Parable of the Law
Ed A
Response #3- “The Parable of the Law”
The general argument made by Franz Kafka in his work, “The Parable of the Law,” is that access to the law is something which most individuals cannot attain within their lifetime. More specifically, he argues that every commoner is like the countryman, desiring to somehow gain entry into a realm which is purposely restricted to elite members of society. Every gate into this area is fortified by a doorkeeper who serves as a mere obstacle to the persistent desires of the “countryman.” The sole purpose of the doorkeeper is to discourage an individual from accessing the law by providing him with a pessimistic outlook of ever achieving his desire. Kafka writes, “from hall to hall there is one doorkeeper after another, each more powerful than the last. The third doorkeeper is already so terrible that even I cannot bear to look at him.” In this passage, Kafka is suggesting that there is a hierarchal nature to the legislative process which makes it difficult for any commoner to attain access to higher forms of authority. At these levels, there are increasing obstacles which make an individual’s journey to the top highly improbable. Moreover, this fortified area has enigmas which are vital to its existence. By keeping the population ignorant toward the procedures and methods of its operation, it can easily manipulate them into believing exactly what they tell them. For example, the countryman never asks the doorkeeper why he is being shun from the inside and instead asks him when he will be able to try again. The doorkeeper gives him this false optimism so that he does not begin to ask questions about the nature of the proceedings within the area. Instead, the countryman becomes old and never loses his respectful approach toward the doorkeeper, remaining hopeful that someday he will be given access. The psychological approach from the doorkeeper keeps the man subordinate. In conclusion, the author’s belief is that
Response #3- “The Parable of the Law”
The general argument made by Franz Kafka in his work, “The Parable of the Law,” is that access to the law is something which most individuals cannot attain within their lifetime. More specifically, he argues that every commoner is like the countryman, desiring to somehow gain entry into a realm which is purposely restricted to elite members of society. Every gate into this area is fortified by a doorkeeper who serves as a mere obstacle to the persistent desires of the “countryman.” The sole purpose of the doorkeeper is to discourage an individual from accessing the law by providing him with a pessimistic outlook of ever achieving his desire. Kafka writes, “from hall to hall there is one doorkeeper after another, each more powerful than the last. The third doorkeeper is already so terrible that even I cannot bear to look at him.” In this passage, Kafka is suggesting that there is a hierarchal nature to the legislative process which makes it difficult for any commoner to attain access to higher forms of authority. At these levels, there are increasing obstacles which make an individual’s journey to the top highly improbable. Moreover, this fortified area has enigmas which are vital to its existence. By keeping the population ignorant toward the procedures and methods of its operation, it can easily manipulate them into believing exactly what they tell them. For example, the countryman never asks the doorkeeper why he is being shun from the inside and instead asks him when he will be able to try again. The doorkeeper gives him this false optimism so that he does not begin to ask questions about the nature of the proceedings within the area. Instead, the countryman becomes old and never loses his respectful approach toward the doorkeeper, remaining hopeful that someday he will be given access. The psychological approach from the doorkeeper keeps the man subordinate. In conclusion, the author’s belief is that