Insert
The source that follows is:
- Source A: 20th-century prose fiction
- The Trial by Franz Kafka
An extract from a work first published in 1925.
This extract is taken from Franz Kafka's novel The Trial, where Josef K. addresses a mysterious court, challenging its opaque procedures and the judge’s authority. It explores themes of power, bureaucracy, and uncertainty as he tries to assert his voice before a silent, expectant audience.
Source A
1 "Your question, My Lord, as to whether I am a house painter--in fact even more than that, you did not ask at all but merely imposed it on me--is symptomatic of the whole way these proceedings against me are being carried out. Perhaps you will object that there are no proceedings against me. You will be quite right, as there are proceedings only if I acknowledge that there are. But, for
6 the moment, I do acknowledge it, out of pity for yourselves to a large extent. It's impossible not to observe all this business without feeling pity. I don't say things are being done without due care but I would like to make it clear that it is I who make the acknowledgement."
11 K. stopped speaking and looked down into the hall. He had spoken sharply, more sharply than he had intended, but he had been quite right. It should have been rewarded with some applause here and there but everything was quiet, they were all clearly waiting for what would follow, perhaps the quietness was laying the ground for an outbreak of activity that would bring this whole affair to
16 an end. It was somewhat disturbing that just then the door at the end of the hall opened, the young washerwoman, who seemed to have finished her work, came in and, despite all her caution, attracted the attention of some of the people there. It was only the judge who gave K. any direct pleasure, as he seemed to have been immediately struck by K.'s words. Until then, he had listened to him
21 standing, as K.'s speech had taken him by surprise while he was directing his attention to the gallery. Now, in the pause, he sat down very slowly, as if he did not want anyone to notice. He took out the notebook again, probably so that he could give the impression of being calmer.
26 "That won't help you, sir," continued K., "even your little book will only confirm what I say." K. was satisfied to hear nothing but his own quiet words in this room full of strangers, and he even dared casually to pick up the examining judge's notebook and, touching it only with the tips of his fingers as if it were something revolting, lifted it in the air, holding it just by
31 one of the middle pages so that the others on each side of it, closely written, blotted and yellowing, flapped down. "Those are the official notes of the examining judge," he said, and let the notebook fall down onto the desk. "You can read in your book as much as you like, sir, I really don't have anything in this charge book to be afraid of, even though I don't have access
36 to it as I wouldn't want it in my hand, I can only touch it with two fingers." The judge grabbed the notebook from where it had fallen on the desk--which could only have been a sign of his deep humiliation, or at least that is how it must have been perceived--tried to tidy it up a little, and held it once more in front of himself in order to read from it.
41 The people in the front row looked up at him, showing such tension on their faces that he looked back down at them for some time. Every one of them was an old man, some of them with white beards. Could they perhaps be the crucial group who could turn the whole assembly one way or the other. They had sunk
46 into a state of motionlessness while K. gave his oration, and it had not been possible to raise them from this passivity even when the judge was being humiliated. "What has happened to me," continued K., with less of the vigour he had had earlier, he continually scanned the faces in the first row, and this gave his address a somewhat nervous and distracted character, "what has
51 happened to me is not just an isolated case. If it were it would not be of much importance as it's not of much importance to me, but it is a symptom of proceedings which are carried out against many. It's on behalf of them that I stand here now, not for myself alone."
56 Without having intended it, he had raised his voice. Somewhere in the hall, someone raised his hands and applauded him shouting, "Bravo! Why not then? Bravo! Again I say, Bravo!" Some of the men in the first row groped around in their beards, none of them looked round to see who was shouting. Not even K. thought him of any importance but it did raise his spirits; he no longer
61 thought it at all necessary that all of those in the hall should applaud him, it was enough if the majority of them began to think about the matter and if only one of them, now and then, was persuaded.
Questions
Instructions
- Answer all questions.
- Use black ink or black ball point pen.
- Fill in the boxes on this page.
- You must answer the questions in the spaces provided.
- Do not write outside the box around each page or on blank pages.
- Do all rough work in this book. Cross through any work you do not want to be marked.
- You must refer to the insert booklet provided.
- You must not use a dictionary.
Information
- The marks for questions are shown in brackets.
- Time allowed: 1 hour 45 minutes
- The maximum mark for this paper is 80.
- There are 40 marks for Section A and 40 marks for Section B.
- You are reminded of the need for good English and clear presentation in your answers.
- You will be assessed on the quality of your reading in Section A.
- You will be assessed on the quality of your writing in Section B.
Advice
- You are advised to spend about 15 minutes reading through the source and all five questions you have to answer.
- You should make sure you leave sufficient time to check your answers.
Section A: Reading
Answer all questions in this section. You are advised to spend about 45 minutes on this section.
Question 1
Read again the first part of the source, from lines 1 to 5.
Answer all parts of this question.
Choose one answer for each question.
1.1 What occupation does the narrator/speaker mention?
- a house painter
- a bank clerk
- a shopkeeper
[1 mark]
1.2 According to the narrator/speaker, what did My Lord do with the question?
- My Lord imposed it on the narrator/speaker
- My Lord asked it carefully and directly
- My Lord ignored it and moved on promptly
[1 mark]
1.3 What objection does the narrator/speaker anticipate from My Lord?
- that there are no proceedings against the narrator/speaker
- that there are secret proceedings against the narrator/speaker
- that there are formal proceedings against the narrator/speaker
[1 mark]
1.4 According to the narrator/speaker, when are there proceedings?
- only if the narrator/speaker acknowledges that there are
- whenever My Lord declares that there are
- whenever officials record proceedings in writing
[1 mark]
Question 2
Look in detail at this extract, from lines 11 to 20 of the source:
11 K. stopped speaking and looked down into the hall. He had spoken sharply, more sharply than he had intended, but he had been quite right. It should have been rewarded with some applause here and there but everything was quiet, they were all clearly waiting for what would follow, perhaps the quietness was laying the ground for an outbreak of activity that would bring this whole affair to
16 an end. It was somewhat disturbing that just then the door at the end of the hall opened, the young washerwoman, who seemed to have finished her work, came in and, despite all her caution, attracted the attention of some of the people there. It was only the judge who gave K. any direct pleasure, as he seemed to have been immediately struck by K.'s words. Until then, he had listened to him
How does the writer use language here to build tension in the hall and to show K.’s expectations?
You could include the writer’s choice of:
- words and phrases
- language features and techniques
- sentence forms.
[8 marks]
Question 3
You now need to think about the structure of the source as a whole. This text is from the start of a novel.
How has the writer structured the text to create a sense of tension?
You could write about:
- how tension builds throughout the source
- how the writer uses structure to create an effect
- the writer's use of any other structural features, such as changes in mood, tone or perspective.
[8 marks]
Question 4
For this question focus on the second part of the source, from line 16 to the end.
In this part of the source, when K. grabs the judge’s notebook, he seems confident and in control. The writer suggests that he is actually nervous and not as powerful as he appears.
To what extent do you agree and/or disagree with this statement?
In your response, you could:
- consider your impressions of K's confidence and underlying nervousness
- comment on the methods the writer uses to suggest K's nervousness and lack of power
- support your response with references to the text.
[20 marks]
Question 5
Your college geography society is inviting short creative pieces about journeys and wild places for its online magazine.
Choose one of the options below for your entry.
-
Option A: Describe a high mountain pass from your imagination. You may choose to use the picture provided for ideas:
-
Option B: Write the opening of a story about reaching the sea after days of walking.
(24 marks for content and organisation, 16 marks for technical accuracy)
[40 marks]