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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. Where does K. fall asleep at the end of Chapter XXIV?

2. Where does Olga make the contacts that eventually get Barnabas his job with the Castle?

3. What does K. say about his plan in dealing with Hans?

4. What is Frieda doing when K. returns to the schoolhouse in Chapter XV?

5. What was the family forced to do?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does K. hope that Barnabas' good news was?

2. What is Frieda afraid might happen to he if her mother's warnings are right?

3. What reason does Erlanger give K. the request Erlanger is making during the meeting?

4. At what event does Amalia's family's disgrace begin?

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

6. How does Frieda initially react to K.'s explanation of his relationship with Barnabas' family?

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

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

9. How long does K. need to wait to see Erlanger?

10. Why does K. stay in the corridor after his meeting with Erlanger?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the town's acceptance of K. as a stranger.

1) How do the people in the town feel about strangers and outsiders? What is the culture's attitude toward outsiders?

2) In what ways does K. become accepted in the town? What role does his relationship with the Castle play in his acceptance? What role does his engagement to Frieda play in his acceptance?

3) In what ways does K. remain an outsider in the town? Is K. responsible for remaining an outsider, and to what extent?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the role of women in THE CASTLE.

1) What role does Amalia play in the novel? What is her role as a woman in the village's culture? How does she defy that role, and what are the consequences?

2) What role does Frieda play in the novel? Does she use her gender to gain a social advantage? How does the culture promote that behavior?

3) What role does the landlady play in the novel? What does her position say about the role of women in the society?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the unspoken and unwritten rules in the novel.

1) What are the rules of behavior in the village? How do the people in the village know those rules?

2) What are the rules of behavior for secretaries in the Castle? How do the Castle employees know those rules?

3) What does K. think of unspoken and unwritten rules? What is the result of his attitude?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 900 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample