Castle

Author: Franz Kafka (Austria)
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-08-01
Features: One night, the protagonist K comes to a village near the castle covered in snow to seek shelter. Due to lacking a residency permit from the castle's ruler, the Count, no one is willing to take him in. He falsely claims to be a land surveyor sent by the Count and after several twists and turns, is allowed to stay temporarily. The next day, he tries to contact the castle authorities but cannot find any officials, let alone meet the head of the castle's office, Kram. He makes every effort to enter the castle or gain the villagers' acceptance to settle down legally in the village, but he faces constant obstacles and is not accepted by the villagers. He is confronted with an extremely absurd reality and remains an outsider. By the sixth day, he still hasn't managed to enter the castle. The novel depicts the severe conflict between ordinary people and the feudal authorities, exposing the rigid hierarchical system and bureaucratic style of the feudal ruling institution.