Discussion Questions

1. Is there a connection between the Court and dark, poorly ventilated interiors?

2. Is K's inability to "think outside the box," his susceptibility to being drawn into the process of the trial, the basis of his eventual guilt?

3. To what extent does K. believe that he is guilty?

4. If, in the hermetic parable "The Doorkeeper," the man from the country is free to go away, why does he remain at the entrance to the Law?

5. How would you characterize the women of The Trial? Do they seem like real people?

6. Was there any way for K. to avoid ending up facing execution in the quarry?

1. Is there a connection between the Court and dark, poorly ventilated interiors?

2. Is K's inability to "think outside the box," his susceptibility to being drawn into the process of the trial, the basis of his eventual guilt?

3. To what extent does K. believe that he is guilty?

K. initially doesn't think that he is guilty of anything, and spends much of the novel and his interactions brushing off the importance of his situation, the charges and the rules of the Court, because he believes in his innocence. Only by chapter nine does he realize his guilt/sin in his life. He realizes his contempt for the court and his manipulation of the characters, especially the women, are all examples of his guilt.

4. If, in the hermetic parable "The Doorkeeper," the man from the country is free to go away, why does he remain at the entrance to the Law?

He stays because he must. He must stay and enter into the realm of the Law, or else wait forever, for this is his path. Interestingly K. never leaves town or runs from his charges, but patiently waits on, knowing that he must stay, it is his path.

5. How would you characterize the women of The Trial? Do they seem like real people?

The women are interesting in that they all use there bodies and love to attach themselves to the characters. They all try to help the accused see the 'right way' to redemption. Yet their characters all seem seedy and sneaky. Maybe they represent the evil/devil, in choosing the path that seems easier but not ethical.

6. Was there any way for K. to avoid ending up facing execution in the quarry?

No. Death was inevitable for him. His visit with the priest seemed to soldify that understanding in him. He could only choose how to die, and how to walk the path to death.