Before the Law by Frank Kafka is a short story, or parable, about the law and man. The story is about a man who has a desire to pass a set of gates to get to the other side. But standing in his way is a gatekeeper who tells the man that if he tried to get passed him, it will only get harder because there are even stronger gatekeepers lying ahead. So the man decides to sit outside of the gates, endlessly trying to gain admittance, but failing every time. The man waits so long that he grows old, and right before he dies, he asks the gatekeeper why he is the only one trying to gain entrance to the law. The gatekeeper responds by saying that no one else could be admitted because the gate was made for him.
I think that Kafka is saying that man can be tempted to do things in life, and for this case, he is tempted to go through the gates. But, the law (in this case, the gatekeeper) can stop us from doing what we want to. The law can be against what we believe to be right, causing us to be conflicted with choices. Most of the time there are only two choices, to go against the law, or to accept it. In Before The Law, the man decides to accept the law, and sit and wait for the gatekeeper to finally let him in. This never happens though. I believe that Kafka is trying to say that we always have the choice (the man had the choice to go through the gate or wait for the gatekeeper to say he could pass). He is saying that we will always have our own gate, our own choice between the law and what we believe, and you can either choose to go through it or abide by the law and not.
Kafka uses a parable to make his point because it is a way to show what he is trying to say without just coming out and saying it. The parable allows his point to be more powerful, because the reader is able to connect and relate himself to the man in the story. This connection that the reader has with the man allows the stories point to come across with more ease. The point that Kafka is trying to make is that all men can be hit with the obstacle of the law. That man can choose to overcome the law and believe in humanity to succeed, or he can just sit by and let the law control him. This parable allows the reader to see this in a way that they can connect to.
I feel like this parable can relate to many issues that we experience in the world today. So many people have had to choose between what they believe is right for the greatness of humanity and what the law says. For example, people in countries where you are not allowed to worship freely have gone against the law because that is what they believe is right. It is hard to define the line where the law becomes too much and where it is just enough. This parable represents a struggle that all humans face because we aren't always going to agree with the law, and what do you do if you are strongly against it?
This parable relates to Antigone because she has to overcome the same issue. The law, or Creon declares that her Antigone's brother should not get a proper burial and if someone were to grant him that, they would be punished. Antigone believes that her brother does deserve a proper burial and that it is what the gods want and what her faith tells her. Therefore, Antigone must decide whether to sit by like the man in the parable or to bury her brother and go past the gate and the gatekeeper. Unlike the man in Before The Law, Antigone decides that she is not going to sit by and she goes against the law (walks through the gate.) This shows her determination to do what she believes to be right. She believes that the laws of Creon are not as important as her faith.
I think that Kafka is saying that man can be tempted to do things in life, and for this case, he is tempted to go through the gates. But, the law (in this case, the gatekeeper) can stop us from doing what we want to. The law can be against what we believe to be right, causing us to be conflicted with choices. Most of the time there are only two choices, to go against the law, or to accept it. In Before The Law, the man decides to accept the law, and sit and wait for the gatekeeper to finally let him in. This never happens though. I believe that Kafka is trying to say that we always have the choice (the man had the choice to go through the gate or wait for the gatekeeper to say he could pass). He is saying that we will always have our own gate, our own choice between the law and what we believe, and you can either choose to go through it or abide by the law and not.
Kafka uses a parable to make his point because it is a way to show what he is trying to say without just coming out and saying it. The parable allows his point to be more powerful, because the reader is able to connect and relate himself to the man in the story. This connection that the reader has with the man allows the stories point to come across with more ease. The point that Kafka is trying to make is that all men can be hit with the obstacle of the law. That man can choose to overcome the law and believe in humanity to succeed, or he can just sit by and let the law control him. This parable allows the reader to see this in a way that they can connect to.
I feel like this parable can relate to many issues that we experience in the world today. So many people have had to choose between what they believe is right for the greatness of humanity and what the law says. For example, people in countries where you are not allowed to worship freely have gone against the law because that is what they believe is right. It is hard to define the line where the law becomes too much and where it is just enough. This parable represents a struggle that all humans face because we aren't always going to agree with the law, and what do you do if you are strongly against it?
This parable relates to Antigone because she has to overcome the same issue. The law, or Creon declares that her Antigone's brother should not get a proper burial and if someone were to grant him that, they would be punished. Antigone believes that her brother does deserve a proper burial and that it is what the gods want and what her faith tells her. Therefore, Antigone must decide whether to sit by like the man in the parable or to bury her brother and go past the gate and the gatekeeper. Unlike the man in Before The Law, Antigone decides that she is not going to sit by and she goes against the law (walks through the gate.) This shows her determination to do what she believes to be right. She believes that the laws of Creon are not as important as her faith.