Worksheet On

Different types of questions on Metamorphosis

Course Title: Continental Literature

Course code: ENG 401

Submitted To: Submitted by:

Samsunnahar Lina Sumaiya Rahman
Assistant Professor of English Department, Batch-46 th
City University ID-173464530
BA (Hons) in English
City University

Submission Date-20/10/2020
*Is Gregor's transformation sudden or gradual?

Outwardly, Gregor's transformation is immediate. Inwardly, however, the transformation

seems more gradual. His body is foreign but his urges and concerns are clearly human at
first. He lacks coordination and motor skills. At first, even his voice is human but soon
dissolves into unintelligible animal squeaks. Yet he is far from wholly an animal; he
wouldn't suffer if he didn't retain a human sense of guilt, frustration and disappointment.
The title of Kafka's book, The Metamorphosis, applies in some way to each of the main
characters. The Metamorphosis refers not only to the change of Gregor physically, but also
the change Outwardly, Gregor's transformation is immediate. Inwardly, however, the
transformation seems of his family members.
The Metamorphosis as it speaks about changes in each character life. Gregor changes into
a vermin or beetle which is a metaphor for being sick.It makes him from a bread winner to
a burden to the family. This brings changes in the perspective of family members towards
him.

*Why did Kafka leave the term abstract? What might be the bug symbolize?

In The Metamorphosis, Kafka's symbolism is open to a very wide variety of

interpretations.  If the story is interpreted through a lens of social order and aspiration,
Gregor's transformation into an insect can be seen as a manifestation of his feelings of
insignificance. Insects or vermin, as some translations specify are often used to symbolize
the lowest possible members of society, or those who feel small in comparison to the world
around them. Physically, Gregor experiences a great deal of difficulty after his
transformation. He's no longer able to move through life with the agility he's accustomed
to. His clunky new physical form can be viewed as a symbol of limitation and immobility.
Emotionally, Gregor's transformation disgusts his family and alienates him from those who
love him. In this sense, the insect can be interpreted to symbolize Gregor's underlying
feelings of isolation, exile, solitude. The character Gregor Samsa’s in the book
“Metamorphosis” by Franz Kafka symbolizes change, in which he gets transformed into a
large insect. Change literally means to make or do something in a different manner to get a
new result. The novel illustrates the idea of change and transformation through its main
character Gregor Samsa who transforms into a large insect. Gregor was transformed into
an ultimate insect both psychologically and physically. This transformation into led to
complete alienation which prevented him from working and providing his family with
money. His transformation not only changed his life but also made his family’s economical
condition bad. There are multiple interpretations of the symbolism of the bug in The
Metamorphosis. It could stand for Gregor's alienation and separation from his family, as
proof they don't really care about him. It could show his physical limitations. His
transformation may be part of a twisted Christ metaphor. Or it could show the disgust
others hold for him. The main theme of the story, though, is Gregor's alienation.
*What things are left unexplained? Why do you think Kafka left them
unexplained?

The author leaves the reader in the dark on many different things.  Much is left
unexplained such as, why he was morphed, why the family wasn’t working to help in the
first place, and how he could transform back.  The author uses this tactic to leave the story
up for interpretation for the reader. These unexplained things will create so many
questions, imagination into readers mind.The Metamorphosis, portrays a traveling
salesman named Gregor Samsa who supports his family financially prior to his
transformation into a giant insect. The short story focuses on family and social dynamics,
in other words.

*How does the Samsa family’s life change after Gregor is transformed into an
insect? In what ways has it remained the same?

Though Gregor's family first deals with his metamorphosis with concern and sympathy, by
the story's end they're actually happier after his death. The story demonstrates the shifting
roles of dependence and sympathy at first, the dependent Gregor gains the sympathy of his
family, who attempt to be responsible for him; later, they grow weary, even angered, by
their responsibilities towards him. The family's loss of sympathy for Gregor stems from the
trouble he's caused them financially and the ways he's embarrassed them in front of guests,
but the biggest block to their sympathy is his loss of his human shape and behavior. They
treats Gregor as an insect not their family. The fear and disgust his presence inspires (the
irrational fear of the mammoth cockroach) is a detriment to his mother's health and incites
his father to brief fits of violence. Gregors familys behaviour totally changed after his
transformation.

*Do you have sympathy for Gregor? Do you have sympathy for his family?
Why or why not?

