Franz Kafka

Franz Kafka Study questions

The Metamorphosis

Facts about Franz Kafka

➾ Kafka requested his long-time friend Max Brod to burn all his letters, diaries, and unpublished manuscripts, but Brod ignored him and published them posthumously.

➾ His famous novella The Metamorphosis features a man who wakes up one morning transformed into a giant insect.

➾ He worked full-time as a clerk for an accident insurance office, composing his entire literary oeuvre largely in his spare time.

➾ While working in insurance, he implemented policy changes credited with saving the lives of numerous workers.

➾ He was engaged and disengaged twice to Felice Bauer over five years, maintaining the relationship mostly through letters.

➾ He fathered a son with Grete Bloch, a relationship he kept brief, and he never knew about the child, who died young.

➾ Haunted by his father’s powerful build, Kafka pursued various diets and health regimens to improve his own physique.

➾ His “Letter to His Father,” a deep analysis of their conflict, was given to his mother but never actually reached his father.

➾ He belonged to a doubly marginalized group in Prague—German-speaking Jews—who were neither fully German nor Czech.

➾ All three of his most famous novels (The Trial, The Castle, and Amerika) were left unfinished and in disarray upon his death.

➾ He found true independence and lived with a woman he was not related to (Dora Dymant) for the first time in his life just before he died in 1924.

Franz Kafka MCQs

1. What is Franz Kafka best known for combining in his signature literary sensibility?

A. Romanticism, classicism, realism
B. Allegory, realism, history
C. Realism, absurdism, surrealism, humor
D. Gothic, satire, stream

C. Realism, absurdism, surrealism, humor
Kafka’s unique style blends mundane reality with bizarre, dreamlike, and absurd situations.

2. Kafka’s thematic interests include alienation, guilt, existentialism, and what other pervasive concept often seen in his work?

A. Industrial automation
B. Oppressive bureaucracy
C. Revolutionary politics
D. Religious dogma

B. Oppressive bureaucracy
His work often features characters lost in vast, impersonal, and illogical bureaucratic systems.

3. What was Franz Kafka’s profession after he completed his legal education?

A. University professor
B. Self-made storekeeper
C. Insurance company clerk
D. Political journalist

C. Insurance company clerk
He worked at an insurance institute, a job that gave him direct experience with bureaucracy.

4. Where was Franz Kafka born?

A. Vienna
B. Budapest
C. Prague
D. Berlin

C. Prague
He was born into a middle-class, German-speaking Jewish family in Prague, the capital of Bohemia.

5. How did Kafka manage to compose his oeuvre (body of work)?

A. Full-time writer, family funded.
B. In spare time due to full-time insurance work.
C. Took long leaves to write.
D. Wrote only in sanatoriums.

B. In spare time due to full-time insurance work.
His writing was confined to his spare time, mostly late at night, after his demanding office job.

6. Who was responsible for compiling, editing, and publishing most of Kafka’s writing posthumously, despite Kafka’s request that the manuscripts be burned?

A. Dora Dymant
B. Hermann Kafka
C. Felice Bauer
D. Max Brod

D. Max Brod
His friend Max Brod defied his wishes, believing the work was too important to destroy.

7. Which of the following novels did Kafka request his literary executor to burn?

A. The Trial, Amerika, The Man Who Disappeared
B. Metamorphosis, Judgment, Castle
C. Country Doctor, Penal Colony, Before the Law
D. Description of a Fight, Report to an Academy

A. The Trial, Amerika, The Man Who Disappeared
He requested all his unpublished manuscripts, including his major novels, be burned.

8. What ultimately led to Kafka’s widespread popularity and established his prominence as an influential figure of twentieth-century literature?

A. Initial public readings.
B. Publications during his lifetime.
C. Posthumous publications
D. Policy changes as a lawyer.

C. Posthumous publications
His fame rests almost entirely on the works Max Brod published after Kafka’s death.

9. What specific condition characterized the German-speaking Jews of Prague, including Kafka, in relation to the local population?

A. Fully assimilated into Czech culture.
B. “Doubly outsiders” (German speakers in Czech city)
C. Comprised the population majority.
D. Non-believers who rejected assimilation.

B. “Doubly outsiders” (German speakers in Czech city)
They were isolated from the Czech-speaking majority and distinct from the Austrian rulers.

10. What was the primary origin of the neurótic tension found in Kafka’s writing?

A. Isolation in an ivory tower.
B. The events of his life
C. Study of quantum theory.
D. Service during World War I.

B. The events of his life
His personal life, including family conflicts and isolation, was the main source of his literary themes.

11. Kafka’s ambivalent take on authority, characterized by the ability to respect, rebel against it, and blame himself, is primarily traced back to his relationship with whom?

A. Max Brod
B. Felice Bauer
C. Hermann Kafka (his father)
D. Milena Jesenska

C. Hermann Kafka (his father)
His domineering father created a lifelong complex regarding authority, guilt, and self-blame.

12. How did Kafka’s father, Hermann Kafka, regard his son’s writing?

A. Highly respected profession.
B. Enthusiastic early editor.
C. Waste of time; thought Franz a disappointment.
D. Encouraged full-time writing.

C. Waste of time; thought Franz a disappointment.
His father viewed his literary pursuits as a failure, preferring a practical business career.

13. What specific action did Kafka take while working at the insurance office that benefited others?

A. Compiled letters with Brod.
B. Policy changes that saved workers’ lives.
C. Published brochure on proletariat.
D. Wrote “The Judgment” in one sitting.

B. Policy changes that saved workers’ lives.
Despite his literary focus, he was a diligent employee who advocated for better worker safety.

14. Which year is cited as a breakthrough year for Kafka, during which he wrote “The Judgment,” “The Metamorphosis,” and much of Amerika?

A. 1905
B. 1912
C. 1919
D. 1922

B. 1912
1912 was a period of intense creative energy, producing some of his most iconic works.

15. What characterized Kafka’s relationship with Felice Bauer after they met in 1912?

A. Married immediately, moved to Berlin.
B. Engaged/disengaged twice (5 years), little physical contact.
C. Had a son who died young.
D. Deep relationship-by-letter (two years).

B. Engaged/disengaged twice (5 years), little physical contact.
Their five-year relationship was agonizing, conducted mostly through letters, and ended twice.

16. Which of Kafka’s novels, though unfinished, is noted as the only one with a written ending?

A. The Castle
B. Amerika
C. The Metamorphosis
D. The Trial

D. The Trial
Although chapters were unfinished, Kafka wrote the final chapter detailing Joseph K.’s execution.

17. What disease was Kafka diagnosed with around the time he finally broke off his engagement to Felice Bauer?

A. Influenza
B. Pneumonia
C. Tuberculosis
D. Typhoid

C. Tuberculosis
His 1917 tuberculosis diagnosis ended his engagement and led to his early retirement.

18. What significant piece of writing, cataloging his view of his relationship with his father, did Kafka write in 1919?

A. The Judgment
B. The Metamorphosis
C. Letter to His Father
D. The Trial

C. Letter to His Father
This lengthy, unsent letter details his feelings of inadequacy and fear toward his domineering father.

19. Which novel, written around 1922, features power described in the form of “benign indifference”?

A. The Trial
B. The Castle
C. Amerika
D. The Metamorphosis

B. The Castle
In *The Castle*, the protagonist K. is thwarted by a vast, indifferent, and unreachable bureaucracy.

20. Who was Dora Dymant, whom Kafka met and moved to Berlin with late in his life?

A. His mother.
B. His second fiancée.
C. His literary executor.
D. Companion; lived with her independently for the first time.

D. Companion; lived with her independently for the first time.
Dora Dymant was his final companion, with whom he shared a brief period of happiness and independence.

21. What happened to Kafka’s later dream of moving to Tel Aviv with Dora Dymant?

A. They successfully moved there.
B. Covered by “black cloak of futility” as TB worsened.
C. Postponed by army draft.
D. Father disapproved, forced stay in Prague.

B. Covered by “black cloak of futility” as TB worsened.
His worsening tuberculosis made his final dream of moving to Palestine impossible.

22. During his lifetime, Kafka had an audience of admirers primarily within which group?

A. Czech nationalists.
B. English novelists.
C. Small circle of German-reading intellectuals.
D. Workers from the insurance company.

C. Small circle of German-reading intellectuals.
Only a small intellectual circle, mainly in Prague, recognized his genius while he was alive.

23. From what group of writers is Franz Kafka considered the most important prose writer?

A. Vienna School of Literature.
B. The Prague Circle
C. Bohemian Realists.
D. Berlin Modernists.

B. The Prague Circle
He is the most prominent and influential prose writer associated with this German-language literary group.

24. Where is Kafka’s tiny flat, which is a major attraction today for those seeking traces of the author, located?

A. In the Jewish ghetto.
B. On Alchemists’ Lane behind Hradschin Castle.
C. In Berlin with Dora Dymant.
D. Near sister Ottla’s farm.

