Kaylee's 2nd 500

           As The Trial commences Joseph K. is suddenly arrested one morning for unnamed charges. At the thought of possibly losing his freedom and social status, K. is overcome with bewilderment and anxiety, as any individual would. Unsure of his fate, K. also impulsively contemplates suicide, however discards the idea as irrational. As a result, he immediately begins his search for answers and defense system. Although it is just the beginning of Kafka’s tale of salivation, K.’s reaction to his arrest declares a prominent psychological human tendency that presents itself in times of stress, a response known as fight or flight. The fight or flight response is a decision made to either stay and fight off a posed threat or flee to safety. In the moment of K.’s arrest he considers death as a way to avoid inconvenience, restriction and possible danger, however K. soon replaces this thought with the belief that he has the power to fight for survival and alter his fate as a convicted criminal. By this decision, K. arranges the mood for the remainder of his trial. Little does he know that the political system and the power of God have predetermined his fate, resulting in the ultimate test of K.’s resilience and persistence.

            Following his arrest K. is permitted to go about his daily life until his court hearing is called. The next Sunday K. is vaguely asked to meet at the Court Offices. After a series of peculiar events K. finds himself in front of a council of men and the magistrate. During the meeting, K. sustains an aura of arrogance as he continues to mock the officials and call the government a farce. At this point in the novel, K.’s will and psychological health is still in tact. He is just at the beginning and is experiencing the first interaction with the government regarding his trial. In a way it is his first test in the game of his independence. In response to his insulting speeches, the magistrate ensures K. he has lost any advantages he may have gained from the interrogation. It is implied through the bizarre, tyrannical nature of the government and judicial system that Joseph K. had no chance of justification in his alleged crime, however could this incident been the defying moment in K.’s trial? Is this where things took a turn for the worse? If he responded differently, could his path have been readjusted? The answer is unclear, however one thing is evident, Joseph K. proved unsuccessful in the first test to amend his fate.