 Kafka has throughout the book, created a pitiable image of Gregor. Kafka creates an
almost perfect character who is shown to have no ill feelings for anyone even after his cruel
treatment and in the end dies so that he may please his family. Gregor's genuine concern
for his family receives a cold heartedness that he does not deserve. After his metamorphosis
into a vermin, his family despises him, unable to accept the form he has taken. He becomes
an outsider in his own house and his own society.
Kafka makes the readers aware of Gregor’s unfamiliarity with his surroundings in his
present changed state. Gregor hits his head, gets his jaw injured, doesn’t eat food and
becomes more and more frail without really being aware of it as he should, but he does
experience immense psychological and physical pain. This makes readers pity him. Food is
not readily available for him, there is no kindness from his family, he lives in complete
isolation, his family is unable to bear his presence, the family finance is suffering because of
him, and he is treated with complete cruelty. Yet Gregor does not fight back for the
injustice. He sits enduring it without protesting. That is another thing that readers will
Admire about him and will help them to sympathies more with Gregor. Gregor’s death as
the most touching and unbelievable parts in the book. Gregor is given no respect after his
death. One may have hoped that his family would have had the courtesy of giving him a
decent funeral for “liberating” them, but they do not even do that. The maid just sweeps
Gregor out of the room as one would do with any other insect. Things change after his
death; his father becomes more authoritative and firmer, his sister matures and the family
moves out of their apartment for the first time.
So that's the reasons for being sympathised for Gregor not for his family.

* How did Gregor feel about his job?

Gregor a travelling salesman hates his job but keeps it because of the obligations he feels to
pay off his father’s debt and care for his family. He has transformed into a large bug and
spends the rest of his life in that state. Although hideous and unrecognizable to others,
Gregor retains his some of his inner life and struggles to reconcile his lingering humanity
with his physical condition. This because of his long interior monologue as he wakes up.
The stresses of travel are far greater than working from the home office. He has to deal
with train schedules, bad food, and superficial relationships that "never come from the
heart." He also notes that it is unhealthy to constantly have to get up early, saying he needs
his sleep. He compares how hard he works to how easy traveling salesman for other
companies have it. Gregor also dislikes his boss and wishes he could tell him what he really
thinks of him. However, it becomes clear from his thoughts that  he really hates his job.

*Do they behave well or badly to the bug in their midst?

All of the family members in Kafka's The Metamorphosis receive quite a shock upon seeing
Gregor's transformation. Their reactions to him and how they choose to deal with the
situation all betray their relationships with him, revealing what they actually feel about the
young man. His sister is the only family member to come to his aid, asking if he has become
ill. She immediately tries to console him and help him, if at all possible. Grete, the sister,
begins collecting foods she believes he may now be interested in after his transformation, so
that he can eat and be comfortable—including decayed vegetables, cheese, old leftovers and
bones that had begun to harden. His mother, Mrs. Samsa, is distressed at the
transformation, overwhelmed by emotion and grief. She tries her best to console him and
help him, but she can't bear to look at him. In her grief, she tries her best to act with
motherly affection, but has a difficult time overcoming his appearance. The best word to
describe Gregor's father's reaction in this moment is hostility. Gregor's father, incensed,
forces him back into the room, raging at him. The transformation has not only affected
Gregor, but has impacted his entire family, as he is the sole breadwinner.
*What is the significance of Gregor’s reaction to his sister’s violin
performance?

Gregor's deepest desire before his transformation was to pay for Grete to study violin at
the Conservatorium. The violin symbolizes their loving bond and shows Gregor's altruistic,
sympathetic character. Yet the violin also leads to Gregor's biggest mistake, the night
before his death. While Grete plays for the lodgers, Gregor gets so excited and hopeful that
he crawls too close. The others misread his gesture as threatening, and his intentions
completely fail though he wanted to enjoy the music and support his sister, he ends up
destroying both the evening and the family's income from the lodgers.  He was proud of her
and wanted to pay for her to go to a musical conservatory. He was also protective of her
when he thought the three boarders dismissed her when she played for them.
The violin is closely linked to the themes of family and of intentions vs. outcomes, and it
represents both the best parts of Gregor's character, namely his love and support of Grete
and his desire to take part in a beautiful experience, and the sad truth that he can never
communicate such things again.

*How does Gregor’s metamorphosis goes hand in hand with a description of

the world around him as he sees it in his new state?