B. On Alchemists’ Lane behind Hradschin Castle.
This tiny house, where he wrote for a time, remains a popular tourist site in Prague.

25. What characteristic is given as the secret behind the enormous appeal of Kafka’s simple, sober, and dense language?

A. Resemblance to mainstream German.
B. Elevated, complex metaphors.
C. No gap between spoken/written word (Prague German).
D. Direct translation from Czech.

C. No gap between spoken/written word (Prague German).
His “Prague German” was a pure, unadorned language, giving his prose its unique, clear, and dense quality.

26. What traumatic childhood factor is cited as a cause of young Franz’s early seriousness and anxiety?

A. Raised by a tyrannical father.
B. Brought up by a nurse; lack of home life.
C. Forced to study law.
D. Outbreak of World War I.

B. Brought up by a nurse; lack of home life.
His parents’ focus on their business meant he was raised by servants, leading to early feelings of isolation.

27. What fundamental philosophical belief did Kafka express as early as 1905 in his “Description of a Fight”?

A. Necessity of totalitarian rule.
B. Man can obtain certainty via intellect.
C. Denial of man’s ability to obtain certainty (sensory/intellectual).
D. Triumph of reason over chaos.

C. Denial of man’s ability to obtain certainty (sensory/intellectual).
This early work already contains his core theme of skepticism about finding ultimate truth or certainty.

28. According to Kafka’s philosophy, what happens when a character appears to have found a boundary between reality and the realm of dreams?

A. Achieve metaphysical certainty.
B. Enter into the law.
C. Turns out it’s only something to cling to against chaos.
D. Communicate important messages.

C. Turns out it’s only something to cling to against chaos.
In his work, any perceived boundary is illusory and just a temporary defense against underlying chaos.

29. When did Kafka first meet Max Brod?

A. 1912
B. 1922
C. 1902
D. 1883

C. 1902
He met Max Brod while both were students at Charles University, beginning a lifelong friendship.

30. In the years until 1912, Kafka familiarized himself with far-reaching new ideas, including the theories of Einstein, Planck, and which psychoanalyst?

A. Carl Jung
B. Sigmund Freud
C. Franz Brentano
D. Soren Kierkegaard

B. Sigmund Freud
He engaged with new scientific and philosophical ideas, including Freud’s revolutionary psychoanalysis.

31. According to his own conviction, when did Kafka’s literary productivity reach a peak?

A. During law education.
B. When anxiety over marrying Felice reached a climax.
C. After TB was cured.
D. After moving to Berlin.

B. When anxiety over marrying Felice reached a climax.
His intense anxiety about his engagement to Felice Bauer fueled his most productive creative periods.

32. What themes assumed the mysterious qualities of an ineffable god in works like The Trial and The Castle?

A. The literary executor.
B. The importance of marriage.
C. The father figure
D. The search for a new language.

C. The father figure
His complex relationship with his father was transformed into the abstract, god-like authorities in his novels.

33. Which Danish philosopher did Kafka begin reading in 1913, whose views on the inadequacy of rationality to comprehend Divinity paralleled Kafka’s own radical skepticism?

A. Friedrich Nietzsche
B. Soren Kierkegaard
C. Arthur Schopenhauer
D. Fyodor Dostoevsky

B. Soren Kierkegaard
Kierkegaard’s existentialist philosophy deeply resonated with Kafka’s own views on faith and uncertainty.

34. What is the central difference between Kafka’s hero in “Before the Law” and Kierkegaard’s dilemma?

A. Kierkegaard: political; Kafka: marriage.
B. Kierkegaard has God’s presence; Kafka’s man has no guidance/faces uncertainty.
C. Kafka enters law; Kierkegaard rejects it.
D. Kafka religious; Kierkegaard non-believer.

B. Kierkegaard has God’s presence; Kafka’s man has no guidance/faces uncertainty.
Kierkegaard’s man must leap toward God; Kafka’s man faces an uncertain and silent authority.

35. Which story reflects Kafka’s feeling of sheer horror and disgust with politicians in power at the outbreak of World War I?

A. The Judgment
B. A Report to an Academy
C. In the Penal Colony
D. The Metamorphosis

C. In the Penal Colony
This brutal story of an automated execution machine reflected his horror at the mechanism of war.

36. What autobiographical detail links Kafka’s life to the plot of The Trial, where Joseph K. is executed on the eve of his thirty-first birthday?

