Talk:The Castle/Archive 1

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Criticism

Needs considerable work. Inaccuracy: K. was indeed summoned for land survey (note his talks with village superintendent), although his services were no longer needed. Make comparisons to The Trial less extensive; the novel can well stand on its own plus readed of article need not be familiar with the Trial to understand article. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 129.21.179.26 (talk • contribs) 23:41, 25 September 2004

--I'm fairly certain that K. wasn't called to be a land surveyor. An official from the Castle says he was, after having just said that he wasn't. I just read the book, so it's fairly fresh in my mind. I don't have it in front of me, so I can't quote exactly, but there was something about after K. had talked on the phone with the officials, he was surprised that they agreed that he was called as a land surveyor, and that meant that "they were playing the game in good stride," in other words, they were calling his bluff and playing along with him, thinking it would make him give up.

What I think "really" happened is this: a long time before K. got there, a land surveyor was suggested to come. (The mayor talks about this later on.) But some of the officials proved that there was no need for a land surveyor. Through some bureaucratic mix-up, one department of the Castle thought the land-surveyor was still coming, while another had invalided the need.

Then K. shows up - not to land-survey, just some random traveller. He needs a place to go to get out of the snow and cold, goes to the inn, then gets woken up, and gets told that he needs a permit to sleep there. Thinking quickly, he says that he is the land-surveyor, hoping this will afford him with some respect. When the others start to play along, K. is forced to play along as well (or maybe he just wants to).

Note that there is no mention of land-surveying before his sleep is disturbed. Also, if he was there as a land-surveyor, on official business, why hadn't sleeping arrangements been made before. Wouldn't he have been brough in a horse & carriage? Why was K. content to sleep in a corner on a bed of straw?

Also not sure why you think the article compares the novel too much to The Trial. The only reference I think the article makes to the Trial is to compare Josef K. of the Trial to K. of the Castle, and that certainly doesn't mean that the reader has to have read the Trial to understnad the Castle (I've only read the Castle and I understand it fine).----Putrescent stench 20:18, 30 Sep 2004 (UTC)