Mark André ’s Reviews > The Castle > Status Update

‘How am I to know which of you is which? The only difference between you is your names, and apart from that’—he hesitated— ‘apart from that you’re as like as two snakes.’ They smiled.

It was as if some melancholy inhabitant of the place, who should really have stayed locked up in the most remote room in the house, had broken through the roof and was standing erect to show himself to the world.

I always prefer to be a free agent.

A school janitor was an important person to the rest of the staff—and should have been especially so to such an assistant as Schwarzer—a person not to be lightly despised, who should at least be suitably conciliated if professional considerations were not enough to prevent one from despising him.

Everything,” said K., who had regained his composure in listening, “everything that you say is in a certain sense justifiable; it is not true, it is only partisan.

Then deep in thought Hans stared in front of him for a while—just like a woman who wants to do something forbidden and seeks an opportunity to do it without being punished—and said ...
(...)
[The following paragraph was added in the text of the definitive German edition.]
In fact Hans was now seeking K.’s aid against his father; ...
(...)
How unconsciously secretive, almost underhand, this boy was!

Then deep in thought Hans stared in front of him for a while—just like a woman who wants to do something forbidden and seeks an opportunity to do it without being punished—and said ...
(...)
[The following paragraph was added in the text of the definitive German edition.]
In fact Hans was now seeking K.’s aid against his father; ...
(...)
How unconsciously secretive, almost underhand, this boy was!

Although K. did not emphasize and only involuntarily suggested that it was simply help in dealing with the teacher that he did not require, leaving the question of other kinds of help open, Hans caught the suggestion clearly and asked whether perhaps K. needed any other assistance; he would be glad to help him, and if he was not in a position to help himself, he would ask his mother to do so...sure to be all right.

..and it was clear now that he was only a child, out of whose mouth, it is true—especially in his questions—sometimes the voice of an energetic, far-seeing man seemed to speak; but then all at once, without transition, he was only a schoolboy again, who did not understand many of the questions, misconstrued others, and in childish inconsiderateness spoke too low, though he had the fault repeatedly pointed out to him,

The Twelfth Chapter
It may be premature but I have completely changed my attitude towards this book.The deliberate destruction Frieda’s coffee pot by Fraulein Gisa, even if it is in retaliation for the cat’s injured paw, still impresses me as an act of wilful cruelty. And cruelty is not a characteristic I had yet attributed to them ... so they’re monsters and not people at all. H’m?