`` Faux Friendship `` By William Deresiewicz - 1346 Words

In Faux Friendship, by William Deresiewicz, his argument is that friendships in today’s time are different from earlier times. He argues in his essay that social media websites have destroyed our chances of having real friendships. Also, he claims that technology in general is making us stray away from the actual time it we can spend with real friends. We believe that having more Facebook friends makes us feel good about the number of friends we have. Are these truly our friends? I agree with William Deresiewicz, in the sense that we rely on technology and social media websites too much for our real social experience. Now days, it doesn’t take just a couple minutes to send out a mass social media post to let the world know what we have†¦show more content†¦Is it easier for us to not have the face-to-face contact that way, so we just agree to stick with technology rather than the traditional courting sense? These machines have taken control over our lives and I think it’s too far gone for us to make any change. We have entered the stage in our life that technology is in control and is here to stay. I feel that friendships have changed dramatically from what they used to be years ago. I can remember being a child who didn’t have a phone and the only talking I did with my friends was at school. The text message has taken the effort out of a friendship. When we wanted to talk with a friend we had to actually have a face-to-face meeting and spend quality time with them. Now with a few key strokes and a little bit of time, we can send a long paragraph of what information we are wanting to share. The text message has enabled us to spend less time with the physical relationship with our friends and give us more time to be able to do the more important things in our life. William Deresiewicz states â€Å"Friendship is devolving, in other words, from a relationship to a feeling† and I could not agree more. The amount of effort we put into a friendship is defined by how much time we have available to spend on our Facebook page talking to others. Not only are social media sites ruining our chances to spend more quality time with friends and family, they are a securityShow MoreRelatedFacebook: The End of Friendship As We Know It Essay966 Words   |  4 PagesFacebook: Its The End of Friendship As We Know It (and I feel fine) Manjoo’s essay Is Facebook a Fad provides extensive insight into various social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter and MySpace. Based on statistics derived from Manjoo’s essay, we get to know that Facebook has over one billion active users and one half of them log into their accounts each day (Manjoo p.223). William Deresiewicz also eludes to this in his essay Faux Friendship. As a result of so many people optingRead MoreFaux Friendship Critique799 Words   |  4 Pagesï » ¿ EH 102 - Critique â€Å"Faux Friendship† April 20, 2013 How Genuine Are Your Friendships? Friendships today have many different definitions which are unique to each individual. Friendship itself can be broken down into many subgroups, which are also unique to the individual, to further define what the relationship between two specific people entails. In William Deresiewicz’s â€Å"Faux Friendship† it is argued that the meaning of friendship has been permanently altered by social networking sitesRead MoreEssay On Technology And Technology899 Words   |  4 Pagesproblem and its affecting our culture. Not only does it affect the way we communicate, it’s changing friendships. Social Media has changed our outlook on friendships. Before we only had a few, now people have hundreds even thousands of â€Å"friends† on Facebook or any other socials media app. In the article â€Å"Faux Friendships† by William Deresiewicz, argues this issue. Social media is changing friendships. Before technology was big people had only a few close friends. Peop le now have hundreds even thousandsRead Morehow technology affects us942 Words   |  4 Pageswithout even knowing if the resources are valid or not. The Internet is affecting us by changing the true meaning of friendship, due to the fact that social media friendships today aren’t as honest or private as they once were. Today, friendship has a new way of defining itself, and Facebook, along with other social networking sites, is the main cause. Back in the day, friendship was something very special and was cherished a lot. Now all it takes to be friends with someone is clicking the friendRead MorePrivacy in a Modern Age: Essay974 Words   |  4 Pagesthen students realize their privacy is a right and not a privilege. The essay’s printed in The Essay Connection 10th Edition by Lynn Z. Bloom â€Å"How computers change the way we think†, Sherry Turkle, â€Å"The Paradox†, Tim Stobierski, and â€Å"Faux Friendship†, William Deresiewicz, all explore several negative issues that have arisen from the increased use of these new technologies. Students spend hours using computers, video game systems, and cell phones, but don’t consider the data trail they leave behindRead MoreAristotle s Desire For Friendship932 Words   |  4 Pages Aristotle suggest, â€Å"The desire for friendship comes quickly. Friendship does not.† Have you ever asked yourself what exactly is a friend? Is it someone you can call when times get tough, or perhaps someone who comments on your posts every day? How many friends do you have total on social media and do they know you personally? Knowing a person for a long period of time and being there as their life revolves can describe true friendship. A friend is someone with similar experiences, trials and tribulationsRead MoreEssay on Change of Communication with Technology2283 Words   |  10 PagesWithout that human contact that should come with friendship it is unsure to which the intent of the context is suppose to be interoperated. Technology becoming increasingly more manip ulative in its uses diminishes the conception of Philia, unaware of whether or not it is genuine or falsely recognized. The use of technology in regards to friendship is not all negative there are some positives, but it continuously blurs the lines of what friendship is or is not thus resulting in devastation that isRead MoreSocial Media Has Changed The Expectations Of Social Relationships2057 Words   |  9 Pagesis important to define what ‘friendship’ really means. Some have argued that a friend is someone they talk with; others say it’s someone they’ve shared an experience with. For this essay, friendship will be defined as someone who is kept in constant contact with through and outside of the internet. The majority of effects seen from technology are negative: from decreased in-person social interactions, to loss of identity, and ultimately the watering down of friendships. Social media has changed theRead MoreNegative Effects Of Social Media1352 Wo rds   |  6 Pagesconducted that protest this theory. Social media can help people create and strengthen meaningful relationships while being inclusive to those around them. Media platforms are frequently looked upon negatively, but they provide avenues for strong friendships to form. Millennials are regularly categorized by their technology use, but can it be beneficial? Getting in touch with old friends and family while gaining new ones helps people feel included in society. Not everyone is as easily accessible in

Standing On The Rooftop Of A Building - 2124 Words

Standing on the rooftop of a building in a city can give you the feeling that you can view the whole world from where you stand. Worldviews differ for every individual, shaped by their values, biases, prejudices, loves, commitments, and fears as mine is. Developed through experience worldviews shift, as I expect mine will many times. A large component of your worldviews are the values you hold, something that event affect other things that shape your worldview. Over the past 8  ½ months my world view has changed similarly to our Earth’s rotation, we do not feel it but we know it is happening and given time we can see of the stages that occurred. A value is a person’s judgement on what is important in life and is what priorities are within†¦show more content†¦I feel this is the case for many people and is a human condition that can be suppressed if a person realizes the bias has developed into a negative prejudice. Prejudices are rooted in a person’s s ense of justice, which is most likely why I have a prejudice against negative and unkind people. Because I have such a strong value of kindness I have developed a slight prejudice towards those who do not share this value though I try my best to not act upon this prejudice. The contrasting aspect of the prejudices contained in my worldview are my loves. What a person loves is such a broad subject it can mean anything from a person to a meal to a color. Some of my loves include my family, friends, food, my cat, myself, and hope that can be found when you least expect it. Each one of these things are large parts of my life that have influenced my life in a positive way and this positive influence is most likely why I have come to love them so much. Of course I love other things like books I have read like: Harry Potter, Les Miserables, and Stephen Hawking’s Brief History. Or shows I watch like: Supernatural, Sherlock, Criminal Minds, and Merlin. Or even my sweatpants, the color blue, and my soccer cleats. But all of these things have a lesser impact on my life even though I love them. In this way a person’s loves shape their core values and yet are also shaped by those values. Based on your love you can begin toShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of On The Waterfront 1195 Words   |  5 Pagesunderstood, not just through the script, but from the cinematography as well. Three scenes in particular catch my eye. It is the artistic style and flare of conveying the same idea in multiple mediums. The first scene is when Terry and Edie are on the rooftop at Joey’s pigeon coup. This scene portrays the moment in which I believe was the catalyst for Terry that lead him to be truthful to Evie and stand up to Friendly. The second scene that