Genre
Absurdism; psychological fiction; surrealism
Setting and Context
The novel is set in an unspecified capital city, likely based on Prague, in the early twentieth century
Narrator and Point of View
The story is told by an unnamed third-person limited omniscient narrator; the point of view stays with the protagonist, Josef K.
Tone and Mood
The tone is anxious and absurd; the mood is exhausting, humorous, depressive, and futile.
Protagonist and Antagonist
Josef K. is the protagonist; the principal antagonists are the many people who carry out the whims of a remote and inaccessible court system that prosecutes Josef K.
Major Conflict
The major conflict of the novel is that Josef K. is being prosecuted by an unassailable legal authority for a crime that is never explained to him, giving him no chance to defend himself or even know what his punishment will be.
Climax
The novel reaches its climax in the final chapter, when two men working for the court bring K. to an out-of-the-way quarry, strip off his clothing, and twist a butcher's knife into his heart.
