K. is the central figure in The Castle, and the omniscient third-person narrator recounts the story from his point of view. However, like all the characters in the book, we know nothing of K.’s history, background, or personal life prior to the story. The reader only gains a partial impression of K.’s character through his behavior, reactions, and reflections during his few days in the village. A great deal happens to him, and his thoughts are explained in detail, but his personality and character development is not a major focus of the book. The Castle serves as a vehicle for sociological and political commentary, highlighting the general human experience at the hands of authorities and systems, and K.’s vague background and personality make him an apt representative of the average person. This allows K. to be a symbolic hero, an “everyman” rather than an individual, who represents humanity’s search for meaning in the modern world. Therefore, the analysis of his character does not reveal the individual depth found in some other works of literature.

K. is a land surveyor who is appointed by Count Westwest to assume an important role within the official realm of his Castle, or so K.