The Parable Before The Law In Frank Kafka's The Trial

The parable “Before the Law” by Frank Kafka has long been recognized as the centerpiece for his novel The Trial. At first glance, this parable is both simple yet mysterious. The plot involves a young man trying in vain to get into the law. Here the law is represented as a physical space guarded by a doorkeeper. The man spends the rest of his life waiting for permission which is never granted. Preceding the man’s death, the man with his dying breath asked one final question, “Everyone strives after the law, so how is it after these many years no one but me has requested entry?” The doorkeeper then replied, “Here no one else can gain entry, since this entrance was assigned only to you. I’m going now to close it.” This parable “Before the Law” …show more content…
Kakfa’s parable “Before the Law”, essence the purpose of human life. In the parable, the man went on a journey to try to understand the law and obtain a sense of guidance and purpose. Kafka’s use in his lack of characterization such as he does not provide the man a given name alludes the sense of a conventional man. This demonstrates how universal his ideas are and how it can be applied to anyone regardless of class, race, and other social distinctions. He wants to perceive the idea that in life everyone establishes their own path, finds their own sense of guidance, and strives to obtain the secrets of the universe. Throughout this life seeking process, many tend to turn to the law for a sense of order. Whereas, others try to question the foundation of life and comprehend why things are the way they are. A great scholar once said “An unexamined life is not worth living”, this quote by Socrates alludes to the Western thought of thinking and …show more content…
In the parable, the man has the option of disobeying the gatekeeper and barging into the law without permission. However, despite the man’s profound ambitions, he decides not to disobey the gatekeeper and wait until he is granted permission. This demonstrates the amount of trust the man has given to the authoritarian figure, the gatekeeper, who he believes is trustworthy. This obedience represents the secret social contract and relationship that cannot be seen between the authority and the law. In society, many individuals are subject to the law even if they do not know the foundations of it. Henceforth, this is why many people struggle to understand the law. Often time there is plenty of confusion and doubt surrounding politics because it is not always easy to grasp and understand. However, at the same time there are individuals who understand the law and get to decide how the law should be transmitted. But majority are not given the chance to express their opinions and ideas. This is seen, in the parable as the man died before he gets admitted into the law. As people get older, we come to seek some sort of order or purpose in our lives, especially when circumstances get chaotic. Humans always want some sort of reason, anything that will help us understand the purpose of life. For this reason, this is why many come to seek after the law for a sense of purpose. However, Kafka demonstrates that the purse