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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. Who does Olga believe is the source of their misfortune?

2. How easy does K. think it will be to win Frieda back?

3. Had other families been disgraced in the past?

4. Who has saved K.'s job as janitor?

5. What does Frieda think K. might be using her for?

Short Essay Questions

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

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

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

4. What does Amalia accuse K. of using Barnabas for?

5. What reason does Erlanger give K. the request Erlanger is making during the meeting?

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

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

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

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

10. What is Frieda afraid might happen to he if her mother's warnings are right?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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?

Essay Topic 2

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 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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