A. Began studying Hebrew.
B. Decided to break off first engagement on his thirty-first birthday.
C. Received TB diagnosis.
D. Wrote “Letter to His Father.”

B. Decided to break off first engagement on his thirty-first birthday.
The “judgment” and “execution” in *The Trial* mirror his own decisive, painful break from Felice.

37. What is the symbolic description of modern man living outside a binding universal order in the title story of the volume A Country Doctor?

A. Lost in bureaucracy.
B. Brought to death by sensuality and aimlessness.
C. Transformation into an insect.
D. Starving oneself in public.

B. Brought to death by sensuality and aimlessness.
The doctor is destroyed by his lack of faith and inability to act, symbolizing modern aimlessness.

38. What is the subject of the parable “The Imperial Message”?

A. Terrifying description of messages failing to pass bureaucracy.
B. The dilemma of seeking faith.
C. Farmer seeking redemption.
D. Life of the hunter Gracchus.

A. Terrifying description of messages failing to pass bureaucracy.
It describes the impossibility of a divine message ever reaching its human recipient through endless bureaucracy.

39. The hero of which 1922 story starves himself because he cannot find the spiritual food he requires?

A. The Castle
B. Investigations of a Dog
C. A Hunger Artist
D. The Judgment

C. “A Hunger Artist”
The artist starves because no food (spiritual or physical) in the world satisfies him.

40. What was Kafka’s stance on Judaism late in his life?

A. Deeply orthodox believer.
B. Never fully accepted Judaism, learned Hebrew, dreamed of Palestine.
C. Completely uninterested.
D. Rejected traditions after meeting Dymant.

B. Never fully accepted Judaism, learned Hebrew, dreamed of Palestine.
He developed a deep interest in his heritage, but his relationship with it remained complex and ambivalent.

41. What ultimately led to Kafka’s widespread popularity?

A. Initial public readings.
B. Publications during his lifetime.
C. Posthumous publications
D. Policy changes as a lawyer.

C. Posthumous publications
His fame rests almost entirely on the works Max Brod published after Kafka’s death.

42. What was the capital of the Kingdom of Bohemia at the time of Kafka’s birth?

A. Prague
B. Vienna
C. Czech Republic
D. Hradschin

A. Prague
He was born in Prague, which was then the capital of Bohemia and part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

43. What did Kafka dream aimlessly of becoming at his sister Ottla’s farm?

A. Editor or publisher.
B. Professor of law.
C. Potato farmer or moving to Palestine.
D. Politician or diplomat.

C. Potato farmer or moving to Palestine.
These dreams represented his desire for a simpler, more authentic life away from Prague.

44. What happened to the “Letter to His Father” (1919)?

A. Published immediately.
B. Reached Hermann Kafka.
C. Never reached father (gave it to mother).
D. Max Brod published it.

C. Never reached father (gave it to mother).
He gave the letter to his mother to deliver, but she never gave it to his father.

45. In addition to German, Czech, and Jewish heritages, what other element contributed to Kafka’s background due to Prague’s history as a major second capital?

A. Russian
B. French
C. Austrian
D. Polish

C. Austrian
As part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Prague’s culture was heavily influenced by Austrian bureaucracy.

46. What caused the friction between Kafka’s parents, Hermann Kafka and Julie Lowy?

A. Hermann wealthy, Julie poor.
B. Marriage arranged by Max Brod.
C. Socio-economic/educational differences (Hermann poor Czech, Julie wealthy German-Jewish).
D. Hermann’s disinterest in literature.

C. Socio-economic/educational differences (Hermann poor Czech, Julie wealthy German-Jewish).
His father was a self-made man from a poor background, while his mother came from a wealthier, educated family.

47. To what extent did Kafka join literary or social circles during his lifetime?

A. Actively participated with Brod/fiancées.
B. Avoided them, remained an outcast for literary productivity.
C. Founded the Prague Circle.
D. Joined only for writing recognition.

B. Avoided them, remained an outcast for literary productivity.
He consciously avoided literary circles, believing his productivity depended on isolation.

48. What contribution did Max Brod make to Kafka’s early career before his death?

A. Gave him high-ranking job.
B. Introduced him to Kierkegaard.
C. Encouraged readings to small private audiences.
D. Helped him move to Berlin.

C. Encouraged readings to small private audiences.
Brod was a crucial supporter, arranging small readings that helped Kafka gain some recognition.

