The Trial is a complex work that explores the paradoxes between eroticism, human desire for intimacy and bondage. This undercurrent of servitude and power is necessary to explain Joseph K.’s desire (socially or in an intimate way) to get involved with women like Fraulein Burstner or Fraulein Grubach or Leni. Kafka’s story has a dream-like quality that allows these situations to take place.
K is always looking for women who can help him. The washerwoman may have been there to help him, or give him some information about his case. Or perhaps she was looking to provide a little entertainment (Leni), relieve boredom by providing information (Elsa), or pass the day (Elsa). K. is even seen to consider this at page 107 as he encounters Leni for the first time after she breaks her dish to grab his attention. This realization doesn’t bother him. Instead, it makes him wonder what the coincidence is. The reader, after a second read, will be more interested in this fact. How and in what way are they involved? What are they to K. in terms of emotional significance or by gaining some material or physical object? Grubach, Grubach’s landlady. They may not have been intimately related, but they have a strong relationship. The reader is led to believe that K. lived at the boardinghouse for a long time. Frl. The conversation we have with Grubach about Frl. Burstner’s room. She tells him that he can visit her at any time, because he is her dearest and best boarder. He knew this. K. does not visit Frl. until much later. K. does not say this until later when she is in Burstner’s bedroom. Since she has borrowed money from me, Grubach is a beholden.
The relationship between K. and Frl. The master-slave theme is evident in the relationship between K. and Frl. Grubach serves K. throughout the book because she owes money to him. K., in this situation, is also seen to be the “punisher”, as he shows no concern for her feelings as he lashes out against her when she makes remarks about Frl. Burstner. K. plays the punisher on page 26. K. “thought a second that he could punish Frau Grubach if he convinced Fraulein Burstner of his plan”. He uses mental games to punish characters who he feels are inferior.
This aspect of K’s personality is his assumed superiority. In other words, when K. feels superior, he doesn’t care about anyone else’s feelings. K.’s games against Frl. Grubach is a good example. Note that Frl. It is true that Grubach doesn’t play a large part in the main storyline, but with time, she begins to appear less likeable. This could be due to K.. On page 236, when K. asks her to bring him his breakfast, she expresses her relief. Was I going to slander them? You thought that, Herr K.?” At this point she is in tears. K. tells her to not cry and thinks of something else. This is the point where it is easy for her to be perceived as slightly obsessive. She knows all about the goings-on at the boardinghouse and cannot be completely trusted. It is true that the Frl. The Court is Grubach. It is impossible to ignore the Court, which is why it is so omnipresent. She is almost protective but isn’t. She is more secretive. Kafka provides no evidence of this. It is more implied through the character assessments the reader makes throughout the novel. Everyone knows about K.’s status as an accused (Frl. Everyone seems to know about K.’s accusation (Frl.
Frl. Burstner appears to be the one woman K. is serious about, and because he is only interested in what women can give him, the reader must wonder exactly what he is looking for from Frl. Burstner. Could it just be physical? Could this be a completely separate event from the court proceedings? He treats Leni very differently. Kafka, for example, uses more descriptive language when describing her physical appearance and actions than he did when Leni was introduced. Even though it might seem trivial at first, Frl. Burstner, when first introduced, appears seductive. “She crossed her legs light”, giving the appearance of Frl. Burstner’s sexiness and invitation are both attractive, but she also pushes back K. despite her advances. It is only this woman who has the power to influence K., besides the mysterious Elsa. He seems to find her captivating. Later, he takes her in an almost wild and forceful way. K. said, “I’m coming”, rushed to her, grabbed, kissed on the lips, then on her whole face, as if a thirsty, thirsty animal had found its spring. To the reader, it seems that K. is a vulnerable person who can act on purely physical needs. (An image of Mersault comes to mind). It appears at first that K. is only interested in Frl’s sexual pleasure. Burstner is not mentioned as having any other type of attraction. Frl. Burstner tells him, however, that she is going to be working in a law firm and wants him to help her. The question is raised immediately as to whether Frl will be involved. Burstner’s help. When she finally appears, it’s hard to tell how important she is to K. The character Frl. Burstner represents The Court’s inability to understand, make sense or be held and looked at.
Elsa’s character is crucial to K.’s relationships with women. Joseph K. is never seen with a true “girlfriend”. He only seems to be attracted by women who happen to come his way. Elsa gives Elsa’s reader the impression this rule was broken. That he went to Elsa. She implies she is a night bartender and a day prostitute, since she “only welcomes guests in bed”. K. is using this person to satisfy a specific need, which is sex. K. later on in the story “pictured” how funny it was to see the miserable, puffed-up student, or the bearded bandy-legged boy, kneeling before Elsa, begging and clutching at his hands.
K. is attracted to women “above” him in some way. Women like Leni who are not obedient to him, and the court usher/washerwoman’s husband. He feels superior to many people. This could also be a sign that he has a physical or mental need to submit (sexually), without attachment. This could explain his desire to go to Elsa and his thoughts: He only mentions it when he’s feeling “above”, or superior to others. It would also be a good explanation for his obsession over Frl. Burstner plays on his desire, being coy while still discreetly seducing him (in her flat) while “stroking [her] hips” while sitting in the divan. 30). He does not care about the women already in his service, but treats them as if they were nothing more than a burden (Leni and Frl. Grubach and the wife of a court usher are among those who he treats with a lack of care. Montag (although K. dislikes her appearance, demeanor and physicality).
K. has a life of dominance and submissiveness, not just with women but in court as well. Sometimes he is dominant and powerful. Other times, he can be lost, defeated and think only of the Court.
Leni has a strange and indecipherable personality. She is “just” the nurse of the lawyer and is there conveniently to meet K.. She smashes a plate on the wall to get K.’s interest. In this regard, she is completely disregarding K’s court case. However, at times it seems that she wants to give him advice or information about the judge. She has a selfish desire and need to have K. as she finds every defendant attractive. K. is also motivated by lust as well as the information that she can give him. K. does not seem to need her at all, although she seems to offer a distraction from the lawyer’s endless speeches about a nonsensical legal system. Leni is the one who interrupts K. during her visits. Leni knows how to set things up so that K. can serve the lawyer tea. She would then stand behind K. and watch the lawyer bow deeply over his tea cup. 123). Leni seems to have been there for that purpose…to provide K. with information and serve him physically. Leni serves her master K. and he in turn is serving his master the Court. The lawyer then acts as a rope to bind them both. The scene between Block and the lawyer on page 190, which begins the discussion of servitude and bondage, is a good example. This is a good example of how to put the situations in context. This scene is a reversed or enhanced version of the usual roles. Block is compelled by the attorney (and himself) to behave much like an animal trained for the attorney. This scene has a fetishistic feel. Leni acts as the middleman, a higher-order slave of the master who informs the Master about the subject’s behavior and “if it’s good”. K. is a bystander. The master uses him to gain pleasure or cause pain by forcing him to watch the entire disgusting scene. This scene that represents the “hierarchy” in bondage and servitude runs through this book, especially as it relates to the Law. This scene may seem to have nothing whatsoever to do with K. and his relationship to the women, but in reality it’s a more concentrated version of K.’s story.
You can argue that all these women secretly plotted against K. The question …”How would K. have put each woman on trial is a good one to ask. Does the reader act as an unseen, omnipresent juror on K’s life? Aren’t we happy about his execution? K. viewed the face in the glass of the reader before he was killed. Who are we …”friends? Who are we? “Was everyone affected by ?…Was anyone else?” (pg. 231)
