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The Metamorphosis
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Discussion Questions
What effect does Gregorâs 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 âverminâ in English, derives from a Middle High German word meaning âan unclean animal not suited for sacrifice.â What meaning do you think this word conveys about the nature of Gregorâs 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 âverminâ (3)? Did Gregor deserve to be turned into a bug? Do you think his transformation is a literal one, or a purely symbolic one?
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The Metamorphosis
By franz kafka.
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- The Metamorphosis /
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Available to teachers only as part of the teaching the metamorphosisteacher pass, teaching the metamorphosis teacher pass includes:.
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- How does Gregorâs react to his transformation? How does his family react? Are their reactions understandable or strange? Typical or cruel?
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A Summary and Analysis of Franz Kafkaâs âThe Metamorphosisâ
By Dr Oliver Tearle (Loughborough University)
âThe Metamorphosisâ is a short story (sometimes classed as a novella) by the Czech-born German-language author Franz Kafka (1883-1924). It is his best-known shorter work, published in German in 1915, with the first English translation appearing in 1933. âThe Metamorphosisâ has attracted numerous interpretations, so it might be worth probing this fascinating story more closely.
You can read âThe Metamorphosisâ here before proceeding to our summary and analysis of Kafkaâs story below.
Plot Summary
Gregor Samsa, a travelling salesman, wakes up one morning to find that he has been transformed into a giant insect. Although he briefly considers this transformation, he quickly turns his thoughts to his work and his need to provide for his parents (he lives with them and his sister) so that they can pay off their debts. He also thinks about how much he hates travelling.
He realises he is already late for work, but hesitates to call in sick because he has never had a day off sick before, and knows this might raise alarm bells. When he responds through the bedroom door after his mother calls to him, he realises that his voice has become different as a result of his metamorphosis into an insect. When his family try to enter his bedroom, they find the door locked, and he refuses to let them in.
Then thereâs a knock at the door and itâs the chief clerk for whom Gregor works, wondering where Gregor has got to.
Still Gregor refuses to open the door to his family or to his visitor. The chief clerk is affronted and tells Gregor through the door that his work has not been good enough and his position at the company may not be safe. Gregor seeks to defend himself, and assures the clerk that he will soon return to work. However, because Gregorâs voice has changed so much since his transformation, nobody can understand what heâs saying.
Gregor opens the door and his mother screams when she sees him. He asks the chief clerk to smooth things over at the office for him, explaining his ⌠sudden metamorphosis into an insect.
Later that evening, having swooned and dozed all day, Gregor wakes up at twilight and finds that his sister had brought him milk with some bread in it. Gregor attempts to drink the milk, but finds the taste disgusting, so he leaves it. He climbs under the couch so his family donât have to look at him, while his sister tries to find him food that he can eat.
Gregor overhears his family talking in the other room, and discovers that, despite their apparent debts, his parents have some money stashed away. He has been going to work to support them when he didnât have to.
As well as the changes to his voice, Gregor also realises that his vision has got worse since his transformation. He also discovers that he enjoys climbing the walls and the ceiling of his bedroom. To help him, his sister gets rid of the furniture to create more space for him to climb; Gregorâs mother disagrees and is reluctant to throw out all of Gregorâs human possessions, because she still trusts that he will return to his former state one day.
When he comes out of the room, his mother faints and his sister locks him outside. His father arrives and throws apples at him, severely injuring him, because he believes Gregor must have attacked his own mother.
After his brush with death, the family change tack and vow to be more sympathetic towards Gregor, agreeing to leave the door open so he can watch them from outside the room as they talk together. But when three lodgers move in with the family, and his room is used to store all of the familyâs furniture and junk, he finds that he cannot move around any more and goes off his food. He becomes shut off from his family and the lodgers.