I will speak about is when â€Å"Kayo† Dugan is killed. When the preacherRead MoreWhat Is The Bulk Of The Analysis Of The Minors In The Urban Area?891 Words   |  4 Pagesthe paved surfaces area there. Not surprisingly, the majority of these trac ts are the smaller ones clustered around the center of the city. This is where development is likely highest, and there isn’t much space to leave natural fields and forests standing. If the theories surrounding green spaces in urban environments holds true, these dark red tracts in downtown Austin would be ideal for integrating some form of green spaces. There are a variety of ways this can be accomplished, which will be discussedRead MoreWhat Is The Statue Of The University?1006 Words   |  5 Pageslower population on this side of campus, but also because of the two large buildings that flank either side. These 100-year-old buildings block the noise from around them unless the noise is a talented Belmont student practicing in one of the dorm’s rooms. Hearing these noises, however, adds to the character of the space and makes it uniquely Belmont. Another thing that is unique about the space is that the large buildings not only block out outside sound but light as well. The statue in the frontRead MoreEssay : Chapter 2817 Words   |  4 PagesThe sky was dark with clouds, a heavy atmosphere permeating the air. Skyscrapers stretch into all directions, an d a certain rooftop makes a perfect place for one dashingly handsome man to hide. Sprawled across the ground, our stunning protagonist watches and waits for the perfect opportunity to strike, perfectly sculpted muscles shining in the light rain that had begun to fall from the sky. If there had been any onlookers they would have gasped in awe at how beautiful and awesome he was, how alluringlyRead MoreLooking Down At The Bottom Looking Up1670 Words   |  7 PagesLooking Down Standing at the bottom looking up, there seems to be countless stairs which seem impossible to overcome. Yet, knowing the long trip that is ahead will be worth the breathtaking site which awaits at the top. So you set out, determined to climb the top of this magnificent hill. Walking up the stairs is like walking up the stairways to heaven, a long trip but beautiful once you arrive. Once passing the six flights of stairs, you still do not arrive. There is still a long path ahead of youRead MoreHurricane Katrina Essay866 Words   |  4 Pageshigh. The first water that flowed into New Orleans was clear clean ocean water from the storm surges. But in a couple of days time, the water turned black and was very foul from raw sewage and dead bodies. People develop rashes on their legs from standing in it. There were a lot of hazards besides the water and wind after Katrina passed through. There were fires and explosions from exposed gas lines and electric wires were down too. A number of people were electrocuted days after the hurricane. Read MoreChallenges For Project Management1484 Words   |  6 Pagesgamification learning to the process. A. Give your â€Å"pitch† for the investor or lender, summarizing in a sentence what funding is needed and what the repayment or ROI will be for them; Funding is needed for ongoing production costs associated with building the project management library. The return on investment is a guaranteed 10% return on investment or a negotiated percentage of the company. B. Now, consider that you have started the business with initial success and your biggest business nightmareRead More Analysis of On the Waterfront Essay1129 Words   |  5 Pagesthought if I don’t talk, nobody will know about it.† On the Waterfront is Kazan’s justification for his decision to testify. In the film, when a union boss shouts, â€Å"You ratted on us Terry,† Brando shouts back: â€Å"Maybe from where your standing, but I’m standing over here now. I was rattin’ on myself all those years. I didn’t even know it.† That reflects Kazan’s belief that communism was an evil that temporality seduced him and it was necessary to oppose it. Since Kazan believed that communism wasRead MoreA Romantic Aura Of Saint Tropezs 5 Star Hotels1624 Words   |  7 Pageshome automation system that controls most of the luxury amenities in your room. Bright jazzy abstract colours schemes spread throughout the hotel giving it an artistic feel that compliments the clear-bottom floating outdoor pool suspended on the rooftop over the atrium near the private sun terrace. After dipping in the pool, you and your escort can enjoy a buffet breakfast at the on-site restaurants servin g genuine Italian and Japanese food. There’s a sauna, hammam, full service spa, bar, and loungeRead MoreThe City Of The Streets1150 Words   |  5 Pagesthe shadows of buildings cast endless shade, people from all over Denton come out to â€Å"the square† (downtown). The freedom to roam around, catch a bite, a coffee, read a book, hang out with friends or even just relax is there. A variety of shops surrounds Denton’s courthouse giving the people choices from choosing an ice cream shop to getting a tattoo. However, as many people would say there is one particular spot that catches our attention even from a couple blocks back. A building on the south side

Bill Clinton was born William Jefferson Blythe III Essay Example For Students

Bill Clinton was born William Jefferson Blythe III Essay on August 19, 1946, in the small town of Hope, Arkansas. He was named after his father, William Jefferson Blythe II, who had been killed in a car accident just three months before his son was born. Needing to find a way to support herself and her new child, Bill Clintons mother, Virginia Cassidy Blythe, moved to New Orleans, Louisiana, to study nursing. Bill Clinton stayed with his mothers parents in Hope. There he was surrounded by many relatives who gave him love and support and who played a significant role in his upbringing. Bill Clintons grandparents, Eldridge and Edith Cassidy, taught him strong values and beliefs. They owned a small grocery store just outside of Hope, and despite the segregation laws of the time, they allowed people of all races to purchase goods on credit. They taught their young grandson that everyone is created equal and that people should not be treated differently because of the color of their skin. This was a lesson Bill Clinton never forgot. His mother returned from New Orleans with her nursing degree in 1950, when her son was four years old. Later that same year, she married an automobile salesman named Roger Clinton. When Bill Clinton was seven years old, the family moved to Hot Springs, Arkansas. Known for its natural mineral hot springs, its scenic beauty, and its racetrack, Hot Springs was bigger than Hope and offered better employment opportunities. Roger received a higher paying job as a service manager for his brothers car dealer-ship and Virginia was able to find a better job as a nurse anesthetist. In 1956. Bill Clintons half-brother, Roger Clinton, Jr., was born. When his brother was old enough to enter school, young Bill had his last name legally changed from Blythe to Clinton. In 1960, John F. Kennedy was elected President. Two years later, when Bill Clinton was a senior in high school, he was selected to go to Washington, D.C., to be a part of Boys Nation, a special youth leadership conference. The young men of Boys Nation and the young women of Girls Nation were invited to the White House to meet President Kennedy. Bill Clinton was one of the first in line to shake President Kennedys hand in the Rose Garden. That event was one of the most memorable, important experiences of his youth. After that, he knew he wanted to make a difference in the lives of the people of America by becoming President. That same year, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., gave his historic I Have a Dream speech at the foot of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. Bill Clinton watched the speech on television and was so deeply moved by Dr. Kings words that he memorized them. He admired Dr. Kings gift for communicating a clear vision and his ability to pull people together to work toward a common goal. Dr. King became one of Bill Clintons heroes. Inspired by the success of these leaders, young Bill thrived on the hard work that his academic and extracurricular activities required. As an active member of his church, he raised money and organized charity events. Most important, he learned about working with people and being a good citizen. In his spare time, he enjoyed reading. Some of his favorite books were The Silver Chalice, The Last of the Mohicans, The Robe, and Black Beauty. Playing the saxophone was his favorite pastime. He loved music, practiced every day, and played in jazz ensembles. Each summer, he attended a band camp in the Ozark Mountains. His hard work paid off when he became a top saxophone player at his school and won first chair in the state bands saxophone section. .u110dcb32bc5bc8681c12387cfcc9d0e9 , .u110dcb32bc5bc8681c12387cfcc9d0e9 .postImageUrl , .u110dcb32bc5bc8681c12387cfcc9d0e9 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u110dcb32bc5bc8681c12387cfcc9d0e9 , .u110dcb32bc5bc8681c12387cfcc9d0e9:hover , .u110dcb32bc5bc8681c12387cfcc9d0e9:visited , .u110dcb32bc5bc8681c12387cfcc9d0e9:active { border:0!important; } .u110dcb32bc5bc8681c12387cfcc9d0e9 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u110dcb32bc5bc8681c12387cfcc9d0e9 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u110dcb32bc5bc8681c12387cfcc9d0e9:active , .u110dcb32bc5bc8681c12387cfcc9d0e9:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u110dcb32bc5bc8681c12387cfcc9d0e9 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u110dcb32bc5bc8681c12387cfcc9d0e9 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u110dcb32bc5bc8681c12387cfcc9d0e9 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u110dcb32bc5bc8681c12387cfcc9d0e9 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u110dcb32bc5bc8681c12387cfcc9d0e9:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u110dcb32bc5bc8681c12387cfcc9d0e9 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u110dcb32bc5bc8681c12387cfcc9d0e9 .u110dcb32bc5bc8681c12387cfcc9d0e9-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u110dcb32bc5bc8681c12387cfcc9d0e9:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Abigail Williams The Crucible EssayBill Clinton recognized that although college would be expensive, it would give him the education he needed to accomplish his goals. His hard work in school, combined with his musical ability, earned him many academic and music scholarships. With the help of those scholarships and loans from the government, he was able to attend Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. He chose Georgetown because it had an excellent foreign service program; he was also excited about going to school in the nations capital. While earning his Bachelor of Science degree in International Affairs he worked as an intern in the office of Arkansas Senator J. William Fulbright. There he learned how government worked and what it was like to be a politician. He admired Senator Fulbright for his accomplishments and beliefs. When Bill Clinton finished college in 1968, he won a Rhodes Scholarship, which allows select students to study at Oxford University in England. While at Oxford, he studied government and played rugby. Upon his return to the United States, he began law school at Yale University. At Yale, he continued to work hard. He maintained his interest in government by campaigning for a Senate candidate in Connecticut. He also met Hillary Rodham, whom he would later marry. When he graduated from law school in 1973, Bill Clinton returned to Arkansas to teach law at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville. There he could concentrate on his goal of running for political office. In 1974, he had his first opportunity when he ran for Congress against Republican incumbent John Paul Hammerschmidt. Although he lost the race, Bill Clinton learned much about politics and met people who have remained his lifelong friends. Hillary had joined him in Arkansas and helped him campaign. She also began teaching at the University of Arkansas. They were married on October 11, 1975. In 1976, Bill Clinton was elected Attorney General of Arkansas. Two years later, at the age of thirty-two, he became the youngest governor in the United States. As governor of Arkansas, he concentrated on improving the states educational system and building better roads. On February 27, 1980, the Clintons daughter, Chelsea Victoria, was born. The Clintons describe this day as the happiest one of their lives. Later that year, in a close election, Governor Clinton lost the race for a second term to Republican Frank White. Feeling that he had not accomplished all that he wanted to do, he ran as the Democratic candidate in the next gubernatorial election. Campaigning throughout the state, he assured the voters that he would address their needs, and he was re-elected in November 1982. Again, his most important goal as governor was to enhance the quality of education in the state. He raised teachers salaries and began a program of testing students after the third, sixth, and eighth grades. He also encouraged parents to participate in their childrens education. His new educational standards ensured that every child in Arkansas, regardless of the size or wealth of his or her community or of family income level, would receive a quality education. From August 1986 to August 1987, Governor Clinton served as chairman of the National Governors Association. During that time, he led the governors efforts to reform the welfare system and the educational systems of the states. By the fall of 1991, Governor Clinton believed that the country needed someone with a new vision and plan, and he decided to run for President. He also felt that he had the experience and the best ideas for changing our country for the better. He wanted to strengthen the health care system, to improve the school system, and, most of all, to bolster the economy and create new jobs. He brought his message to the country by going door to door, holding one-on-one talks with people in town hall meetings, and appearing on various talk shows. .ue3ad2c41e23802a68f716d10caad12a4 , .ue3ad2c41e23802a68f716d10caad12a4 .postImageUrl , .ue3ad2c41e23802a68f716d10caad12a4 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .ue3ad2c41e23802a68f716d10caad12a4 , .ue3ad2c41e23802a68f716d10caad12a4:hover , .ue3ad2c41e23802a68f716d10caad12a4:visited , .ue3ad2c41e23802a68f716d10caad12a4:active { border:0!important; } .ue3ad2c41e23802a68f716d10caad12a4 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .ue3ad2c41e23802a68f716d10caad12a4 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .ue3ad2c41e23802a68f716d10caad12a4:active , .ue3ad2c41e23802a68f716d10caad12a4:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .ue3ad2c41e23802a68f716d10caad12a4 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .ue3ad2c41e23802a68f716d10caad12a4 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .ue3ad2c41e23802a68f716d10caad12a4 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .ue3ad2c41e23802a68f716d10caad12a4 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .ue3ad2c41e23802a68f716d10caad12a4:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .ue3ad2c41e23802a68f716d10caad12a4 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .ue3ad2c41e23802a68f716d10caad12a4 .ue3ad2c41e23802a68f716d10caad12a4-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .ue3ad2c41e23802a68f716d10caad12a4:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Richard Nixon EssayAfter a long primary process, Governor Clinton was nominated as the Democratic presidential candidate. He chose Senator Al Gore, of Tennessee to be his vice-presidential running mate. Together, Bill Clinton and Al Gore set out by bus to meet the people of America and to hear about their concerns and their hopes for the future. They campaigned on the concept of putting people firstpreserving the American Dream, restoring the hopes of the middle class, and reclaiming the future for the nations children. When election day arrived on November 3, 1992, voters turned out in record numbers to cast their ballots. Bill Clinton was elected the 42nd President of the United States and Al Gore the 45th Vice President. They had succeeded in bringing the people together in their efforts to change our country. Throughout his life, President Clinton has worked to make a difference in the lives of others. To him, Hope means more than a small town in Arkansas; it means working to ensure that each American has the opportunity to fulfill his or her dream.

The trial Essay Example For Students

The trial Essay This disturbing and vastly influential novel has been interpreted on many levels of structure and symbol; but most commentators agree that the book explores the themes of guilt, anxiety, and moral impotency in the face of some ambiguous force. Joseph K. is an employee in a bank, a man without particular qualities or abilities. He could be anyone, and in some ways he is everyone. His inconsequence makes doubly strange his arrest by the officer of the court in the large city where K. lives. He tries in vain to discover how he has aroused the suspicion of the court. His honesty is conventional; his sins, with Elsa the waitress, are conventional; and he has no striking or dangerous ambitions. He can only ask questions, and receives no answers that clarify the strange world of courts and court functionaries in which he is compelled to wander. The plight of Joseph K., consumed by guilt and condemned for a crime he does not understand by a court with which he cannot communicate, is a profound and disturbing image of man in the modern world. There are no formal charges, no procedures, and little information to guide the defendant. One of the most unsettling aspects of the novel is the continual juxtaposition of alternative hypothe ses, multiple explanations, different interpretations of cause and effect, and the uncertainty it breeds. The whole rational structure of the world is undermined. We will write a custom essay on The trial specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now Is it not better to fall into the hands of a murderer than into the dreams of a lustful woman? Friedrich Nietzsche, Also Sprach ZarathustraChapter 1: The Arrest / Conversation with Frau Grubach / Then Frulein Brstner Joseph K., our hero, wakes up the morning of his thirtieth birthday expecting his breakfast to be brought to him. What he gets instead are two warders, Franz and Willem, telling him hes under arrest. He protests some, demanding to see their boss, at first thinking it must be a joke perpetrated on him by some people at the Bank, where he works as a chief clerk. He meets the Inspector, who says its for real but refuses to say why. The Inspector is seated in Frulein Brstners room next door, and K. sees three men he knows from the bank there, Rabensteiner, Kaminer, and Kullich, whom he greets angrily before hurrying off to work. After he gets home from work that evening, he talks with his landlady, Frau Grubach. He apologizes for the ruckus and she says its all right, but t hat she doesnt really understand this business of his arrest. He starts to go to his room and asks if Frulein Brstner is in, so he can apologize for the appropriation of her room. No, she isnt, and he can see her room himself. Frau Grubach starts wondering about her nocturnal habits, as shes seen her with young men around town at night, only to be interrupted by K., defending her from unwarranted aspersions on her character. She leaves, and he goes to bed, where he cant sleep. At about 11:30 Frulein Brstner, a typist, comes home and K. goes to talk to her. He tells her what happened that morning, but she doesnt seem to be really interested, asking bored questions about it, as if to get rid of him. A knock on the door down the hall interrupts them, and Joseph apologizes profusely for taking up her time and makes as if to leave, but not before grabbing her and kissing her savagely. Then he goes back to his own room. Joseph gets a call at work telling him to show up for a brief inquiry into his case on Sunday. He goes to the building mentioned that Sunday, only to find its