Print
Word
PDF
|
| Name: _________________________ | Period: ___________________ |
This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.
Short Answer Questions
1. How does Karl's relationship with Rennel show that Karl has not grown much from his experiences?
2. What comic detail is offered about the head porter's appearance?
3. What compliment does Karl offer Therese about her job?
4. Why is the landlady so reluctant to give Karl and Robinson breakfast to take back to the apartment?
5. When Karl is in the office and notices that it is a quarter past six, what does he begin to hope will happen?
Short Essay Questions
1. How does Robinson end up in Rennel's bed in the dormitory?
2. What other locations is the description of the suburban Ramses apartment building meant to evoke, and what is the similarity between these locations?
3. What is ironic about Karl getting in trouble for being away from his lift?
4. Describe Robinson's appearance at the Occidental Hotel in Chapter VI, "The Robinson Affair."
5. What does Karl learn from Robinson about Brunelda's marriage?
6. Explain how Karl ends up losing the photograph of his parents.
7. How does Karl end up having a conversation with Therese in his room on his first night at the Occidental Hotel?
8. What annoys Karl about finding the salami in his trunk in Chapter IV, "The March to Ramses," and what is the salami's eventual fate?
9. Describe Karl's encounter with the policeman in the Ramses suburbs.
10. What convinces Karl to stay at Brunelda's apartment even after Delamarche assaults him?
Essay Topics
Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:
Essay Topic 1
How do ambiguity and the grotesque work together to create atmosphere and mood in Amerika, and how do these effects contribute to the novel's overall meaning? What patterns of detail and language work together to create a sense of ambiguity? What patterns of detail and language work together to create a sense of the grotesque? In combination, what specific atmosphere and mood do ambiguity and the grotesque create in this novel? How do atmosphere and mood support a theme or themes in Amerika? Be sure to support your claims with both quoted and paraphrased evidence from the text.
Essay Topic 2
What does the innocence of wanderers such as Karl and Candide highlight about the nature of the world? In what sense is Karl a "transparent" character because of his innocence? How does this characteristic relate to the idea of the "missing person" mentioned in the book's full title? Write an essay in which you take and defend a position about the significance of Karl's innocence within the travel narrative form of Amerika. Establish and then discuss the significance of Karl's initial innocence, his ability--or inability--to learn from his experiences, and his eventual fate. Support your assertions with evidence from throughout the text, and if you consult outside sources, be sure to credit these in MLA format.
Essay Topic 3
Write an essay that analyzes Amerika through the lens of Le Grand Guignol. Explain the hallmarks of this theatrical tradition and where they are seen, at minimum, in Kafka's settings, moods, and plot. Finally, explain what significance these similarities have to the book's overall meaning. Support your claims with evidence from the text.
|
This section contains 1,315 words (approx. 5 pages at 300 words per page) |
|
