The absence of authority and hierarchy in the society is what anarchists strive for; their aim is to create a community built with accordance to three underlying principles, including equality: “a society based on … liberty, equality and solidarity” (Anarchist FAQ 16). However, how can equality be achieved? In Kafka’s “The Trial”, the apparent inequality between the Man and the Authority, and more specifically, the Court, is evident and leading to the tragic consequences. Moreover, the motif of the relationship between the law itself and the man is addressed in one of the central elements of the story, the parable “Before the Law”.
“Before the Law” can be interpreted as the allegory of the fate of Joseph K., the main character of the novel, who is fruitlessly trying to get
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Only the man himself could decide that he can pass if he truly realized that he is equal to the doorkeeper, and all the doorkeepers above him. He did not have to ask for permission to enter, choosing to defy the seeming authority of the described hierarchical system. This idea correlates to the words of Rancière: “politics only occurs with these mechanisms are stopped in their tracks by the effect of presupposition … of the equality or anyone and everyone” (17). Unfortunately, the man chose his own fate, allowing himself only to peek through the door and never building up the courage to actually assume himself equal to the doorkeeper.
“Before the Law” is one of the most important elements of the novel, forecasting the end of K.’s story – he is doomed to die with no knowledge of what he was guilty of. Joseph does not stand the trial and faces his death with little resistance, although he was free to go wherever he wanted; instead, he waited for the chance prove himself innocent before the court, and, like the man from the country, is never granted the admittance to the
Our society for the most part has a set of written laws by which it operates under. Laws govern our behavior in society and list punishments by which individuals that break them will be prosecuted and sentenced. Our criminal justice system is essential made up of three major intuitions which see a case from the beginning and through the trial and finally to the punishment phase ("How Does the Criminal Justice System Work?," 2014). Our society needs laws and punishment for those who violet the laws otherwise we would live in a world of chaos. In this paper we will examine various aspects of the criminal process from arrest through sentencing and appeal.
Equality’s individuality grows further when he purposely separates himself from his society and obliterates the last of his identity that associates himself with the City. While showing his light to the Council of Scholars, they tell
In every culture, there are the strong and there are the weak, the oppressor and the oppressed. Sometimes they are of the same race and sometimes not, but they all rely on a difference in power. Socrates, Frederick Douglass, and WEB Du Bois each experience this power differential through the course of their lives. Socrates experiences this through his experience with the jury of Athens and his trial; Douglass through his life as a slave and his eventual escape. Du Bois experiences it through being a black man in the time of Reconstruction and being well of in comparison to other African-Americans at the time. Each man’s unique perspective on equality can illuminate why authority is so instrumental in the development of equality.
Overall, this novel proved itself to be a story of hope and liberation. The way in which Equality 7-2521 repeatedly showed actions and thoughts of opposing the society, and how he finally came to the conclusion that the modern society is deprived and wanted to change it, shows that this story is not about despair. Although readers don’t truly know if Equality’s goal to make a better future for the world was achieved, his display of independence, want for freedom, and plans to change the world, left a feeling of hope. Equality 7-2521 sought liberation and a future in which humans were free to be independent. Likewise, a famous phrase in the real world says, “De oppresso liber”-- meaning to “liberate the
When Equality 7-2521 begins the novel by saying, “It is a sin to write this.” he has a different moral assessment of writing than at the end of the novel. Throughout Anthem, Equality’s actions affect how he views his society and the people around him. By the end of the story, Equality begins to realize that the government and society that he lives in might not be so perfect, and it might not be a sin to write. Equality’s eventual moral assessments of his sins are correct and are supported by; his growth throughout the story, the themes of independence developed in the novel and Ayn Rand’s concepts concerning communism. These are the three ideas that will be developed and explained in this paper.
Thirdly, he examines how social structures and legal systems are working, and how nothing is as fair as it is meant to be. Through these examples, he analyses, describes, and presents these ideas under the surface
The Walter McMillian, Joe Sullivan, and George Daniel cases all have a lasting impact on Bryan Stevenson and his novel, Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption. The underlying theme found in each case is that of being wrongly convicted of a crime. Unlike many of Stevenson’s cases, these three end positively - with either a lesser sentence, or the removal from prison. These accomplishments, however, took much time and effort due to the differing factors of each case, making them unique and one of a kind. Nonetheless, all three cases share one common detail, Bryan Stevenson and his practice, the Equal Justice Initiative, work to help these men gain the freedom that was stolen from them.
Once a society elects the government they classify as “ideal,” the government that establishes authority will have the ability to set harsh restrictions against the citizens who supported them without any knowledge on their plans. To demonstrate how sinful he has been, Equality describes the kind of life people conform
The novel The Trial identifies a citizen with no constitutional rights. The government of his country was weak and oppressive. Joseph K the protagonist in the novel struggled with depression, loneliness, frustration and anxiety after his arrest and trying to deal with the coming interrogations, court sessions and a lengthy trial. Citizens in the United States of America with a democratic government, constitutional rights are guaranteed under the United States Constitution, which is the Supreme Law of The Land. “US Constitution”.
Through both the book Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell and Shakespeare’s play Macbeth, the issue of human degradation due to unjust or socially inequitable practices is used to connect with the values and beliefs of their respective audiences. This is done through the use of a despotic government controlling its populace, the guilt and paranoia following an action labelled as wrong, or actually wrong, and using women as a driving force for a man’s actions.
Justice is a very important element in today’s society as well as in the past. However, injustice is something that is becoming more and more common in several countries around the world. Yet, a lack of justice often resolves by an unfair or undeserved outcome. This theme is shown through Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, William Shakespeares’s The Merchant of Venice and Bob Dylan’s poem Blowin’
The United States of America, is well known for its many aspects. Perhaps for the ways its governed, its power, and most importantly its laws. The Declaration of Independence, Constitution of the United States, and the Bill of Rights are the most important documents (respectively) and the laws that America follows. No other country in the world is like America, those three unique documents are what sets America apart from any other. In the novel The Trial, by Franz Kafka, it shows how important those three documents are for an individual, and in this case how important they can be in a trial. This novel is based around Josef K. who is accused of something and is eventually sent to trial, the best document to show how important law’s can be, based on this novel is the Bill of Rights. If one applies the Bill of Rights to this novel, we could see how important and fair they are to an individual.
The man follows the law. He listens to the gatekeeper advice. The man needs security. Thus, he is too scared to face other stronger doorkeeper; however, the doorkeeper lied to him saying
The entire second half of the novel is set in the courtroom, which symbolizes society’s views towards life and social order. After Meursault murderers an Arab man on the beach while vacationing with his friends, he is convicted and is placed on trial for his
In Margret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale and William Shakespeare’s King Lear it is evident that the punishment of innocent individuals by evildoers catalyzes violence thus, culminating in the disruption of society.