just a big tenement house, with no distinguishing marks. After wandering through the building he at last is directed to the Court of Inquiry by a strange woman doing laundry. The Court is sitting in an overcrowded, stuffy room, with a platform and a big audience of important looking men. He gets berated for being late and is asked if hes a house painter. K. takes this opportunity to address the audience (which answers with applause) about how much this court sucks, it cant get its facts straight, this whole thing is a farce, a conspiracy He is cut off by a man pressing the woman he saw outside the courtroom to him and shrieking. K. makes his way through the crowd and leaves. Chapter 3: In the Empty Courtroom / The Student / The Offices The next Sunday K. feels he should go back to the court, only to get there and finding nobody there but the woman he saw before. She apologizes for the disturban ce, and blames it on Bertold, a law student who has been chasing her around, although she is the wife of the usher. K. examines the books left on the table, only to find that apparently the Examining Magistrate has a taste for erotica. He is interrupted by the woman, who starts to tell him about the Examining Magistrate and how he was writing a brief on K.s case last week before coming in to look at her sleeping. He even gave her some stockings, look! And she shows them to him. Bertold has entered the room at some point and is hulking towards them. Nevertheless the woman insinuates that K. can have her, only to be interrupted by Bertold, who carries her off. K. chases them into the court offices but loses them. The usher comes in and complains about Bertold chasing his wife (even though she throws herself at him) and how he would love to see him flattened. He tries to interest Joseph in this matter and they start walking through the labyrinthine, dark, stifling offices. Along the wa y they get to a hallway filled with men waiting for word on their cases. K. gets spooked and wants to leave, but hes lost. He begins to feel faint and has to sit down, helped by a young woman and a man. He finally makes his way out, carried along by the man and young woman, badly shaken and not wanting to come back. Chapter 4: Frulein Brstners Friend (Editorss note: In the new edition, this chapter is consigned to the Fragments section, so it goes straight from the empty courtroom to the whipper.) Joseph wants to talk to Frulein Brstner again, but she hasnt been around. One day he notices an awful racket coming from her room and finds out that her friend, Frulein Montag, a sickly French teacher, is moving in with her. He talks to Frau Grubach about it, who says shell stop the noise if he wants but that yes, Frulein Brstner is indeed having Frulein Montag move in with her. Joseph is upset over this turn of events, apparently started by his own behavior, and goes to see the room for himself, where he meets Frulein Montag. She wont tell him exactly why shes moving in, and says that Frulein Brstner doesnt want to talk to him. He goes back to his room, thinking about what all this might mean. K. is walking to his office in the Bank when he hears a horrible scream. He investigates and finds that Franz and Willem, the warders, are being whipped in a dark little storeroom. They plead with him to let them off, they have their own troubles, but the whipper is adamant about doing his duty. K. tries to buy him off, but no, that wont do. Finally he tries to pull them out of the room but is foiled. For the next week he cant get it out of his mind and goes back to look at the room, only to find everything as it was last week, with the whipper and the two warders there again. K. slams the door and yells for someone to clean out the closet. K.s uncle Karl (or Albert) visits him in his office. He has come in from the country, upset over his nephews case and wanting to help him . They go to see one of his uncles school friends, Dr. Huld, who is very sick but knows all about Josephs case. He has just been talking to the Chief Clerk, and the three of them begin talking. Meanwhile Josephs mind is on the nurse, a young woman called Leni. In the middle of the conversation he hears a crash, and goes to check it out, finding out that Leni just wanted to get him alone with her. She wants him to like her, she insists, but Joseph is more interested in his case. This painting of an important-looking judge, for instance. Will he be his judge? Oh, no, no, hes just an examining magistrate, done up as if he were important. In fact, hes just a midget. Leni advises him to confess and not be so unyielding.She wants to know all about his girlfriend Elsa, a waitress in a club, and he shows her a photograph. She is less than impressed, saying that she looks hard and wouldnt he like to trade her for a better one? Does she have a defect, like Lenis webbed hand? Joseph seems intr igued and kisses it, only to be hauled onto the floor by an exultant Leni. Later she gives him a key so he can come back anytime he wants. He promptly bumps into his uncle who berates him for fooling around with what is obviously the lawyers mistress, and they leave. Chapter 7: Lawyer / Manufacturer / Painter K. is now totally obsessed over his case, which is now about six months along. He sometimes meets with Dr. Huld, who tells him that yes, hes doing everything he can, but things have to go slowly. One needs to understand how things work, the lawyer tells him, and you definitely need someone who knows the ropes. Without that, your case is hopeless. K. cant figure out what exactly the purpose of these speeches is, but hes getting impatient. Nothing seems to be happening with his case, and he decides to do more himself, as the lawyer isnt doing anything for him. At work, where hes feeling increasingly threatened by the Assistant Manager, one of his clients, a manufacturer, knows ab out his case and tells him about the painter Titorelli, who might be able to help him. He even writes a letter K. can give the painter. He thinks it over and decides to go see him right away, even though the Assistant Manager is just dying for some reason to steal his clients (he thinks). He finds the place where the painter lives, a ramshackle, stuffy, poorly-built apartment, surrounded by a bunch of young girls who want to know why K.s here. Titorelli greets him and locks the door behind him, complaining about these brats. K. notices another painting of a judge. Who is he? Oh, hes Justice, in the abstract. But in reality hes just another low magistrate whos had his picture painted like that. Theyre very vain, these judges. They begin to talk about his case, interrupted at times by the girls talking or asking if K. has left yet. Im innocent, K. maintains. Good, says Titorelli. But the Court is not to be budged. It owns everything, like those girls out there. It is impervious to tru th. What acquittal do you want? Theres actual acquittal, apparent acquittal, and protraction. Actual acquittal is the best but cant be influenced. Besides, Ive never heard of one. Apparent acquittal I could help you with. I could write an affidavit swearing your innocence. But if you are acquitted, it isnt final. This would be followed by the second arrest, the second trial and acquittal, and then the third arrest, and so on. Protraction is just where you keep your case at the lowest level of the Court. You dont have to worry about sudden arrests or anything like that, but you do have to keep a constant eye on your case, since it still has to be kept going. K. has heard quite enough of the Courts machinations and gets up to leave. Titorelli convinces him to buy a few of his landscape paintings, and K. walks out the back door, only to find himself in the law offices again. He meets the people waiting on their cases again and finds an usher to lead him out. He goes back to the bank an d hides the pictures in his desk. Chapter 8: Block, the Tradesman / Dismissal of the Lawyer K. has had enough of Dr. Hulds crap. He decides to fire him and goes to his place to tell him that. Upon getting there at ten P.M. he sees a strange man with a half-naked Leni, who runs off in a hurry. He questions the man, who is Rudi Block, a grain merchant. He is also a client of the lawyer. They make their way to the kitchen, where Leni is making soup for the lawyer. He demands to know if theyre lovers, but she just tries to divert his attention by claiming to have more information about his case. K. is unimpressed and Leni leaves to give the lawyer his soup. K. and Block get to talking, and Block says his case has been going on for five years. A secrethe has five other lawyers on his case, and its the only thing on his mind. Hes always at the offices, trying to see whats going on with his case, and they have a weird superstition there: you can tell the way a mans case will turn out by th e shape of his lips. And poor Joseph is going to lose his case very soon by this reckoning. Leni comes back and sees them talking. She tells K. the lawyer is waiting for him. Block lives here, she says. The lawyer is very unpredictable and you never know when he might want to see you. She shows them his room, a tiny little maids room. K., pressed for a secret in return by Block, tells him he is going to fire the lawyer. Block and Leni are flabbergasted and try to chase him. K. goes in to Huld, who tells him he knows all about Lenis affairs with accused men. Accused men are attractive, you know. Even Block. K. tells the lawyer that hes had it with him. Hes done nothing for him. The lawyer insists that nothing much happens in any case, leading K. to insist theyre as much in the right as him. Huld says he takes only the cases that touch him closely. K. is unimpressed, so the lawyer brings in Block. Huld saysactually yellsat Block that his case is in trouble, that it hasnt even started, that the people at the court call it hopeless, but hes still there to fight for him. Block demonstrates his gratefulness by getting on his knees and kissing his hand. K. gets the feeling hes watching a staged performance of the lawyer and his dog, Block, and remains unmoved. An Italian, one of the banks biggest clients, comes to town and