Mention: Power Relation in Before the Law

- The title of the

story (in italic) Before the Law by Kafka tells about a man from the country who wants to come inside the Law, Summarize the story (5
- The author
which is guarded by a doorkeeper. The man keeps asking for the doorkeeper’s permission by staying in sentences in maximum)

front of the door in years even gives all of his valuables as an attempt to bribe the doorkeeper. This text

represents the relation of power between the authorities and the common people. Thesis statement

The doorkeeper, as a guard, has the power whether to let the man pass through or not. “‘It is

possible, …, but not at this moment.’” His superior position makes the man obeys without questioning him

Implied meaning why he cannot be allowed at that moment or what should be done to be allowed to enter the Law. This

condition signifies that the man is powerless; he acknowledges the doorkeeper’s power as the guard. Having

the man as his subject, the doorkeeper enjoys teasing the man about his power by saying “‘If you are so

strongly tempted, try to get in without my permission. But note that I am powerful.’” The man knows from

his appearance, “in his furred robe, with his huge pointed nose and long, thin, Tartar beard,” that the

doorkeeper is not his match. Moreover, the doorkeeper hints that “‘[he is] only the lowest doorkeeper. From
Quotation as evidence
hall to hall keepers stand at every door, one more powerful than the other. Even the third of these has an

aspect that even [he] cannot bear to look at.’” This passage shows that there are more people who have a

greater power than the doorkeeper has. The man feels intimidated and decides to wait for “permission to
enter.” The doorkeeper then plays with his authority by giving a false hope to the man. He gives the man

“a stool and let him sit down at the side of the door” and even more, he takes the bribery greedily by saying

“‘I take this only to keep you from feeling that you have left something undone’” and yet, he does not give

the man permission to enter even when he has been “waiting for days and years.”

The man “begs for admittance to the Law” and he has been waiting for so long that he knows the

fleas in the doorkeeper’s fur collar and “begs the very fleas to help him to persuade the doorkeeper to

change his mind.” The man is so desperate to enter, but he does not dare to make his way through the door

without the doorkeeper’s permission. As a narrative text, Before the Law, presents the protagonist and

antagonist characters. The main character is the man from the country; his goal is to enter the Law, which

is guarded by the doorkeeper. The doorkeeper then is the antagonist character and his permission is the

obstacle that the man from the country has to manage in order to achieve his goal. The issue of power

relation can be seen in how the narrator treats the characters, mainly about the chance the characters have,

to speak out their thoughts directly.

The use of direct speech indicates the power relation. The doorkeeper, as the character who has

power, always speaks directly; he speaks directly to the man for five times. However, the thoughts of the

man from the country are always narrated; the narrator speaks from his point of view. The man speaks
directly only once when he is about to die “‘Everyone strives to attain the Law, …, how does it come about,

then, that in all these years no one has come seeking admittance but me?’” This narration style indicates

how powerless the man from the country is, too powerless even to speak out his feelings or his thoughts

which at the same time represents the enormous power the doorkeeper has over him. He does not even dare

to ask the obvious fact that no one else comes to ask for admittance but him; he waits and hopes to be

admitted.

It can be concluded that the Law is something ideal, desirable by the man. As he is named “the

man from the country,” he represents the common people who are easily manipulated and bullied by people

who have power. He is manipulated by the doorkeeper to stay and give his belongings away. This suggests

that the man from the country is witless. He knows that “the Law, …, should be accessible to every man

and at all times” and yet he does not try to pass even once in his years of wait, he feels the need of

permission. However, the doorkeeper, “‘No one but you could gain admittance through this door since this

door was intended only for you. I am now going to shut it[,]’” implies that the man actually could force his

way to enter. He surrenders to the doorkeeper’s intimidation that he has power over him. As the narrative

avoids naming the characters, the main character is called “the man from the country” and his opposition
is called “the doorkeeper,” the text suggests that the story could happen to anyone and the use of simple

present indicates that it is our everyday situation.

Notes:

Blue = the title and the author

Grey = plot summary

Green = thesis statement/ topic sentence

Red = essential passage

Yellow = implied meaning