When he hears his sister playing the violin for the lodgers, he opens the door to listen, and the lodgers, upon spotting this giant insect, are repulsed and declare they are going to move out immediately and will not pay the family any of their rent owed. Gregorâs sister tells her parents that they must get rid of their brother since, whilst they have tried to take care of him, he has become a liability. She switches from talking about him as her brother and as an âitâ, a foreign creature that is unrecognisable as the brother they knew.
Gregor, overhearing this conversation, wants to do the right thing for his family, so he decides that he must do the honourable thing and disappear. He crawls off back to his room and dies.
Gregorâs family is relieved that he has died, and the body is disposed of. Mr Samsa kicks the lodgers out of the apartment. He, his wife, and their daughter are all happy with the jobs they have taken, and Mr and Mrs Samsa realise that their daughter is now of an age to marry.
The one thing people know about âThe Metamorphosisâ is that it begins with Gregor Samsa waking up to find himself transformed into an insect. Many English translations use the word in the bookâs famous opening line (and we follow convention by using the even more specific word âbeetleâ in our summary of the story above).
But the German word Ungeziefer does not lend itself easily to translation. It roughly denotes any unclean being or creature, and âbugâ is a more accurate rendering of the original into English â though even âbugâ doesnât quite do it, since (in English anyway) it still suggests an insect, or at least some sort of creepy-crawly.
For this reason, some translators (such as David Wyllie in the one we have linked to above) reach for the word vermin , which is probably closer to the German original. Kafka did use the word Insekt in his correspondence discussing the book, but ordered that the creature must not be explicitly illustrated as such at any cost. The point is that we are not supposed to know the precise thing into which Gregor has metamorphosed.
The vagueness is part of the effect: Gregor Samsa is any and every unworthy or downtrodden creature, shunned by those closest to him. Much as those who wish to denigrate a particular group of people â immigrants, foreigners, a socio-economic underclass â often reach for words like âcockroachesâ or âverminâ, so Gregorâs transformation physically enacts and literalizes such emotive propaganda.
But of course, the supernatural or even surreal (though we should reject the term âSurrealistâ) setup for the story also means that âThe Metamorphosisâ is less a straightforward allegory (where X = Y) than it is a more rich and ambiguous exploration of the treatment of âthe otherâ (where X might = Y, Z, or even A, B, or C).
Gregorâs subsequent treatment at the hands of his family, his familyâs lodgers, and their servants may well strike a chord with not just ethnic minorities living in some communities but also disabled people, people with different cultural or religious beliefs from âthe mainstreamâ, struggling artists whose development is hindered by crass bourgeois capitalism and utilitarianism, and many other marginalised individuals.
This is one reason why âThe Metamorphosisâ has become so widely discussed, analysed, and studied: its meaning is not straightforward, its fantastical scenario posing many questions. What did Kafka mean by such a story? Is it a comedy, a tragedy, or both? Gregorâs social isolation from his nearest and dearest, and subsequent death (a death of despair, one suspects, as much as it is a noble sacrifice for the sake of his family), all suggest the storyâs tragic undercurrents, and yet the way Kafka establishes Gregorâs transformation raises some intriguing questions.
Take that opening paragraph. The opening sentence â as with the very first sentence of Kafkaâs novel, The Trial â is well-known, but what follows this arresting first statement is just as remarkable. For no sooner has Gregor discovered that he has been transformed, inexplicably, into a giant insect (or âverminâ), than his thoughts have turned from this incredible revelation to more day-to-day worries about his job and his travelling.
This is a trademark feature of Kafkaâs writing, and one of the things the wide-ranging term âKafkaesqueâ should accommodate: the nightmarish and the everyday rubbing shoulders together. Indeed, the everyday already is a nightmare, and Samsaâs metamorphosis into an alien creature is just the latest in a long line of modernityâs hellish developments.
So the effect of this opening paragraph is to play down, as soon as it has been introduced, the shocking revelation that a man has been turned into a beetle (or similar creature).
