The Trial Power Quotes

How we cite our quotes: Citations follow this format: (Chapter.Paragraph). We used Breon Mitchell's translation.

Quote #10

"First you must see who I am," said the priest. "You're the prison chaplain," said K. […] "Therefore I belong to the court," said the priest. "Why should I want something from you? The court wants nothing from you. It receives you when you come and dismisses you when you go." (9.18)

The court is so all-pervasive that it even infiltrates the church, in effect replacing religious authority (i.e., God) with its own authority. The prison chaplain, even though he's ostensibly some kind of priest, owes his first allegiance to the court, not to God.