The Metamorphosis
What physical change happens to Gregor Samsa at the start of the story?
Gregor wakes up transformed into a large insect (commonly read as a beetle/cockroach).
Who is the narrator for most of the story’s events, and which character is his close friend?
Mr. Utterson is the lawyer-narrator; his close friend is Dr. Henry Jekyll.
Who is the narrator of the story, and why does he visit the Usher house?
The unnamed friend/narrator visits because Roderick Usher asks for help; he is concerned about Roderick’s illness.
What single word does the raven repeat, and how does the speaker initially interpret that word?
The raven says “Nevermore."
Name Gregor’s occupation before his transformation and explain briefly why it matters to the family.
He is a traveling salesman; his job supports the family financially and motivates his attempts to return to work.
What is the central scientific experiment Dr. Jekyll undertakes, and what is its immediate outcome?
Jekyll creates a potion to separate his “good” and “evil” selves; he transforms into Mr. Hyde.
Name Roderick Usher’s twin and describe her condition when the narrator first sees her.
Madeline (Madeline Usher); she appears cataleptic, fainting and close to death.
Who is the speaker grieving, and what time of day does the poem largely take place?
The speaker mourns Lenore; the poem takes place at midnight (the “bleak December” and “midnight dreary”).
Identify one way Gregor’s family’s behavior toward him changes after his transformation.
Examples: family locks him in his room; they avoid looking at him; they eventually see him as a burden and escort him less and less.
Describe one way London’s atmosphere in the novella contributes to the mood of the story.
Fog-filled streets, dark alleys, and a sense of social hypocrisy heighten suspense.
Identify two ways the physical house mirrors Roderick Usher’s mental state.
House described as decaying, fissures in the building, pallor and bleakness reflect Roderick’s mental collapse and family degeneration.
Analyze how Poe uses repetition to build mood.
Repetition: “Nevermore” builds obsession.
Explain the significance of the picture of the woman in furs in Gregor’s room.
The picture shows Gregor’s attachment to human identity, memory, and perhaps beauty/escape.
Explain the symbolic significance of the door to Mr. Hyde’s lodging and how it contrasts with Dr. Jekyll’s front door.
Hyde’s door is neglected, sinister, and disreputable; Jekyll’s front is respectable—symbolizing the split between respectable appearance and hidden vice.
Interpret the final collapse of the House of Usher as symbolic. What might the house’s fall represent about lineage?
The house’s fall symbolizes the end of the Usher bloodline.
Name two emotions the speaker displays throughout the poem and cite a line or image that shows each.
Grief (e.g., “my lost Lenore”), despair/hopelessness (e.g., “nothing more” / pleading questions), and rising madness as he converses with the bird.
Discuss how Kafka uses setting and confined spaces to reflect Gregor’s psychological state.
Kafka uses the small, dim apartment, Gregor’s confinement to his room, and tight doorways to mirror his isolation and loss of agency.
Analyze how Stevenson uses duality (two-sidedness) in character and theme.
Duality appears as Jekyll/Hyde embodied in one man; the respectable public persona vs. secret impulses.
Explain the role of the narrator’s reading of the tale “Mad Trist” (the poem) in the story’s climax.
The reading creates a sympathetic atmosphere and parallels the story’s events; the sounds described coincide with real events, increasing tension and causing the climax when Madeline appears.
Explain the significance of the raven perching on the bust of Pallas (Athena). What does this suggest about the poem’s themes?
The bust of Pallas suggests intellect or reason; the raven perching there implies that sorrow and irrational grief now sit atop reason, undermining rational consolation.