Many subsequent details in Kafkaâs story are similarly downplayed, or treated in a calm and ordinary way as if a man becoming a six-feet-tall insect is the most normal occurrence in the world, and this is part of the comedy of Kafkaâs novella: an aspect of his work which many readers miss, partly because the comedic is so often the first thing lost in translation.
And, running contrariwise to the interpretation of âThe Metamorphosisâ that sees it as âjustâ a straightforward story about modern-day alienation and mistreatment of âthe otherâ is the plot itself, which sees Gregor Samsa freed from his life of servitude and duty, undertaking a job he doesnât enjoy in order to support a family that, it turns out, are perfectly capable of supporting themselves (first by the fatherâs money which has been set aside, and then from the familyâs jobs which the mother, father, and daughter all take, and discover they actually rather enjoy).
Even Gregorâs climbing of the walls and ceiling in his room, when he would have been travelling around doing his job, represents a liberation of sorts, even though he has physically become confined to one room. Perhaps, the grim humour of Kafkaâs story appears to suggest, modernity is so hellish that such a transformation â even though it ends in death â is really the only liberation modern man can achieve.
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Social Issues in “The Metamorphosis” by Franz Kafka Essay
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Introduction
Human values lost by the society, material values versus moral values, oppression of distinctive individuality, gregarious behavior in the society, works cited.
Franz Kafka, a world famous writer, was brought up in a family, where the dictatorship of the father prevented the family from having natural warm relationships. Maybe this factor allowed the author learn from the childhood that the relationships between people, together with the moral values, are often neglected, while the materialistic views have always been topical.
This is one of the key issues fairly depicted by Franz Kafka in his story âThe Metamorphosisâ, the bright example of modernism story highlighting realistic problems concerning traditional values perverted by the surrounding society.
Having described an outcast in his family, the writer shows alienation of a person with his or her traditional values and views in the cruel todayâs society which is, day by day, losing its important human values, caring only of material values, oppressing distinctive and extraordinary individualities and spreading gregarious way of behavior.
Within several thousand years each generation have been creating and passing down their assumptions, moral and values considered to be conventional and humane, which were held both by families and by societies.
Family values have been transferred into common values of community and society, but still their essence stayed and still stays the same as it was at the very beginning. However, the present society has quite perverse understanding of values, and today a reverse process can be traced â society influences family and dictates its own values to it.
Such loss of traditional humane values like empathy, love, respect, loyalty, and honesty has affected Franz Kafka who illustrated the metamorphosis or transformation of customary values on the example of the family of the Samsas. âThe story presents the reader with the metaphor for a human existence in which spiritual reflection and interpersonal communication have been sacrificed for the sake of materialistic efficiencyâ (Die Verwandlung 1915: 1).
Indeed, showing the main character Gregor Samsa, who has found himself transformed âinto a gigantic insectâ physically (Kafka, 29), however, stayed human mentally, Kafka outlines his ability to preserve and keep humane values despite the fact of being an insect and having ugly appearance which is not accepted by his family, or society (in broader understanding).
His sincere genuine feelings towards his family contradict their cruelty and careless behavior towards him, a suffering insect. Hence the main character impersonates traditional values which are lost by his family and society, in general.
One of the most important values such as empathy is not inherent in our life any more, as Kafka shows. The family of Gregor-insect is not able to accept him as he is â with âhis domelike brown bellyâ and ânumerous legs, which were pitifully thin compared to the rest of his bulkâ (Kafka, 32). Practically, the same happens in the society which is not willing to accept anything or anybody extraordinary and distinctive. In order to illustrate this issue more brightly, the writer uses a great paradox in his story.
The mentioned family feels no empathy for miserable Gregor, who really needs it, while the latter sympathizes his family, who do not require his sympathy at all. During his whole life Gregor Samsa has been working hard for the family, caring about them more than about himself, trying to give them the best he could, nevertheless he meet no giving back. Consequently, his idle care, love without answer and excessive empathy for his family turned him into helpless insect.
