Money and Abuse of Power

Money and Abuse of Power

            Often, people create situations that demonstrate the extent to which they can handle other people while in different positions. This paper explores two separate narratives, including the “Trial by Kafka and Letter from an Unknown woman by Stefan Zweig.” In both stories, the protagonists present different elements of power abuse and desire for the urge for money. Notably, individuals justify some situations to fit their decisions. Although individuals face challenges in life, lack of money is never a good reason to engage in immoral behaviors. Additionally, while people abuse power, they do so to exploit or oppress other people for their gains. This document explores the books as mentioned above to demonstrate the way individuals can uphold good morals in society without engaging in unwarranted behaviors.

In the trial, Josef K., the protagonist, faces a series of life-challenging situations and more so in very critical days in his life. Abuse of power is apparent at the very beginning of the book when two officers hastily arrest Josef without disclosing any charges warranting the arrest. Typically, the arresting officer must produce the costs for the capture or humanly inform the suspect about their wrongdoings (Franz, 2015). In this case, however, the two warders arrest Josef and proceed to the cell. Interestingly, the officers release Josef before reaching the police cells and inform him that he will receive the information about the charges later.

Notably, the two law enforcers abuse their powers by both arresting and releasing Josef without charges. For Josef, it is astonishing that the event happens “on the morning of his 30^th birthday.” Although Josef’s neighbor suggests that the warders arrest him because of his unbecoming behavior, it is the responsibility of the arresting officer to inform the suspect about their felonies.  It is also clear that the officers want Josef to offer some bribe for the release, and that is why they walk with Josef for a distance to see if he can corrupt them. As such, the officers are not only abusing their powers but are also greed for money. One would assume that the arresting officers had a chance to inform Josef about his offences during the second arrest. However, it was inherent for the arresting officers to show abuse of power at all times.

Besides, Josef attempts to confront with a deaf court that is not only all-powerful but also uses rogue and invisible law. While Josef requests to understand the charges, the judge colludes with the warders in his second arrest and determines to take him through circles while demonstrating an unwillingness to release Josef despite him being not guilty of any crime. From this perspective, the judge and the warders abuse their powers against an innocent Josef, the banker (Franz, 2015). By understanding that the warders and the court are reading from the same script and are not willing to release him, Josef decides to hire an advocate.

Pleaded by his uncle, Josef hires Hurr Huld to represent him in the case. Although Hurr is aware that the situation is not genuine and that the court is only in need of money, he convinces Josef that he will win the case. The advocate persuades Josef so that Josef can give a significant amount of money as the pay for the advocacy. Also, this scene presents an agreed lawyer whose desire is to exploit others and gain money. Another instance that the present protagonist abuse of power is when his uncle’s nurse seduces him and engage in sexual affairs. Although Josef may be immoral, the nurse uses her position to ensure that Josef does not give a contradicting reply to her requests. Also, the nurse wants to gain some money from giving her nursing services to Josef’s uncle as well as some monetary favors from Josef, the banker.

From Block’s testimony, Huld is not a good lawyer as he has been making proceeds from the eternal case. Currently, Block’s argument has stayed for five years, and Block is almost becoming bankrupt (Franz, 2015). Block, the tradesman complains against Herr Huld’s services and his greed for money as well as abuse of power. Because Huld is knowledgeable in law, he despises any suggestions from his clients, making them weaker.

Unlike in the case of Josef or the entire picture from the Trial story, the “Letter from an Unknown woman” by Stefan Zweig paints a two-sided portrait of the protagonist. From one side, the narrator or the unknown woman depicts herself as a simple woman who can hardly use her beauty or powers within her reach to exploit other people. On the other hand, she paints a picture of a woman who can do anything to fulfill her desires. As such, the protagonists do not show greed for money, but when pushed by the circumstances, she can use her beauty to control men and make proceeds by selling herself.

Although she is genuinely in love with the man, she hesitates from disclosing her love to him. The later tries to show that the unknown woman is not greed for money. When she conceives of her beloved man, one would expect her to notify the man (R) who is also wealthy and make him pay for all the services and demands for the pregnancy and caring for the newborn. In this regard, Stefan Zweig lets the reader understand the unknown woman as a young lady who does not depend on other people’s riches. Notably, many people would exploit the fathers to ensure that they receive every coin, and over what the baby or pregnancy might need.

Besides, the unknown woman decides not to disclose herself to the beloved man so that the man does not start spending in a way that the woman may start feeling guilty. Comparing the unknown woman with the police officers in the Trial, it is clear that the characters have contradicting behaviors and greed for money and abuse of power. While in the Trial, those in power exploit the rest, an unknown woman brings a different picture that she does not need to use other people to live.

The unknown woman clearly states that she is aware that if she notified the beloved man about the conception or the birth of their son, the man could have given all the support regardless of the need (Zweig, 2013). Notably, the unknown woman could have used this power to exploit the man, but she decided not to behave in that manner.

However, the woman brings a contradicting picture when she loses her job, and pregnancy gets to the later stages. More explicitly, the woman depicts her as a woman who can go for what she desires without giving a more profound thought (Zweig, 2013). For example, when she gives birth to the young boy, she lives an impoverished life, and because she wants to survive together with the baby, she starts selling her body to the rich men. The latter exceeds the usual demands to exploit the rich men. The “unknown woman” gets to a point where she abuses her body and the power in her beauty.

In light of this, both the Trial and the “letter from the unknown woman” presents some elements of greed for money and abuse of power. However, the Trial is demonstrated a corrupt society where those in power are not kind to consider some situations but instead uses all possible conditions to exploit other people. A close exploration of “the letter from the unknown woman” shows that the woman is not inherently greed for money or desiring to abuse her power but can be pushed by the circumstances to use all that she has to achieve her desires.

In the Trial, Huld convinces clients to accept his services in court, but he ensures that he reaps unreasonably from the clients. The latter are both cases of abuse of power and greed for money. Also, the unknown woman’s lover does not show signs of exploiting the young woman for personal gains. Although the man is somewhat immoral and moves with an array of women, he is ready to help all those in need. As claimed by the unknown woman, she once witnessed the man assisting a beggar in their apartment. Therefore, the man had the opportunity to use his power as a rich man to abuse other people’s rights, but he decides to maintain good relations with his clients.

Conclusion

The above discussion shows that some individuals in societies continue to use their power to exploit others for personal gains. However, other people are kind enough to use their assets to build themselves rather than utilizing others to create wealth. Often, individuals who show greed for money can hardly serve the people in the right ways. People need to consider developing new ways of meeting their needs instead of using their power to oppress others. As demonstrated in the Trial, both Josef and Block suffered delays in accessing justice from the court because of abuse of power by those in positions.

References

Franz, K. (2015). The Trial. Xist Publishing.

Zweig, S. (2013). Letter from an Unknown Woman and other stories. Pushkin Press.