49. Which philosophy intensified Kafka’s interest in themes of suffering, punishment, and judgment?

A. Freud’s experiments.
B. Planck’s quantum theory.
C. The philosophy of Franz Brentano
D. Camus’s existentialism.

C. The philosophy of Franz Brentano
Brentano’s ideas about the inability of concepts to explain moral action fueled Kafka’s themes.

50. What is the subject of the parable “The Imperial Message”?

A. Terrifying description of messages failing to pass bureaucracy.
B. The dilemma of seeking faith.
C. Farmer seeking redemption.
D. Life of the hunter Gracchus.

A. Terrifying description of messages failing to pass bureaucracy.
It describes the impossibility of a divine message ever reaching its human recipient through endless bureaucracy.

The Castle MCQs

1. When K. first arrived, what obscured the Castle Hill?

A. Heavy snowfall
B. Thick cloud cover
C. Mist and darkness
D. A strong blizzard

C. Mist and darkness.
The Castle Hill was wrapped in a combination of mist and darkness, making it impossible to see or determine the Castle’s presence.

2. Who first woke K. up in the inn’s lounge?

A. The landlord
B. A young peasant
C. The land surveyor’s assistant
D. The son of the castle governor

D. The son of the castle governor.
K. was woken shortly after falling asleep by a young man who introduced himself as the son of the castle governor.

3. What is the name of the Count who owns the Castle?

A. Count von Westphalia
B. Count Westwest
C. Count von Klamm
D. Count Frederick

B. Count Westwest.
The young man identified the Castle as belonging to Count Westwest when K. asked which village he had strayed into.

4. To justify his presence in the village, what did K. claim to be?

A. A local doctor
B. A castle steward
C. The count’s land surveyor
D. A travelling merchant

C. The count’s land surveyor.
K. claimed to be the land surveyor whom the Count had sent for, with his assistants due to arrive the next day.

5. What was the name of the young man who first interrogated K.?

A. Arthur
B. Jeremiah
C. Fritz
D. Schwarzer

D. Schwarzer.
During the subsequent telephone call, the young man gave his name to the under-steward Fritz as Schwarzer.

6. How did the Castle office confirm K.’s identity as the land surveyor?

A. By sending a written dispatch
B. By calling the local police
C. By telephoning the answer back immediately
D. By consulting old records

C. By telephoning the answer back immediately.
Schwarzer requested Mr Fritz to inquire in the main office and “telephone the answer through immediately,” which confirmed the appointment.

7. What was K.’s overall feeling about the Castle acknowledging his land-surveyorship?

A. Anxiety that they underestimated him
B. Fear that they knew too much about him
C. Both disadvantageous and advantageous
D. Relief that his journey was complete

C. Both disadvantageous and advantageous.
K. felt it was disadvantageous because they knew all about him, but advantageous because they underestimated him.

8. From a distance, what did K. think the Castle resembled?

A. An old knight’s stronghold
B. A large monastery
C. A small town
D. A modern industrial complex

C. A small town.
K. noted that if one did not know it was a castle, they “might have taken it for a small town” due to its extended complex of buildings.

9. Which individual at the Bridge Inn did K. question about the Castle governor, seeing his picture?

A. Schwarzer
B. The landlady
C. The landlord
D. A peasant

C. The landlord.
K. questioned the landlord about the dark portrait he saw on the wall, who identified the figure as the governor.

10. What was the profession of the man K. encountered, Lasemann, who was taking a bath?

A. Tanner
B. Blacksmith
C. Butcher
D. Schoolmaster

A. Tanner.
When K. asked the silent man who he should thank for hosting him, the man replied, “My name is Lasemann, I’m the tanner.”

11. What did the schoolmaster assume K. was doing in the village?

A. Looking for accommodation
B. Preparing for the land survey
C. Viewing the Castle
D. Meeting the Mayor

C. Viewing the Castle.
The schoolmaster immediately asked K., “You’re here to view the castle?” suggesting that was the only reason visitors came.

12. What activity was taking place in the large wooden tub in Lasemann’s house?

A. Washing clothes
B. Soaking skins
C. Taking a communal bath
D. Cooking a large meal

C. Taking a communal bath.
K. noted the steam coming from the corner where two men sat in the largest wooden tub he had ever seen, taking a bath.

13. When K. met the girl holding a baby at the tanner’s house, what did she say her identity was?

A. Lasemann’s daughter
B. The tanner’s wife
C. A girl from the castle
D. A village peasant

C. A girl from the castle.
When K. asked, “Who are you?”, she replied disdainfully, “A girl from the castle,” showing her superiority.

14. What condition did K. observe in Gerstäcker, the carter?

A. He was intoxicated
B. He was láme and sick
C. He was extremely wealthy
D. He was Schwarzer’s father

B. He was láme and sick.
Gerstäcker was described as not old but frail, bent, láme, with a thin red face, and suffering a severe coughing fit.

15. How did K.’s two supposed assistants, Arthur and Jeremiah, describe their knowledge of land surveying?

A. Comprehensive
B. Non-existent
C. Advanced
D. Basic

B. Non-existent.
When K. asked, “Do you know anything about land surveying?” they responded simply, “No.” They were completely incompetent.

16. What nickname did K. decide to use for both assistants?

A. Jeremiah
B. Joseph
C. Arthur
D. Fritz

C. Arthur.
K. stated that since he could not tell them apart, he would treat them as one man and call them both Arthur.

17. What did the second telephone conversation confirm regarding K.’s official status?

A. He was the old assistant
B. He was the new land surveyor
C. He was banned from the territory
D. He must leave immediately

A. He was the old assistant.
K. claimed to be the “old” assistant Joseph, and after checking, the voice confirmed: “You’re the old assistant.”

18. What reason did the voice on the telephone give for K.’s boss being unable to come to the castle?

A. The boss was sick
B. There was no suitable transport
C. Never
D. The governor was asleep

C. Never.
When K. asked, “When can my boss come to the castle?” the reply was instantaneous and absolute: “Never.”

19. How did K.’s initial impression of the messenger Barnabas differ from that of the assistants?

A. Barnabas was older and less agile
B. Barnabas seemed more diplomatic
C. K. would have preferred him as an assistant
D. Barnabas was dressed more formally

C. K. would have preferred him as an assistant.
K. noted the great similarity between Barnabas and the assistants but thought, “How K. would have preferred him as an assistant!”

20. According to the letter from the Chief Clerk, X. Office, who was K.’s immediate superior?

A. Klamm
B. The castle governor
C. The village mayor
D. The village policeman

C. The village mayor.
The letter stated that K.’s immediate superior was the mayor of the village, who would give him details of his job.

21. What name did Barnabas give K. for the Chief Clerk, X. Office?

A. Sordini
B. Schwarzer
C. Klamm
D. Galater

C. Klamm.
When K. asked the messenger for the Chief Clerk’s name, as the signature was illegible, Barnabas replied, “Klamm.”

22. When K. followed Barnabas from the inn, where did K. mistakenly believe they were going?

A. The mayor’s house
B. The local church
C. The Castle
D. The Count’s Arms

C. The Castle.
K. assumed Barnabas was heading towards the Castle to perform his messenger duties, as he had asked him for further instructions.

23. What did K. notice about Barnabas’s clothing upon reaching his family home?

A. It was a new, official uniform
B. It was tight-fitting silk
C. It concealed a coarse, dirty-grey shirt
D. It was unsuitable for the snow

C. It concealed a coarse, dirty-grey shirt.
Barnabas unbuttoned his shiny jacket to reveal a coarse, dirty-grey, heavily mended shirt, surprising K.

24. What was the name of the inn that was reserved for gentlemen from the Castle?

A. The Bridge Inn
B. The Blacksmith’s Arms
C. The Village Inn
D. The Count’s Arms

D. The Count’s Arms.
K. learned that the second inn, to which Olga guided him, was actually the Count’s Arms, reserved for Castle gentlemen.

25. Where did K. initially try to hide when he returned to the inn reserved for Castle gentlemen?

A. In the attic
B. Behind the counter
C. In Klamm’s room
D. Under a table

D. Under a table.
Hearing footsteps, K. slid beneath the bar table, reasoning that he must avoid being seen if he intended to stay the night.

26. What name did the man who showed K. how to view Klamm use for the viewing hole?

A. A tiny crack
B. A small spyhole
C. A privacy window
D. The peep slot

B. A small spyhole.
Frieda pointed to a door and said, “There’s a little spyhole here you can look through” to see Klamm.

27. According to Frieda, why did she believe Klamm had not been awake when K. viewed him?

A. He was ill
B. He always slept in that position
C. He was reviewing files
D. He had gone home

B. He always slept in that position.
Frieda told K. that Klamm “always sits like that,” and even when K. saw him, he was supposedly asleep.

