In The Trial by Franz Kafka, what stylistic and literary techniques are specific to this novel, and what distinguishes Kafka's style from that of other writers?

Kafka's style is a curious mix of matter-of-fact reporting and bizarre, fantasy-like subject matter. The Trial does not have a human being mutate into an insect as in The Metamorphosis, but its atmosphere is equally bizarre in its own way.
Kafka's prose, as stated, drily recounts events that make no sense. When Josef K. is confronted by the officers and told he is under arrest, his reaction is strangely muted and inappropriate (like the behavior of the police), in spite of his knowing that the situation is absurd. Kafka creates the atmosphere of a dream. The term usually used to describe this type of writing is, of course, surrealism. This implies that the literary style is one that reaches above, or beyond, photographic realism to depict a higher reality: a kind of meta-universe. In a dream, the dreamer generally does not react to the absurdity of the situations in the way one would do in ordinary, conscious experiences. Josef K.'s reactions are not only those of a dreamer, but of a man who seems unsurprised at the meaninglessness of life. In some ways Kafka prefigures the existentialist writings of Camus and Sartre. Just as Meursault in The Stranger narrates his story (including a murder) in an indifferent, resigned tone, the third-person narrative of The Trial is curiously detached—combining elements of ordinary life with absurdities—as if these different elements fit together perfectly when, in fact, there is a severe disconnect between them. Kafka exploits this jarring mixture to impress upon the reader a sense of being cut loose from ordinary reality and cast adrift in a cosmos in which events are deliberately nonsensical.

Kafka utilizes metaphors extensively in his narrative structure, which contains symbolism. Symbols are used to explain experiences, attitudes, and relationships in his stories, including The Trial. The Trial also reflects a common characteristic of Kafka's writing: to interpret what is happening from the point of view of the protagonist.
The Trial typifies a realist style and explores themes of uncertainty and alienation. Kafka uses language such as "maybe" and "actually." Protagonists such as Josef K. are forever dealing with their insecurities, which originate in an inability to comprehend for sure what is happening around them at any given point in time (with the exception of death and despair).
In The Trial, like in most of his stories, Kafka explores the tensions between punishments, family responsibilities, and the demands of a stressful workplace environment. Josef K. believes that there is a connection between being estranged from his family, his alienation from his work, and the fact he is on trial and facing punishment.