Confronting Guilt In Franz Kafka’s The Trial Essay

In Franz Kafka’s The Trial, Josef K. is guilty; his crime is that he does not accept his own humanity. This crime is not obvious throughout the novel, but rather becomes gradually and implicitly apparent to the reader. Again and again, despite his own doubts and various shortcomings, K. denies his guilt, which is, in essence, to deny his very humanity. It is for this crime that the Law seeks him, for if he would only accept the guilt inherent in being human (and, by so doing, his humanity itself), both he and the Law could move on. Ironically, this is in part both an existential and Christian interpretation of The Trial. The idea that to be human is to be guilty arises from both Christian and existential ideology. The Christian†¦show more content†¦Guilt is a similarly unavoidable part of being human within the existential perspective. Existential guilt results from the general awareness of a few basic concepts of existential ideology. These concepts include: 1 ) Humans have no existence outside their lives on earth, 2) death is inevitable, 3) life has no meaning unless one creates that meaning, 4) everyone is responsible for their own choices, and 5) honest choices are not always the best choices. It is therefore impossible not to have some guilt about making bad choices and thus not fulfilling all possibilities and potential in one’s life. This existentialist perspective is pertinent in reading The Trial because Kafka was a notorious adherent to existentialism. An existentialist would interpret the way in which K. insists upon his lack of guilt over and over again throughout The Trial as a persistent denial of his own humanity. Furthermore, since K.’s trial progresses because the Law sees the need to persecute denials of humanity, if K. had just accepted his humanity (by admitting his inherent guilt in being a human being), the trial would have ceased to exist. K.’s Uncle Karl is familiar with this aspect of the Law and so feels confident his lawyer-friend will defend K. well in his trial, saying, â€Å"it’s his human qualities I put my trust in† (96). Time and again, K. meets people connected with the court who perceive the true nature of his trial and so urge him, like Leni, not toShow MoreRelatedEssay Existentialism1050 Words   |  5 Pagesanguish is the underlying, all-pervasive, universal condition of human existence. Existentialism agrees with certain streams of thought in Judaism and Christianity which see human existence as fallen, and human life as lived in suffering and sin, guilt and anxiety. This dark picture of human life leads existentialists to reject ideas such as happiness, enlightenment optimism, a sense of well-being, since these can only reflect a superficial understanding of life, or a naive and foolish way ofRead Moreexistentialism Essay3317 Words   |  14 Pagessituation, in decisions which makes himself and sets himself to solves his problems and live in the world. Thrown into the world, the human being is con- demned to be free. The human being must take this freedom of being and the responsibility and guilt of his actions. Each action negates the other possible courses of action and their consequences; so the human being must be accountable without excuse. The human being must not slip away from his re- sponsibilities. The human being must take deci-

A Virtual Community By Rene Lysloff - 1505 Words

A ‘virtual community’ is a type of imagined community and is a difficult concept to define; the ambiguous nature of this concept is highlighted by the many definitions created by researchers. A Virtual Community is when â€Å"Individuals communicate and form a relationship with each other in a computer mediated space with the use of technology. Anthropologists undergo the practice of participation observation on the internet , allowing them to experience a virtual community; this shapes their understanding and knowledge of this concept. For that reason each individual has different criteria which they believe a community must correlate to, in order for it to be classed as a virtual community. Furthermore, another issue surrounding the ability†¦show more content†¦Furthermore, the Oxford definition states that a ‘Virtual Community’ is â€Å"a community of people sharing common interests, Ideas and feelings over the Internet†. However, this definition does not consider the non-physical space at which this community materializes , ‘Cyberspace is a metaphor for this non-physical computer mediated terrain. Vangie Beal- Cyberspace-Webopedia There are different types of Imagined Communities, including virtual and digital. In virtual communities the people involved are characters and are non-existent, an example of this is Cybercity. Alternatively , Social Networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter are considered digital as they consist of people with real identities and the actions they make on the ‘net’ have real effects outside of ‘Cyberspace’. Barry Wellman, author of ‘imagining twitter as an imagined community’ views Twitter to as both real and Imagined, real because ‘participants interact with each other’ and have decisions have real life consequence and Imagined because they all â€Å"share a sense of community†. This ‘imagined’ sense of community corresponds to Benedict Anderson’s view of nationalism. Benedict Anderson’s concept of Imagined Communities is a good starting point into understanding the concept of Virtual Communit ies. In Benedict Anderson’s book Imagined Communities-Reflections of the origins and spread of nationalism, he defines the nation as a ‘imagined political community’(B. Anderson 2006, p.7 ). Imagined because

