Amerika (Cyclopedia of Literary Characters)
At a glance:
- Author: Franz Kafka
- First Published: 1927
- Type of Work: Novel
- Type of Plot: Magical Realism
- Time of Work: The early twentieth century
- Setting: Primarily New York City
- Genres: Long fiction, Magical Realism
- Subjects: New York, North America or North Americans, Northeast, U.S., United States or Americans, Traveling or travelers, Twentieth century, New York City, Antiheroes, Immigration or emigration, Adventure
- Locales: New York, NY
Characters Discussed
Karl Rossman, a fifteen- or sixteen-year- old youth who leaves his native Prague to seek his fortune in America. A sensitive, naïve adolescent who has been treated unfairly by his parents, Karl arrives in America with little money and few possessions but with a strong determination to triumph over circumstances. He is hardworking, eager to learn, and willing to make sacrifices—in many ways, it would seem, the ideal immigrant. His first experiences in America, however, are nightmarish, comically so in their reversal of the immigrant’s dreams. Karl sees...
[The entire page is 662 words long]
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