norton, 2015.
The motif of waiting underlines the importance of status and Lam, Natalie. "Reaching for the Axe: Kafka and the Language
the power it confers, while at the same time reflecting the of Power." Boston University, 2009.
impotence of those who seek to engage with it. The accused
sit on benches in the court building and seem to wait endlessly.
They appear as if they have given up their lives and been
forced to do nothing but wait. The priest shares with K. a
parable of a man who waited his whole life at the doorway of
the law, hoping to be allowed to enter and learn something of
it, only to die unfulfilled. This supports the concept of the
remote indifference of the law and the hopelessness of
engaging with it. Waiting is not limited to the accused. When K.
keeps the businessmen at the bank waiting for him for hours,
he is asserting his status and power over them. Waiting reveals
the hierarchy of those who do the waiting and those who are
waited for.
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jurisdictions and may not be reproduced or distributed without the express written consent. Contact Course Hero
with respect to reproduction or distribution. This document was downloaded from Coursehero.com on 07-19-2021
by 100000817764887.

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What is the context in which Kafka wrote The Trial?

What is the context in which Kafka wrote The Trial?

What are some of the motifs present in The Trial?

What are some of the motifs present in The Trial?

The Trial

Study Guide by Course Hero

ABOUT THE TITLE

k Plot Summary ............................................................................................. 6

c Chapter Summaries ............................................................................... 11

b Motifs .......................................................................................................... 35 compelling and disturbing, so destructive of the ordinary world

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authoritarian political order. tyrannical—father. In his posthumously published "Letter to

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In 1917 Kafka became sick with tuberculosis and took leave

Kafka left explicit instructions with friend and fellow author

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Miss Bürstner Legal Titorelli

Other Major Character

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Full Character List Uncle Karl is Josef K.'s uncle who

Lanz is Mrs. Grubach's nephew, a

The whip-​man is the man who

Mrs. Grubach Mrs. Grubach is Josef K.'s landlady.

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K. is so obsessed with his case, he has a hard time

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9. Titorelli tells K. of three types of acquittals.

1. Josef K. is arrested at his lodgings.

2. Josef K. is arrogant at his trial's first hearing.

3. At the empty court, K. meets the woman and student.

8. A manufacturer sends K. to the painter, Titorelli.

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15. Josef K. is executed.

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K.'s 30th birthday

K. has his first court hearing.

K. returns to court, but it's not in session.

Some time later

K. meets Miss Montag; Miss Bürstner will not speak with

Few days later

K. finds policemen in a closet at the bank.

Some time later

K. visits a lawyer and meets Leni.

K. visits Titorelli's studio.

Some time later

K. visits his lawyer to fire him; K. meets Block.

Some time later

At the cathedral, K. hears the "Parable of the Law."

K.'s 31st birthday

Men take K. away and execute him.

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of meeting a woman, Elsa (who is likely a prostitute), K. returns

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talking together animatedly. When he reaches the podium, K.

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this charge book to be afraid of." He is arrogantly confident of

makes clear, that each person must face the law as an

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The whip-man is the man who