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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 item from his trunk does Karl think of giving to the stoker?

2. To what city does Green want to send Karl?

3. What has the servant woman named the child that she alleges Karl fathered?

4. Although Karl thinks that Jakob indulges him generously, what does the narrative imply is true about Jakob's behavior toward Karl?

5. What instrument does Karl play?

Short Essay Questions

1. In what way is Karl's experience in the Pollunder house similar to his experience onboard the ship?

2. What claims does the stoker make against Schubal?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Write a paragraph that explains the relationship between Karl's journey through America and the descriptions of the major locations that he visits. Consider the locations' sizes, their labyrinthine nature, and the frequent references to stairs, elevators, and balconies. Consider the atmospheres of these locations and how they change over the course of the narrative. Make sure that you do more than describe the various settings and their details: the goal of your essay should be to tie these textual details to the progress of Karl's journey and the overall meaning of the novel.

Essay Topic 2

Write an analysis of "The Stoker" as a stand-alone work. As you come to a conclusion about the meaning of this section of the text, you will want to take into account at least the following: plot, setting, atmosphere, symbolism, and characterization. Be sure to support your ideas with textual evidence.

Essay Topic 3

Write an essay that compares and contrasts Amerika's relationship to the bildungsroman and to the picaresque. Does Kafka seem to intend to parody both? If yes, does he do so with equal clarity? Is his treatment of one tradition more respectful than the other? How does the echo of these traditions impact your understanding of the novel's meaning? Cite evidence from throughout the story as you defend your interpretation of how these two traditions are referenced in Amerika.

(see the answer keys)

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