What happens to Joseph K. at the beginning of The Trial?
Created from Britannica articles
using AI.
AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Franz Kafka
Franz Kafka.
At the beginning of the novel The Trial, Joseph K. is arrested on the morning of his 30th birthday. While he has done nothing wrong, two guards arrive at his boardinghouse to inform him that he is under arrest for unspecified crimes.12
He is subsequently summoned before an inspector who is located in another tenant's bedroom. The inspector is unable to clarify the charges against K. but informs him that he is free to continue his life as usual. This event marks the start of K.'s struggle against an unreasoning and unreasonable authority, as he remains unable to understand the nature of his arrest or the law court system in which he becomes ensnared.12