 Both as a man and as an insect Gregor patiently accepts the hardships he faces without
complaint. When his father’s business failed, he readily accepted his new role as the
money-earner in the family without question, even though it meant taking a job he disliked
as a traveling salesman. Similarly, when he first realizes he has transformed into an insect,
he does not bemoan his condition, wonder about its cause, or attempt to rectify it in any
way. On the contrary, he quickly accepts that he has become a bug and tries to go about his
life as best he can in his new condition. The narration in the story mirrors Gregor’s calm
forbearance by never questioning or explaining how or why this odd transformation
occurred or remarking on its strangeness. Instead, the story, much like Gregor, moves on
quickly from the metamorphosis itself and focuses on the consequences of Gregor’s change.
For Gregor, that primarily means becoming accustomed to his new body. In fact
reconciling his human thoughts and feelings with his new, insect body is the chief conflict
Gregor faces in the story.

*What did Kafka try to express through the metamorphosis of Gregor Samsa?
What is the point of the novella? 
The Metamorphosis, Gregor goes from being a human, traveling salesman when he goes to
sleep to an enormous insect. The rest of the story details him and his family adjusting to
this new life. The story is told in third-person limited view or perspective. This means the
narrator is not a character in the story but tells the events from a knowledgeable place. The
narrator is able to dive deeply into one character's thoughts, feelings, and circumstances to
better understand his perspective .Kafka chooses to maintain a singular focus on Gregor.
Since he is the protagonist, it is fitting that the perspective focuses on him. The reader
becomes involved in his isolation alongside him because of the perspective. 
Through this perspective, the reader is able to ''see'' his inner monologue. We can feel his
isolation and desperation. For so long Gregor has worked a mundane job to support a
family that now despises him. Through his thoughts, we can feel his despair at coming to
these realizations. Before Gregor’s transformation he only lived life to serve others, but
through his metamorphosis he slowly comes to meet his own desires, seeking a more
personal independence. Kafka’s Metamorphosis has a multitude of meanings but is
ultimately thought of as being uninterpretable. Kafka has invented a conflict within Gregor
that is seemingly universal to the development of mankind.

*What parts of the novel did you find funny (if any)? How does Kafka share
his humor?

There is a pervasive sense of black humor that runs throughout this brilliant short story
that says so much about the alienation facing the common man in life. First of all, let us
remember the way that ironically the metamorphosis that Gregor experiences is actually
shown to be an improvement to the rigors and frustrations of his life as a travelling
salesman. Gregor is finally able to rest and to do what he wants to do without feeling forced
into action to look after others. Then there are other notes of humor, such as the
charwoman who is employed by the family to tidy up, and her attitude towards Gregor.
The way in which slang is used to refer to Gregor's demise, "it's cracked," certainly adds to
the black humor of the situation whilst underscoring the plight of Gregor. The fact that his
death brings his family such happiness, and that his metamorphosis is the necessary
catalyst to change his family and make them exert themselves is at once darkly humorous
and undescribably tragic.

*What do you think about the ending? What were your reactions to the entire
novella?
The ending deeply unsatisfying, so abrupt. For a story with such a sensational beginning,
Kafka's Metamorphosis ends with a relative whimper. Gregor, weakened by a long period
of self-starvation, collapses on the floor. At first glance, the final four pages of Franz
Kafka’s novel The Metamorphosis seem to be meaningless. This assumption, however, is
anything but the truth. The final four pages, although seeming to be of no importance,
serve to show the reader how the Samsa family changes as a result of the main character’s,
Gregor Samsa’s, death. The scene at the kitchen table and the scene on the trolley both
play important roles in revealing the changes in the Samsa family. The change from being
completely dependent on Gregor, and the mental and physical changes made by Grete. All
of which were provoked by Gregor’s death. By the end of the novel, each member of the
family is a different person.
*What ways is The Metamorphosis like fairy tales we know and in what ways
is it different?

The Metamorphosis is similar to fairy tales because it is an Allegory. It is different though

because in fairy tales the animals people turn into aren't gross animals like bugs.Unlike
common fairy tales, the Metamorphosis doesn't have a happy ending. Another, is that some
fairy tales have a routine to turn into some other animals or objects, like a caterpilar into a
butterfly or an egg into some other animal, or how humans magically turn into frogs or
other types of animals.Both The Metamorphosis and these other "things" had that same
routine, out of anywhere they will turn into another object, exept that humans don't really
turn into other objects. They are diffrent in the way that "fairy tales" and humans don't
have the same routine. Humans don't magically change into other "things".

*Into what genre would you categorize The Metamorphosis?