The only hope of the main character is loyalty of his sister Grete who has been always kind and caring towards Gregor, however, she also betrays him. Hence his hopes have been broken and loyalty has been lost. This illustration was used by Kafka to depict communityâs assumptions neglecting loyalty when it becomes of no use.
It is shown that Grete was loyal to Gregor until he had âthe firm intention of sending her to the Conservatoryâ (Kafka, 44) and had decent work where he could earn money to provide her with respectable life. However, she changed her attitude drastically as soon as Gregor suffered transformation and became helpless and indigent. Thus, it is ironic that insect continues to possess the feeling of loyalty till its last days while people of the surrounding society have forgotten about it.
Moreover, such significant value as honesty is also lacking since all peopleâs relationships are built on intrigues and pretence, what is highlighted in the story on the example of surface relationships between the main character and his family.
Neither family nor Gregor himself were honest in their lives â the family was pretending to love and care about Gregor all their life until metamorphosis changed him, and Gregor, in his turn, was pretending to be satisfied by everything including his way of living. Equally, honesty is ignored by communities and forgotten in the surrounding society in which success is achieved by deceitful means and self-interested measures, but not honesty.
Speaking about the greatest value of true love in Kafkaâs story, it seems to be replaced by selfishness and egoistic love. Gregorâs parents seem to love him until he is a bread maker in his family, has respectable position in the society and socially acceptable appearance, thus it appears that love depends on outer factors.
Contrary, this value does not require any attractive appearance, but is of inside ground. The loss of love, especially inside the family, is a typical burning issue of modern society, thus Kafka depicts the main character of the story as lonely young man suffering from lack of any love.
All in all, on the sample of the family described in the story, Franz Kafka created an imagery of ill cruel society which is losing the most important traditional human moral values which have been passed down from generation to generation. Thatâs why the problems which take place in the family of Gregor Samsa concern not only family life, but each surrounding community and the whole society.
Having analyzed the loss of customary human values referring to moral in Kafkaâs story, it is necessary to contrast assumption of the society which has material values as a ground. In the story contrast of moral and material values is represented by insect having moral and family having material values. It is an irony that an insect possesses humane moral values, however, surrounding society, in the person of Samsaâs family, has lost them and has only material concerns.
Franz Kafka has chosen such a harsh transformation of imposing Gregorâs appearance into an ugly insect for the purpose of highlighting the role of appearance and social position as the most important material values in the society. To illustrate, family is merely shocked by the altered appearance of the son and brother, on his physical state; contrary, no member of the family pays attention at his emotional state and feelings, nobody notices that he stayed human inside.
After turning into insect Gregor is alienated by the family since his appearance became not like society used to see. This is his appearance and exterior that bothers the family to have decent life and be respected in the society. It is obvious that surrounding society, analogically to Gregorâs family, does not care of any moral and personal emotions; the only concern of the surrounding community or society is outward forms and material values.
Furthermore, the writer shows an urgent conflict between moral and material values by illustrating Gregorâs behavior as an instance. On the one hand, the main character feels empathy for his parents and sister who stayed without money and have to work in order to survive, and he feels even shame at that. His worrying has very complicated emotional ground and makes him depressed each day more and more. On the other hand, feeling empathy and shame Gregorâs thoughts are only of material conditions and welfare of the family.
He concerns about material values like his family does; thus there is an evident trace of surrounding societyâs influence. However, at the end of the story the writer presents the resolution of this conflict â Gregor dies because of shame and lack of moral values, but not due to lack of some material things and conveniences. Thus Kafka stresses on a significant role of true moral values and their predominance rather than transitory material values, which are widely dictated by the surrounding society therefore.
Everything that differs usually faces harsh reaction and deprecation, every extraordinary person revokes criticism and non-acceptance, unusual people are oppressed and even suppressed by the society. Alike, Gregor Samsa faces aversion and moral oppression by the surrounding people after his transformation into an ugly huge insect, what is out of the common and not acceptable by the surrounding society at all.
