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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. Herr Block tells K. in “Block, the Corn Merchant – The Dismissal of the Lawyer” that waiting is not pointless. “The only thing that is pointless is” what?

2. The portrait that Titorelli shows K. in his apartment first appears to K. to be a painting of what, in “The Lawyer – The Factory-Owner – The Painter”?

3. What word from “The End” means highly offensive or hateful?

4. What word, used by Herr Huld’s maid in “His Uncle – Leni,” means refusing to agree or compromise; inflexible?

5. The judge who Herr Huld spoke to about Block said of Block in “Block, the Corn Merchant – The Dismissal of the Lawyer,” “Block’s just cunning. He’s gathered a lot of experience and knows how to” what?

Short Essay Questions

1. Who does K. meet inside the cathedral in “In the Cathedral”? What does this character relate to K.?

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

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

4. What does the character of Titorelli represent symbolically in The Trial?

5. How does the parable from “In the Cathedral” relate to the story as a whole?

6. How is the weather described in the opening of “The Lawyer – The Factory-Owner – The Painter”? Where is K. located in the beginning of the chapter?

7. What is K. contemplating in the opening of “The Lawyer – The Factory-Owner – The Painter”?

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

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

10. How is the lighting inside the cathedral described in “In the Cathedral”? What does this represent?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Describe and discuss K.’s position at the bank and his ambitions within his role there. Approximately how long has K. worked at the bank? How swiftly was his promotion to Financial Officer? What obstacles does K. face in his work?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the theme of gender roles and expectations in the novel. How does K. perceive the women around him? How are K.’s actions toward these female characters different from his actions toward male characters?

Essay Topic 3

Analyze and discuss the character of Josef K. as the protagonist of The Trial. What was K.’s life like prior to the arrival of the guards that appear in “The Arrest”? What is K.’s position within his society? What do you find to be K.’s “fatal flaw” in the story?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 975 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample