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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. What did Frieda's mother warn her about K.?

3. What does the teacher scold K. for at the beginning of Chapter XIV?

4. Who knocks on K.'s door at the beginning of Chapter XIII?

5. Who does Olga say is the head of their family?

Short Essay Questions

1. What did Olga do to try to remove her family's disgrace?

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

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

4. What did the townspeople do after Amalia's disobedience became known?

5. What happens to Jeremias and Artur when they are not together?

6. What did Sortini do when Amalia's family approached him?

7. What was Amalia's father hoping for at his work, before the family's disgrace?

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

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

10. When does K. plan on visiting Hans' mother?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The bureaucracy of the Castle seems to have no guiding force or leader, and is self-reinforcing, following only rules and regulations. Discuss the leaderless nature of the machine of bureaucracy.

1) Who assesses how well the bureaucracy of the Castle is functioning? What are the consequences?

2) How does the Castle itself function as a leader for the village? What are the consequences of the fact that the Castle is not a person, but an institution? What difference would it make if instead of a Castle, the village followed a King?

3) What controls the Castle? How is bureaucratic control different than control by a leader?

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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