Blog post #1: Before the Law analysis

My group's reading about Kafka's Before the Law explained the story in the context of Marxist criticism whereby a struggle between classes is described in the text, along with the highlighting of the power and wealth of individuals higher in social class. In the story, the man curiously peers through the gate to which the gatekeeper responds, "Try it in spite of my prohibition. But take note: I am powerful," thus establishing the dominance that the gatekeeper has over the man. The gatekeeper consequently explains that there are many more gatekeepers who are even stronger, describing a hierarchy of power. The man attempts to gain access to the gate by giving his possessions to the gatekeeper, to which the gatekeeper accepts only so that the man does not think he failed to do anything. This is analogous to a sheriff or a judge receiving bribes from citizens, but ultimately not receiving anything that was promised to them in return. Towards the end as the man nears death, it is stated that the time passed has worked at "the disadvantage of the man" whereas the gatekeeper still stands, showing that the gatekeeper is seemingly unaffected by time. 

The story also describes the physical appearance of the gatekeeper as the man looks at the gatekeeper's "fur coat, at his fur coat, at his large pointed nose and his long, thin, black Tartar's beard." The gatekeeper's appearance adds to the story as readers imagine a man with wealth and power, whereas the man is simply described as "a man from the country." The man also notices the "fleas in his fur collar" which shows the filthiness of the gatekeeper, perhaps indicative of wealth obtained corruptly. 

Another method of interpreting this short story would be to utilize psychological criticism which assumes that what is written is in the consciousness of the man. This method involves symbolism of the objects in the story. The gatekeeper could be symbolic of a mental barrier disallowing the man from achieving his goal, being the Law. The gate appears to be open in the story, stating that any goal is attainable if one challenges the "gatekeeper" of that goal. The man  does not challenge the gatekeeper's power, and at the end of the story the gatekeeper closes the gate as the man lays dying. The gatekeeper states, "Here no one else can gain entry, since this entrance was assigned only to you. I'm going now to close it." This final line supports this form of analysis because the type of "gatekeepers" that people face and the type of "Laws" that people try to achieve is different among each person. Therefore, when the man dies, the goal that the man was unable to achieve is now unattainable since he's passing, and the gatekeeper officially closes the gate. 

The Marxist approach is more useful when interpreting this story because the psychological approach is based greatly on assumptions and subjectivity. Readers may acquire various takeaway messages from the psychological approach, such that the gatekeeper could represent not mental block, but social or environmental factors that influence a person's ability to attain their goal.