View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. When Karl is wandering through the vast Pollunder house, what is he reminded of?
(a) Families on the east side of the city who live crowded together in one room.
(b) The sprawling interior of the ship he traveled to America on.
(c) The cozy warmth of his parents' home in Germany.
(d) The many floors of offices in his uncle's building.

2. How many offices does Jakob keep in the building he lives in?
(a) 2.
(b) 10.
(c) 5.
(d) 7.

3. Which detail most clearly supports the idea that the stoker is nervous about going to the office?
(a) His attempt to kick the rat in the corridor.
(b) The way he grabs Karl's hand to pull him out the door.
(c) His remarks to Line in the kitchen.
(d) The picture he takes from the wall and puts in his pocket.

4. What does Karl feel he is being treated like during dinner at the Pollunder house?
(a) A servant.
(b) An intruder.
(c) A child.
(d) An accomplice.

5. What makes Karl uncomfortable about the building his uncle lives in?
(a) The way sound echoes.
(b) It is made of steel.
(c) All of the large windows.
(d) The other tenants.

Short Answer Questions

1. In the story's opening, what does Karl realize he has left below deck?

2. By the time dinner is over, how does Karl feel about Klara?

3. When Karl tries to use some New York expressions during dinner with Green and Pollunder, what is their response?

4. What does Karl first notice about Klara when he sees her in the light?

5. What do the text's descriptions of New York and its suburbs most emphasize?

Short Essay Questions

1. What unexpected news does Klara give her father when he and Karl arrive at the Pollunder home, and how does Pollunder react?

2. How does Karl spend his time during his first weeks in New York?

3. Explain how Karl's inability to keep track of his possessions causes complications in "The Stoker."

4. What does Karl imagine about his parents when he is in the office with the stoker?

5. Why is Karl so exhausted when the story opens?

6. Describe the building in which Karl finds himself living with his uncle in New York.

7. What conclusions has Karl already come to about America when the second chapter opens, and why?

8. What does the letter from Jakob to Karl say?

9. What analogy does Jakob draw between Karl and a newborn baby?

10. What details portray the women in the ship's kitchen as boldly flirtatious?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,044 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample