"Advocates" (German: "Fürsprecher") is a prose piece by
Franz Kafka
Franz Kafka (3 July 1883 – 3 June 1924) was a German-speaking Bohemian novelist and short-story writer, widely regarded as one of the major figures of 20th-century literature. His work fuses elements of realism and the fantastic. It ...
, probably written in 1922, but not published until 1936, after Kafka's death. It is a monologue describing the difficulty and the necessity of finding
advocates
An advocate is a professional in the field of law. Different countries' legal systems use the term with somewhat differing meanings. The broad equivalent in many English law–based jurisdictions could be a barrister or a solicitor. However, ...
, or people to speak for the narrator (the literal meaning of ''Fürsprecher'').
The
narrator tells of his search for advocates, constantly moving in the aisles in which an undefined roar prevails. He often meets old cumbersome women. The narrator does not know whether he is in a
courthouse
A courthouse or court house is a building that is home to a local court of law and often the regional county government as well, although this is not the case in some larger cities. The term is common in North America. In most other English-spe ...
, but he knows he is not in the right place to find advocates. He needs them to defend him against his accusers. He tries to attract a large number of supporters from different groups of the population. The relentless search finds him moving upwards on seemingly
endless
Endless or The Endless may refer to:
Business
* Endless (private equity), a British firm
* Endless.com, an e-commerce website selling shoes and accessories
* Endless Computers, an American operating system company
Film
* ''The Endless'' (film) ...
stairs in a gigantic building, with the steps growing under his feet.
Short stories by Franz Kafka
Short stories published posthumously
1922 short stories
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