Bureaucracy in Kafka's Novel - Book Review Sample

Introduction

In his novel, Franz has been able to demonstrate how bureaucracy is widespread in many regimes around the world. He wrote his book in the year 1922 though he did not publish it before dying. It was published later by his friend, who developed the plot as the original author wished. The protagonist, who is referred to as K, arrives in the evening and is denied entry to the castle (Kafka and Willa 2). There is a bureaucratic mix up of communications between the castle officials and the villagers. For that reason, K remains at the foot of the hill staring at the castle. K is a land surveyor and is supposed to report for duty to a castle officer. The villagers follow the guidelines which are issued by the castle without questioning (Kafka and Willa 156). From the very start of his story, Franz shows many political themes that are even in the current government of the United States.

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Some issues have been repeated over and over since the country acquired independence, but the people do not see anything wrong with the behavior. The separation of the castle from the village shows how the ruling class is separated even today from the citizens who are the voters. The castle lies in a central geographical position, and also it is the central point of power and authority. The separation from the people is both physical and mental. The author's ideas are clearly articulated at the start of the novel, the part that he wrote himself. As K was heading to the castle, he noted that “the street he had taken, the main street in the village, did not lead to the Castle Hill” (Kafka and Willa 4). The castle designer made sure that it was inaccessible to the villagers apart from those who were authorized. The castle officials do not interact with the villagers. They have secretaries who do their tasks. The only time that they interact is when they need female companionship. The author shows how the officials need the citizens only to use them, and after that, they dump them.

Rights

Franz's work shows the many rights that citizens are denied, but most of them live in comfort and do not question why the government is not providing particular services to them. Just as the villagers are denied access to the castle, the analysis will show how they are separated from the political class. Many citizens cannot access food, clean water, and sanitation, among other basic needs. People understand that there is an inequitable distribution of resources by the government, but they do not have the power to ask for their rights. Those whom they elect to be their representatives join the ruling class, and they also become unreachable by the citizens. The villagers being unable to access the castle is a symbolism of the things that the citizens cannot reach. The paper is an analysis of The Castle by Franz and how the regime is being manifested in the United States government.

Access to Social Justice

The castle's description shows there was a lot that was hidden for the ordinary villagers to understand. When K. was gazing at it, it is described to be hidden, and it is in mist and darkness. There was no light to show that the castle was there, but the protagonists stand facing there, which is a sign that he understood that where the building was (Löwy 58). It is the same way that the citizens understand that there are institutions that should serve them, although they do not see their impact. The citizens of the United States cannot be said to have access to social justice. People are excluded, and only a few people get justice. People do not have equal opportunities when it comes to politics, social services, and the economy.

The village represents the ordinary citizen. “It was after all only a wretched-looking town, a huddle of village houses, whose sole merit, if any, lay in being built of stone, but the plaster had long since flaked off, and the stone seemed to be crumbling away” (Kafka and Willa 12). The description of the appearance is enough symbolism to show how the people suffer in the ruling class's hands. John Rawls talked about justice as fairness. Despite many people who advocate justice, it is still not being met. There are also no equal opportunities. The high-end jobs are taken by the rich and the children of politicians. The field is not leveled to those who compete for various posts. The conditions which are required to vie for positions cannot just be met by anybody. When people from the ordinary class context in elections, they are not voted for by the people who can be said to be in the same class. The voters prefer the rich. Just as in the novel the villagers were protecting the castle officials and they took everything that they were told

Political Decision

In one of his famous addresses in Gettysburg, President Lincoln explained why it was worth struggling for the "government of the people, by the people, and for the people (Löwy 54). In essence, that is what democracy should be. At that time upto now, the United States is still far from achieving the objective of democracy. Also, in the castle, there are no elements of democracy. The castle is not accessible by the ordinary villagers, and hence it is not serving them. Thus it is not for the people.

