illustration of a giant insect with the outline of a man in a suit standing within the confines of the insect

The Metamorphosis

by Franz Kafka

Start Free Trial

The Metamorphosis Questions on Gregor Samsa

The Metamorphosis

In Franz Kafka's The Metamorphosis, Gregor's father throws apples at him, symbolizing the rejection and hostility Gregor faces after his transformation into an insect. This act represents both the...

7 educator answers

The Metamorphosis

In Kafka's The Metamorphosis, Gregor Samsa's transformation into an insect drastically alters his family's dynamics and emotional states. Initially, his sister Grete shows care but eventually resents...

19 educator answers

The Metamorphosis

A quote that shows Gregor's dehumanization by his father in The Metamorphosis is: "Gregor's father seized the chief clerk's stick in his right hand... and used them to drive Gregor back into his...

1 educator answer

The Metamorphosis

Readers cannot know for sure whether Gregor has actually turned into a giant insect in The Metamorphosis or whether it has happened only in his mind. The third-person limited narrator tells us...

4 educator answers

The Metamorphosis

Kafka uses humor in The Metamorphosis to highlight Gregor's reaction to his bizarre transformation. Gregor's calm and mundane concerns about missing work, despite his alarming situation, create a...

2 educator answers

The Metamorphosis

In Franz Kafka's The Metamorphosis, Gregor Samsa's death symbolizes the destructive power of neglect and lack of love, as his family becomes indifferent to his existence after his transformation into...

4 educator answers

The Metamorphosis

In The Metamorphosis, comic elements include Gregor's absurd transformation into an insect, his family's confusion, and Grete's ironic suggestion that Gregor should leave if he were truly himself....

1 educator answer

The Metamorphosis

In Franz Kafka's The Metamorphosis, Gregor Samsa's transformation into an insect symbolizes his dehumanization by his job and family, who value him only for his financial contributions. His...

11 educator answers

The Metamorphosis

The view from Gregor's window in "The Metamorphosis" signifies his isolation and confinement. The limited view reflects his trapped existence and the monotony of his life. It symbolizes the barrier...

9 educator answers

The Metamorphosis

In Kafka's The Metamorphosis, language plays a crucial role in illustrating Gregor Samsa's transformation and isolation. Initially, Gregor can communicate, but as he becomes more insect-like, his...

4 educator answers

The Metamorphosis

In The Metamorphosis, Gregor works as a traveling salesman, a job he despises. He feels trapped and burdened by the job, which he only keeps to pay off his family's debt. His sense of duty and lack...

3 educator answers

The Metamorphosis

The Metamorphosis centers on Gregor Samsa, who inexplicably transforms into a giant insect. The plot follows his struggle to adapt to his new form and his family's reaction to his condition. The...

1 educator answer

The Metamorphosis

Gregor clings to the picture of the woman in furs as it symbolizes his longing for human connection and normalcy lost after his transformation. The picture represents a semblance of his past life,...

4 educator answers

The Metamorphosis

Gregor's last words, "What now, then?" reflect his uncertainty about the imminence of his death and his search for what comes next. They signify his acceptance of his unnatural existence and...

1 educator answer

The Metamorphosis

In Franz Kafka's The Metamorphosis, food symbolizes Gregor Samsa's transformation and familial relationships. Initially, Gregor's changing food preferences reflect his transformation from human to...

6 educator answers

The Metamorphosis

The violin scene in Kafka's The Metamorphosis is ironic as Gregor, the insect, appreciates his sister Grete's music, unlike the unimpressed boarders. Despite Gregor's dirty appearance, he longs for...

1 educator answer

The Metamorphosis

In The Metamorphosis, Kafka explores themes about the value of human life and human nature. The story suggests that human life is inherently valuable and that individuals should be treated with...

2 educator answers

The Metamorphosis

Gregor's reaction to his sister's violin playing highlights his lingering humanity and affection for his sister. Captivated by the music, he wishes she would play for him, revealing his emotional...

2 educator answers

The Metamorphosis

In The Metamorphosis, Gregor's food preferences change drastically after his transformation. He loses interest in his usual favorite foods and instead craves rotten and decayed items. This shift in...

2 educator answers

The Metamorphosis

The cloth sheet in "The Metamorphosis" symbolizes Gregor's deep care for his sister, despite his transformation into an insect. It represents his desire to protect her from fear by covering himself,...

1 educator answer

The Metamorphosis

In describing Gregor's appearance post-transformation, negative connotations dominate, such as being called a "gargantuan pest" with a "hard-armored back," "wriggling legs," and described as a "dung...

1 educator answer

The Metamorphosis

The fantastic elements in the story are Gregor's transformation and his family's behavior. The realistic elements are about the family's financial situation, his father's hypocrisy and his mother's...

1 educator answer

The Metamorphosis

In The Metamorphosis, Gregor feels guilty because he can no longer do his job as a traveling salesman and is no longer able to support his family financially.

1 educator answer

The Metamorphosis

The use of doors in "The Metamorphosis" symbolizes Gregor's isolation and strained relationship with his family. Doors serve as barriers separating Gregor from his family, highlighting their...

