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this story, although steeped with wisdom, seems to be presented in a fairly straight-forward way. basically, it seems that kafka is saying, with a hint of a cinical overtone, that it's lonely at the top. there's more to it than that, of course. i thin he's also saying that it's stupid to be at the top, so don't desire to be there, because it's not as great as everyone says it is. and therein lies, i think, one of kafka's continious themes- things aren't as great as people say they are. in this story, heseems to be warning us that it is imperative that we make our own decisions about what is good and what is not, and not be influenced by society's hiearchy of good. and the setting of this story is very appropriate, i think, to convey that message. for, as an amateur in any field, we are usually continually looking to "the big boys," the champions, the people who are at the top of the field, and using them as idols, models and patterns for ourselves. we try to be like them, because they are where we want to be. the question kafka wants us to ask ourselves, though, is "is that realy where you want to be?" from the standpoint of the lowman on the totempole, the one who works his ass off, often working even harder than any his competitors at the top, but who never gets any recognition, and who is continually pushed and told that the top is the only place to be, the top naturally becomes the pointof destination, without much thought as to a real why. it just is, that's why. but really, when you get there, you find that, as kafka points out, it's not all it's cracked up to be. in our society, others do not like the champion, they like the position of chapion, and want it for themselves. thus, they are envious of anyone in there instead of them, and such envy leads to hate. such is the case with competitors. as with our friends, kafka shows that money or material wealth is what is most important to them; the friends who bet on us seeing us as no more than a good investment that paid off, and the ones that didn't seeing nothing but a missed opportunity. the friends that bet on us have no time for us now, now that they have money to collect. they probably don't even see what a splending race you've won, and how hard you've worked to get there- they see you only as a good bet, and will expect you to keep winning. your good friends, on the other hand, the ones who didn't bet on you, for fear of having to be angry at you if you lost, are now angry at themseleves for letting a chance to win slip past them, and thus blame that on you. is this really what the amateur jockey thought would be waiting for him at the top? laurels and flowers and the love of all? kafka is merely saying that to get caught up in the games of society is to also endure whatever they deem your prize to be. the important thing is to be interrnally motivated and vindicated- know what you want, and answer to yourself for your actions. essentially, what i think kafka is saying in this story is- look out for society. it's full of selfishness, pretenses and greed.
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