28. What was Frieda’s relationship with Klamm?

A. His secretary
B. His mistress
C. His relative
D. His former wife

B. His mistress.
Frieda leaned toward K. and stated, “in fact I’m… in fact I’m his mistress,” confirming their secret relationship.

29. Where did K. and Frieda spend the hours of their first night together?

A. In Klamm’s room
B. Beneath the counter
C. In the attic room
D. Outside in the snow

B. Beneath the counter.
After the peasants left, Frieda joined K. under the counter where they embraced and lay together for hours.

30. What was the Landlady’s name?

A. Amalia
B. Olga
C. Gardena
D. Mizzi

C. Gardena.
The landlord referred to his wife, the landlady, by the name Gardena when asking if he should leave the partitioned room.

31. What items did the Landlady cherish as mementoes of Klamm?

A. Letters, wine, and a pin
B. A shawl, a cap, and a picture
C. Rings, shoes, and a blanket
D. A painting, a comb, and a scarf

B. A shawl, a cap, and a picture.
Gardena showed K. a picture and referred to it, the shawl, and the cap as the three mementoes she had of Klamm.

32. The Landlady explained that K.’s presence in the village was due to whose negligence?

A. Klamm’s
B. Schwarzer’s
C. Her husband’s
D. The Mayor’s

C. Her husband’s.
Gardena attributed K.’s presence to her husband’s negligence, saying K. had only his carelessness to thank for being there.

33. What reason did Frieda suggest for Klamm ending their relationship?

A. K. had taken her away
B. She no longer loved him
C. He willed their separation and K.’s arrival
D. He was too busy to see her

C. He willed their separation and K.’s arrival.
Frieda believed that Klamm wanted nothing more to do with her, adding, “I believe it is his doing that we found ourselves together.”

34. What was the key piece of information that the Mayor reluctantly revealed to K.?

A. The Castle wanted K. to leave
B. K. was appointed by the wrong office
C. They did not need a land surveyor
D. K.’s assistants were fake

C. They did not need a land surveyor.
The Mayor stated bluntly, “You’ve been taken on as a land surveyor, you say, but unfortunately we don’t need a land surveyor.”

35. The Mayor explained that files sometimes end up taking a “very long time” to process because they:

A. Are held up by too many signatures
B. Follow the wrong channel
C. Are misplaced by Sordini
D. Are hidden by the local council

B. Follow the wrong channel.
The Mayor noted that files go the wrong way, seeking it out “with some zeal,” leading to a very long processing time.

36. What did the Mayor suggest was the only truly real and reliable thing the village telephones convey?

A. Official communications
B. Hissing and singing sounds
C. Personal messages
D. Direct speech from the Castle

B. Hissing and singing sounds.
The Mayor explained that the constant telephoning is heard in the village as “hissing and singing,” which is the only reliable part.

37. K. reasoned that in his dealings with the authorities, caution was least necessary when dealing with which aspect?

A. Village life
B. Non-official contacts
C. Direct dealings with the authorities
D. His marriage arrangements

C. Direct dealings with the authorities.
K. decided that only in “direct dealings with the authorities” was a degree of relaxation in order.

38. After his interview, what did the Mayor offer K. as a temporary job?

A. Shoemaker’s assistant
B. Inn helper
C. Tinner’s apprentice
D. School caretaker

D. School caretaker.
The schoolmaster informed K. that the Mayor was offering him a “temporary position as school caretaker.” This was a provisional solution.

39. Who was revealed to be the true administrator of the village, handling the official work, due to the Mayor’s illness and lack of ability?

A. The schoolmaster
B. The Mayor’s wife, Mizzi
C. K.
D. The Landlord

B. The Mayor’s wife, Mizzi.
Gardena told K. that the Mayor was “entirely without consequence” and relied on his wife, Mizzi, who runs everything.

40. Why did K. agree to accept the position as school caretaker?

A. It was a step toward meeting Klamm.
B. He needed the steady income.
C. Frieda urgently persuaded him.
D. He feared the schoolmaster’s wrath.

C. Frieda urgently persuaded him.
Frieda insisted that they accept the provisional job, crying that it was a “lifeline” and they could move out if K. found other success.

41. When K. returned to the school after talking with the Mayor, what condition was the room in?

A. It was dirty, unaired, and unchanged
B. Frieda had cleaned it and set it nicely
C. The maids had taken back their belongings
D. The schoolmaster was already teaching there

B. Frieda had cleaned it and set it nicely.
Frieda had been busy: the room was aired, the stove stoked, the floor washed, and the table was covered with a white crocheted cloth.

