Kafka

Frank Liszka

Interesting little story. Ok so we have a man trying to gain access to the Law, and a series of gatekeepers keeping him away from it. Then the man dies, and the gatekeeper reveals the laws were just for him. I kinda saw all this as a religious metaphor. Culturally, Catholics (and I'm certain most Christian religions) are not allowed to interpret the Bible (law) themselves, and in the story maybe this can be represented by the gatekeepers obstructing the man's path. What set this whole thought off was that the whole situation with the man reminded me of purgatory. He just sat there, couldn't do anything, no longer had any possessions (although he DID give all those away), etc. Maybe that's what all this talk about place in culture and the "self" and "subject" was all about. When you have faith, it is totally about the individual and has a very personal meaning to it. But when you join a religious sect, you completely loose your individuality, replacing identity with a sort of title (Christian, Muslim, etc.). You become subject to all the laws and doctrines of said religion and become ruled by them. You are never allowed to change or interpret these laws, no matter how much you give the gatekeepers (almost seemed like tithing in the story). I don't know, just thought I'd put an interesting spin on the story that seems pretty valid.