“The Judgment” is a short story that present the relationships between family, friends, and marriage. In this story, Georg the main character who always write letters to the unnamed friend in Russia, was struggle to reveal his engagement with a girl name Frieda who is from a wealthy family background. Even though he decided that he wanted to inform his friend about his Fiancée, he went to his father and asked for advices. The fighting and argument between Georg and his father is the major conflict of the story. Even though the author didn’t mention about history background previously, we can understand the whole situation through the argument. Georg and his friend are both characterized as business man, but the difference between them was that Georg always rely on other people, which his father descried him as “weak” and “not mature” while his friend, are independent that he is able to live alone and do what he wants. Georg was under his father’s control that “his father, by insisting on doing everything his way in business, had prevented Georg from pursuing any real activity of his own”. Georg was growing in such environment and lack of love from mother, since his mother passed away. On the other hand, his fiancée was deem as a strong woman who make decision and concern about herself. She forced Georg to inform his friend about their relationship and insisted him to do so otherwise she claims that there is no meaning of the engagement.
Frieda claims that she has the right to meet all his friends. In addition, Frieda says “I really do feel offended” because She may think that Georg is not transparent about their relationship.
Georg’s respond plays an important role in here because it shows how Georg was trying to make decision on his own by doing what he think is the best. He was so under control by everyone. In his letter to his friend in Russia, he writes “do not concern yourself about anyone else and do only as you think best.” This explains why he said “That is how I am.” He is trying be who he wanted to be, however, he is not quite mature as his friend. But “that is how he must take me”, Georg saying that he may not be the same person as his friend, who he is approaching to, but “his friend” need to accept who he is.
Georg’s friend is a threat to himself, since his father claims that his friend is a better person than him.
After talking to his father, Georg feel even more depressed, and admit his personal failure in life. And he commit suicide. Throughout the story, we can tell that Georg was struggle by getting over the sorrow of his mother’s death. And he also sees himself as a failure. The life of his friend in Russia, is something that he wants to be achieve as a mature, independent, and free man. Therefore, we can say that Georg represent the dark side of the character, and his friend is the opposite. Also, we can connect it to the topic of mind and body. If Georg’s friend is imaginary, then his friend represents the mind, while Georg represents the body.