The Hidden Meanings in Franz Kafka’s The Trial
Existentialism & The Duality of Self
Summary
“Someone must have slandered Josef K., for one morning, without having done anything truly wrong, he was arrested.”― Franz Kafka, The Trial
Franz Kafka’s The Trial shows the story of Josef K. a seemingly ordinary banker who is abruptly arrested in his home without cause. K. becomes engrossed in the process of the mysterious court and the “Law” it represents. K. (and the reader) descend into a vague and maze-like dreamscape of bureaucracy and non-sequiturs. K. wages psychological warfare with the court, keeping score of in the hierarchy as he perceives it in his mind. A successful and desirable man, Josef K. laughs in the face of his accusers. However, we watch the slow weakening of K.’s control by the court as it eventually overwhelms him, carrying out his death sentence.
An Existential Lens
The Trial is layered with metaphors and meaning. An exploration of consciousness and social hierarchies through the lens of existentialism, and absurdism. The reason for the dream-like atmosphere (or the reason we interpret a dream-like atmosphere) is the most…
