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The Castle by Franz Kafka

Introduction

The Castle is the last novel written by Czech author Franz Kafka (1883-1924). Kafka began to write the book in 1922 in a village and not, as it is tempting to imagine, in the shadow of Prague's legendary castle. A customarily Kafkaesque yoking of the absurd and the sinister, The Castle depicts an individual's fruitless efforts to achieve his objective within an incomprehensible authoritative structure. In this paper I will be focusing on the interview of K with Brugel at the end of the novel, and how he influences K's destiny.

One of the passages of Kafka's Castle that I particularly like is the interview of K. with Brugel, one of the officials he met at the Inn of the gentlemen. This happens near the end of the novel, while K. has still not managed to get the administration of the Castle Square surveyor for which it is presented to the village. After that Frieda has left him, he was summoned to the inn by Erlanger, another official. In the common room, he found that Frieda has recaptured its position as a waitress. She addresses many criticisms and tells him that she is now the companion of Jeremiah, one of two assistants K. And K. finds himself alone in the hallway. The night is far advanced (as in the grotesque world of the novel the invitations are at the inn at night), K. is exhausted and hopes to find the room where Erlanger. He pushes a door but it's not in Erlanger that happens is in Brugel, he wakes up. Kafka first describes beautifully this new character and self-satisfaction that manifests:

Brugel proves once with respect to K. of great cordiality. Certainly he is not happy to have been awakened, but he knows he can no longer go back to sleep, that K. stay with him, he keep his company. The room is small, the bed occupies more than half. Brugel invites K. to sit on the edge of the bed and launched into a lengthy monologue where he explains that as unbelievable as it sounds, it happens in the administration of the Castle a staff member to assist a citizen, while the file is not within its jurisdiction.

Analysis

Perhaps K. has finally come across someone who is willing to give him some assistance? Alas! He is so tired he cannot listen Brugel. Kafka distills are superposed on the fate of K. who could play there if he clung to the pole that seems to be tight (but is it safe?), the exhaustion that does not allow him to do, the pleasure of listening to Brugel (he asks questions and answers himself: he revels in descriptions could not be more detailed) and the strangeness both comical and tragic the whole situation:

 "... And now, Mr. Surveyor, consider the possibility that a given, as a result of who knows what circumstances, despite the obstacles that have been described and usually more than enough, still surprised at night a secretary who has some skill to the case concerned. You have probably not yet considered such a possibility? I readily believe. Moreover, it is not ...