Describing how much the family is not willing to accept Gregor because of his appearance, the writer rigidly illustrates societyâs not willingness to accept individuals who differ from others. Though Gregor had only his appearance changed, but mentally he stayed the same, nevertheless surrounding people alienate from him. This imagery shows how society avoids unusual and non-standard personalities isolating and exiling them, making them outcasts among people.
Moreover, depicting Gregorâs metamorphosis the writer shows his social alienation not only because of his altered appearance, but also because of his inner world which differs from the rest of society. Despite the fact that the surrounding human society lost the values, Gregor-insect managed to preserve them and stays an individual distinctive from the others.
In addition, Kafka draws an individual, who is completely helpless in the society. It is ironic that a person is lonely among persons; as a matter of fact, it is not an exception even in our present society. The person is alienated until he or she differs from the rest of society.
In this story, therefore the writer shows a try to accept the values which are dictated by the society. Numerous tries of Gregor-insect to get out of his bed are his tries to live in new body and image, what can be interpreted as a try to accept the values dictated by the society. However, at the end of the story Gregor dies, he was not able to live as an insect, thus Kafka means the failure to join the surrounding society and highlights that Gregor-insect stayed an individual person despite his appearance.
The fact that Gregor dies in the body of insect and no transformation happens shows us a clear position of the writer who does not accept the society as it is. It is better to die as an insect, however with values and being unusual, than to leave as a human having no values but possessing socially acceptable appearance and decent position in the surrounding society.
Despite the fact that any society has being formed by each separate individual, it is evident that the surrounding society dictates its principles and values. In âThe Metamorphosisâ Kafka shows how Gregorâs parents dictate him their own rules and values showing their gregarious behavior.
As Karl Marx noted on the story, âOnce Gregor loses his cash value to his parents, well, then he ceases to be of interest to themâ (Marx, 1). In addition, the parents completely comply with the rules of their flock i.e. surrounding society as their unwillingness to see socially non-acceptable appearance of insect shows.
In other words, they try to stay in their flock with their own assumptions and not to allow others to separate and differ from them. Such behavior can be explained by the fact that after separation from the flock, one differs from the rest and receives more freedom. Analogically, Gregor has been separated from his family because of his altered appearance, though he obtained subconsciously desirable freedom. However, his freedom does not satisfy the surrounding family and society in whole.
It is known that society keeps people in flock and wants them to behave like sheep of this flock for the reason that in such a way it is much easier to rule them. Once separate and behaving in other way, society isolates that person, what actually can be seen in the analyzed story.
The family makes Gregor to be outcast and isolates him in his room since he behaves in the manner contradicting to socially acceptable one. The main concern of the characters is to look like the others, like a flock, but not the inner world of the person whose feelings and emotional experience are of no interest.
A bright instant of the gregarious way of behavior is shown by Gregorâs sister Grete. Analyzing her behavior towards her brother within the course of the action in the story, it is clearly seen that she was greatly influenced by the flock, which is her family in this case. At the very beginning Grete was trying to be individual person with her own views and values, she helped her brother and loved him.
However, day by day she begins to avoid Gregor more and more, and consequently, alienates completely from him under the influence of her parents and society. Thus being an individual with values Grete gradually joins the flock and changes her way of behavior. She is not interested in her brother any more; she has no love, empathy and respect; she gradually turns into sheep following its flock and losing its personal values.
Making up a conclusion, it should be highlighted that the story which has been analyzed is a bright example of Kafkaâs way to depict urgent social issues which amaze with their compelling arguments and up-to-dateness.
By means of detailed illustration of Gregorâs life and his family, the writer wants us to recognize our cruel society in the image of the family, to see the values which are being lost by the society and to realize possible consequences. Thus, Kafka has successfully outlined importance of moral values which gradually weakens under the pressure of the surrounding community or society which tries to impose gregarious way of life to all individualities.
