Notes

As the story progresses we find that there is no connection between K.'s everyday routine life, his awareness of freedom and the consciousness of his arrest. It is a strange kind of arrest. In this kind of a situation K.'s uncle's presence assumes importance along with, his visit to the Advocate. The trial has moved out of K.'s personal perspective. He can no longer keep it a secret. The others around him are as restless as K. is.

K.'s uncle wants a decisive and positive result. He is a man of business and is very clear headed in his thinking. He sees the trial as a threat to the success of the family business. He is also a ruthless businessman and does not want anything coming into conflict with his success. It would affect not just their survival, but reveal one member of the family in a disreputable light, thus affecting their dignity and prestige.

But the prospect of a decisive settlement is as elusive as his confidence. His being seduced by Leni is proof enough of his lack of confidence. The serious meeting with the lawyer ends in absurdity. K. literally mocks at the old men with Leni. The old men are ruthless conversing in his presence. There is also a gap between the real ego, of K. and the struggle that his self- confidence goes through in order to exist. His ego does not necessarily stabilize his self-confidence.

The Advocate is a professional connected to the court, which functions in attics. The actual effort and procedure leading to the trial are taken up now. In this new stage the ego itself undergoes a spiritual convulsion. The advocate is just a pretext as a conscious manifestation of the ego, trying to gratify his fancies. K. also comes to know a lot of stories about the court. K. senses a spiritual triumph over the calamity.

The advocate does not have many roles in the trial. Everything depends on the accused. The accused can gain an upper hand being distanced from the worldly situation by taking a strong decision and gain spiritually. Destiny's powers cannot be altered (like the courtsÂ’). Human guidance comes in the form of the Advocates. The court control the little advocates, as much as the human spirit is controlled by a universal power expressed in life's instincts.

The AdvocatesÂ’ relationship to the trial is also arbitrary. He is effective only if he contacts the officials. There is no intellectual effort made on his part to solve the case. Since each individual case is unique their public validity is not of much importance. The cases, which end well, are the ones, which start well in the beginning. The Advocate symbolizes the skepticism of an intellectual who cannot justify his "self" and uproot the course of a trial, which has already been directed by an invisible destiny. Nor can he whip up enough energy and enthusiasm to change its course. The destined course of the trial is symbolic of a hidden spiritualism, powers of instinct and something that is not palpable beyond being responsible for life on earth. The Advocate also stands for divine grace. Clients look up to him with a lot of hopes.

The other important character, Leni seems to be too easy going. It is here that we find Kafka's skill. Though K. deludes himself into thinking that he can have a sexual relationship with her Leni pities him and gets close to him because he is the accused. She loves all accused men. Her webbed fingers are indicative of the "hymen". She has a certain mythical virginity as contrasted with K.'s cabaret friend, Elsa. K.'s physical needs have not been consciously expressed or acknowledged by him. There is a sense of loss, for K. is trapped in uncertainty but maintains his relationship with Leni. His personal urges remain unfulfilled while his spiritual urge is dormant but lurking at present.

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