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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. How does the landlord react to seeing K. in the corridor at the Gentlemen's Inn?

2. Who is Galater?

3. Why does Barnabas want the job of messenger?

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

5. What does Erlanger ask from K.?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. What does Barnabas say about Klamm's appearance?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Discuss the town's acceptance of K. as a stranger.

1) How do the people in the town feel about strangers and outsiders? What is the culture's attitude toward outsiders?

2) In what ways does K. become accepted in the town? What role does his relationship with the Castle play in his acceptance? What role does his engagement to Frieda play in his acceptance?

3) In what ways does K. remain an outsider in the town? Is K. responsible for remaining an outsider, and to what extent?

Essay Topic 3

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?

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