Joseph K.

fictional character
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Share
Share to social media
URL
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Josef-K
Feedback
Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login).
Thank you for your feedback

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

Joseph K., protagonist of the allegorical novel The Trial (1925) by Franz Kafka. A rather ordinary bank employee, he is arrested for unspecified crimes and is unable to make sense of his trial.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Kathleen Kuiper.