In the Trial of Franz Kafka, Josef K. is guilty; his crime is not accepting his humanity. This crime is not evident throughout the novel, but rather becomes gradually and implicitly apparent to the reader. Again and again, despite his own doubts and various shortcomings, K. denies his guilt, which is, in essence, denying his very humanity. It is for this crime that the Law seeks him, because if he would only accept the guilt inherent in the human being (and, in doing so, his own humanity), both he and the Law could move forward. Ironically, this is in part both an existential and Christian interpretation of the Trial. The idea that being human means being guilty arises from both Christian and existential ideology. The Christian concept derives from a biblical interpretation that essentially states: When Adam ate from the Tree of Knowledge and fell from innocence, his sin was subsequently inherited by all mankind from the moment he was born. This is called Original Sin, and the Christian belief is that the only way humans are redeemed from this sin and avoid Hell is, first, through Jesus Christ's sacrifice of Himself and, secondly, through the adoption of the teachings of Christ. The doctrine of original sin is important in The Trial because the story takes place in an increasingly Christian nationalist Germany, in which the prevailing Christian ideology permeated, at least on a subconscious level, almost every aspect of daily life and society. The idea that every human being is born with Original Sin would undoubtedly have influenced K.'s and the Law's perception of guilt in relation to his trial. K. himself even notes the court's ability to “[bring out] deep guilt somewhere where there originally was none… middle of the paper… which is why the engagement should not work out happily” . when resumed. But, like K., although he believed he was aware of and admitted his faults, he was still condemned for his refusal and the engagement was broken off again. The Trial is Kafka's exploration of the most extreme consequences of denying one's interests. guilt and therefore one's humanity. In some ways it serves as a warning, or a sort of parable, in others it is simply an expression of anguish. The story serves to warn against thinking so highly of oneself that one interprets infractions of absolute law only as guilt. If we want to be truly innocent and humble beings, we must recognize our innate human guilt and accept it. If we don't do this, we will be constantly haunted by our "state of apparent acquittals." Kafka, Franz. The Trial. Trans. Breon Mitchell. New York: Schocken, 1998.