Kafka's Metamorphosis falls squarely in the genre of Modernist fiction. The fate of Gregor,
lonely traveling salesman, expresses the common Modernist concern with the alienating
effects of modern society. Kafka also sprinkles his story with elements of surrealism, a
movement that was on the rise at the time Kafka wrote The Metamorphosis. Early
twentieth-century surrealist literature and art blended fantasy and reality. This aspect of
surrealism shows up in the plot of Kafka's The Metamorphosis, which begins with the
protagonist, Gregor Samsa, awakening from a "troubled dream."Surrealism merged the
conscious and unconscious planes of experience in a way that united dreams and fantasy
with rational, daily existence. In The Metamorphosis, it's hard to be certain whether we're
witnessing a strange reality or a continuation of Gregor's "troubled dream." This
uncertainty is part of the surreal aspect of the story and shows the influence of artistic
innovations of the time.  Kafka grounds his story with realistic elements. Despite the fact
that the main premise of the plot is implausible, the characters, settings, occurrences, and
various other details of the story are presented in a manner resembling reality. These
aspects of the story give it a realistic tone and flavor.

*Having read some Kafka, what do you thinks distinguishes Kafka’s style
from others?

Franz Kafka created fictional worlds in which characters try to make sense of a
nightmarish world. Kafka's writing style seems simple and straightforward, but it's full of
philosophizing about the absurdity of life. It’s not easy to understand one of his stories with
only one reading. The term “Kafkaesque” refers to the style in which he wrote and is seen
by many as a synonym for “surreal.” His stories are mostly strange, and horrifying. His
works are not only fantastic and symbolic, but they are often provoking. Most of Kafka’s
stories are metaphorical, focusing on the nature of spirituality and the absurdity of life; He
digs deep into the minds of his characters and examines their psychology and the
motivation for their actions. The sentences seem to go on and on until they end with a
surprising or counter-intuitive twist. His ability to portrait feelings in words, so that a
person can actually feel what he is expressing, is art.

*Who is to blame for gregor’s metamorphosis? why does the metamorphosis

take place?

The main protagonist, Gregor Samsa, dedicates his life to his family and his company,
regardless of his anxiety and hatred. After he has transformed into a gigantic insect, he
undergoes many mental and physical changes. He belongs to an absurd world around him
but, tragically, attempts to survive in the human world and dies in despair. Along the way,
his whole family changes as well. As a traveling salesman, he has been imprisoned by
society, his family, his job, and himself. Long before the metamorphosis, he was already not
a human. Many people believe that the parents, his sister, and the heavily demanding job
are the reasons which create this disaster; therefore, he is a pitiful victim in the story. On
the contrary, he is the main character who causes his own metamorphosis!

*After realizing his transformation, how did Gregor feel about it?

After Gregor's transformation into a "monstrous vermin," he thinks he may return to his
normal state if he goes back to sleep. Despite his complete physical transformation into an
insect at the beginning of the story, Gregor changes very little as a character over the
course of The Metamorphosis. Most notably, both as a man and as an insect Gregor
patiently accepts the hardships he faces without complaint. When his father’s business
failed, he readily accepted his new role as the money-earner in the family without question,
even though it meant taking a job he disliked as a traveling salesman. Similarly, when he
first realizes he has transformed into an insect, he does not bemoan his condition, wonder
about its cause, or attempt to rectify it in any way. On the contrary, he quickly accepts that
he has become a bug and tries to go about his life as best he can in his new condition. The
narration in the story mirrors Gregor’s calm forbearance by never questioning or
explaining how or why this odd transformation occurred or remarking on its strangeness.
Instead, the story, much like Gregor, moves on quickly from the metamorphosis itself and
focuses on the consequences of Gregor’s change. For Gregor, that primarily means
becoming accustomed to his new body.
In fact reconciling his human thoughts and feelings with his new, insect body is the chief
conflict Gregor faces in the story. Despite having changed into an insect, Gregor initially
still wants to go to work so that he can provide for his family. Gregor's transformation into
a bug reveals the extent his family exploited him economically. In fact, the way in which
one by one his family members first his father, then his mother, and finally his sister
abandon all care and concern for him as a bug shows that he is worthless to them if he
cannot perform the function of bringing in a salary. In other words, there is no deeper love
for his spirit all that matters to his family is his role as breadwinner. At the top are his
parents, particularly his father who is the most disgusted by his transformation and who
does not even pretend to care for him once he loses his job. This structure can be
considered a critique of capitalism as an economic system. All of the family members in
Kafka's The Metamorphosis receive quite a shock upon seeing Gregor's transformation.
Their reactions to him and how they choose to deal with the situation all betray their
relationships with him, revealing what they actually feel about the young man.

