The Metamorphosis Study Guide Flashcards
Discuss the effect of Kafka’s choice to begin The Metamorphosis with its climax.
Kafka begins The Metamorphosis with the climax because he cares more about the effect than the cause. It also creates discomfort and frustration on the reader’s part. He cares more about the bug, then about why he is a bug. What this does is it immediately reveals the characterization of his family members and of Gregor. His reaction to being a bug showed that he was willing to do whatever it took, so he could take care of his family. His family, however, revealed to be extremely selfish. In addition, it immediately draws the reader into a grotesque and absurd setting, which makes the reader uncomfortable. And questions everything while reading.
Explain how The Metamorphosis fits into the existentialist framework.
The Metamorphosis fits into the existentialist framework because Gregor lets life happen to him. Instead of choosing what he wants his life to be. He had to make the choice to put a blanket over himself, to save the picture, to go out into the living room. This is Gregor’s metamorphosis into being one who can think for themselves and make their own choices for their lives.
Show how irony is used in The Metamorphosis to create humor.
The Metamorphosis uses irony to create humor by Gregor worrying about being late to work, when Gregor is flailing in his bed trying to get up, his sister being grossed out by touching Gregor’s food, Gregor trying to save a picture by crawling on it, and his family basically pretends that nothing is wrong. It is also ironic that at the end of the story the family is relieved by his death, and they start planning a wedding for Grete.
Trace the development of the major theme in this story- metamorphosis of the self- as it applies to: Gregor, his sister, and his father.
The development of Gregor physically.
His sister is ready to be married. Kind of loving at the beginning, but then becomes hateful and refers to Gregor as “it.”
His father goes from a bankrupt man to a hardworking provider.
Discuss Kafka’s use of the limited omniscient narrator to bring focus to the absurdity of his characters and their situations.
It limits us on the characters and their personal thoughts and feelings which in effect alienates the reader from the characters. It does, however, allow the reader to receive information on what is happening on both sides of the door.
Discuss Kafka’s use of absurdity and the grotesque.
The absurd is him waking up as a bug, his parents didn’t help him figure what happened, he doesn’t seem worried about it. The grotesque is the oozing fluids leaking from his body, the rotten apple stuck in his side, his dead body being dry and flat.
Discuss the themes of alienation in The Metamorphosis and cite the ways this theme is evidenced in the text.
The themes of alienation include him working a job he does not like, having no personal life, having no time for anything other than work and sleep, him saving the picture, sister calling him it, etc.
Discuss the motifs of:
- self-determination and escapism
- alienation and communication
- guilt and family obligations
- the impact of social roles and/or obligations on human relationships
He’s determined to get to work, his family becomes determined to provide. He escapes to his room, he escapes to behind locked doors
He’s alienated by his family, his job, etc. he’s not good at communicating his feelings towards being alienated.
He feels quilted into working a job he doesn’t like because he has to pay off his parents debt and provide for his family.
Family didn’t want people to know about him. Didn’t want him to see a doctor, didn’t want the boarders to know
Discuss the symbols present in the story, and their significance.
Hospital: Gregor could see it at the beginning of the story (symbolizes hope), but towards the end he no longer can because he’s given up the hope of a better life for himself and becoming human
Doors to Gregor’s room: first locked from the inside (Gregor’s desire to isolate himself) then it’s locked from the outside (him being stripped of freewill or choice)
Marriage: when Grete is married off she will give up the independence she has achieved throughout the story (foreshadowing of the endless cycle of domestication)
