The Trial Character (Significance of K)

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In the novel, The Trial, by Franz Kafka, the character of Joseph K is very significant, and not only in the way of his being the main character. Joseph K in my mind seems to represent a “rich” prisoner, I believe this because the novel starts with his waking and not having his breakfast brought to him, he gets up to leave his room and discovers men in uniform guarding his room. He is possibly the only solid proof of innocence that there could be in the entire first chapter. The others seem to know something but aren’t saying anything about it, he seems to be the only one that knows next to nothing about why he is being held in his room by the guards. How he sees it, “Every hour that he spent away from the Bank was a trial to him.” He could also be viewed as a child in a way, just because he is not taking anything seriously, such as the house arrest, the trial itself... the only thing he sees as serious is being away from the bank for too long. Joseph K is often an inactive man in these circumstances, however, when he does act, he does terrible things such as firing his lawyer, sleeping with numerous women. This goes on so bad that the priest within the book says that “he casts about too much for outside help,” this could mean that the he needs to spend more time getting help from himself and not from others. His role matters because not only is he the main character but he adjusts the entire feeling toward the novel itself. When Joseph K is not being serious, the reader can feel that, when he is, the reader feels that as well. I belive that though, that he has a sense of seriousness when facing his work (at the Bank), that is the only thing he ever seems to really care about, everything else seems to just be a dream to him. He knows not what he is ‘guilty’ of but consistently claims that he is innocent, he doesnt examine what the actual situation might be or might

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