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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. Why is the landlady so reluctant to give Karl and Robinson breakfast to take back to the apartment?

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

3. When Karl realizes that he is going to be fired despite two months of exemplary work, what does he realize is true about life?

4. Why does the chauffeur ask Karl for money after they arrive at their destination?

5. When Robinson appears at the hotel, what does Karl see sticking out of Robinson's pocket?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe Robinson's appearance at the Occidental Hotel in Chapter VI, "The Robinson Affair."

2. How does Karl try to improve his position in life while he is at the Occidental Hotel?

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

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

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

6. What is ironic about Karl getting in trouble for being away from his lift?

7. What does Karl's first sight of Giacomo imply about working conditions in America?

8. Describe Karl's encounter with the policeman in the Ramses suburbs.

9. Explain how Karl ends up losing the photograph of his parents.

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What does Amerika convey about the nature of authority? Does authority seem to change from Europe to America? Does its action seem to hinge on circumstances, personality, or both? Is Kafka's use of authority figures in pairs simply a structural device, or does this pairing reveal something about authority itself? Are Kafka's portrayals of authority meant to be funny, tragic, or both? Write an essay that makes and defends a claim about Amerika's stance on authority. Defend your ideas with evidence from the text.

Essay Topic 2

Write an essay that analyzes Amerika through the lens of Le Grand Guignol. Explain the hallmarks of this theatrical tradition and where they are seen, at minimum, in Kafka's settings, moods, and plot. Finally, explain what significance these similarities have to the book's overall meaning. Support your claims with evidence from the text.

Essay Topic 3

Some critical approaches to Amerika consider Karl to be a kind of "genderless" character. Does your reading of the text support or challenge this interpretation? Write an essay that takes and defends a position about Karl's gender performance and its meaning. Support your assertions with evidence from the text.

(see the answer keys)

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