Introduction
The selected drama, “The Trial” by Steven Berkoff, follows the life of Josef K. The story was written just as World War I began (1914-1915) and is adapted from a novel of the same name by Franz Kafka. Josef K. is arrested for an unidentified crime by two agents who do not present their identities to him as well (Kafka 6). As the name of the play reveals, the plot focuses on the trial that takes place after the arrest. It is important to note that there are numerous themes that are explored throughout the play. Critically, these themes can be linked to some of the historical and cultural events that were happening at the same time. Additionally, the play borrowed heavily from the social realities that the community was experiencing at the time. This essay proves that there is a direct relation between “The Trial” by Steven Berkoff and the social realities that were recorded at the time.
History and Culture at the Time
As stated, the play takes place between 1914 and 1915. One of the major events that affected the world during the indicated period was World War I. Auslander and Zahra note that numerous elements of society were affected by the war, including creative arts (12). Music, film, and written stories all captured one aspect of the war or another. Additionally, numerous themes could be explored due to the various societal changes that occurred because of the war. A societal reality at the time was that more women were able to start working in the industries as men were at war. This raised the profile of women in society as they became breadwinners as opposed to housewives. The changes in culture led to more women’s empowerment even after the men came back from war. It is important to note that a significant number of men went back home with injuries and could not be as productive as they were previously.
It can be argued that during the entire period, there were significant power shifts that cut across gender responsibilities. The world realized that women could work as hard as men, if not even harder. Interestingly, both Caucasians and women of African descent were given work in the industries and other work stations. This also helped establish that women of color were equally capable of working. In turn, historically, this period of time presented an eye-opener in regards to women and race. The importance of race can be seen through the growth of jazz music, which was mainly pushed by the black American community (Auslander and Zahra 17). Indeed, one can debate that all these historical and cultural elements are featured in the chosen drama.
Relation with Selected Drama
It should be noted that the selected drama “The Trial” highlights the social realities of the time. As explained earlier, numerous things changed due to the war. For example, men had to stop working in order to enroll in the army and go to war. Whereas the role of men did not change as much, for they were perceived to be able to protect women and children, the role of women became significantly different. In the drama, this role is explored due to the fact that several female characters have jobs. For example, Leni is a young female nurse who takes care of Josef K.’s bedridden lawyer (Yaari 182). It is essential to note that despite the argument that women were allowed to work, they were not respected to have “important” jobs until much later when the war was coming to an end. It can be argued that it is for this reason that Leni is described as a nurse and not a doctor.
On the same note, when the war started, all affected parties used spies to infiltrate their enemies. It was realized that women made the best spies due to the fact that no one, at the time, expected them to be part of the war (Auslander and Zahra 23). The same theme of women working to “bring men to the downfall” is used in the drama. It is hinted that Josef K. is arrested because of having a sexual relationship with his neighbor Fräulein Bürstner (Yaari 184) is important to note that the role of women negatively impacting the lives of men were borrowed from the cultural events of the stated time.
It is critical to note that the issue of power shifts was a bit part of the history of the stated time. There were political power changes as well as economical. Culturally, as mentioned, women also became more powerful due to because they were given a chance to work and earn money. In regards to the economic shifts, many countries that participated in the war felt the financial impact of the war. It can be argued that this is one of the reasons why the US encouraged women to start working in order to boost the economy. In the drama, this theme is brought clearly through the fact that powerful yet unknown figures were able to arrest Josef K. without providing any information.
On the same note, these unknown powers that arrested Josef K. also led a full trial that was meant to find him guilty. The exciting factor is that none of the community members, including Josef K. himself, was able to inquire on what the charges were. The unknown powers affecting lives as depicted in the drama were also experienced by societies during World War I. In Germany, for instance, decisions that were being made by foreigners, who became allies during the war, affected normal families who had no say in the matter. The same can be applied to all other countries that were in the war. It is essential to note that these political power changes also had an impact on the economies of countries that were not directly participating in the war. Some countries were affected due to trade issues, and others had to contribute financial and manpower aid to whichever side they were supporting.
The issue of capitalism also grew significantly during the First World War. Auslander and Zahra note that although the concept had existed, it was not well understood until the war (37). This is due to two main reasons. The first is that with more women working, the pay gap became an issue. Women were paid less compared to men, and this contributed further to the feminist movement (Auslander and Zahra 38). Further, half the population began to appreciate the importance of earning through work and being self-dependent. The industries tried to exploit women in order to make more profits as well. Critically, even when the men came back, they earned less than before due to the fact that there were women who were willing to make even lower (Auslander and Zahra 44). All these contributed heavily to capitalism as it is known today.
The second reason why the concept of capitalism grew during that time is that some countries made money from selling weapons to the countries that were experiencing physical combat. The issue of capitalism is also highlighted in the story. Josef K. meets with one of the clients of his lawyer, Huld, who informs him that Huld is only interested in making money and will not help his case (Kafka 200). This exploitation is, indeed, part of capitalism. The fact that Huld also uses his nurse to ensure maximum exploitation of his clients highlights the growth of the same during the stated period.
The story of Josef K. exposes significant confusion and paranoia in the community. First, Josef K. himself is presented as a confused man. He agrees to an arrest when he does not know the charges, and the people who arrest him also do not clearly identify themselves. Afterwards, he becomes distrustful and starts to think about why he would be charged. His lack of clarity and suspicion lead to his murder at the end of the play. In fact, his last words are “like a dog” (Yaari 186). It can be argued that this last statement relates to his life in general as he was being led, yet he had no idea where he was going. Additionally, he was put down in a similar way as animals are when they are sick.
The themes of paranoia, confusion, and death were also common during the stated period. Death was expected due to the declared war. Many families would receive letters that their sons and husbands had been killed or were critically injured on the battlefield. Many soldiers died because of disease as well. On the other hand, the theme of confusion was due to the uncertainty of when the war would end and what its impact would be. Being the First World War, no nation had any inclination on what would happen after the war. The war went on to last for four years. Auslander and Zahra explain that there were significant mental health challenges during the time (15). This was mainly due to loss but also due to the mentioned uncertainty of the time.
Conclusion
In conclusion, it can be argued that culture and history heavily affected the writing of “The Trial.” The original story was written between 1914 and 1915, which means that the story was done just as the First World War had begun. Several elements can be identified from the play that has been borrowed from the history and culture of the time. For example, a significant number of women began to work during World War I due to the fact that men had been deployed to the battlefields. In the play, there are several women working, such as Leni, who is a nurse. Critically, there were significant power shifts during World War I. These shifts were social, political, and economical. The same changes are expressed in the drama, with an inaccessible authority or court that does not communicate to the accused.
Works Cited
Auslander, Leora and Tara Zahra, editors. Objects of War: The Material Culture of Conflict and Displacement. Cornell UP, 2018.
Kafka, Franz. Trial. Alma Books, 2018.
Yaari, Nurit. Between Jerusalem and Athens: Israeli Theatre and the Classical Tradition. Oxford UP, 2018.