Study Questions

1. Why doesn’t Gregor drink the milk his sister leaves for him?

2. Why does the household maid ask Mrs. Samsa to let her go?

3. Where does Gregor like to hide?

4. Who has assumed major responsibility for Gregor’s life?

5. Why did Gregor become a traveling salesman?

6. How do the Samsa’s expect to live now that their son’s source of income is lost?

7. Why is Gregor so intent on sending his sister to the conservatory to study music?

8. In what ways are Gregor’s physical powers declining?

9. How has Grete’s attitude and behavior toward Gregor changed?

10. Why does Grete want to remove most of the furniture from Gregor’s room?

Answers

1. Gregor finds it hard to eat anything with the soreness and tenderness in his side, and the sight of the milk only repulses him, even though it has always been his favorite drink.

2. The maid wants to leave the Samsa household because she no longer wants to work in the same apartment where there is a repulsive creature living.

3. Gregor likes to hide under the sofa in his room because it is a safe place and gives him some protection from the outside world.

4. Grete has assumed the major task of caring for Gregor.

5. Gregor became a traveling salesman after his father’s business failed.

6. Mr. Samsa made some investments while he was in business, and the Samsa’s can expect to live off this money for a year or two at the most.

7. Gregor feels closest to his sister in the family and his love for her is expressed by his fervent desire to pay for her musical education at the conservatory.

8. Gregor’s mobility has been seriously impaired by the injury to one of his legs; furthermore, he is beginning to lose his eyesight. Finally, he is weakened by his efforts to move the armchair to the window every time Grete moves it away.

9. Grete begins to grow impatient whenever she has to enter Gregor’s room to feed him and to clean up the room. Her indifference also becomes evident in having to care for Gregor. While she herself may not be aware of the changes in her character, Gregor perceptively realizes that her enthusiasm and interest in him are waning.

10. Grete feels that Gregor needs more room to move about in and to that end she wants to remove most of the furniture from his room.