Ryan's Seventh Reaction

      The next chapter of The Trial, like the previous chapter, seems rather superfluous. The chapter does little to advance the plot on the novel. I think the most important part of the chapter is that K. sympathizes for the two police officers and even defends them. There are many parallels between K.’s situation and the police officers’ situation. Both are victims of the system. K. is arrested for no apparent reason, and the police officers are required to be beaten because a complaint was filed. Even though K. is the reason they are being whipped, I think there are more reasons to why K. tries to save the two men. K. realizes that the men are punished for something out of their control, just like K. was arrested for something out of his control. Kafka also shows that there are two sides to every story through the officers. K. complained about the officers because he deemed their actions rude as they ate his breakfast and stole clothes, which K. interpreted as an abuse of power. However, K. learns that the officers are paid poorly and cannot afford new clothes.

 I was rather proud of K. for putting forth a significant amount of effort to help the officers, going so far as preparing to bribe the whip man. However, I was ultimaltey disappointed as K. gives up his heroic effort rather quickly. Similar to other times in the novel, K.’s concern for appearance harms his character. K. stops helping the officers when one of them yells out of pain. K. is concerned that other people will associate K. with the screaming, which agitates K. and tries to leave the scene as quickly as possible. I thought it was strange that the officers were being punished in a random closet in the building K. works at. K. works at a bank, why would police officers be punished there? Furthermore, I think the episode with the police officers being whipped affected K. psychologically, as K. feels guilty for not helping the officers, going so far as to demanding that the closet be cleaned out. The novel has steered away from K.’s trial, for unknown reasons, maybe to downplay the gravity of K.’s legal situation. I hope Kafka continues to unfold K.’s trial because the novel is becoming rather boring.