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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 does Buergel talk to K. about?

2. Who controlled the family's response to being ostracized by the community?

3. What does K. do when he sees Frieda?

4. What does K. say about his plan in dealing with Hans?

5. What does Frieda say that K. wants from Hans' family?

Short Essay Questions

1. At what event does Amalia's family's disgrace begin?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

9. What does Barnabas' family think about his job with the Castle?

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In the novel, the constructed reality of the culture is more important than a natural reality. The rules of the culture are artificial, created by people and enforced by people on themselves. Discuss constructed reality in the novel.

1) In what way is the life of the town artificial? How does this allow K. to break rules and do things other characters constrained by the constructed reality couldn't do?

2) What makes the constructed reality of the culture of the village powerful? Why is it important to the characters in the novel?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the unspoken and unwritten rules in the novel.

1) What are the rules of behavior in the village? How do the people in the village know those rules?

2) What are the rules of behavior for secretaries in the Castle? How do the Castle employees know those rules?

3) What does K. think of unspoken and unwritten rules? What is the result of his attitude?

Essay Topic 3

Prestige is an important element of culture in the village surrounding the Castle. Discuss the role of prestige in the novel.

1) What increases or decreases prestige in the novel?

2) Which characters value prestige and which do not?

3) What role does prestige play in the material position of the characters? Do the characters benefit by prestige?

(see the answer keys)

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