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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 is the first thing Green discusses with the group during dinner at the Pollunder house?

2. How old is Karl when the narrative opens?

3. According to the stoker, when is it most likely that a person would become a stoker?

4. What does the stoker suggest that Karl should do with his life?

5. When Karl is wandering through the vast Pollunder house, what is he reminded of?

Short Essay Questions

1. What mixed messages does Karl get from Jakob about the visit to Pollunder's country home?

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

3. What bizarre interaction does Karl have with Klara after dinner?

4. How does Karl's uncle happen to be present on the ship that Karl sailed on?

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

6. When the attendant tells the stoker to get out of the office, what does Karl do?

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

8. What does Karl discover about Mak on his trip to the Pollunder home?

9. What claims does the stoker make against Schubal?

10. Why is Karl on the ship?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What does the innocence of wanderers such as Karl and Candide highlight about the nature of the world? In what sense is Karl a "transparent" character because of his innocence? How does this characteristic relate to the idea of the "missing person" mentioned in the book's full title? Write an essay in which you take and defend a position about the significance of Karl's innocence within the travel narrative form of Amerika. Establish and then discuss the significance of Karl's initial innocence, his ability--or inability--to learn from his experiences, and his eventual fate. Support your assertions with evidence from throughout the text, and if you consult outside sources, be sure to credit these in MLA format.

Essay Topic 2

Analyze how Kafka's humor in Amerika reflects David Foster Wallace's commentary in "Laughing with Kafka." Establish the claims that Foster Wallace makes in his speech. Then, use quoted and paraphrased evidence from Kafka's text to support your analysis of the humor in Amerika and whether it does or does not support Foster Wallace's assertions. Cite evidence from both texts in MLA format.

Essay Topic 3

Write a pro-con essay that evaluates the critical contention that Amerika is a critique of American capitalism. Research critical arguments in favor of this interpretation as well as arguments that contest this interpretation. Provide evidence from the novel to support each side and then come to a conclusion about which side has more merit, and why. Cite your sources in MLA format.

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