One conflict - K. tells the washerwoman that he won't be induced to bribery yet he tries to bribe the guard to let Franz and Willem off during the flogging.
K. tends to tell lies quite often in the story to cover up his ignorance or to hide his intent. He lied when trying to find the court offices, he lied to the assistants at the bank when the flogging was occurring, he lies at work, he lies to the girls and tells them that the painter is going to paint his portrait. I find that he lies so often that it makes me wonder if he really is innocent.
The courts presence can be felt everywhere K. goes. When he visits the attorney there is the court clerk hiding in the darkness. The painters house is in different court offices, the flogging at his own business, are any of the women or the people he has assembled to help him with his defense trustworthy? How would he know who he can trust?
Do the girls represent innocence lost? The world of the courts that K. visits is dark and vile. The courts are secretive and do not follow the written law, the judges can be influenced by personal contacts but not evidence.
K. esteems himself highly and believes that others feel the same about him too. He is clearly suspicious and wary of the Vice President. What does he represent in the story? I see that he is a threat to how K. has defined himself as a successful businessman that has quickly worked his way through the ranks.
At first K. is not distracted by his trial but as it goes on he gets to a point where he cannot conduct his daily business. He is walking around in a haze and stupor. Whenever he visits the courts the air is choking and he can barely function. How can he defend himself in this state?
The painter makes a comment that K. has a particular love for the somber (he says this after he practically forces his work upon K.). I took this as a statement about Kafka himself, could it be that K. = Kafka?
None of the three outcomes that the painter explains to K. sound very likely to happen. Actual acquittal would be the best of all but it does not sound as if this ever occurs even if the defendant is innocent. Apparent acquittal and Protraction seem as if they are no better than just letting the case take it's course.
I don't know if it has any significance but the lawyer told K. a "true" story of the elderly officials who threw all of the lawyers down the stairs. Titorelli tells the girls that if they aren't quiet he is going to throw them down the stairs. Is there anything here or is this just coincidence?
What I have observed regarding the court system -
- Lawyers aren't officially recognized but merely tolerated
- The officials involved in cases don't know where they come from or where they go but only know the portion that they have to deal with
- The court seems to know all and is everywhere
- The defendants and their lawyers cannot learn about the charges against them and therefore have difficulties in building a defense
- Cases could be removed from the reach of the lawyer
- Defendants had to stick with their lawyer once engaged
more soon...
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