K. is asked to show him around. He especially wants to see the cathedral, where hell meet K. Joseph gets there and sees no Italian, but only the priest calling his name. He talks about K.s case, saying its going badly. Hes guilty, after all, isnt he? No, Im innocent, says K., I just need more help. Like from women? Women have a lot of influence, says K. doggedly. They start to walk around the cathedral, and the priest tells the parable Before the Law. The man from the country comes to the door seeking admittance to the Law, but the guard says he cant come in now. There are plenty of other doors and guards, and hes just the lowest, dont you know? S o the man sits and waits by the door for years on end, trying to find some way to get the guard to let him in, bribing him, pleading, begging the fleas in the guards coat to convince him to let him in. Finally, when the man is about to die, he asks why nobody else ever came to the door. This door was meant only for you, the guard says. And now Im going to close it. They discuss it at some length. Is the doorkeeper subservient to the man? The other way around? Did the man come of his own free will? Is he deluded? It is not necessary to accept everything as true, only to accept it as necessary, says the priest. But, says K., then the world is based on lies. K. decides to leave, since he has to go b ack to work. The priest tells him that he, the priest, also belongs to the Court, which wants nothing of him and allows him to leave whenever he wants. On the evening before his thirty-first birthday, two men come to Josephs apartment and, their arms entwined with his on either side of him, begin to walk him through the city. Along the way he sees Frulein Brstner walking along in front of them. He watches her until she disappears into darkness. Finally they arrive at an abandoned quarry. They take off his coat and shirt and lie him down with a rock for a headrest. They take out a butcher knife and begin passing it to each other over him. He is apparently supposed to take it and plunge it into his own chest. But he doesnt, instead looking over at a house across the way with a light on. Someone is standing at the window on the top floor, and Joseph wonders who it is. Where is the Judge, the High Court, that he couldnt reach? He holds out his hands and spreads his fingers. Then one of the men takes the knife and stabs him, twisting the knife twice. Like a dog! he said; it seemed as if the shame was to outlive him. Joseph is at the bank and gets a call telling him to come to court right away. Instead he decides to go and see Elsa, his girlfriend, a waitress. Will they pu nish him? No. Good. And he hangs up. He takes a cab to see her, thinking of his bank business. Although he hasnt seen his mother, a half-blind old widow living in a small town, in three years, K. suddenly decides to go visit her one day at lunch. Shes been getting more pious, which kind of disgusts him. He tells Khne, an attendant at the bank, what to do while hes gone and while waiting for him to come back, thinks about the threatening Assistant Manager and the accursed Rabensteiner, Kaminer, and Kullich. K. becomes good friends with Hasterer, a lawyer. They frequently go to his house with some other friends and talk over dinner. Hasterer is a master speaker, taking on all comers without breaking a sweat. He has a woman named Helene living with him for a while, who at first stays in bed reading crappy novels but then starts to show up at dinner in a fantastically out of place old ballgown. Finally Hasterer gets bored of her and sends her packing. The Assistant Manager tells K. he knows about his friendship with Hasterer, which somewhat upsets K. K. tries to find out where the first notification of his case came from, and with Titorelli and Wolfarts help finds it. It is, of course, a totally negligible office, existing only to rubber stamp anything the higher ups want done. Titorelli and K. have become close, since K. is always bothering and consulting him about his case. Meanwhile K. is being worn out by his case, sometimes having nightmares about Frau Grubachs other lodgers all pointing the finger at him and accusing him, and then him wandering around the offices meeting truly bizarre figures. Or perhaps he dreams about Titorelli, that they were sitting in front of a fire, K. begging him for something and Titorelli granting it, or them running around the law offices. Conflict with the Assistant Manager K. and the Assistant Manager arent getting along very well, since K. sees him as an usurper, just waiting to get K. fired and taking his place. The Assis tant Manager must see that K. wont go down without a fight, that hes still alive and well. The Assistant Manager comes into Josephs office one day so Joseph can pitch his proposal for something, and the whole time the Assistant Manager is playing with a part of his desk with his penknife. He gets up and sits on it to fix it, breaking it instead. A Fragment (what an inventive title!) Joseph and his uncle come out of a theater into the pouring rain, and Joseph tries to think of some way to get him to go home so he wont have to put him up for the night. He says that his uncle has been helpful, thanks, I have all the help I need, you can go home tomorrow, or tonight even. Joseph K. (Josef K.) Our hero, he is awakened one morning and arrested for something, which he is never told. Over the course of a year, from his 30th to 31st birthdays, he tries to figure out why he is being accused and tries to fight the Court, but finally seems to just surrender to its power. AnnaThe maid who was s upposed to bring Joseph his breakfast, which was eaten by Willem. Franz The warder who bursts into K.s room and tells him hes under arrest. He wants to get married, and is beaten up by the Whipper. Willem The other warder who arrests K, he also is whipped despite his protests that he has a family to feed. The Old Woman and Man Live across the street, seem almost morbidly interested in looking at K while he is in his apartment the morning of his arrest. The Inspector Comes to the apartment to arrest K. K. tries to get out of him what all this is about, but to little avail. Hasterer A prosecuting counsel. K. wants to call him as soon as he is arrested. In the fragment Prosecuting Counsel K is a very close friend of his, and they frequently go to his house, where he lives with a woman called Helene for a little while. Frau Grubach Ks landlady, the owner of the building that K., Frulein Brstner, Frulein Montag, and others live in. She is very fond of K. and tries her best to make him ha ppy, even if she does think hes guilty. Rabensteiner A fellow worker at the Bank, he goes to K.s apartment when he is arrested. Lazy. Kaminer Another worker at the Bank who is at K.s place when he is arrested. Repulsively modest. Kullich (Kullych) Yet another worker at the Bank who turns up at K.s. Stupid. K. wants to slap his pasty white cheeks. K. hates all three of these low-level drudges. Frulein Brstner The girl living in the apartment next to K.s, she is a typist. He and she have a strange encounter the evening after he is arrested. He kisses her like an animal and she apparently feels threatened, since she has Frulein Montag move in with her. She turns up again at the very end, when K. is being led to his death he sees her walking ahead of him for a little while before disappearing. Captain Lanz Frau Grubachs nephew, who sleeps in the living room the night K. is arrested and interrupts K. and Frulein Brstner by making noises. Later, he and Frulein Montag talk in the hall whil e K. is inspecting Frulein Brstners room, apparently about him. The Examining Magistrate One of the more mysterious characters in the book, he is frequently referred to in hushed tones but what we see of him is not very impressive. He questions K. and gets a defiant speech in return. In his spare time he reads porn books and chases the ushers wife. The Ushers Wife (Hilda in the movie) She lets K. into the courtroom both times, and the first time interrupts his speech by being hauled off by the student Bertold, the second she tries to seduce him by saying he can do anything he wants with her and take her anywhere he wants. This reverie is interrupted by Bertold. Bertold The short, bandy-legged law student who chases the ushers wife around, much to the ushers disgust. The Usher Meets up with K. in the law offices after his wife is hauled off by Bertold, tries to convince K. to go after him. Leads K. around the offices, where he meets a truly disturbing group of people waiting for word on their cases. The Man and the Young WomanHelp K. after he is overcome by emotion and bad air in the law offices; haul him to the door. Frulein Montag Frulein Brstners friend, a somewhat sickly looking teacher of French. She moves in with her after the experience with K. Refuses to say much to K. or discuss the circumstances of her move. The Whipper Has the job of whipping Franz and Willem, who scream bloody murderand in K.s bank, no less! K. tries to buy him off but to no avail. The Assistant Manager Works at the Bank and directly below K., who sees him as his rival. K. frequently obsesses about him. Uncle Karl (or Albert) Lives out in the country, comes to see K. about his case and takes him to see Dr. Huld, an old school friend of his. Talks with Huld about K., later berates K for fooling around with Leni. Erna K.s 17-year-old cousin, who is at boarding school in the same city as K and writes her dad Uncle Karl about Ks case. Dr. Huld the Advocate K.s lawyer, who seems to know his way around the Court. Promises to help K., but everything is always being delayed so that nothing concrete ever happens. K. later comes back to fire him, only to be given the routine with Block as an example of how grateful he should be for his help. The Chief Clerk He has just been talking to Huld when Uncle Karl and K. arrive, so he hides himself. Later he introduces himself and talks about Josephs case with Huld and K.s uncle. LeniThe whore! Dr. Hulds nurse and also mistress, a position she also holds with several other of his clients. Claims she wants to help K. and tells him to basically