As the story goes on, K. finds his world falling deeper and deeper into chaos as his case progresses - or, rather, fails to progress. K. puts much effort into his case, and goes through a number of people and places in an attempt to clear his name and crime. However, ultimately none of his efforts are of much success. K., dissatisfied with his Huld, his lawyer, deciding that he was of no use, decides to fire him. The court painter, Titorelli, tries to help K., but his attempt at advising K. - telling him to delay his case longer - fails to attract K. The abrupt end of the story shows K., a full year later from the start of his case - on his thirty-first birthday, being restrained and dragged out of his apartment by guards before being stripped and stabbed out in the open on the countryside, where he is watched by the public.
In the end, we (and K., for that matter) do not find out what it is that K. was arrested for. Ironically, everyone else appeared to know what K. did, which leaves K. confused and ousted further into the darkness; a nightmarish, Kafka-esque world. Also, by the end of the story, it appears that K truly did not have much hope since the beginning, as his "execution" seemed to have been inevitable. The situation of K.'s execution is done in a similar manner to that of "The Crucible", where in the end John Proctor is executed, also in front of the public for everyone to see.
Franz-
ReplyDeleteI find the writing style of this story just as confusing as you explain. This was my first experience reading a Kafka story so this Kafka-esque world described is quite a shock. I think the lack of information and closure provided even at the conclusion of the story is so unique. It leaves the reader with so much room to interpret and make the story their own. I also agree completely that there are many parallels to Arthur Miller's "The Crucible." I found parts of K's confidence very similar to that of K's. Both very different, but determined to deal with their situations on their own and against the norms of their societies. The publicity of the trial and murder for K also stood out to me. This inclusion of detail on Kafka's part was interesting. First, when K is initially arrested he is watched by neighbors in their apartment across the street. Then, when murdered, he shouts out to people watching in the distance, as a last resort. I'm not sure the significance of this but it definitely stood out. Maybe just another quirk of Kafka. Great post!
Christine