Before the Law

"Before the Law" is a short story by Czech writer Franz Kafka. It was printed twice during Kafka's life, but is best known as an embedded narrative in the posthumously published novel The Trial. In the novel, "Before the Law" is delivered as a parable by a priest who stands in judgement over the protagonist’s case. The tale is offered as an allegorical explanation of Joseph K.’s guilt. Given that the precise nature of K.’s crime has never been explained to him by the court, the parable is offered in place of naming the crime of which he has been accused or as a substitute for an outline of the charges stacked against him.

Plot summary

"Before the Law"

A man from the country seeks "the law" and wishes to gain entry to it through an open doorway, but the doorkeeper tells the man that he cannot go through at the present time. The man asks if he can ever go through, and the doorkeeper says it is possible "but not now ". The man waits by the door for years, bribing the doorkeeper with everything he has. The doorkeeper accepts the bribes, but tells the man he only accepts them "so that you do not think you have left anything undone". The man does not attempt to gain entry by force, but waits at the doorway until he is about to die. Right before his death, he asks the doorkeeper why, even though everyone seeks the law, no one else has come in all the years he has been there. The doorkeeper answers, "No one else could ever be admitted here, since this gate was made only for you. I am now going to shut it."

In ''The Trial''

Josef K has to show an important client from Italy around a cathedral. The client does not show up, but just as K is leaving the cathedral, the priest calls out K's name, although K has never met the priest. The priest reveals that he is a court employee, and he tells K the story, prefacing it by saying it is from "the opening paragraphs to the Law". The priest and K then discuss interpretations of the story before K leaves the cathedral.

Publication

"Before the Law" was published twice in Kafka's lifetime, first in the 1915 New Year's edition of the independent Jewish weekly Selbstwehr, then in 1919 as part of the collection A [Country Doctor |Ein Landarzt]. The Trial, however, was not published until 1925, after Kafka's death.