Literature as a Source of Law - A Case Study of Franz Kafka\'s Trial

Franz Kafka was a writer from Prague in the previous century who gained prominence in the literary sphere after his death. One of his incomplete masterpieces, The Trial, contains a socio-legal theme to be discovered. As with all of his stories, we find the protagonist in an absurd situation. Joseph K, a banker is handed over an arrest without any explanation whatsoever and the more he tries to discover the reason and get out, the more he finds himself trapped in a bureaucratic scheme. In this book, apart from Joseph K, there are other important characters that need to be listed down for further reference, and in no particular order, they are- The judge, The landlady Frau Grubach, Fraulein Burstner, a girl who lives in the same house as Joseph, the woman in the court, the usher, the two policemen Franz and Willem, Joseph's uncle Karl, the lawyer, Huld whom Uncle Karl wants to be hired for the trial. The following paper also explores literature as a potential source for laws around the globe, with special reference to Indian laws. The paper aims to establish a connection between popular literature and its themes as the foresight for possible legal reforms to be made in Indian society.