The Trial · Chapter
Chapter Four: Miss Bürstner's Friend explained
K.
What happens
K. attempts to contact Miss Bürstner after his arrest but she avoids him. He writes letters and waits for her, but receives no reply. On Sunday, he observes Miss Montag moving into Miss Bürstner's room. K. confronts Mrs. Grubach about the noise and their earlier misunderstanding, and later receives a request from Miss Montag to speak with him. He goes to the dining room but finds her talking with the captain, and retreats to his room.
Themes in this chapter
Alienation and Isolation
K. is unable to connect with Miss Bürstner and feels increasingly isolated in his own boarding house.
Bureaucracy and Absurdity
The trivial yet elaborate maneuvering around Miss Montag's move mirrors the absurdity of K.'s legal situation.
Characters to notice
- Josef K.
Obsessively tries to contact Miss Bürstner, confronts Mrs. Grubach, and is summoned by Miss Montag.
- Miss Bürstner
Avoids K. entirely and allows Miss Montag to move into her room.
- Mrs. Grubach
Reconciles with K. after their earlier quarrel, discusses Miss Montag's move, and is visibly distressed.
- Miss Montag
Moves into Miss Bürstner's room and requests a meeting with K.
- Captain Lanz
Mentioned as Mrs. Grubach's nephew; seen talking with Miss Montag at the end of the chapter.
Key passages
“For some time after this, K. found it impossible to exchange even just a few words with Miss Bürstner. He tried to reach her in many and various ways but she always found a way to avoid it.”
K. was unable to speak with Miss Bürstner for a while, despite his many attempts to contact her.
Highlights K.'s growing frustration and isolation.
“A French teacher, although she was German and called Montag, a pale and febrile girl with a slight limp who had previously occupied a room of her own, was moving into Miss Bürstner's room.”
Miss Montag, a pale, sickly German teacher with a limp, was moving her belongings into Miss Bürstner's room.
Introduces Miss Montag and her physical frailty.
“I meant no harm either when I said that. It was simply a misunderstanding between us. That can happen even between old friends sometimes.”
K. reassures Mrs. Grubach that their quarrel was just a misunderstanding.
Shows K.'s attempt to smooth over tensions with his landlady.