The Trial - Franz Kafka 10 th English Cervantes Name: 1
The Trial Franz Kafka Presentation Notes Date Written: Summarize The Trial: 2
The Trial Study Questions Chapter I 1. Why would a reader have sympathy for Josef K.? 2. Metaphorically, what does it mean to be an arrested person? 3. How does Josef K. feel about his arrest? What evidence in the story reveals this? 4. Explain if Josef K. is guilty or not. 5. Describe the inspector and guards physically and behaviorally. 6. Define: accustom, adjoining, and boardinghouse. Chapter II 7. Why is K. arrested? What evidence can you find in the book to support your answer? 8. Who is Fraulein Burstner and why is this person important? 3
Chapter III 9. What is K. s relationship to the vice president? 10. Why is it a big deal that K. refuses an invitation from the vice president? 11. K. arrives at 9AM to the address he was given on his court date, but finds himself in a poor neighborhood. Why do you think doesn t K. ask where the courts are instead of asking for Lanz? 12. What does K. say about the courts to the spectators? 13. Who do the spectators turn out to be? Chapter IV 1. Why does K. feel ill? 2. What could the stuffiness of the office and the fresh air symbolize in connection to politics, America, or society? 4
Chapter V 3. Define flog or flogging. 4. Why do the guards get flogged at the bank? 5. Why do you think K. tells the assistants to clean out the junk room? Chapter VI 6. Who is Huld and what does he tell K. he will do? 7. What is the advice Leni offers Josef K.? Chapter VII 8. Why does K. consider getting a new lawyer? 9. What kind of relationship do K. and the vice president have? 10. What is the difference between an acquittal and a protraction? 11. What is the significance of K. seeing the long hallway of the court offices when trying to escape from Titorelli s home? 5
Chapter VIII 1. What is one superstition Block tells K. in relation to trials? 2. Do you think K. made the right decision when it came to Huld s representation? 3. How does the Block try to manage his trial financially? 4. Huld tells Block some troubling news about his trial; how would you react if you received this news? 5. Why does K. go to the church? Chapter IX 6. How does K. respond to the sexton gesturing at him? What might Kafka (the author) be implying about K. by describing this reaction? 7. Who does the priest turn out to really be? 8. What is a parable? 9. What parable does the priest tell K. from the introductory texts to the Law? 6
10. What explanations does the priest give K. about the role of the doorkeeper? Chapter X 11. What day is it in Chapter 10? 12. Why do you think K. and the men avoid the policemen? 13. What happens to K.? 14. K. has several instances where he could have tried to save his life, but didn t. Why do you think he chooses to not resist? 7
The Trial Key Concepts 1. What tone is conveyed by the first line of the story? 2. Describe Leni. What is significant about her relationship with Josef K.? 3. For what might Joesef K. s arrest serve as a metaphor? 4. In what ways can we view K. gradually losing his freedom? 5. Do you view this work as sad, darkly comic, or would you describe it in some other way? Explain. 6. Does K. have to die to complete the story? Explain. 8
Group Analysis Evaluating Symbols: Below is a list of SYMBOLS used in The Trial. To review, a symbol is a person or thing in a story that represents a larger idea. For example, a symbol in Macbeth is blood, which represents that passion that consumes so many of the characters, to their downfall. Look at this sample table to see how to breakdown symbols. Story: Macbeth Symbol Elements of Symbol Purpose in Story Blood Red, Life force, result of violence connects to character s passions Macbeth and Lady Macbeth s desire for power; Macbeth s desire to protect his country; Passion is downfall for all them (Lady kills self trying to get blood off of her, Macbeth gets killed for all the blood he spills, Macbeth s family gets killed their blood is spilled because of his passion for his country and need to protect it) YOUR JOB: For TWO of the symbols listed below, make a chart like the one above explaining what the purpose of the symbol is in the story. The court Air Light/Darkness Children Symbol Element of Symbol Purpose in Story Discussion Question. Answer the question in paragraph form, using complete sentences. Start with a TOPIC SENTENCE that states what you will prove in the paragraph, then explain and prove it. 1. Major themes in The Trial include power, justice/judgment, isolation, and society/class. Choose a major theme to write a three-paragraph essay on using quotes and page numbers from the book. 9