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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. Does Frieda come back to K. at the end of Chapter XXII?

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

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

4. Why does Barnabas want the job of messenger?

5. Where does Olga make the contacts that eventually get Barnabas his job with the Castle?

Short Essay Questions

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

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

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

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

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

6. What does K. hope that Barnabas' good news was?

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

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

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

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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 2

Discuss THE CASTLE as a religious allegory.

1) Considering The Castle as a religious allegory, what role does Klamm play? What does the nature of Klamm say about the author's viewpoint?

2) What role does the Castle bureaucracy play? Who do Klamm's representatives represent?

3) What moral dilemma does The Castle present about the nature of being good, based on K.'s arguments about intention?

Essay Topic 3

In the novel, the bureaucracy of the Castle is both very powerful and lacking in power. Discuss this dynamic.

1) In what ways is the bureaucracy of the Castle powerful? How does it control people's actions?

2) In what ways does the bureaucracy of the Castle lack power? How does K. manage to defy the bureaucracy?

3) How does the bureaucracy's power, and lack of power, affect Amalia and her family?

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