The Trial | Study Guide

Franz Kafka

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Check out this Infographic to learn more about Franz Kafka's The Trial. Study visually with character maps, plot summaries, helpful context, and more.

the-trial-franz-kafka_V2Leni, Chapter 6 here’s nothing you can do to defend yourself from this court.Sources: Cornell University, Encyclopaedia Britannica, Introduction to Franz Kafka’s The Trial by William GoldingCopyright © 2017 Course Hero, Inc.Ambiguity of Guilt & InnocenceThe law is enigmatic, with the line between guilt and innocence blurred.The AbsurdIn an absurd world, reason and agency are nonexistent.Justice & the LawJosef K. cannot obtain justice because the law is irrational.ThemesJosef K.Bank clerk; arrested for an unknown crime and then crushed by an irrational court systemDr. HuldBedridden, untrustworthy lawyer; hired to defend Josef K. but does nothingLeniDr. Huld’s caretaker and possible lover; seduces and ensnares Josef K. and BlockBlockLongtime, servile client of Dr. Huld; accused of an unnamed crime like Josef K.Main CharactersA literary master of the absurd, Kafka wrote novels that concern ordinary people trapped in sinister and irrational situations they cannot understand or deal with. Kafka died before he completed The Trial, and it was published posthumously, against his wishes.FRANZ KAFKA1883–1924AuthorJosef K. is arrested but not told why. The law is ambiguous. The court system is irrational. Nothing Josef K. does can change the assumption of his guilt—or his conviction. How does a person get justice in a completely inaccessible, indifferent, and absurd system?Absurd Justice & Irrational LawOVERVIEWFound guilty, Josef K. is stabbed to death as punishment for the unnamed crime. The VerdictArrested for an unnamed crime, Josef K. is arrogant at his hearing, hurting his case. Arrested & ArraignedJosef K. retains a lawyer, Dr. Huld, who never seems to work on his case.Obtaining CounselGermanOriginal Language1925Year PublishedFranz KafkaAuthorThe TrialAllegoryNovel
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