surrender to the Court. She is eager to show K her physical defect, a webbed hand, which apparently turns Joseph on, so that he kisses it and ends up on the floor with her. Later on she gives him a key so he can come back whenever he wants. Coming back another time, he sees that she has somebody else too, Block. Participates in the ridiculous playacting scene between Block and Huld. Elsa K. s girlfriend at the start of the novel, she is a waitress at a cabaret. He goes to see her once a week. One time he goes to see her instead of to court, which annoys the Court. Leni doesnt like the way she looks in her picture. Manufacturer Comes to see K. at the bank and tells him about Titorelli the painter, giving him a letter of recommendation for him to give to Titorelli. Titorelli The painter. From painting the judges he knows the Court inside and out but cant necessarily help K. He explains the way it operates and then tries to sell K. some of his nature scenes. Has his very own harem of groupies around his place, which gets on his nerves at times. In the fragment The House he and K. see each other a lot, trying to get somewhere with his case. The girls The chiquitas who congregate around Titorellis apartment, harassing him and everyone who comes around. They belong to the Court, says Titorelli grimly. Rudi Block The grain merchant who has taken to living at Hulds place, his case has been going on for five years. Has taken several other lawyers too, in order to get his case going, which is all he thinks about, but to little avail. He is yet another beneficiary of Lenis services, and gets involved in ridiculous playacting in front of K. in an effort to get him to keep Huld. The lawyers dog, so to speak. The Italian colleague K. is supposed to show him around town, at least the cathedral, but this turns out to be just a way to get K. there himself. The priest Talks to K., tells him the parable Before the Law and discusses it with him. He is a mouthpiece of the Court, and tells him the Court wants nothing of him. The two gentlemen They come to Josephs place the night before his 31st birthday and haul him through town to the quarry, where they make him lie down, pass a knife over him, and finally kill him. Mrs. K. Josephs mother, an old widow whom he hasnt visited in three years, but then suddenly decides to visit now. She lives in a small town and is almos t blind. K. s cousinLives in the same town as his mother, is alarmed about her health. KhneAn attendant at the bank, K. tells him what to do while he goes to see his mother. Helene The slut Hasterer lives with for a while. This disturbing and vastly influential novel has been interpreted on many levels of structure and symbol; but most commentators agree that the book explores the themes of guilt, anxiety, and moral impotency in the face of some ambiguous force. .uef5f880239d76ef4cba98d5c4ad9a194 , .uef5f880239d76ef4cba98d5c4ad9a194 .postImageUrl , .uef5f880239d76ef4cba98d5c4ad9a194 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .uef5f880239d76ef4cba98d5c4ad9a194 , .uef5f880239d76ef4cba98d5c4ad9a194:hover , .uef5f880239d76ef4cba98d5c4ad9a194:visited , .uef5f880239d76ef4cba98d5c4ad9a194:active { border:0!important; } .uef5f880239d76ef4cba98d5c4ad9a194 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .uef5f880239d76ef4cba98d5c4ad9a194 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .uef5f880239d76ef4cba98d5c4ad9a194:active , .uef5f880239d76ef4cba98d5c4ad9a194:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .uef5f880239d76ef4cba98d5c4ad9a194 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .uef5f880239d76ef4cba98d5c4ad9a194 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .uef5f880239d76ef4cba98d5c4ad9a194 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .uef5f880239d76ef4cba98d5c4ad9a194 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .uef5f880239d76ef4cba98d5c4ad9a194:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .uef5f880239d76ef4cba98d5c4ad9a194 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .uef5f880239d76ef4cba98d5c4ad9a194 .uef5f880239d76ef4cba98d5c4ad9a194-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .uef5f880239d76ef4cba98d5c4ad9a194:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Volleyball EssayJoseph K. is an employee in a bank, a man without particular qualities or abilities. He could be anyone, and in some ways he is everyone. His inconsequence makes doubly strange his arrest by the officer of the court in the large city where K. lives. He tries in vain to discover how he has aroused the suspicion of the court. His honesty is conventional; his sins, with Elsa the waitress, are conventional; and he has no striking or dangerous ambitions. He can only ask questions, and receives no answers that clarify the strange world of courts and court functionaries in which he is compelled to wander. The plight of Joseph K., consumed by guilt and condemned fo r a crime he does not understand by a court with which he cannot communicate, is a profound and disturbing image of man in the modern world. There are no formal charges, no procedures, and little information to guide the defendant. One of the most unsettling aspects of the novel is the continual juxtaposition of alternative hypotheses, multiple explanations, different interpretations of cause and effect, and the uncertainty it breeds. The whole rational structure of the world is undermined. Is it not better to fall into the hands of a murderer than into the dreams of a lustful woman? Friedrich Nietzsche, Also Sprach ZarathustraChapter 1: The Arrest / Conversation with Frau Grubach / Then Frulein Brstner Joseph K., our hero, wakes up the morning of his thirtieth birthday expecting his breakfast to be brought to him. What he gets instead are two warders, Franz and Willem, telling him hes under arrest. He protests some, demanding to see their boss, at first thinking it must be a joke perpetrated on him by some people at the Bank, where he works as a chief clerk. He meets the Inspector, who says its for real but refuses to say why. The Inspector is seated in Frulein Brstners room next door, and K. sees three men he knows from the bank there, Rabensteiner, Kaminer, and Kullich, whom he greets angrily before hurrying off to work. After he gets home from work that evening, he talks with his landlady, Frau Grubach. He apologizes for the ruckus and she says its all right, but t hat she doesnt really understand this business of his arrest. He starts to go to his room and asks if Frulein Brstner is in, so he can apologize for the appropriation of her room. No, she isnt, and he can see her room himself. Frau Grubach starts wondering about her nocturnal habits, as shes seen her with young men around town at night, only to be interrupted by K., defending her from unwarranted aspersions on her character. She leaves, and he goes to bed, where he cant sleep. At about 11:30 Frulein Brstner, a typist, comes home and K. goes to talk to her. He tells her what happened that morning, but she doesnt seem to be really interested, asking bored questions about it, as if to get rid of him. A knock on the door down the hall interrupts them, and Joseph apologizes profusely for taking up her time and makes as if to leave, but not before grabbing her and kissing her savagely. Then he goes back to his own room. Joseph gets a call at work telling him to show up for a brief inquiry into his case on Sunday. He goes to the building mentioned that Sunday, only to find its just a big tenement house, with no distinguishing marks. After wandering through the building he at last is directed to the Court of Inquiry by a strange woman doing laundry. The Court is sitting in an overcrowded, stuffy room, with a platform and a big audience of important looking men. He gets berated for being late and is asked if hes a house painter. K. takes this opportunity to address the audience (which answers with applause) about how much this court sucks, it cant get its facts straight, this whole thing is a farce, a conspiracy He is cut off by a man pressing the woman he saw outside the courtroom to him and shrieking. K. makes his way through the crowd and leaves. Chapter 3: In the Empty Courtroom / The Student / The Offices The next Sunday K. feels he should go back to the court, only to get there and finding nobody there but the woman he saw before. She apologizes for the disturban ce, and blames it on Bertold, a law student who has been chasing her around, although she is the wife of the usher. K. examines the books left on the table, only to find that apparently the Examining Magistrate has a taste for erotica. He is interrupted by the woman, who starts to tell him about the Examining Magistrate and how he was writing a brief on K.s case last week before coming in to look at her sleeping. He even gave her some stockings, look! And she shows them to him. Bertold has entered the room at some point and is hulking towards them. Nevertheless the woman insinuates that K. can have her, only to be interrupted by Bertold, who carries her off. K. chases them into the court offices but loses them. The usher comes in and complains about Bertold chasing his wife (even though she throws herself at him) and how he would love to see him flattened. He tries to interest Joseph in this matter and they start walking through the labyrinthine, dark, stifling offices. Along the wa y they get to a hallway filled with men waiting for word on their cases. K. gets spooked and wants to leave, but hes lost. He begins to feel faint and has to sit down, helped by a young woman and a man. He finally makes his way out, carried along by the man and young woman, badly shaken and not wanting to come back. Chapter 4: Frulein Brstners Friend (Editorss note: In the new edition, this chapter is consigned to the Fragments section, so it goes straight from the empty courtroom to the whipper.) Joseph wants to talk to Frulein Brstner again, but she hasnt been around. One day he notices an awful racket coming from her room and finds out that her friend, Frulein Montag, a sickly French teacher, is moving in with her. He talks to Frau Grubach about it, who says shell stop the