Kafka's "The Trial" From The Psychoanalytic Lens The typical interpretations of Franz Kafka's "The Trial" as a modernist, existentialist work highlighting a godless world face criticism from Slavoj Žižek. Žižek argues that these interpretations overlook the significant role of the Court, which he believes fills the void of the absent God and emphasizes Kafka's portrayal of individuals within a society organized by the symbolic order. Contrary to traditional modernism, Žižek asserts that Kafka's work aligns more with critical postmodernism. Recent analyses of "The Trial" adopt poststructuralist theories, particularly Michel Foucault's power/knowledge framework. Scholars, such as Jo Bogaerts, view Josef K.'s experience as a commentary on postmodern, bureaucratic society, drawing on Foucault's concepts to understand the Court's control and Kafka's depiction of totalitarian regimes. Bureaucratic power is evident in both the ...