Meet the Family
What is the name of Gregor's sister?
Answer: Grete.
Who comes to the Samsa home when Gregor fails to go to work?
Answer: The chief clerk.
What shocking change does Gregor discover when he wakes up?
Answer: He has transformed into a monstrous insect-like creature.
What emotion does Gregor feel about being late for work?
Answer: Anxiety or worry.
Answer: Anxiety or worry.
Who wrote The Metamorphosis?
Answer: Franz Kafka.
Answer: Franz Kafka.
Who brings Gregor milk with bits of bread in it?
Answer: Grete.
Why does Gregor's family call to him through the bedroom door?
Answer: They are worried and want him to explain why he has not gotten up.
What is Gregor's job?
Answer: He is a traveling salesman.
What does Gregor's focus on work suggest about his priorities?
Answer: He feels a strong duty to work and support his family.
What is the term for a story that includes impossible or dreamlike events?
Answer: The fantastic or surreal.
What is Gregor's mother worried about when he will not open the door?
Answer: She worries about him and wonders whether he is ill.
What must Gregor manage to do before the others see him?
Answer: Unlock and open his bedroom door.
What two things does Gregor worry about missing after he wakes up?
Answer: His train and work schedule.
Why might Gregor be reluctant to open his door?
Answer: He is struggling physically and is afraid of how others will react to his appearance.
What is unusual about Gregor's first reaction to his transformation?
Answer: He worries about practical matters, especially work, rather than focusing only on the transformation.
What does Gregor's father's behavior suggest when he sees Gregor?
Answer: He reacts with fear and aggression rather than understanding.
How does the chief clerk react when Gregor appears?
Answer: He is frightened and backs away or flees.
Why is getting out of bed so difficult for Gregor?
Answer: His changed body and many legs are difficult to control.
Why is the family's difficulty understanding Gregor important?
Answer: His transformation has damaged his ability to communicate with them normally.
How does the locked bedroom door affect the story?
Answer: It separates Gregor from his family and builds tension.
Why is Grete's decision to bring Gregor milk with bits of bread significant?
Answer: Grete is taking responsibility for caring for Gregor and is trying to provide him with something familiar and comforting.
How does Gregor's father force him back toward his room?
Answer: He drives Gregor with a cane and a newspaper.
What does Gregor's concern about work reveal about him?
Answer: He feels trapped by his job and his responsibility to support his family.
What conflict develops between Gregor's identity and the way others see him?
Answer: He still thinks and feels like a person, but others increasingly see him as frightening or inhuman.
How does Kafka build suspense before Gregor opens the door?
Answer: He delays the reveal through dialogue, the clerk's demands, and Gregor's struggle to move and unlock the door.