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Illustrated portrait of Advocate Huld

A character in The Trial

Advocate Huld

Huld is an elderly, bedridden defense lawyer with court contacts.

The book

Cover of The Trial by Franz Kafka
The TrialFranz Kafka, 1925

A man is arrested without a charge and trapped inside rules controlled by authorities who refuse to explain them.

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Who they are in the book

Spoiler-free

Huld is an elderly, bedridden defense lawyer with court contacts. He presents legal representation as a matter of personal influence rather than open procedure. His lack of visible progress frustrates Josef, while his treatment of Block shows how completely a client can become dependent on him. Josef announces that he is dismissing Huld, but Kafka does not show the lawyer’s later response or fate.

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