Through the various interpretations of the parable that the priest and K. discuss in the course of ninth chapter (Kafka, Franz – The Trial, Picador, 2001 ) one understands the limitations of words and communication itself as a strategy. Kafka through the insertion of this parable in the story alludes implicitly that there is a passage to Justice, to law, to truth but in the act of taking permission, in this thought that he ought to take permission the countryman finds the doorkeeper ordering him not to. The doorkeeper, the priest stresses, does it because it is his duty and he may not be actually suggesting that but language plays the trick or as this following interpretation from a Kafka scholar elucidates - it is the inefficiency of the language or its ambiguity because each word can be subjected to multiple interpretations, can hold multiple meanings.
“This seeming contradiction, between a door intended solely for one person and that person's inability to use the door, is decided by the prison chaplain as common, to be expected, even natural. According to the chaplain's reading, which is also one of Kafka's readings, a proper passage (e.g., meaningful communication) is always subjected to certain torments of its logic (e.g., polysemia, overdetermination, etc.). On this reading, the law, due to the very fact that it leaves the borders to its logic open, will always drift to a degree. And its borders cannot but be open, at least so long as it is being read.”
(‘Kafka, Language, Pain’ by Colin Koopman, part of the Kafka Project).
The real communication would be a passage which will lead to truth, which will give an understanding of the meaning of one’s existence, one’s purpose, one’s responsibilities, the knowledge systems in life but such a passage or space for communication shrinks on its own account, it suffers from its own inability. As long as K. waits asking for permission, trying to see whether he can get through, he goes on waiting not asking the important questions to himself nor the others he runs into. In his tortuous ruminations also he never ponders over his guilt and as to why the court is not addressing that openly. He does not seem to be bothered about that. He wants to escape it, keep it ensconced somewhere, resisting it, still trying to dabble outside the realm of real understanding and communication.
A short excerpt from my paper, do have a look at Das Schloss's site on Kafka and also the essential Kafka project website.
“This seeming contradiction, between a door intended solely for one person and that person's inability to use the door, is decided by the prison chaplain as common, to be expected, even natural. According to the chaplain's reading, which is also one of Kafka's readings, a proper passage (e.g., meaningful communication) is always subjected to certain torments of its logic (e.g., polysemia, overdetermination, etc.). On this reading, the law, due to the very fact that it leaves the borders to its logic open, will always drift to a degree. And its borders cannot but be open, at least so long as it is being read.”
(‘Kafka, Language, Pain’ by Colin Koopman, part of the Kafka Project).
The real communication would be a passage which will lead to truth, which will give an understanding of the meaning of one’s existence, one’s purpose, one’s responsibilities, the knowledge systems in life but such a passage or space for communication shrinks on its own account, it suffers from its own inability. As long as K. waits asking for permission, trying to see whether he can get through, he goes on waiting not asking the important questions to himself nor the others he runs into. In his tortuous ruminations also he never ponders over his guilt and as to why the court is not addressing that openly. He does not seem to be bothered about that. He wants to escape it, keep it ensconced somewhere, resisting it, still trying to dabble outside the realm of real understanding and communication.
A short excerpt from my paper, do have a look at Das Schloss's site on Kafka and also the essential Kafka project website.
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