View a FREE sample

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

Short Answer Questions

1. The narrator states in the beginning of “The First Hearing” that “K. had been informed by telephone that a short hearing in his affair would take place” when?

2. K. points out to Fraülein Bürstner that Frau Grubach is dependent on him for what reason in “A Conversation with Frau Grubach”?

3. To whom does the Usher’s Wife say the books in the courtroom belong to in “In the Empty Conference Hall – The Student – The Offices”?

4. The Usher tells K. as they pass through the waiting room of the Court Offices in “In the Empty Conference Hall – The Student – The Offices,” “Most of the defendants are very” what?

5. When he goes to demonstrate what happened this morning for Fraülein Bürstner in “A Conversation with Frau Grubach,” K. notes that what was hanging by the window in her room at the time of the inquiry?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is K.’s reaction to the invitation given him by the Deputy Manager in “The First Hearing”?

2. What response does K. receive when he asks the three men in the lumber-room, “What are you doing here” in “The Thrasher”?

3. Where do Franz and Willem take K. in “The Arrest”? Why?

4. What information has K. learned about his coming hearing in the opening of “The First Hearing”? How did he gain this information?

5. How is the character of Frau Grubach introduced in “A Conversation with Frau Grubach”?

6. What is K. doing in the opening of “The Arrest”? How does the narrator describe the reason for his arrest in this chapter?

7. Where does the Usher lead K. in “In the Empty Conference Hall – The Student – The Offices”? How is this setting described?

8. How are the Examining Magistrate’s books described in “In the Empty Conference Hall – The Student – The Offices”? What happens to the Usher’s Wife in the chapter?

9. What excuse does Willem give K. for his previous behavior in “The Thrasher”?

10. Why does the Thrasher tell K. he shouldn’t believe everything the guards say in “The Thrasher”?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Analyze K.’s objectives and obstacles when he commits to the action of kissing Fraülein Bürstner in “A Conversation with Frau Grubach.” What does K. hope to achieve through this action? Is he successful? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the theme of the individual versus society in The Trial. In what ways does K. attempt to retain his individuality in the story? In what ways is K.’s character isolated from society? What elements of symbolism support this theme?

Essay Topic 3

Describe and discuss the setting established in “The Arrest.” How large is the boarding house where K. lives with Frau Grubach and others? What part of town is the boarding house located in? How far away is the bank where K. works?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,033 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample