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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What was the family looking at when Sortini approached Amalia?

2. How effective is bribing Castle officials?

3. Who controlled the family's response to being ostracized by the community?

4. What did the father do when the family's money ran out?

5. Does Olga think her family could have restored their position in the village?

Short Essay Questions

1. What reasons does Buergel give against forbidding interrogations at night?

2. What does Buergel say might happen at a meeting in the middle of the night?

3. How does K. respond to what Barnabas tells him about the Castle?

4. Where do Jeremias and Frieda go to work after K. leaves?

5. How does K. answer Frieda's mother's objections about him?

6. What did the townspeople do after Amalia's disobedience became known?

7. When does K. plan on visiting Hans' mother?

8. What does Barnabas' family think about his job with the Castle?

9. What does Amalia accuse K. of using Barnabas for?

10. What does Barnabas say about Klamm's appearance?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss insults in the novel.

1) Amalia perceives the letter she receives as an insult. Why does she have this perception? How does she respond to it? Could it be interpreted in any other way? Would the rest of the culture see the letter as an insult?

2) Amalia insults both the official and the secretary when she tears up the letter and throws it at the secretary. How do their feelings of being insulted compare to Amalia's? What are the consequences of both insults?

3) In what other situations do characters feel insulted? What are the causes and results of insults, and what role does this play in the culture of the village?

Essay Topic 2

Prestige is an important element of culture in the village surrounding the Castle. Discuss the role of prestige in the novel.

1) What increases or decreases prestige in the novel?

2) Which characters value prestige and which do not?

3) What role does prestige play in the material position of the characters? Do the characters benefit by prestige?

Essay Topic 3

Many of the goals and aims of the characters in the novel prove futile. Discuss futility in the novel.

1) When Amalia's father tries to change the fate of his ostracized family, his quest is futile. Why is his quest futile? Why does he continue to strive for it, even though he loses all his money in bribes?

2) K.'s quest to see Klamm seems futile. What makes his quest unsuccessful? Can he have any control over his quest? Why does he continue to try to see K.?

3) What other characters face futility, and what do they do when faced with futility?

(see the answer keys)

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