The government by the people should mean that the people should participate in governance, and their views should be well represented. The element of the government by the people is not seen in the castle. The officials at the palace are the ones who dictate what should be done. There is no chance for the villagers. In the United States, it may seem that the people are given their democratic right to vote and hence own the administration, but their rights end at voting (De jong 130). The voters do not have the right channels to pass their views to those who represent them. Once they are elected, they behave just like the official in the castle.

Bureaucracy

Bureaucracy is evident in the paper with the power and authority coming from the castle. The villagers are submissive and do not see any problem with the regime. The surveyor K. describes this as self-enslavement (Löwy 51). There is at no point that the people feel that they are being oppressed. The only person who sees this is the protagonist. ‘Here you have an innate respect for the authorities; on every hand and in the most varied ways, you are being indoctrinated throughout your lives, and you yourselves lend a hand as best you can’ (Kafka and Willa 21). When K. arrives in the village, he questions how the people are utterly submissive to the regime. The people see him as a stranger who should not ask about their way of living since he does not belong to the castle or the village. Maybe K noticed the injustices that were being met to the people since he was a visitor, a stranger or even a foreigner can describe him.

The American government is bureaucratic. To some extent, it is suitable for the government's primary functions, which includes implementation, administration, and regulation. Just like the castle, the bureaucracy is the one which makes regulations that affect the daily lives of the Americans. They are also the ones who implement laws that are passed by Congress. Bureaucratic government example being in the United States has a one-way communication just like in the castle. Although there is the right to challenge the government decisions in the court, most of the time, no one takes that step (Löwy 51). The people who are on the top mostly exploit the power which is vested on them. They can make any decision; even those that they know affect ordinary citizens. Bureaucratic governments, most of the times are rigid. They do not welcome change. Having such a government hinders innovation and creativity among the young. The leaders do not welcome any opinion which does not come from them. Alienation is common in bureaucracies (Löwy 51). As it is in the United States, there is a group of the rich and the poor. There are other forms of alienation, like the gap between the political class and the subjects like it is in the castle. The castle officials are alienated from the village people.

Ethics

The castle shows a regime that lacks morals and also is unethical. The separation of the people is unjustified. The villagers do not see anything wrong with the system as it is “divine.” The hierarchical difference between the castle and the village shows the existence of social differences, which is not acceptable. The vast difference is noticeable even in today's politics and government system (De jong 67). There are many who are rich, while others are homeless and live below the poverty line. There is an inequitable distribution of resources. The castle, which is the sign of authority, exercises power against the village, which is the representative of ordinary people. The people are ruled by the officials whose behavior is rude and inscrutable.

The people who are in authority use the women in the village. The women do not see that as being used but feel special when in a romantic affair with the castle officials. Such behaviors of leaders are unethical. Burgels says that the leaders are inflexible and have no consideration for the common man. He notes that the only relationship that they can have with ordinary people is ‘down there’ (Kafka and Willa 67). He was referring to the sexual relationship. The women are treated as objects of sexual consumption. There is no evidence of a love that existed between the officials and the villagers. It is described as summoning the woman to his bed three times, and then the official stops calling for her and forgets her completely. The castle maintains dominance over the villagers who are fearful and obeys the orders by the leaders.

Conclusion

In his work, Franz has shown how the protagonist gets into a village that the people are discriminated against by the ruling class. The castle is separated from the village, and unauthorized people were not supposed to enter. The villagers are ok and do not see anything wrong with the way the orders are coming from a central place without questioning anything. K, the protagonist, is seen as a stranger who comes to interfere with the lives of the village people. He questions how people are alienated from their leaders. The castle and the village is an example of the modern-day bureaucracy.

Works Cited

De Jong, and Gowher Rizvi. "The Castle and the Village: The Many Faces of Limited Access." The State of Access: Success and Failure of Democracies to Create Equal Opportunities (2009): 1.

Kafka, Franz, and Willa Muir. The castle. Everyman's Library, 1992

Löwy, Michael. "Paper chains: Bureaucratic despotism and voluntary servitude in Franz Kafka’s The Castle." Diogenes 51.4 (2004): 49-58.