42. What had the Landlady heard K. discuss that led her to accuse him of trying to deceive her?

A. His travel documents
B. His plans to visit Klamm
C. His offer to live with Barnabas’s family
D. His intention to marry Frieda

C. His offer to live with Barnabas’s family.
The Landlady heard K. mention Barnabas’s house as a place he could stay, shouting about the “cunning rogues.”

43. What was the profession of the boy K. met, Hans Brunswick?

A. Mayor’s son
B. Tanner’s son
C. Shoemaker’s son
D. Sexton’s son

C. Shoemaker’s son.
The boy introduced himself: “Hans Brunswick… son of Otto Brunswick, master shoemaker in Madeleine Street.”

44. What did the boy Hans reveal about his mother that made K. determined to see her?

A. She was an official in the Castle
B. She was ill due to the local air
C. She was Amalia’s rival
D. She was Lasemann’s sister

B. She was ill due to the local air.
K. pressed Hans because the boy admitted his mother was poorly and the nature of her illness was vague, possibly due to the climate.

45. What did Frieda observe about K.’s treatment of Hans Brunswick?

A. K. was genuinely concerned about his mother
B. K. was manipulating the boy to reach his mother
C. K. was too harsh toward the child
D. K. was only interested in the boy’s father

B. K. was manipulating the boy to reach his mother.
Frieda realized K.’s sympathetic words were used to win Hans’s trust, going straight for his mother due to remarks about K.’s affairs.

46. What reason did K. give to Frieda for continually returning to the Barnabas household?

A. He was seeking a new job
B. He was pursuing Amalia
C. He wanted advice from the mother, who came from the Castle
D. He was waiting for his assistants

C. He wanted advice from the mother, who came from the Castle.
K. justified his repeated visits by noting the mother came from the Castle, so she must know the “way” (to the Castle) or give advice.

47. What reason did K. give for dismissing the assistants from his service?

A. They were lazy
B. They lacked skill
C. They were persecuting Frieda
D. They ignored his orders

C. They were persecuting Frieda.
K. told Frieda he dismissed them because they were “pursuing you” and she was “attracted to them.” This was his excuse.

48. Where did K. wait for Klamm’s sledge?

A. In the hallway of the Bridge Inn
B. Outside the Mayor’s office
C. In the courtyard of the Count’s Arms
D. Outside the school

C. In the courtyard of the Count’s Arms.
K. went out into the courtyard of the Count’s Arms, found the sledge, and waited, leaning against the wall.

49. What was the official position of Momus, who interrogated K. at the Count’s Arms?

A. Mayor’s deputy
B. Klamm’s village secretary
C. Head of the Control Bureau
D. Under-governor

B. Klamm’s village secretary.
Momus identified himself to K., stating, “I’m Momus, Klamm’s village secretary,” and was in charge of the official records.

50. What crucial piece of information did Secretary Erlanger give K. before departing?

A. K. must leave the village immediately
B. Frieda must return to the bar
C. Klamm had approved K.’s work
D. K.’s job as land surveyor was secure

B. Frieda must return to the bar.
Erlanger stated that to prevent upset to Klamm, “the girl Frieda must return to the bar immediately.” This was an order.

Brief Overview

The Castle is an unfinished novel by Franz Kafka. It is a profound work of existential and bureaucratic fiction. The novel details the protagonist’s futile struggle for access, recognition, and integration into a mysterious and inaccessible authority.

The story begins late in the evening when the protagonist, known only as K., arrives in a village covered in deep snow. K. claims to be a land surveyor hired by the Castle belonging to Count Westwest. He is immediately questioned for lacking a permit but is later confirmed by the Castle as the land surveyor they sent for.

K. learns he must report to the village mayor, his direct superior. The sick mayor tells K. that a land surveyor is actually not needed due to an old official mistake. K. chooses to stay in the village despite this news.

K. quickly meets Frieda, a barmaid at a local inn who is the mistress of Klamm, a high-ranking Castle official. K. and Frieda quickly become lovers. Because of this relationship, Frieda loses her job at the Count’s Arms. K. views Frieda as his only possible link to the Castle bureaucracy.

K. takes a temporary job as the school caretaker. He is constantly annoyed by two childish assistants who were assigned to him by the Castle. K. tries repeatedly to contact Klamm but fails. Frieda eventually leaves K. for his assistant Jeremiah. K. still receives a late-night summons to meet Secretary Erlanger, an important official, at the inn.