It is worthwhile to note the use of locations in Franz Kafka's The Trial, and how they affect the protagonist, Joseph K. Locations add to the theme of K.'s search for truth in the novel, by acting as a means of obtaining information, meeting different characters who set him on different paths, and fueling K.'s obsession. The settings are part of what makes for what is known as a Kafkaesque plot and atmosphere.
Apart from the great measures K. must take in navigating the labyrinthine offices in order to attend his hearing, it is K.'s inability (or refusal) to escape the world which has ensnared him that is most terrifying. When K.'s discussion with the court painter comes to an end, the only way out (the little girls have blocked the main door to the painter's apartment) leads to more of the same court offices that K. has lately been encountering. This deliberate detail makes the reader question the painter's involvement in K.'s trial, and also makes the reader feel suffocated by K.'s situation - the law is everywhere, in other words.
Although he talks of possibly fleeing the court in an earlier section of the book, it is nevertheless relevant when compared to the last scene of the book: K. is led to the countryside, much to his confusion, and is there stabbed in the heart. The fact that someone leans out the window and gestures at K. just before his execution raises the suspicion that this was the plan all along, and K. might not have escaped his guilt had he fled to the countryside after all.
So the real question is, even if K. had not been obsessed with the outcome of his own trial, would he have been able to escape Kafka's nightmare world?
Although he talks of possibly fleeing the court in an earlier section of the book, it is nevertheless relevant when compared to the last scene of the book: K. is led to the countryside, much to his confusion, and is there stabbed in the heart. The fact that someone leans out the window and gestures at K. just before his execution raises the suspicion that this was the plan all along, and K. might not have escaped his guilt had he fled to the countryside after all.
So the real question is, even if K. had not been obsessed with the outcome of his own trial, would he have been able to escape Kafka's nightmare world?
It’s interesting that you mention the locations. It is something that could be so easily dismissed, but it also heavily contributes to the book. Honestly, I would not have noticed its significance if it were not for the film. The locations do indeed represent a nightmarish labyrinth of the law that is inescapable. K. is also always searching to find offices, courtrooms, and people of the court. He has to go through many obstacles before he finally reaches his destination. This connects to the country man who was never admitted to the law. He was at the first gate of many, yet, he could not even surpass the first doorkeeper. So, in a sense, the complications the K. faces when searching for these rooms represent the inaccessibility of the law. To answer your question, I do not think K.’s outcome would have been different if he was be less infatuated by his case. Initially, he did not seem to take this case seriously and felt like he was superior compared to those of the court, but even then, his case did not progress. Nothing was in his control. It seems as though everything was planned from the beginning and regardless of K.’s actions, he would never be a free man again.
ReplyDeleteI too really like your analysis of the locations. Like you and Angela both mentioned, everything does seem to be related to the court, no matter how much K. wants to escape. This reminds me of "O Judeo" in the sense that K. couldn't escape what seems to be a fate planned for him. By being guilty of something and becoming a criminal, K. seems to have the chance to escape conforming to his bureaucratic surroundings; but as he discovers the world of the Law, he ends up right where the Law wanted him all along. My answer to your question is both yes and no. No, because he ended up right where the Law wanted him. Yes, because by dying, he is able to escape the world around him.
ReplyDeleteMelissa, you made some excellent observations. The motif of locations is clearly a prominent element of the novel: there is little to no consistency as to where the novel takes place. K is constantly entering new places, and in these new places he finds himself even more trapped inside his trial. This elicits the "suffocating" feeling of the novel as well, as even in places that would be assumed to be untouched by K.'s case (i.e. the church), "the Law" takes center stage. As you mentioned, the scene with Titorelli is particularly significant as it manifests this suffocating feeling in a more tangible sense, and the fact that the only way out is through the court offices is a masterfully executed irony. "The Law" is everywhere and K.'s attempts at acquittal were futile. In a time where "The Law" is present everywhere at every time, and corruption runs deep within the system, there is no chance of escape once the court deems you as guilty.
ReplyDeleteIn response to your proposed question, I believe that K. wouldn't have been able to be acquitted, even if he didn't desire the process of the trial. The corruption in the courts is so great that even someone who wants nothing to do with the court and does not desire guilt is virtually powerless. Much like Block, such a person is stripped of humanity, even if they hire multiple lawyers and do everything to rid themselves of the court.