View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What does Frieda think of K.'s conversation with Hans?

2. What did Sortini order Amalia to do in his letter?

3. What is the relationship between Schwarzer and Gisa?

4. Where does K. fall asleep at the end of Chapter XXIV?

5. What does K. say about Olga's attractiveness?

Short Essay Questions

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

In the novel, the motivations of people are often open to question. Discuss the significance of the ambiguity of characters' motivations.

1) Are K.'s motivations clear? What are his possible motivations for being with Frieda? Do his motivations make a difference? What do you think of K.'s argument that his motivations don't necessarily matter?

2) What are conflicting reports of Frieda's motivations? How ambiguous are her motives? How important is it that other people can't necessarily ever fully understand her motivations?

3) How does the obscurity of the workings of the Castle compare to the obscurity of the motives of the characters?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss love in the novel.

1) Does K. love Frieda? How do you know? What is K.'s attitude toward love?

2) Does Frieda love K.? How do you know? What is Frieda's attitude toward love?

3) Do the characters in the novel love Klamm? How is their love for Klamm expressed, and how is it different from their love for each other? What does the landlady of the Bridge Inn's feelings for Klamm say about love?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 869 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample