Chapter Three: Empty Courtroom, The Student-The Offices

Chapter three brings out the theme of control by the institutions. Just like in KAFKA, Josef K. is attempting to find out the truth. Josef K. does not know why he has arrested and attempts to find this out and also be prepared to represent himself. First he goes to the courthouse. But, it is empty except for the wife of the Usher. Further representing the theme, K pleads for help from the wife, attempting to have her, as a friend of the Judge, speak on his behalf. This brings friends/family into the theme, which is seen in many of Kafka's other works. K's conversation with the wife is interrupted by the student. For some reason the student feels intimidated by K, probably because he is much bigger than him. The wife then hands off K to her husband, the usher, who is in a different office. Near the end of the chapter K starts to feel sick, and tries to fight off the sickness. She brings him to a "sick room", further representing the control on people by the institutions/government.