Point of View

The book is narrated from the third-person perspective, but the narrative focuses entirely on K. His thoughts, for example, are the only thoughts which are ever made explicit to the reader. The narrator never interjects himself into the story and does not appear to have any more knowledge of the town's quirks than K. does. One must always ask why an author chooses a given perspective, and in this case it seems that Kafka wanted a certain amount of distance between K. and the reader. K.'s intentions are purposefully obscure. When Frieda repeats her mother's fear that K. is just using her for her connection to Klamm, K. neither confirms or denies what Frieda says, but simply tells her that she should be happy to be with a man that she loves. The reader knows no more of K.'s motives than Frieda does, though...