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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 does Hans think his father might be sympathetic toward K.?

2. Who tells K. that Olga is in love with him?

3. Whose secretary is Buergel?

4. Where does the letter-writer want to meet K.?

5. Who led the family toward Sortini when they saw him approaching?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is Frieda doing for Jeremias at the end of Chapter XXII?

2. What does K. hope that Barnabas' good news was?

3. What does Buergel say might happen at a meeting in the middle of the night?

4. How does K. respond to what Barnabas tells him about the Castle?

5. How does K. answer Frieda's mother's objections about him?

6. How does Frieda initially react to K.'s explanation of his relationship with Barnabas' family?

7. Why has Hans come to see K. and what is he supposed to be doing instead?

8. What reasons does Buergel give against forbidding interrogations at night?

9. How long does K. need to wait to see Erlanger?

10. Where do Jeremias and Frieda go to work after K. leaves?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss THE CASTLE as a religious allegory.

1) Considering The Castle as a religious allegory, what role does Klamm play? What does the nature of Klamm say about the author's viewpoint?

2) What role does the Castle bureaucracy play? Who do Klamm's representatives represent?

3) What moral dilemma does The Castle present about the nature of being good, based on K.'s arguments about intention?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the ideas of deception and of using people in the novel.

1) Is K. misleading toward Hans when he offers to see if he can help Hans' mother? Does it matter what K.'s goal and intentions are?

2) Do K. and Frieda use each other? Do they deceive each other about their motives? Does it matter?

3) How does the culture of the village and the Castle encourage deception and using people?

Essay Topic 3

In THE CASTLE, the relationship between individuals in groups is important. Discuss the role of social dynamics in the novel.

1) How does the relationship between the twins Jeremias and Artur compare to the social dynamics in the culture of the village? What is the significance of the fact that they age faster apart? How do they act as individuals, and how do they act as a group?

2) How does the culture of the village and the dynamics of groups have power in the novel? How does the village as a whole act differently from individuals?

3) How does the bureaucracy of the Castle reflect the dynamics of groups, as opposed to individuals?

(see the answer keys)

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