The Parable of the Doorkeeper

The Parable is simple and straightforward. It foreshadows the death of K. Although that is not all it does. The character of the doorkeeper is the interesting one. He is made up of all the characters that K has interacted with, thatt have to do with his case. The doorkeeper is a blend of the warders, the Inspector, the washer-woman, the distrist judge, the lawyer and the two men who kill him.

The story is an easy giveaway. It tells K what has happened in the past, and what will happen to him next. The story and its content itself are not really that important, one knows how the plot of the novel will turn out, almost from the outset. The importance lies in the discussion K has with the priest. The story was a simple, and poetic, way to summarize the entire novel. The main part of the story worth viewing and discussing are the multiple character of the doorkeeper. The first character of the doorkeeper that one sees is the warders. When the man goes to the "place" of law, he encounters the doorkeeper. The doorkeeper does not allow him to go inside. This reminds one of how K was treated, by the warders, when he tried to discover his charge. The act of refusing entry into the house of law, can be considered to the "incarceration" that K was put under. Although, it appeared that the greater part in impeding entry into the house of law, can be compared to the judges.

When the doorkeeper says that maybe K will be allowed entry later, it reminds one of the Inspector. He attempts to act as K's friend, and gives him no solace, by saying that he knows nothing. The Inspector says, that he knows nothing about the man's charge, and is probably the only one who's on his "side". The doorkeeper never says this to the man, but the man finds the doorkeeper his only friend. The attitude that the doorkeeper displays that he might seem small, but the guys after him get bigger and worse, reminds one of how the washer woman talks about the judge. The way she says that this judge is