In Kafka’s “Before the Law”, he deliberately chooses to be extremely meticulous with his word choice. Not only does the interaction between the gatekeeper and the man reveal a power dynamic, but also the exact words they use. For example, when Kafka first introduces the man from the country he says, “To this doorkeeper there comes a man from the country who begs for admittance to the Law” (Kafka 1). Not only does Kafka make it so that the gatekeeper is the one who stands their ground and stays in place, but he says that the man from the country begs for admittance. This immediately gives the reader a notion that the gatekeeper has the power in this interaction. After the man asks for permission to enter but is rejected, the gatekeeper tells him that “If you are so strongly tempted, try to get in without my permission. But note that I am powerful” (Kafka 1). By threatening the man, not only is Kafka once again implying that the gatekeeper is the one in charge here, but he is also revealing the weight of the Law. When the man decides to wait instead of entering without permission of the gatekeeper, it shows that he is a follower of the Law.
The concept of power is extremely prevalent in this text. There is a hierarchy that can be seen with the common man being on the bottom, the gatekeeper above him, and the Law above both of them. Kafka uses this dynamic to reveal how authority rules and most people are slaves to the people above them.