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Fun Bug Facts
Plot
Characters
Symbolism
Theme
100

Butterflies can taste with their feet, true or false?

True!

100

The immediate problem in the story, introduced on the first page of the novel.

What is Franz waking up as a beetle?

100
This is the protagonist of the story.
Who is Gregor Samsa?
100

Gregor going through a trial alone, suffering by himself and ultimately dying along represents what symbol?

A. Sadness

B. Isolation

C. Family relationships

D. Love

B. Isolation, being alone and lonely

100
How readers may describe Kafka's tone throughout the novella.
What is dark and serious tone?
200

Crickets hear with their knees, true or false?

True!

200

Explain the difference in how Gregor's mother reacted to his change vs. his fathers reaction.

The mother is sad and loves him but does nothing, the father reacts in anger and kills Gregor after hurting him

200

These are the characters Gregor lives with in his apartment.

Who are Mr. and Mrs. Samsa, Grete Samsa, and the three boarders. lodgers?

200

The three boarders living with the Samsa family represent what?

A. Friendship and togetherness

B. The end of normalcy in the Samsa home

C. Community

D. Healthy Social Interactions

B. The end of normalcy in the Samsa home

200
This is one of the themes, that can be made evident through this quote in the novella: "But the empty high-ceilinged room in which he was forced to lie flat on the floor made him nervous, without his being able to tell why – since it was, after all, the room in which he had lived for the past five years – and turning half unconsciously and not without a slight feeling of shame, he scuttled under the couch."
What is isolation?
300

How long can a Cockroach live after losing its head?

A. 1 hour

B. 2 days

C. 2 weeks

D. 1 month

C. 2 weeks

300

Describe Grete's change in how she treats Gregor at the beginning vs. the end of the story.

She began being loving and caring, then turned mean and hateful towards him.

300

This character is stern, mean and angry. He attacks Gregor, weakening him and leading to his death.

Who is Mr. Samsa?

300

Explain in your own words what you think Mr. Samsa represents. 

Anger, hatred, selfishness, etc.

300
This is one of the themes of the story as the following quote may demonstrate: "As Gregor Samsa awoke one morning from uneasy dreams he found himself transformed in his bed into a gigantic insect." In this quotation, an extremely bizarre and unexplained event takes place that changes Gregor's life.
What is how outrageous life ultimately is?
400

It takes this many silkworm cocoons to produce one pound of silk.

A. 2,000

B. 20,000

C. 200,000

D. 2 million

A. 2,000

400

What is the one thing Gregor held onto that represented his hope of returning back into being human?

The picture on the wall of a woman in furs

400

This character is perhaps a 'mirror' of who Gregor was before, and although very caring and loving towards Gregor in the beginning, turns hateful by the end.

Who is Grete Samsa?

400
Use 4 adjectives to describe Gregor, his life and his personality.

Sad, lonely, unappreciated, alone, unloved etc.

400
This is the feeling Kafka imbues in his readers through events ostracizing Gregor from his family during a series of events which show the selfishness of his family members.
What is loneliness?
500

Which one of these facts is not true:

A. Cockroaches can run 3 miles per hour

B. They can hold their breath for up to 40 minutes  

C. They can see in the dark with x ray vision

D. They can live a month without food

C. Cockroaches cannot see in the dark and do not have x ray vision!

500

How does the family react after Gregor dies? Why is this confusing?

Because a normal family would morn and not be happy about losing a family member

500

The mean woman who taunts and teases Gregor while he is suffering and dying. She bullies and harasses him.

Who is the cleaning lady, the maid, the charwoman?

500
This was Franz's mother's job.
What is merchant?
500
This mental disorder heavily impacted Kafka's outlook on life and gives his writing a dark tone.
What is depression?