# Amalia — The Castle character guide > Amalia in The Castle by Franz Kafka. **Role:** supporting **First appearance:** 0017-amalia-s-secret ## Snapshot A proud village girl who tore up a Castle official's obscene summons and threw the pieces in the messenger's face, and has been paying for it ever since. ## Who they are Amalia is the sister whose one act of refusal — rejecting Sortini's letter — turned her family into pariahs and made her the still center of their ruin. She is cold, upright, and unreachable, with a gaze that always seems to look a little past whoever is speaking to her. Her silence and her refusal to be ashamed are the moral counterweight to K.'s endless striving, and the reason the family's story matters to his. ## Relationships ### [Barnabas](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_castle_2_se/characters/barnabas) _family_ Amalia is Barnabas's sister, and their relationship is strained by her silent, proud defiance and his desperate attempts to redeem their family's honor. ### [Olga](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_castle_2_se/characters/olga) _family_ Amalia and Olga are sisters, with Olga acting as a caretaker and protector for the withdrawn and shamed Amalia. ### [K.](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_castle_2_se/characters/k) _social_ Amalia and K. have minimal direct interaction, but K. is fascinated by her story and her role in the family's ostracism. ### [Father](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_castle_2_se/characters/father) _family_ Amalia is the daughter of the aging, broken Father, and her silent shame contributes to the family's isolation. ### [Sortini](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_castle_2_se/characters/sortini) _psychological_ Sortini, a Castle official, made an obscene advance toward Amalia, which she rejected, leading to the family's ruin and her own trauma. ### [Olga](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_castle_2_se/characters/olga) _family_ Amalia and Olga are sisters, with Olga acting as a caretaker and protector for the withdrawn and shamed Amalia. ### [Barnabas](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_castle_2_se/characters/barnabas) _family_ Amalia is Barnabas's sister, and their relationship is strained by her silent, proud defiance and his desperate attempts to redeem their family's honor. ### [Barnabas](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_castle_2_se/characters/barnabas) _family_ Amalia is Barnabas's sister, and their relationship is strained by her silent, proud defiance and his desperate attempts to redeem their family's honor. ### [K.](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_castle_2_se/characters/k) _social_ Amalia and K. have minimal direct interaction, but K. is fascinated by her story and her role in the family's ostracism. ### [Olga](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_castle_2_se/characters/olga) _family_ Amalia and Olga are sisters, with Olga acting as a caretaker and protector for the withdrawn and shamed Amalia. ### [K.](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_castle_2_se/characters/k) _social_ Amalia and K. have minimal direct interaction, but K. is fascinated by her story and her role in the family's ostracism. ## In the story ### [II](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_castle_2_se/chapters/ii) Amalia is present at the Barnabas home, watching K. with a direct and serious gaze. ### [Chapter X](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_castle_2_se/chapters/x) Mentioned as having brought the letter from the Castle; she is not allowed into the Chancellory. ### [XIV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_castle_2_se/chapters/xiv) Lies down exhausted, speaks with K. about Olga's feelings and Barnabas's service, displaying a cold, isolated demeanor. ### [XV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_castle_2_se/chapters/xv) Amalia is described as the decisive voice in the family, though she does not involve herself in Barnabas's affairs; she is ill and cares for their parents. ### [Amalia's Secret](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_castle_2_se/chapters/amalia-s-secret) Silently cares for her parents; the subject of the family's disgrace. ### [Amalia's Punishment](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_castle_2_se/chapters/amalia-s-punishment) The youngest sister whose rejection of Sortini's letter triggered the family's downfall; she remains silent and aloof, yet becomes the family's de facto leader. ### [Petitions](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_castle_2_se/chapters/petitions) Silently endures the family's betrayal of her stance; later nurses her father without complaint. ### [Olga's Plans](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_castle_2_se/chapters/olga-s-plans) Olga's sister; she becomes more withdrawn and silent as Olga pursues her plans. ### [Additional Note](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_castle_2_se/chapters/additional-note) Sister of Barnabas and Olga; central to the Sortini episode, which highlights the conflict between earthly and religious aims. ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_castle_2_se/characters/amalia - Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_castle_2_se - All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_castle_2_se/characters