noise if he wants but that yes, Frulein Brstner is indeed having Frulein Montag move in with her. Joseph is upset over this turn of events, apparently started by his own behavior, and goes to see the room for himself, where he meets Frulein Montag. She wont tell him exactly why shes moving in, and says that Frulein Brstner doesnt want to talk to him. He goes back to his room, thinking about what all this might mean. K. is walking to his office in the Bank when he hears a horrible scream. He investigates and finds that Franz and Willem, the warders, are being whipped in a dark little storeroom. They plead with him to let them off, they have their own troubles, but the whipper is adamant about doing his duty. K. tries to buy him off, but no, that wont do. Finally he tries to pull them out of the room but is foiled. For the next week he cant get it out of his mind and goes back to look at the room, only to find everything as it was last week, with the whipper and the two warders there again. K. slams the door and yells for someone to clean out the closet. K.s uncle Karl (or Albert) visits him in his office. He has come in from the country, upset over his nephews case and wanting to help him . They go to see one of his uncles school friends, Dr. Huld, who is very sick but knows all about Josephs case. He has just been talking to the Chief Clerk, and the three of them begin talking. Meanwhile Josephs mind is on the nurse, a young woman called Leni. In the middle of the conversation he hears a crash, and goes to check it out, finding out that Leni just wanted to get him alone with her. She wants him to like her, she insists, but Joseph is more interested in his case. This painting of an important-looking judge, for instance. Will he be his judge? Oh, no, no, hes just an examining magistrate, done up as if he were important. In fact, hes just a midget. Leni advises him to confess and not be so unyielding.She wants to know all about his girlfriend Elsa, a waitress in a club, and he shows her a photograph. She is less than impressed, saying that she looks hard and wouldnt he like to trade her for a better one? Does she have a defect, like Lenis webbed hand? Joseph seems intr igued and kisses it, only to be hauled onto the floor by an exultant Leni. Later she gives him a key so he can come back anytime he wants. He promptly bumps into his uncle who berates him for fooling around with what is obviously the lawyers mistress, and they leave. Chapter 7: Lawyer / Manufacturer / Painter K. is now totally obsessed over his case, which is now about six months along. He sometimes meets with Dr. Huld, who tells him that yes, hes doing everything he can, but things have to go slowly. One needs to understand how things work, the lawyer tells him, and you definitely need someone who knows the ropes. Without that, your case is hopeless. K. cant figure out what exactly the purpose of these speeches is, but hes getting impatient. Nothing seems to be happening with his case, and he decides to do more himself, as the lawyer isnt doing anything for him. At work, where hes feeling increasingly threatened by the Assistant Manager, one of his clients, a manufacturer, knows ab out his case and tells him about the painter Titorelli, who might be able to help him. He even writes a letter K. can give the painter. He thinks it over and decides to go see him right away, even though the Assistant Manager is just dying for some reason to steal his clients (he thinks). He finds the place where the painter lives, a ramshackle, stuffy, poorly-built apartment, surrounded by a bunch of young girls who want to know why K.s here. Titorelli greets him and locks the door behind him, complaining about these brats. K. notices another painting of a judge. Who is he? Oh, hes Justice, in the abstract. But in reality hes just another low magistrate whos had his picture painted like that. Theyre very vain, these judges. They begin to talk about his case, interrupted at times by the girls talking or asking if K. has left yet. Im innocent, K. maintains. Good, says Titorelli. But the Court is not to be budged. It owns everything, like those girls out there. It is impervious to tru th. What acquittal do you want? Theres actual acquittal, apparent acquittal, and protraction. Actual acquittal is the best but cant be influenced. Besides, Ive never heard of one. Apparent acquittal I could help you with. I could write an affidavit swearing your innocence. But if you are acquitted, it isnt final. This would be followed by the second arrest, the second trial and acquittal, and then the third arrest, and so on. Protraction is just where you keep your case at the lowest level of the Court. You dont have to worry about sudden arrests or anything like that, but you do have to keep a constant eye on your case, since it still has to be kept going. K. has heard quite enough of the Courts machinations and gets up to leave. Titorelli convinces him to buy a few of his landscape paintings, and K. walks out the back door, only to find himself in the law offices again. He meets the people waiting on their cases again and finds an usher to lead him out. He goes back to the bank an d hides the pictures in his desk. Chapter 8: Block, the Tradesman / Dismissal of the Lawyer K. has had enough of Dr. Hulds crap. He decides to fire him and goes to his place to tell him that. Upon getting there at ten P.M. he sees a strange man with a half-naked Leni, who runs off in a hurry. He questions the man, who is Rudi Block, a grain merchant. He is also a client of the lawyer. They make their way to the kitchen, where Leni is making soup for the lawyer. He demands to know if theyre lovers, but she just tries to divert his attention by claiming to have more information about his case. K. is unimpressed and Leni leaves to give the lawyer his soup. K. and Block get to talking, and Block says his case has been going on for five years. A secrethe has five other lawyers on his case, and its the only thing on his mind. Hes always at the offices, trying to see whats going on with his case, and they have a weird superstition there: you can tell the way a mans case will turn out by th e shape of his lips. And poor Joseph is going to lose his case very soon by this reckoning. Leni comes back and sees them talking. She tells K. the lawyer is waiting for him. Block lives here, she says. The lawyer is very unpredictable and you never know when he might want to see you. She shows them his room, a tiny little maids room. K., pressed for a secret in return by Block, tells him he is going to fire the lawyer. Block and Leni are flabbergasted and try to chase him. K. goes in to Huld, who tells him he knows all about Lenis affairs with accused men. Accused men are attractive, you know. Even Block. K. tells the lawyer that hes had it with him. Hes done nothing for him. The lawyer insists that nothing much happens in any case, leading K. to insist theyre as much in the right as him. Huld says he takes only the cases that touch him closely. K. is unimpressed, so the lawyer brings in Block. Huld saysactually yellsat Block that his case is in trouble, that it hasnt even started, that the people at the court call it hopeless, but hes still there to fight for him. Block demonstrates his gratefulness by getting on his knees and kissing his hand. K. gets the feeling hes watching a staged performance of the lawyer and his dog, Block, and remains unmoved. An Italian, one of the banks biggest clients, comes to town and K. is asked to show him around. He especially wants to see the cathedral, where hell meet K. Joseph gets there and sees no Italian, but only the priest calling his name. He talks about K.s case, saying its going badly. Hes guilty, after all, isnt he? No, Im innocent, says K., I just need more help. Like from women? Women have a lot of influence, says K. doggedly. They start to walk around the cathedral, and the priest tells the parable Before the Law. The man from the country comes to the door seeking admittance to the Law, but the guard says he cant come in now. There are plenty of other doors and guards, and hes just the lowest, dont you know? S o the man sits and waits by the door for years on end, trying to find some way to get the guard to let him in, bribing him, pleading, begging the fleas in the guards coat to convince him to let him in. Finally, when the man is about to die, he asks why nobody else ever came to the door. This door was meant only for you, the guard says. And now Im going to close it. They discuss it at some length. Is the doorkeeper subservient to the man? The other way around? Did the man come of his own free will? Is he deluded? It is not necessary to accept everything as true, only to accept it as necessary, says the priest. But, says K., then the world is based on lies. K. decides to leave, since he has to go b ack to work. The priest tells him that he, the priest, also belongs to the Court, which wants nothing of him and allows him to leave whenever he wants. On the evening before his thirty-first birthday, two men come to Josephs apartment and, their arms entwined with his on either side of him, begin to walk him through the city. Along the way he sees Frulein Brstner walking along in front of them. He watches her until she disappears into darkness. Finally they arrive at an abandoned quarry. They take off his coat and shirt and lie him down with a rock for a headrest. They take out a butcher knife and begin passing it to each other over him. He is apparently supposed to take it and plunge it into his own chest. But he doesnt, instead looking over at a house across the way with a light on. Someone is standing at the window on the top floor, and Joseph wonders who it is. Where is the Judge, the High Court, that he couldnt reach? He holds out his hands and spreads his fingers. Then one of the men takes the knife and stabs him, twisting the knife twice. Like a dog! he said; it seemed as if the shame was to outlive him. Joseph is at the bank and gets a call telling him to come to court right away. Instead he decides to go and see Elsa, his girlfriend, a waitress. Will they pu nish him? No. Good. And he hangs up. He takes a