Amerika: The Missing Person

In Chapter 8, Karl’s handling of breakfast hints at his later transformation. Karl demands that he and Robinson be given food, telling the rent-woman to “be reasonable” (191); when the woman refuses, he plates leftovers. He even fools Brunelda and Delamarche into believing they ate a fresh breakfast. Karl is becoming more confident and resourceful in finding solutions to frustrating encounters. His handling of Brunelda’s escape finalizes his transformation from an insecure boy to a more self-assured adult.

While incomplete, Chapter 9 offers a resolution to Karl’s time with Brunelda and Delamarche. Brunelda eventually wishes to escape the apartment she shares with Delamarche, and the bond between her and Karl becomes strong enough that they conspire to leave together. They likely leave in secret in order to avoid Delamarche—which implies that Brunelda is unhappy with him, or that she sees his true nature as a con artist. Either way, though Karl initially hated Brunelda, he empathizes with her, and they work together to escape Delamarche’s control.

Prior to his and Brunelda’s escape, Karl studied their potential routes carefully in order to avoid any “potentially disagreeable encounter[s]” (198). Rather than approaching life without any knowledge (like he did in previous chapters), Karl plans ahead. When transporting Brunelda, he demonstrates growth in his dealing with people. Karl mastered the art of talking to policemen, stating that he no longer sees them as “so terribly threatening” (199); the same goes for the man overly curious about the cart’s gray cloth. Rather than making these situations worse (like he did in previous chapters), Karl keeps his head. He even calms and convinces an upset Brunelda to keep moving, exhibiting a newfound sense of persuasion.

Given later events, it’s implied that Karl eventually gets the office job he dreamed of, signaling a permanent escape from Delamarche and Robinson. As for Chapter 9 itself, it does not provide context for Enterprise No. 25. It’s implied that Karl was recently hired as a cleaner there, as he studies the filthiness of the place with surprise. The appearance of the administrator and his relationship with Brunelda are only hinted at when Karl states that “no sooner had Brunelda sensed that” she’d made a “good impression” on the administrator did she “begin to exploit” (201).