Vocabulary
Distress
Pain, agony, woe, unhappiness, worry
Title and author
When Gregor turns into a roach, his family views him as a ____________.
a. burden
b. blessing
c. resource
d. asset
a. burden
Use two characterization words to describe Gregor's mother.
Afraid, abusive, avoidant, ill, distant
What social class is Gregor and his family part of?
Lower/Middle class
Travail
(N) struggle, agony, woe, tribulation
Properly format the title of our story
"The Metamorphosis"
Why does Gregor work as a traveling salesman?
To support his family financially.
Which options best describe Gregor's father?
a. Loving then neglectful
b. Reliant then abusive
c. Dismissive then appreciative
d. Loyal then afraid
b. Reliant then abusive
Explain why Gregor is a cockroach and what this represents.
Gregor is a cockroach because roaches are seen as disgusting pests.
Asphyxiation
(N) suffocation; inability to breathe
What are the four parts needed in a paragraph?
Military man: respected, happy, brave
Roach: disrespected, needy, useless
How does Gregor's characterization contrast when he is a human vs a roach
As a human: reliable, hardworking, responsible
As a roach: helpless, useless, neglected
How do Gregor's friends and coworkers treat him? What does this represent?
Gregor is not missed and replaceable
Listlessly
(ADV) dully, slowly, lethargically, sluggishly
Properly rewrite and cite the following quote from Kafka's "The Metamorphosis" page 121:
How they stuff themselves and I am dying.
"How they stuff themselves and I am dying" (Kafka, 121).
Which quote BEST describes the family abusing Gregor:
a. "He was filled with sheer anger over the wretched care he was getting.… Without thinking any more about how one might be able to give Gregor special pleasure, the sister now kicked some food or other very quickly into his room."
b. "Gregor’s serious wound … (since no one ventured to remove the apple), seemed by itself to have reminded the father that … Gregor was a member of the family, something one should not treat as an enemy."
A
How does Gregor feel when he dies?
He loves his family and thinks of them fondly.
What is the message of the allegory?
The lower class is mistreated and overworked.
Aversion
(N) dislike, distaste, allergy, hostility
Write a claim in response to this prompt:
In Kafka's "The Metamorphosis", why is Gregor an outsider?
Example:
In Kafka's "The Metamorphosis", Gregor is an outsider because he is misunderstood by his family and society.
How does the family feel when Gregor dies? Why?
They are happy and relieved because he was a burden.
How does his sister change throughout the story?
First she is compassionate, then she resents Gregor and wants to send him away.
What theme is presented about outsiderness? Are outsiders simply those that are misunderstood?
Answers may vary.