cab to see her, thinking of his bank business. Although he hasnt seen his mother, a half-blind old widow living in a small town, in three years, K. suddenly decides to go visit her one day at lunch. Shes been getting more pious, which kind of disgusts him. He tells Khne, an attendant at the bank, what to do while hes gone and while waiting for him to come back, thinks about the threatening Assistant Manager and the accursed Rabensteiner, Kaminer, and Kullich. K. becomes good friends with Hasterer, a lawyer. They frequently go to his house with some other friends and talk over dinner. Hasterer is a master speaker, taking on all comers without breaking a sweat. He has a woman named Helene living with him for a while, who at first stays in bed reading crappy novels but then starts to show up at dinner in a fantastically out of place old ballgown. Finally Hasterer gets bored of her and sends her packing. The Assistant Manager tells K. he knows about his friendship with Hasterer, which somewhat upsets K. K. tries to find out where the first notification of his case came from, and with Titorelli and Wolfarts help finds it. It is, of course, a totally negligible office, existing only to rubber stamp anything the higher ups want done. Titorelli and K. have become close, since K. is always bothering and consulting him about his case. Meanwhile K. is being worn out by his case, sometimes having nightmares about Frau Grubachs other lodgers all pointing the finger at him and accusing him, and then him wandering around the offices meeting truly bizarre figures. Or perhaps he dreams about Titorelli, that they were sitting in front of a fire, K. begging him for something and Titorelli granting it, or them running around the law offices. Conflict with the Assistant Manager K. and the Assistant Manager arent getting along very well, since K. sees him as an usurper, just waiting to get K. fired and taking his place. The Assis tant Manager must see that K. wont go down without a fight, that hes still alive and well. The Assistant Manager comes into Josephs office one day so Joseph can pitch his proposal for something, and the whole time the Assistant Manager is playing with a part of his desk with his penknife. He gets up and sits on it to fix it, breaking it instead. A Fragment (what an inventive title!) Joseph and his uncle come out of a theater into the pouring rain, and Joseph tries to think of some way to get him to go home so he wont have to put him up for the night. He says that his uncle has been helpful, thanks, I have all the help I need, you can go home tomorrow, or tonight even. Joseph K. (Josef K.) Our hero, he is awakened one morning and arrested for something, which he is never told. Over the course of a year, from his 30th to 31st birthdays, he tries to figure out why he is being accused and tries to fight the Court, but finally seems to just surrender to its power. AnnaThe maid who was s upposed to bring Joseph his breakfast, which was eaten by Willem. Franz The warder who bursts into K.s room and tells him hes under arrest. He wants to get married, and is beaten up by the Whipper. Willem The other warder who arrests K, he also is whipped despite his protests that he has a family to feed. The Old Woman and Man Live across the street, seem almost morbidly interested in looking at K while he is in his apartment the morning of his arrest. The Inspector Comes to the apartment to arrest K. K. tries to get out of him what all this is about, but to little avail. Hasterer A prosecuting counsel. K. wants to call him as soon as he is arrested. In the fragment Prosecuting Counsel K is a very close friend of his, and they frequently go to his house, where he lives with a woman called Helene for a little while. Frau Grubach Ks landlady, the owner of the building that K., Frulein Brstner, Frulein Montag, and others live in. She is very fond of K. and tries her best to make him ha ppy, even if she does think hes guilty. Rabensteiner A fellow worker at the Bank, he goes to K.s apartment when he is arrested. Lazy. Kaminer Another worker at the Bank who is at K.s place when he is arrested. Repulsively modest. Kullich (Kullych) Yet another worker at the Bank who turns up at K.s. Stupid. K. wants to slap his pasty white cheeks. K. hates all three of these low-level drudges. Frulein Brstner The girl living in the apartment next to K.s, she is a typist. He and she have a strange encounter the evening after he is arrested. He kisses her like an animal and she apparently feels threatened, since she has Frulein Montag move in with her. She turns up again at the very end, when K. is being led to his death he sees her walking ahead of him for a little while before disappearing. Captain Lanz Frau Grubachs nephew, who sleeps in the living room the night K. is arrested and interrupts K. and Frulein Brstner by making noises. Later, he and Frulein Montag talk in the hall whil e K. is inspecting Frulein Brstners room, apparently about him. The Examining Magistrate One of the more mysterious characters in the book, he is frequently referred to in hushed tones but what we see of him is not very impressive. He questions K. and gets a defiant speech in return. In his spare time he reads porn books and chases the ushers wife. The Ushers Wife (Hilda in the movie) She lets K. into the courtroom both times, and the first time interrupts his speech by being hauled off by the student Bertold, the second she tries to seduce him by saying he can do anything he wants with her and take her anywhere he wants. This reverie is interrupted by Bertold. Bertold The short, bandy-legged law student who chases the ushers wife around, much to the ushers disgust. The Usher Meets up with K. in the law offices after his wife is hauled off by Bertold, tries to convince K. to go after him. Leads K. around the offices, where he meets a truly disturbing group of people waiting for word on their cases. The Man and the Young WomanHelp K. after he is overcome by emotion and bad air in the law offices; haul him to the door. Frulein Montag Frulein Brstners friend, a somewhat sickly looking teacher of French. She moves in with her after the experience with K. Refuses to say much to K. or discuss the circumstances of her move. The Whipper Has the job of whipping Franz and Willem, who scream bloody murderand in K.s bank, no less! K. tries to buy him off but to no avail. The Assistant Manager Works at the Bank and directly below K., who sees him as his rival. K. frequently obsesses about him. Uncle Karl (or Albert) Lives out in the country, comes to see K. about his case and takes him to see Dr. Huld, an old school friend of his. Talks with Huld about K., later berates K for fooling around with Leni. Erna K.s 17-year-old cousin, who is at boarding school in the same city as K and writes her dad Uncle Karl about Ks case. Dr. Huld the Advocate K.s lawyer, who seems to know his way around the Court. Promises to help K., but everything is always being delayed so that nothing concrete ever happens. K. later comes back to fire him, only to be given the routine with Block as an example of how grateful he should be for his help. The Chief Clerk He has just been talking to Huld when Uncle Karl and K. arrive, so he hides himself. Later he introduces himself and talks about Josephs case with Huld and K.s uncle. LeniThe whore! Dr. Hulds nurse and also mistress, a position she also holds with several other of his clients. Claims she wants to help K. and tells him to basically surrender to the Court. She is eager to show K her physical defect, a webbed hand, which apparently turns Joseph on, so that he kisses it and ends up on the floor with her. Later on she gives him a key so he can come back whenever he wants. Coming back another time, he sees that she has somebody else too, Block. Participates in the ridiculous playacting scene between Block and Huld. Elsa K. s girlfriend at the start of the novel, she is a waitress at a cabaret. He goes to see her once a week. One time he goes to see her instead of to court, which annoys the Court. Leni doesnt like the way she looks in her picture. Manufacturer Comes to see K. at the bank and tells him about Titorelli the painter, giving him a letter of recommendation for him to give to Titorelli. Titorelli The painter. From painting the judges he knows the Court inside and out but cant necessarily help K. He explains the way it operates and then tries to sell K. some of his nature scenes. Has his very own harem of groupies around his place, which gets on his nerves at times. In the fragment The House he and K. see each other a lot, trying to get somewhere with his case. The girls The chiquitas who congregate around Titorellis apartment, harassing him and everyone who comes around. They belong to the Court, says Titorelli grimly. Rudi Block The grain merchant who has taken to living at Hulds place, his case has been going on for five years. Has taken several other lawyers too, in order to get his case going, which is all he thinks about, but to little avail. He is yet another beneficiary of Lenis services, and gets involved in ridiculous playacting in front of K. in an effort to get him to keep Huld. The lawyers dog, so to speak. The Italian colleague K. is supposed to show him around town, at least the cathedral, but this turns out to be just a way to get K. there himself. The priest Talks to K., tells him the parable Before the Law and discusses it with him. He is a mouthpiece of the Court, and tells him the Court wants nothing of him. The two gentlemen They come to Josephs place the night before his 31st birthday and haul him through town to the quarry, where they make him lie down, pass a knife over him, and finally kill him. Mrs. K. Josephs mother, an old widow whom he hasnt visited in three years, but then suddenly decides to visit now. She lives in a small town and is almos t blind. K. s cousinLives in the same town as his mother, is alarmed about her health. KhneAn attendant at the bank, K. tells him what to do while he goes to see his mother. Helene The slut Hasterer lives with for a while. Wolfart Mysterious; never explained. Does anyone know who this guy is? Bibliography: