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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 does Olga believe is the source of their misfortune?

3. What does K. say about Amalia's attractiveness?

4. What are Barnabas' parents doing when K. arrives at the house?

5. Who is Galater?

Short Essay Questions

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

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

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

4. What reason does Amalia give K. that he will have to come visit them more often?

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

6. Why does K. stay in the corridor after his meeting with Erlanger?

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

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

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

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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 2

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 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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