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

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What does Therese confide in Karl that she asks him to keep secret from the head cook?
(a) She thinks it might be better if she went back to working in the kitchen.
(b) That she really only enjoys her job when she is on errands in the city.
(c) The head cook reminds her of her deceased mother.
(d) She intends to leave the Occidental Hotel as soon as she finds another job.

2. When Robinson appears at the Occidental Hotel, what does he tell Karl he buys almost every day?
(a) Brandy.
(b) Salami.
(c) Books.
(d) Clothing.

3. What does the policeman's repetition of Karl's name make Karl think is true?
(a) The policeman is prejudiced against Germans.
(b) The hotel is trying to have him traced.
(c) The policeman suspects him of something.
(d) The policeman is not very quick-witted.

4. What do Karl's thoughts as he prepares to open his trunk for the first time in two months reveal about him?
(a) He does not fully understand how precarious his situation is.
(b) His plans for the future are wildly unrealistic.
(c) He is still a terrible judge of character.
(d) His love for his parents is stronger than his anger at them.

5. What does the head cook compliment Karl on?
(a) His physique.
(b) His English.
(c) His discretion.
(d) His manners.

Short Answer Questions

1. What do Delamarche and Robinson criticize about Jakob's company?

2. What does the head cook promise to bring Karl on the day following his firing?

3. What lie does Robinson tell the police officer?

4. What do Delamarche and Robinson both say their profession is?

5. Regardless of which dress she has on, what other item of clothing does Brunelda usually wear?

Short Essay Questions

1. When Karl is worried about the vomit in the light shaft being noticed, how do his thoughts foreshadow his eventual fate?

2. How does Karl meet Robinson and Delamarche?

3. What two reasons does Robinson have for coming to see Karl?

4. What grudge does the head porter have against Karl, and how does it underscore the ridiculous labor conditions in the hotel?

5. How does the head cook try to soften the blow of Karl's dismissal?

6. What convinces Karl to stay at Brunelda's apartment even after Delamarche assaults him?

7. What other locations is the description of the suburban Ramses apartment building meant to evoke, and what is the similarity between these locations?

8. What do Karl's actions while he is fetching and serving breakfast demonstrate about his character?

9. How does Therese's backstory support the idea that life for immigrants in America is difficult and somewhat dependent on sheer luck?

10. How do Delamarche and Robinson persuade Karl to accompany them in the morning?

(see the answer keys)

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