Natalies 3rd 500

Another similarity between the gatekeeper and the judges and arresting officers is that neither K. nor the countryman, ever come in contact with higher officials. Although they are mentioned they never truly meet them. In one instant K. encounters a judge, and hoping that he has met someone of higher rank asks Leni “What rank is he”, to which she replies “He is an examining judge”. He then states “”just an examining judge one again” said K in disappointment, “the senior officials keep themselves hidden. But here he is sitting on a throne.” This exchange of words with Leni shows not only K.’s struggles, but the struggles of most citizens which is the fact that they only ever meet low ranking officials and therefore have no way to further advance their cases. When the Priest finishes telling K. the story of the law he also addresses this fact. He says that it is the doorman who has been cheated because he has been guarding something he doesn’t even know, blindly following orders. Similarly the simple-minded individuals who arrest K. do not know why he is being arrested, nor do they question it. They simply act with the instructions they are given. It also shows how it ends up negatively since they both end up being whipped even though it is not really their fault.

In a conversation between the gatekeeper and the countryman, the countryman attempts to bribe the gatekeeper into letting him through the doorway. The gatekeeper respond’s “I’ll only accept this so that you don’t think there’s anything you’ve failed to do.”  In many ways this phrase parallels the courts treatment towards K. and all others who have been arrested. K. is given a court hearing, but soon after K. realizes that he was set up to fail. Instead of a just trial, K. is meant to stand up and defend himself in a front of a room filled with people whose mind’s are already made up. It takes K. a while to realize that each person in that room is wearing a similar pin, meaning they are all affiliated with the court. Although some are yelling in favor of K., they are not impartial, they already have made up their minds and sided with the court.

Parallels can also be drawn between the countryman and K. The countryman and K. differ from other people in their societies. When the countryman asks the gatekeeper: “Everyone wants access to the law, says the man, how come, over all these years, no-one but me has asked to be let in?” It seems from this comment that throughout the many years the countryman has been waiting outside of the doorway, nobody else has been asked to be let in even though he knows everyone wonders about this. This parallels K.’s own situation. Throughout his trial he meets many other arrested people and it seems that they have succumbed to their fate instead of attempting to fight for their freedom. In both instances K. and the countryman are anomalies within their societies.