My group’s interpretation of “Before the Law” by Franz Kafka
took a psychological route where the author is suffering an internal and
external struggle because he cannot enter the door. It is a power struggle
between his conscious, subconscious, and unconscious self. Since our
interpretation took a psychological approach we decided that literary critical
approach was reader response for the different meanings. Each reader got a
different understanding of the mans need for being allowed to enter the other
side of the door. The door represented different things to everyone. His
obsession is supported with his, “he even asks the fleas to help him persuade
the gatekeeper” to allow him to have access to the door. The man also gives
away everything he has just to be able to enter the door, the gatekeeper
“[takes] this only so that [he] do not think [he] failed to do anything.” The
man giving everything away represents him losing himself in the obsession of
the door. A power struggle with his subconscious not allowing him to do
something, almost holding him back just like the gate keeper. While the fleas play
the role of his true desires, his unconsciousness, trying to gain access to the
door. Ironically, the passage ends with the man giving up entirely everything:
his youth, property, and life.
When I
first read this short passage the literary critical approach I interpreted was
from a Marxist criticism. This passage was on the power struggle of social
classes, the word “before” makes it clear that the “Law” holds the power. The
gatekeeper was a representation of the hierarchy establish in the setting,
“[he] is powerful. And [he is] only the most lowly gatekeeper,” a person low in
the hierarchy but the man seems to still be beneath him even with the things he
has to offer. Because the gatekeeper takes so much away from the man: his
youth, property and life it is a interpretation of Marxist view on capitalism
and how the working class is cheated by the bureaucracy. He may be still low in
the hierarchy but the man represents the class that does not even fit inside of
the hierarchical pyramid. The loss of his eye sight symbolizes the lack of
awareness from the working class, unable to understand that they are being
exploited it is parallel to the ending of the passage. The man is already dying
as the gatekeeper says, “here no one else can gain entry, since this entrance
was assigned only to you. I’m going to close it.” Much like was Marxist argues,
the working class needs to find awareness of the exploitation they encounter to
gain back what is rightfully theirs. The man has all along been meant for the
door, yet he was not aware that the system was not working for his favor.
Because the man was being exploited it further supports the Marxist criticism,
a power struggle where it is hard to let the worker be benefited for their job.
I like your interpretation about the Psychological Criticism and how the fleas helped interpret his sanity throughout the story. I also like how you mention a battle between his sub-conscious, which causes him to lose everything in his life. Then when you shift to analyse the Marxist reviews it begins to sounds like psychological Criticism again. I find your examples great and they help you prove your point flawlessly. Over all I enjoyed reading this blog and I cannot see anythings else wrong with it.
ReplyDeleteI think this is a great analysis of Before the Law. I especially like the part, where you talk about people's sub-conscious/conscious power struggle (did not even think of that). I think you did a great job presenting your groups and your analysis of the short story however in the end what seems to be a Marxist Criticism turns into a psychological Criticism. On the whole, I think this is a great analysis!
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