*After his change, what does Gregor do to be happy?

Gregor’s insect body has an increasing influence on his psychology. He finds that he is at
ease hiding in the dark under the sofa in his room, like a bug would, even though his body
won’t fit comfortably. He also discovers that he enjoys crawling on the walls and ceiling.
But Gregor’s humanity never disappears entirely. He still feels human emotions and has
strong memories of his human life. As a result, even though he knows he would feel more
physically comfortable if his room were emptied of furniture, allowing him to crawl
anywhere he pleased.

*What way did Gregor's family struggle after Gregor changed?

Gregor was the only earning member in the family, but after transformation he couldn’t
bring money for the family. So the family mainly struggled economically. Gregor’s sister.
Grete is a young woman on the cusp of adulthood. She initially shows great concern for
Gregor, but her compassion gives way to possessiveness and resentment as the effects of
Gregor’s transformation on her life slowly take their toll. Gregor’s father. The failure of
his business has left him exhausted and emotionally broken, and he is forced to return to
work again after Gregor’s metamorphosis. Despite the beneficial effects his new
employment has on him, he expresses considerable hostility toward Gregor. Gregor's
mother,like Gregor's father, is elderly and sick, but she also returns to work, as an
underwear seamstress, when he transforms.

*Why does Gregor get stressed when he sees Grete and his mother removing
everything from his room?

Grete sees that Gregor enjoys climbing up the walls and across the ceiling, so she decides to
remove the furniture from the room to give him more space. Grete and the mother start
taking out furniture. Gregor, panicked at the thought of losing all the remnants of his
human life, climbs the wall and covers the picture of the woman in furs to prevent it from
being taken away.

*What object does Gregor refuse to let them take away?

Gregor doesn't want his furniture removed is because it means that they lost hope for his
transformation back into a bug. He transformed into a bug but psychologically he wanted
to be human.
*Near the end, what was the reason why Gregor started to come out of his
room?
Gregor continues to take great pleasure in his sister's playing. He decides that he must
crawl out and tug at Grete's skirt to let her know that she must play in his room, because
no one else in the room seems to enjoy her music as much as he does.

*How was Grete feeling about Gregor near the end of the novella?
Grete, however, changes more than any other character in the story in essence undergoing
her own metamorphosis from a girl into a woman and that change occurs while her pity for
Gregor slowly diminishes. Eventually she comes to present the role, and it is Grete who
decides they must get rid of Gregor.

*Describe the time that gregor's father hurt him.

Gregor's father has no problem stamping his feet and swinging a walking stick at Gregor,
and this is a sign of more violence to come. When his mother, Mrs. Samsa, accidentally
catches sight of Gregor on his bedroom wall, she faints, and her husband thinks her son
has done something criminal to her. Furious, Mr. Samsa begins hurling apples at Gregor,
''determined to bombard him.'' One apple ''grazed Gregor's back and glanced off
harmlessly,'' but the next ''immediately landed right on his back and sank in,'' leaving
Gregor in ''incredible pain.''Mr. Samsa's actions show us that he no longer regards Gregor
as his son. All he sees before him is a giant insect creature that creeps him out whenever he
lays eyes on him. To Mr. Samsa, Gregor is now a threat, a real and present danger to his
family. As such, he must be put firmly in his place at every opportunity.

*Why do new people move in and who are they?

The new cleaning lady, meanwhile, regularly talks to Gregor. She openly stares at him, and
even tries to sneak into the room to catch him off guard. One day, Gregor, tired of being
peered at, attacks her, but the cleaning lady threatens him with a chair, so he desists. The
family takes three boarders into the apartment. These men cannot stand mess and
disorder, so the family moves much of the furniture and the cleaning lady’s supplies into
Gregor’s room. Gregor enjoys crawling through the clutter, though doing so leaves him
exhausted.

*How does Gregor feel near the end of the story?

As the story continues, Gregor's insect body has an increasing influence on his psychology.
Toward the end of the story, he even feels haunted by the thought that he might be able to
take control of the family's affairs again and resume his role as the family's money earner.

*Who finds Gregor?

Gregor's death, which is effectively suicide, is indeed a sacrifice, and that's how Gregor
sees it himself. He knows that, so long as he remains a giant bug, he will always be a burden
to his family, and that's the last thing he wants. The cleaning lady discovers Gregor’s body
the next morning. The family gathers around the corpse and Grete notices how skinny
Gregor had be