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Illustrated portrait of Uncle Karl

A character in The Trial

Uncle Karl

Karl is Josef’s uncle from the country.

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

Karl is Josef’s uncle from the country. Alarmed that a public trial could damage the family, he takes Josef to Advocate Huld and pressures him to treat the case seriously. His concern mixes affection with fear of scandal. He disappears from the narrative after helping establish the lawyer relationship.

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