Assignment 8

Roth

ENGL 2341

Assignment #8: Questions on Kafka’s The Metamorphosis

1) What was Gregor’s occupation before his transformation? How did he come to his particular job? What kept him from working for his firm?

2) When Gregor wakes to discover he has become a gigantic insect, he is mostly intent on the practical implications of his metamorphosis – how to get out of bed, how to get to his job, and so on. He never wonders why or how he has been changed. What does this odd reaction suggest about Gregor?

3) When Gregor’s parents first see the gigantic insect (paragraph 25), do they recognize it as their son? What do their initial reactions suggest about their attitude toward their son?

4) How does each family member react to Gregor after his transformation? How do their reactions differ from one another? What do they have in common?

5) What things about Gregor have been changed? What seems to have remained the same? List specific qualities.

6) The Metamorphosis takes place almost entirely in the Samsa apartment. How does the story’s setting shape its themes?

7) Which family member first decides that the family must ‘get rid’ of the insect? What rationale is given? In what specific ways does the family’s decision affect Gregor?

8) How does the family react to Gregor’s death?

9) Does Grete change in the course of the story? If so, how?