“Die Verwandlung 1915.” Encyclopedia of German Literature. London: Routledge, 2000. Credo Reference. Web.
Kafka, Franz. The Metamorphosis. New York: Crown, 2003.
Marx, Karl. âOn Franz Kafka’s Metamorphosis â. University of Liverpool . 11 June 2010. < http://johnstoniatexts.x10host.com/lectures/marxonkafkalecture.htm >
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IvyPanda. (2019, February 7). Social Issues in "The Metamorphosis" by Franz Kafka. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-metamorphosis-by-franz-kafka/
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The Metamorphosis: Essay Topics & Samples
The Metamorphosis is one of Kafkaâs best-known books. It is also one of the most intricate literary pieces in world literature. This is why coming up with an excellent The Metamorphosis essay topic can be challenging. The following list can help you to get started. See if any of these ten topics pique your interest.
Essay Topics
- Describe Gregorâs life before the metamorphosis. To write an outstanding The Metamorphosis essay on this topic, try to answer the following questions. What was Gregorâs life before his physical transformation? Do you think any circumstances in his life couldâve had a dehumanizing effect on him before the physical change? Did he like his work? Did he have friends?
- What is the significance of the number â3â in Kafkaâs The Metamorphosis? The number â3â is a significant symbol in The Metamorphosis book. Enumerate the elements of the novel that come in three: rooms, chapters, family members, tenants, etc. What might this number symbolize? Do you think there is religious symbolism in the novella?
- How can you interpret The Metamorphosis through the existential lens? In The Metamorphosis essay, you can offer an existentialist interpretation of the novella. Think about the questions like: Is Kafka an existentialist writer? What are some elements of existentialist literature, and can you find them in The Metamorphosis? In which ways Gregor questions his existence? Is happiness attainable for him?
- Father and Son relationships in The Metamorphosis. You can divide this essay into two parts. The father-son relationships before the physical transformation can become the focus of the first part. Think about how Gregorâs father treated him as a human. In the second part of Metamorphosisâs essay, you can analyze the relationships after the transformation.
- Analyze the dehumanizing effect of work in Gregor Samsaâs life. How does Kafka start the novella ? Why does Gregor only think about his work when he wakes up? Do you believe it is essential for the readers to know what profession Gregor had before the transformation? What effect does Gregorâs job have on his metamorphosis?
- Write about food as a symbol of starving for attention. In this essay, you should focus on the use of food symbols in Kafkaâs The Metamorphosis . What do these symbols tell about the relationships in the family? Analyze every account of food in the story and see how the character transformation is described through it.
- Explore the theme of isolation and alienation in The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka. First, you can explain the difference between isolation and alienation . Using the text, tell why Gregorâs isolation happened before his transformation into an insect. Does physical change reveal the emotional separation in the family? What about Gregorâs inner self? Was there an alienation from his true self?
- What is the importance of third-person narration in The Metamorphosis? If you decide to choose this topic, think about Kafkaâs choice to use third-person narration. What does this perspective allow the readers to see? Would the story be different if the author used another technique? For instance, if Kafka told the story through the eyes of Grete.
- Analysis of Gregorâs inability to communicate with the family. The paradox in The Metamorphosis by Kafka is that Gregorâs inability to communicate was present even before his physical transformation . Give some examples from the textâfor instance, Gregorâs dissatisfaction with his work, etc. How did his physical inability to speak after the change contribute to his alienation, both emotional and physical?
- Trace Greteâs metamorphosis. Greteâs transformation is thematically significant for understanding the novella. It seems that The Metamorphosis is a book about Gregorâs transformation. However, Greteâs metamorphosis, in a way, is more symbolic. What does it symbolize? What are the stages of her change?
Essay Samples
To dive deeper into the storyâs analysis, check The Metamorphosis essay samples below. Here youâll see how to explore the novella and prove your opinion on the given topic .
