Presenter: Prabhanjan Mane
Review of the event: written by Prashant Sinha
Professor Prabhanjan Mane’s talk “The Trial”
Professor Prabhanjan Mane’s talk on Kafka’s The Trial was a comprehensive analysis of several aspects of the themes of the novel. He dwelt at length upon the attitude towards religion in the work, referring specifically to the idea of the Original Sin, Calvinism and the vision of the Book of Job. He alluded to the significance of women characters, especially that of Fraulein Burstner. His interpretation of the Man before Law was not based on an unequivocal condemnation of the system of Law, but he also showed the positive side of Law. He suggested that the reader is like the Man before Law.
The discussion that followed highlighted Kafka’s relationship with his father, the depiction of totalitarian Governments and the atmosphere in the novel. The issues raised made it quite lively