Half Half - Behind the Label free essay sample

â€Å"You mixed?† a girl boldly asked me at my friend’s prom. Our eyes met knowingly, and I could tell she already knew the answer. When I meet a biracial person, I am ecstatic, and we often share our experiences, including the dilemma of having to â€Å"choose.† Sometimes I find that I can relate to a biracial stranger better than to my own parents. Although I feel an almost poignant vibe when interacting with other biracial individuals, I am also aware that my ethnicity allows me to make greater connections with those from diverse backgrounds. The product of an African-American father and an Irish-English American mother, one could argue that I’ve been surrounded by diversity my whole life. Among my brothers and I, there is a blonde, a brunette (me) and a redhead, which never ceases to fascinate friends and family. When my mother’s sister inspired my younger brother to pursue a version of the Irish step from â€Å"Riverdance,† I was â€Å"stepping† in an annual Black History Month show. We will write a custom essay sample on Half Half Behind the Label or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Our family diversity is frequently manifested in foods such as collard greens with Irish soda bread. My background, however, goes beyond food; we sing â€Å"The Black National Anthem† in February and whip out shamrocks in March. Growing up, the frequent requirement of â€Å"checking one box† caused me to feel, literally, boxed in, a sentiment I continue to feel when filling out college applications. Being biracial, however, has given me a unique understanding and appreciation of different cultures. During my involvement in Operation Understanding D.C. (OUDC), I quickly embraced both the black and Jewish members of the group, attending a friend’s seder and bringing her to her first Palm Sunday Mass. When all 23 of us marched across Edmund Petus Bridge in Selma, Alabama, retracing the footsteps civil rights marchers took on Bloody Sunday, I fully understood the importance of bridging cultures, and the implications of my existence. When two worlds collide, however, there are always obstacles. During this tour with OUDC, a guide singled me out saying, â€Å"In order to own a store in the black section of Atlanta during this period, one would have to be oh, her complexion.† As I glanced up from the museum pamphlet, I noted 22 pairs of eyes fixed on my â€Å"commendable† light skin tone. Unsure of how to respond, I remained silent, and observed 11 curious faces and 11 assessing glances. Was I supposed to be infuriated that I made the cut for a malicious system of oppression? Should I have explained the history of light skin tone in the black community? Or should I have falsely denied that I, during those days, would have had more opportunities? I decided to accept the past as past, and to condemn a system that had divided the black community. I frequently find myself in situations where people question my blackness or whiteness, but I’ve learned that being me, and not a label, will always be a challenge. Mixed, biracial, half-and-half or creamed coffee, however people classify me, I feel an obligation to bridge cultures and promote tolerance and understanding. I hope I may continue to do that at Brown.* *It worked! Michelle is now a freshman at Brown University.

Balls free essay sample

I chose the book Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl. Beautiful creatures is about a 15- year old girl who has magical powers and will either turn dark or light on her sixteenth birthday. The main character is Lena Duchannes, a caster. Ethan Wate, Lenas boyfriend tries to turn Lena light. The setting takes place in a small southern town of Gatlin South Carolina. The overall tone or mood of the story is romantic and mysterious. The point of view from which the story is told is first person and Ethan is telling the story. The theme of the story is not to let others pick your fate but for you to make the choice. The conflict of the story is Ethan and Lena trying to find a way to turn Lena light so they can stay together. Ethan Wate has brown hair, blue eyes, and is over six foot four. We will write a custom essay sample on Balls or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page He has lived in Gatlin his whole life but wants to move away and travel the world. Ethan is also the star player on the Jackson high basketball team. An unusual quality about him is that he has some sort of power even though he is still a mortal. He is the only one who an protect Lena from Sarafine, a dark caster who tries to kill Lena. Something else about Ethan is that he had dreams about Lena before they even meet. In them Lena is always dying but in a very unusual way. She could drown and he would Jump in to save her, he would wake up wet. Or Lena could be burning in a building and Ethan would wake up with burn marks on his clothes and covered in ashes. In his dreams he sees this girl he doesnt know. All he knows is that she has black hair and dark green eyes like gems. He thinks he is going crazy, but then the girl in the dreams comes to town.