"Before the Law": Marxist Versus Formalism Approach

After discussing about the meaning of “Before the Law” by Franz Kafka, our group based our interpretation on a Marxist approach. Just as how Gardner described literary characters in a Marxist criticism as a relationship between “powerful oppressors” and “powerless victims” in a “struggle for power”, the gatekeeper and the old man reflect this kind of relationship.

Given this Marxist context, the law can be potentially seen as an opportunity for those to gain access to better education and higher power. The descriptions of the gatekeeper, including his “large pointed nose” and “long, thin beard” symbolize the intimidating and dominating elites that prevent the lower class from accessing the law. His fur coat indicates to his superior wealth while his tartar beard represents his ability to break down his opponents. On the other hand, the lower class is represented by the old man who tries everything he can to have access to the law. His journey, possessions, and the time he spent waiting represents the experience and valuables which he offers to qualify himself. Yet, despite his crucial efforts, he is still not allowed in. Finally, the gate represents the false illusion of opportunity for the lower class. In the beginning, it stands partly open as if tempting the old man to explore inside. However, even if the man goes through the first gate, there would be more gatekeepers to stand in the way of the man’s progress.

An element we all pointed out that did not quite fit into the Marxist framework is when the man finds out the gate was only accessible to him. If Marxism is about equal accessibility of opportunities, it does not make sense why only the old man would be able to access the gate and not anyone else in the lower class. Perhaps this is because the old man represents the entire lower class as a whole.

Another way to approach this poem is through the formalism approach. When simply reading over this poem without diving too much into the specific meanings, one can capture a very fairytale-like structure and tone from the text. The story even starts with “Before the law sits a gatekeeper”, which imitates the typical opening of every fairytale: “Once upon a time, there lived a…”. Right from the beginning, the readers are given a sense of nonchalance just like in any simple, carefree parable. The diction adds on this tone which is shown through the formal dialogue between the characters. For example, when the gatekeeper warns about the difficulty in accessing the law to the man, he describes himself as “powerful” rather than just “strong” and “lowly” versus “humble”.  By utilizing these excessive diction, the text clearly shows that these dialogues do not reflect a casual conversation in the real world, and therefore, should be interpreted in a more fictional sense.

The story even takes on the structure of a fairytale. Just as how a fairytale centers around a moral, the plot of the story focuses on the man’s attempts in accessing the law. His efforts are broken down into trials: first by simply asking permission, then by offering his valuables to the gatekeeper, later on cursing and even trying to ask the fleas, and finally asking the gatekeeper one last question. In the end, he fails his mission only to learn that the gate has always been only accessible to him, representing the moral that one can only pursue one’s path by immediate action and taking challenges.

Out of these approaches, the Marxist approach seems to be more convincing because it offers more deeper explanations of the important details rather than simply relying on the textual factors. By understanding the relationship between the gatekeeper and the man as the struggle between two social classes, the readers can better appreciate the specific descriptions of the gatekeeper such as his facial features, clothes, and even the fleas around his body which could potentially represent his willingness to take advantage of the weak. This understanding also opens up many other potential symbolisms as well; Unlike the formalism approach, the readers are given context of what the law could possibly mean and why it is so difficult for the man to access it. Given that the audience is from a general class background, they can connect and sympathize more to the man and his difficulty in accessing better opportunities. While the formalism approach offers pretty good grounds for a simple perspective, the Marxism allows the readers to elaborate more on complex yet sufficient understanding of the text.