in "the castle" (german: "das schloss") a man who is simply called “k” (the first letter of “kafka”) arrives at a castle saying that he has been given a job there, but the people there say they have not been told about his appointment. kafka never finished the novel, but max brod says that kafka was going to end it with k receiving permission to stay at the castle just as he was dying. the german word “schloss” has two meanings: “castle” and “lock”. k becomes locked (trapped) in this strange situation.