Cravings for Feeling Worthy- Analyzing "Before the Law" by Franz Kafka

My group took a Marxist approach when analyzing “Before the Law” by Franz Kafka. We acknowledged that there’s a power difference between the gatekeeper and the country man because one is in control of who is allowed into the gate and the other wants to be allowed into the gate; in other words, they share an oppressor vs. victim dynamic that is a key element in Marxist criticism. As the country man gets older, the power difference becomes clearer. Since the man can barely stand due to his old age, the gatekeeper must “bend way down to him, for the great difference has changed things to the disadvantage of the man.” At this point, the gatekeeper is literally standing above the man alluding to his growing dominance over his victim. In addition, a class hierarchy is created upon analyzing both character’s physical descriptions. The guard’s physical description is superior to the man because he’s wearing a “fur coat”, has a “large pointed nose”, and has a “long, thin, black Tartar’s beard”. Contrarily, the country man is not dealt any defining features and he lives in a rural area that is likely of a low socioeconomic status versus a city or suburb.

Through a Psychological approach, the story presents a whole new meaning. A crucial symbol in “Before the Law” is the gate and the gatekeeper that impede the country man from getting to where he desires most. Beyond the gate is access to the law, a place he is not granted access… or so he thinks. At the end of the story the gatekeeper informs the man that “‘no one else can gain entry, since this entrance was assigned only to you. I am going to close it now.”’ Arguably, the law places people at either an advantage or a disadvantage depending on one’s position in the social hierarchy; the country man is consciously aware that he is at a disadvantage in society and seeks an advantage via the law. The gatekeeper, symbolic of the man's negative internal dialogue, says it's possible to get passed the gate but not right now and it's not until the man is about to die when the gatekeeper tells him that he was able to get in all along. In fact, he is the only one who is allowed into the gates, but he went his entire life doubting himself and never reaching his goal. On another note, the man’s gradual loss of eyesight is symbolic of his lack of ability to see that he is worthy enough to have access to the law, crucial for understanding how he unconsciously thinks of himself. He’s only able to see “an illumination which breaks inextinguishably out of the gateway to the law.” He can barely see the gate at this point and can only see how promising things look on the other side. Lastly, the man’s fragile, delusional mental state is demonstrated when he begins conversing with flies and asking for their help to persuade the gatekeeper.   

 Utilizing the Psychological approach when analyzing “Before the Law” is much more convincing than using the Marxist approach. The Psychological approach utilizes seemingly plain objects as useful symbols that explain the country man’s mental state. For example, the gate/gatekeeper symbolize the man’s feeling of inadequacy that creates a mental barrier he is never able to overcome. Through the Marxist approach, the gate is simply a gate that separates the man from the law; thus, the story loses meaning because the gate is not representative of a crucial symbol and the audience does not understand the mental state or motives of the man. In addition, this approach explains odd circumstances like the fleas on the man’s collar; without this approach the man’s mental state is, once again, disregarded and elements like this are missed. Although the man’s socioeconomic status is implied via living in the country and not having any defining features, his status is never directly stated. This is problematic because the Marxist approach is based heavily on socioeconomic status; therefore, this approach can be quickly invalidated. Furthermore, the man is treated as a unique individual when he finds out that he is the only one allowed access to the law and in Marxist theory those who are disadvantaged are not viewed as unique individuals, which is also grounds for invalidation of this theory. Lastly, the man’s gradual loss of eyesight cannot be explained via the Marxist approach because it’s unrelated to anything socioeconomic. His lost eyesight gives the piece even more depth and serves to explain how severely his ego is damaged after many years of not moving passed his own insecurities.  

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