The Trial

Josef K. is the protagonist of the novel. He is a 30-year-old man of the professional class, holding a respected position as the chief financial officer of a large bank. Franz Kafka portrays him as a kind of “everyman” whose experiences of alienation and powerlessness make him a relatable vehicle by which to explore the complexities of modern society.

K. comes across as ambitious and self-assured, especially at the beginning of the novel, before the opaque operations of the court leave him increasingly helpless and baffled. He can also be conceited, and he is intolerant of those whom he regards as his inferiors, an intolerance apparent, for instance, in the way he thinks of officials of the lower court, such as the warders who arrest him at the beginning of the novel. K.’s initial ambivalence toward his trial soon grows into obsession, and this change is reflected in his character: The meticulous and hardworking K. of the beginning of the novel becomes scattered and unfocused as he tries to make sense of his senseless situation. K. is also heavily reliant on women, for whom he has a weakness. K. has a relationship with a waitress named Elsa (mentioned several times throughout the novel), and over the course of the story develops further relationships with other young women (Fräulein Bürstner, the usher’s wife, and Leni).