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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. In the letter from Erna to Uncle Karl, she writes that she visited K. at the bank but wasn’t allowed to see him because he was busy. How long does Erna say she waited?

2. K. asks the two men who appear at his apartment in the beginning of “The End” at which what are they engaged?

3. By what nickname does the narrator say K. used to refer to his uncle as in “His Uncle – Leni”?

4. What object does Herr Huld’s maid give to K. so that he can return and visit her in “His Uncle – Leni”?

5. What word from “The Lawyer – The Factory-Owner – The Painter” means patently evident or certain; unquestionable?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Block tell K. about his impressions on the defendants in the Court Offices in “Block, the Corn Merchant – The Dismissal of the Lawyer”?

2. How does Block explain the predominance of superstition amongst the defendants in “Block, the Corn Merchant – The Dismissal of the Lawyer”?

3. In what way is K.’s character similar to Job from the Old Testament?

4. How does the author employ the use of shadows and ambiguity in the novel? What does this represent?

5. What element of symbolism in The Trial connects K. to the theme of “Original Sin”?

6. What is represented metaphorically in the scene between K., the Bank President, and the Italian Businessman in “In the Cathedral”?

7. How can K.’s character be seen as a reflection of Adam from the Bible in The Trial?

8. What does Titorelli explain to K. about the nature of the system in “The Lawyer – The Factory-Owner – The Painter”?

9. How does the ambiguous court system in The Trial relate to the historical context of anti-Semitism?

10. What is K.’s duty with the Italian Businessman in “In the Cathedral”? What does the Italian represent symbolically to K.?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the characters of Dr. Huld and the Chief Clerk in “His Uncle – Leni.” Where is the Chief Clerk hidden during the first part of K. and his uncle’s visit? What does this character represent symbolically in the story? What are K.’s initial impressions of Dr. Huld?

Essay Topic 2

Analyze the characters of Bertold and the Usher’s Wife in the novel. What is Bertold a student of? How do the Usher and the Usher’s Wife describe his character? What power does Bertold hold within the courts?

Essay Topic 3

Describe and discuss the setting established in “The Arrest.” How large is the boarding house where K. lives with Frau Grubach and others? What part of town is the boarding house located in? How far away is the bank where K. works?

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