Before the Law

The countryman is influenced by the law and does not try to get in to the law because he is scared into thinking that even if he gets past the first guard it is hopeless because he has two more bigger gatekeepers to get by. In another way he is free from the law because he actually never reaches it in the first place. He also is not influenced by the law when he realizes that no other person has tried to get into the Law.

The countryman can be considered a subject of the Law, not because he gained admittance, but because he never attempted to gain entry excepted when he asked. The countryman can be considered free from the influence of the Law and also can be considered influenced by the law. The countryman is forced mentally by the Law to stay outside of the gate, but because he never enters the Law he is free from influence. No matter what the situation is, he pays the ultimate price to be free from the influence of the Law. The man is a "passenger" and is influenced the entire way until his death, where he finally makes the connection of what has happened, but the connection is useless, because his life is over.