Section 1:Gregor’s Transformation
Gregor’s primary concern after his transformation into a bug is this.
What is his job and his responsibility to provide for his family?
Gregor sitting in darkness while his family sits in a lit room symbolizes this.
What is his alienation and loss of connection to his family?
Gregor’s death is caused by this combination of factors.
What is neglect, injury, and emotional despair?
“He must go,” was said by this family member about Gregor.
Who is Gregor’s sister, Grete?
Kafka’s strained relationship with this family member inspired elements of The Metamorphosis.
Who is his father?
Gregor reacts in this way when his manager shows up at his home.
What is shocked, fearful, and anxious?
Gregor’s internal transformation throughout the story can best be described as this.
What is a shift from duty to alienation and hopelessness?
After Gregor’s death, his family feels this way.
What is relief and a sense of renewal?
“Oh God, what has happened to me?” is Gregor’s first reaction to this.
What is waking up to find he has transformed into a bug?
Like Gregor, Kafka worked in this profession, which he felt trapped by.
What is an office clerk or bureaucrat?
This detail about Gregor’s past life highlights the stark contrast between his previous identity and his new condition.
What is his time as a lieutenant in the military?
Gregor’s sister’s change throughout the story is characterized by this transformation.
What is becoming distant and hostile after initially being supportive?
This change occurs in Gregor’s family after his death.
What is a newfound sense of freedom and independence?
“If I didn’t hold back for my parents’ sake, I would have quit long ago,” reflects this aspect of Gregor’s life.
What is Gregor’s sense of duty and self-sacrifice for his family?
Kafka’s personal struggles with illness and alienation parallel this aspect of Gregor’s life.
What is his physical and emotional isolation?
When Gregor’s father hisses at him while chasing him back to his room, this is symbolized.
What is the father’s dehumanizing and animalistic behavior?
The shift in pronouns from “he” to “it” represents this in Gregor’s story.
What is Gregor’s dehumanization and alienation?
The apple lodged in Gregor’s back symbolizes this.
What is his father’s rejection and Gregor’s burden of guilt?
“He drove Gregor forward with a kind of hissing sound,” describes the behavior of this family member.
Who is Gregor’s father?
Kafka’s fear of being misunderstood or ignored is symbolized by this aspect of Gregor’s transformation.
What is his family’s rejection of him after his transformation?
This best describes the emotional divide between Gregor and his family in the beginning.
What is Gregor retains concern for his family, while they become increasingly self-centered?
The family’s decision to isolate Gregor in his room underscores this theme.
What is the fear and rejection of the “other”?
The story ends with this commentary on societal and familial obligations.
What is the disposability of individuals who are no longer deemed useful?
“The sister moved away from the food in fright, as if it would somehow hurt her,” illustrates this reaction to encountering “the other.”
What is fear and hostility toward what is unfamiliar or different?
Kafka’s personal feelings of being trapped and misunderstood are symbolized in this element of Gregor’s transformation.
What is Gregor’s inability to communicate and his physical confinement in his room?