Kaylee's Response to Maya

          Like Maya I agree this chapter was very strange and random. Surprise, surprise! Maya makes a good point in that K. stands up for himself when he is in front of the judicial system, yet plays it safe when dealing with the guards. Although he does offer to help and feels guilty afterward, he doesn’t try that hard to save them. He could have asked to get into contact with the “whip man” / flogger’s supervisor. I also pointed out in my reaction that this chapter seemed similar to The Penal Colony in its tone and setting. The government definitely has a lot of problems because it is so unstable, yet they seem to be stuck in their beliefs, like Maya says. I like how Maya describes the following day as a “second” chance because that is exactly what it is. K. gets the opportunity to save the guards once again. He could have prevented Franz from screaming, which initially drove him out of the room the day before, and worked harder to convince the whip man to let them go.  But K. fails the test and tells his assistants to clean out the room. Then he leaves “with his mind a blank”, therefore feeling no pain or sense of guilt.  Strange how the day before it bothered him so much, then the next day he couldn’t care less and didn’t want to deal with the men at all. Did he think it was only his mind playing a trick on him?