Before the Law
Before the Law is a parable whose author is Franz Kafka. The author of this parable leaves everything up to the interpretation of the readers, as it is very ambiguous and there is not enough information to get a clear idea despite the efforts of many to do so.
To begin analyzing this parable, I will start by what I think the theme is. I think the main theme is that to get to the law there is a way, but it is extremely complicated and only a few are able to do so; however, there are obstacles in the way that seemingly make it impossible, but I believe there is a way to get there but the outcome would be disappointing. The reason why I reckon this, is because it would be disappointing if the law is created to be fair and to bring justice; despite that, there are still circumstances where the law can be avoided and therefore, the law wouldn't be just.
The voice in the parable is the author, Franz Kafka. He narrates the parable and explains the characters’s feelings and emotions through time as the main character ages and he grows old with the want of reaching the law but the doorkeeper maintaining his veto.
The mood in the literary piece is clearly desperation. The man goes before the law without knowing the doorkeeper would keep him there for years until he died, and before he did finding out that those door were only meant for him, which I think means that he could have perfectly gone through all those doors because he was powerful enough but because he waited for the approval of him going through those doors fairly, he was never able to reach the law.
The following element to be analyzed is the tone. There is one primary tone which is a strict tone, this being reflected as the doorkeeper is strict throughout the whole parable about the man going through, yet he tries to keep the mans hopes up by saying that he can’t go through in that moment, but later the readers find out that he was never going to be able to go through those doors with permission.
The internal conflict is man vs society, because the society made him want to reach the law and find out what is it or rather what there is to find when they reach it, because of this he stayed for years behind the closed door waiting for it to be open because everyone wanted to know what it was, however he was never able to reach it and died trying to. The external conflict is man vs man, because the doorkeeper is the one keeping him from reaching his goal, and despite the mans greatest efforts he was never able to reach the law.
The climax is when the man is dying and asks the doorkeeper why despite him staying there throughout the years nobody ever came and tried to find the law, and that's when the doorkeeper lets him know that it was because that door was only meant for him and now he was going to shut it. I believe every reader might have been shocked by the doorkeepers last statement because it meant a possibility for the man to go through the door. There is no resolution because the conflicts aren't solved.
By Dasha Nino, Step 10