59 pages • 1 hour read
Franz KafkaThe Metamorphosis
Fiction | Novella | Adult | Published in 1915A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.
Essay Topics
What effect does Gregor’s metamorphosis have on his family, individually and as a whole? What does this effect suggest about his relationship with his family?
The German word Ungeziefer, which has been translated to “vermin” in English, derives from a Middle High German word meaning “an unclean animal not suited for sacrifice.” What meaning do you think this word conveys about the nature of Gregor’s metamorphosis? Do you think that his death can be seen as a sacrifice in any sense? Explain why or why not.
Why and how did Gregor become “vermin” (3)? Did Gregor deserve to be turned into a bug? Do you think his transformation is a literal one, or a purely symbolic one?
What effect does Kafka's use of limited third-person narration (i.e. using only Gregor's perspective) have on this text?
Which characters undergo metamorphoses? What are the changes involved, and how are they brought about?
How does Gregor die? Did Gregor starve himself to death, or did he just lose the will to live? Is Gregor's family ultimately responsible for Gregor's death through their negligence?
What kind of commentary does Kafka seem to be making about human's relationship to work? How does Kafka make this commentary known?
What is the significance of Gregor’s reaction to his sister’s violin performance?
“Kafkaesque” denotes a world with nightmarish qualities. Based on The Metamorphosis, what are the main characteristics of Kafka's writing style?
Why might Kafka have chosen “vermin” (3) as the creature which Gregor becomes? How might the novella be different if he had become another animal, such as a cow or cat?
Related Titles
By Franz Kafka
