The Trial - Franz Kafka....................................Diego Vicentini - Scott Kossman - Jonathan Jordan
Thursday, December 29, 2011
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.
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There is a similarity between the movie "Kafka" and a scene from this chapter. In the movie, the government building was shown in color, while the outside world was in black and white, representing ignorance. Inside the courtroom there was a sort of dense thickness in the air that nearly caused K. to pass out, while everyone else who worked there seemed to be fine. When he finally stepped outside to the fresh air, his strength came back, but the people who helped him out began to experience that same weakening but with the outside air. I think this is also used as a representation of the differences between the people that work for the government and civilians, neither can function in the other's world.
ReplyDeleteIt seems to me that K is starting to feel the anxiety and stress as a result of his arrest. This pressure continues to put more weight on his shoulders, as the trial date becomes nearer. Also, the closer he gets to finding out more information about his trial, the sicker he starts to feel. Yet, as soon as he leaves the courthouse he does not feel sick anymore. It seems that the truth is becoming difficult to bear.
ReplyDeleteI do not think I agree with you Scott because he does not feel sick in the courtroom, he only feels sick in the Law Court Offices, which is where the air is dense as Diego mentioned before.
ReplyDeleteWe also forgot to mention that in this chapter, we find out that all of the officials are corrupt. Almost if not all of the officials, have their way with the usher's wife and cal on her as they please. The reason the wife has to leave while she is talking to K. is to please the magistrate.
ReplyDeleteThe situations in this chapter are also very strange. When he is in the offices, there are rows of defendants waiting. It seems as if K. is not the only one who is being tried under strange circumstances. The defendant that K. taks to makes the entire thing even stranger because he seemed incredibly stressed as well as fearful. K. Grabbed his arm and the defendant began to scream as if he was being beaten and could not answer K.'s question. Later in the chapter the information officer reveals that the judicial system is not well known. I did no really understand how a judicial system could not be well known. Everything about the court and the officials seems strange in this chapter.
K. also tries to change the decision of the court by talking to the usher's wife, which makes me suspicious that maybe he does know what he was charged for.
ReplyDeleteSo the chapter just confirms the corruptness of the government, and how they seem to have control of everything and also of everyone. This becomes clear when the Usher's wife goes with the student. Also, do you think its strange that the student seems threatened by K?
ReplyDelete