Essay of Kafkas The Trial Example For Students

Essay of Kafkas The Trial Imagine being so preoccupied with something that it slowly starts to take over ones daily routine. Now imagine that preoccupation becoming an infatuation, which then becomes an obsession. This series of events can lead any person to a mental lapse like K. , the protagonist in Kafkas The Trial. In The Trial, K. is forced to deal with a pending arrest throughout the entire novel. K. is now overwhelmed with a myriad of issues such as the infringement of human rights, the corruption of the court, and eventually his psychological collapse. In the beginning of K. s journey, the motif of violation of human rights becomes apparent through K. s loss of rights, as well as the warders. K. loses his right to be an individual and conforms into the courts desired vision of him. He also endures the added pressure of contemplating whether or not the court is fraudulent. Eventually, the courts need for him to conform leads to his obsession with his upcoming trial. Ultimately it becomes too much for K. to handle, and the result is his defeat. Throughout the beginning of the novel, the reader becomes overwhelmed with the fact that K. is preoccupied with what he is getting charged for. In this day and age the Miranda Rights force the arresting officers to declare what the suspect is being arrested for. However in The Trial, K. , the reader, and even the warders do not know what the accusation is. This is apparent when the warders conduct the original arrest by stating, We are not authorized to tell you that. Go to your room and wait there. Proceedings have been instituted against you and you will be informed of everything in due course (Kafka 3). K. s human rights are violated in this situation because the warders intrude in his personal property, as well as his abode. This proves to be a violation of privacy as well as an intrusion of space. K. addresses this in his court hearing: Some ten days ago I was arrested, in a manner that seems ridiculous even to myself, though that is immaterial at the moment. I was seized in bed before I could get up The room next to mine was requisitioned by two coarse warders These warders, moreover, were degenerate ruffians, they deafened my ears with their gabble, they tried to induce me to bribe them, they attempted to get my clothes and underclothes from me under dishonest pretexts, they asked me to give them money ostensibly to bring me some breakfast after they had brazenly eaten my own breakfast under my eyes. (Kafka 43) In the courtroom, K. wants to relive, and amplify the way the warders treated him. He strives to bring attention to the fallacies of how he was treated; however little does he know that these statements will backfire on him later. In The Trial, K. is not the only character to get mistreated, because the warders do also. This brings up the central irony of the plot. Because of K. s statements, the warders encounter The Whipper, who in turn violates their rights. He violates their rights because he commits physical assault and battery for a punishment. This occurs because of K. s statements in the court hearing. This is evident when one day at work K. curiously opens the lumbar room because he heard noises, only to find The Whipper and the two warders. One of the men, who was clearly in authority over the other two and took the eye first, was sheathed in a sort of dark leather garment holding a rod in his hand with which to beat them (Kafka 84). K. indirectly causes the pain and torture of two warders from his statements in the courtroom. Christopher's Trip to the Dentist EssayThis also reiterates the irony between the warders and K. because once again he is trying to be the savior for a situation in which he created. Furthermore, K. is now beginning to devote his whole time at work to the defense of his case. He had given his clerk instructions to admit no one, on the plea that he was occupied with an important piece of work The thought of his case never left him now (Kafka 113). On top of the ever-lingering thoughts of his case in general, he is now taking responsibility to formulate a defense. This is usually a task for a lawyer to do, however K. feels it necessary for him to take it upon himself: In this defense he would give a short account of his life, and when he came to an event of any importance explain for what reasons he had acted as he did, intimate whether he approved or condemned his way of action in any retrospect, and adduce grounds for the condemnation or approval. (Kafka 113) In the above quotation, K. is attempting to find a reason for him to be arrested by closely analyzing a series of events in his life. By K. doing this, he is starting to realize that he is giving up the fight. He is letting the trial consume his life, as well as his everyday routine. There is no escape from his prison now. He recognizes this when: Two men came to his lodging. In frock coats, pallid and plump with top hats that were apparently irremovable Without having been informed of their visit, K. was sitting also dressed in black in an armchair near the door, slowly pulling on a pair of new gloves that fitted tightly over the fingers, looking as if he were expecting guests. (Kafka 223) This quotation sums up K. s emotional downfall through the overwhelming symbolism. For example, K. dressing in black symbolizes the end of both the lingering trial as well as acknowledging his death. Also, it is bizarre that K. does not expect visitors, yet waits so intently near the door, putting on his new gloves before he knows he is going outside. This represents the overwhelming presence of his case because K. is assuming the outcome of the situation. This confirms that K. has become wholeheartedly obsessed with his trial because he is devoting a year to not die for it. Kafka takes the readers, as well as K. , on an absolute whirlwind throughout the novel. K. s downfall is expressed by showing the three separate stages of his preoccupation, his infatuation, as well as his obsession with his arrest. This is shown throughout the year through a series of events such as the mistreatment of human beings, the corruptness and disorganized court, as well as K. s need to have complete and utter control over his case. There were plenty of questions left unanswered throughout The Trial, however the only one that was answered was the fate of K.