The Trial Summary | Chapterly
The Trial by Franz Kafka: A Complete Summary "Someone must have been telling lies about Josef K., for without having done anything wrong he was arrested one fine morning." Overview The Trial (Der Process, 1925) is Franz Kafka's nightmarish vision of modern existence. Josef K., a bank official, is arrested one morning for an unspecified crime. He never learns the charges, never sees the court proper, and is eventually executed - "like a dog." Published posthumously against Kafka's wishes, The Trial captures the feeling of being caught in an incomprehensible system where guilt is assumed and justice impossible. Plot Summary The Arrest On his thirtieth birthday, Josef K. wakes to find strange men in his apartment. They inform him he's under arrest, though they don't take him into custody. His crime is never specified. The First Interrogation K. is summoned to a hearing in a slum building. He delivers an indignant speech attacking the court - but it's unclear if anyone is listening. The Court System K. discovers the court operates in attics, back rooms, everywhere and nowhere. Its procedures are inscrutable. The accused can never see their files, never learn the charges, never speak to judges. Seeking Help K....