5 educator answers

The Metamorphosis

In The Metamorphosis, Gregor leaves his room for the first time because he is concerned about his mother. She ran to her room and fainted when she saw him climbing the walls, and Grete has to get...

1 educator answer

The Metamorphosis

Gregor's preference for garbage over milk after his metamorphosis symbolizes his dehumanization and transformation into an insect-like creature. This change in taste reflects his internal shift from...

1 educator answer

The Metamorphosis

When Gregor leaves his room to meet and speak with the office manager, he is greeted with shock, dismay, and apprehension. The manager is the first to see Gregor. The latter exclaims, covers his...

2 educator answers

The Metamorphosis

In paragraph 67 of Franz Kafka's The Metamorphosis, the interaction between Gregor and the charwoman reveals that Gregor's point of view at this point in the story is rather naïve. He is upset by the...

1 educator answer

The Metamorphosis

In The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka, mood and characterization significantly shape the reader's perception. The bleak and oppressive mood underscores Gregor Samsa's alienation and despair, while his...

2 educator answers

The Metamorphosis

In The Metamorphosis, Gregor does not turn into a spider or a grasshopper. The specific insect is never named, but it is described as a "monstrous vermin." Many interpretations suggest Gregor...

1 educator answer

The Metamorphosis

Gregor's hopes are encapsulated in his hatred of his job; however, he does not express any desire to do anything else with his time.

1 educator answer

The Metamorphosis

Gregor Samsa from "The Metamorphosis" is considered sane within the story's context. The third-person narration suggests a reliable account of events, indicating that Gregor's transformation into an...

1 educator answer

The Metamorphosis

In "The Metamorphosis," Gregor's sister, Grete, initially cares for him by feeding him and adjusting to his needs, but she eventually becomes frustrated and insists he is no longer her brother....

1 educator answer

The Metamorphosis

Gregor interprets his sister’s bringing him food and her sighs while in his room as attempts to communicate. Once she realizes that his speech is impaired, she shifts her focus to practical tactics...

1 educator answer

The Metamorphosis

Gregor's wish to enjoy Grete's violin music in Kafka's "The Metamorphosis" symbolizes his longing for human interaction and emotional connection. Despite his insect form, Gregor is drawn to the music...

1 educator answer

The Metamorphosis

In The Metamorphosis, Gregor is a traveling salesman who finds his job stressful and unrewarding.

1 educator answer

The Metamorphosis

In "The Metamorphosis," Gregor's eating problem and Grete's violin playing symbolize the family's release from oppression. Gregor's transformation into an insect liberates him from work but imprisons...

1 educator answer

The Metamorphosis

In the evening, before his transformation, Gregor would stay home reading the paper, studying timetables, or building things, such as a frame with a magazine picture. After his metamorphosis, he...

1 educator answer

The Metamorphosis

The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka can be considered a coming-of-age story as Gregor goes through a period of intense transition early in his life. The story focuses on Gregor's shifting relationship...

2 educator answers

The Metamorphosis

In "The Metamorphosis," Gregor's boss arrives at his home, threatening him about his poor work performance and flees in horror upon seeing Gregor. His sister, Grete, initially cries but tries to care...

1 educator answer

The Metamorphosis

Gregor responds to the charwoman's taunts with increasing annoyance. Initially, he tries to ignore her insulting remarks, such as calling him an "old dung-beetle." Eventually, his irritation leads...

1 educator answer

The Metamorphosis

On one hand, this is an easy question. Pick a character and defend your opinion. On the other hand, this question is tough because none of the other characters are meant to create feelings of...

1 educator answer

The Metamorphosis

Gregor's goal in life is to pay off his parents' debt so that he can be free of work and enjoy a normal life.

1 educator answer

The Metamorphosis

In The Metamorphosis, Gregor feels most comfortable while wedged rather tightly under the couch in his bedroom. He does not like the wide-open space of his whole room, and so he tucks himself, as...

1 educator answer

The Metamorphosis

Existentialist ideas in The Metamorphosis include themes of alienation, absurdity, and the search for meaning. Gregor Samsa's transformation into an insect symbolizes the human struggle to find...

1 educator answer

The Metamorphosis

The word choices regarding Gregor's appearance in "The Metamorphosis" reflect his lack of self-control and intense reaction to his transformation. Descriptions like "hard-armored back" and...

1 educator answer

The Metamorphosis

Gregor Samsa, in "The Metamorphosis" by Franz Kafka, is shocked to find his human body transformed into that of an insect. He is particularly struck by his "diminutive" legs, which are thin and...

1 educator answer

The Metamorphosis

The first paragraph of The Metamorphosis reveals that the main character, Gregor Samsa, has undergone a startling transformation into a "monstrous" bug. Despite this physical change, Gregor retains...

1 educator answer

The Metamorphosis

Gregor Samsa became a traveling salesman to help pay off his parents' debt to his boss. He estimates it will take five or six more years to clear it before he can quit. His job metaphorically ties...

2 educator answers

The Metamorphosis

Gregor doesn't drink the milk his sister leaves because his transformation has altered his tastes and physical abilities. Although milk was once his favorite, his new insect form makes it difficult...

1 educator answer