- Metamorphosis and the Necklace The author of the essay compares two completely different stories, revealing similar aspects and themes. Melancholy and sadness are in focus as they are connected to death in both stories, though on various levels. See how Kafkaâs and Maupassantâs stories are connected in the paper.
- Infinite Regression in Franz Kafkaâs Works Franz Kafka is a writer with a tragic life filled with suffering and health issues. His problems inevitably affected his works, which reflected the authorâs inner turmoils ad philosophy. In the essay, the writer analyzes Kafkaâs The Metamorphosis and The Castle and examines the infinite regression in them.
- Transformation in Kafkaâs âThe Metamorphosisâ Kafkaâs implementation of this theme in the novella has illustrated the change of the main characters. Gregor Samsa, the protagonist, changed physically, which affected his family. The present paper explains how the main characterâs change led to the psychological transformation of everyone.
- Kafkaâs âMetamorphosisâ: Life in Modernity The complexity of The Metamorphosis âs plot has been a topic for many debates. In the novella, the author depicts the existential nature of urbanization. The essay discusses how the central character represents the metaphor of being released from the norms of society.
- Lessons Learned from âThe Metamorphosisâ by Franz Kafka The central character, Gregor Samsa, turns into an insect. This transformation significantly changes his life and separates him from the rest of the people. This paper discusses the lessons learned from the experiences of the main character.
- Absurdity in âThe Metamorphosisâ and âThe Strangerâ One of the central themes of The Metamorphosis and The Stranger is that the world and the norms of society are absurd. The stories also explore physical and emotional detachments and how they affect people. The paper compares and contrasts them on the topic of absurdity.
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Welcome to The Metamorphosis study guide! Here, weâll explore the genre in which the novella is written. You will also learn about Kafka’s influences and the historical background of the novella. Find out some useful information about The Metamorphosis setting, the plot, the main themes, and symbols. The Metamorphosis Key...
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The Metamorphosis is a short story written by Franz Kafka, which was first published in 1915. One of his best-known works, it tells a story about a man called Gregor Samsa and his peculiar transformation. He and his family have to deal with the consequences of this metamorphosis. The Metamorphosis...
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The novella The Metamorphosis focuses on two main characters Gregor and Grete. However, two more heroes are present in every chapter throughout the novella, Mrs. Samsa and Mr. Samsa. All the other The Metamorphosis characters represent the outside world for the family. They appear and disappear in the narrative without...
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There are several overarching themes of The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka, but only two are crucial. The story starts when the central transformation has already happened. However, each character in the novella goes through its journey: Gregor, Grete, Gregorâs mother, and Gregorâs father. In this article, youâll see how characters...
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Since its publication in 1915, Kafkaâs The Metamorphosis puzzled readers and critics all over the world. The story centers around Gregor Samsaâs transformation into a gigantic insect. The situation is both surreal and unusual. However, the writer proceeds with the story in a realistic manner. Nevertheless, there is a lot...
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Metamorphoses
Metamorphoses essay questions.
In Ovid's Metamorphoses some people are transformed as a reward for good actions, others as punishment for bad actions. How can transformation serve as both a punishment and a reward? Does it simply depend on the result of the transformation? Use at least one "positive" and one "negative" transformation to support your answer.
Define hubris and explain the role it plays in Ovid's [Metamorphoses]. Give examples from the text to support your answer.
One of the roles played by myths in a society is to explain things that seem to be unexplainable. In Metamorphoses , Ovid examines large questions like how the universe was created, but he also examines small questions, like how certain plants or animals came into being. Aside from providing explanations, what do these origin stories add to Metamorphoses ? What is their role within Roman society?
Though Ovid represents the gods and goddesses of Roman mythology as very powerful, he does not represent any of them, even Jove, as all-powerful. What does this fact suggest about the religious beliefs of the ancient Romans? Use examples from the text to support your answer.
Ovid suggests that gods and goddesses feel a strong attraction for mortals. This attraction helps explain the interest the gods take in human lives and the tendency of gods (and to some extent goddesses) to force themselves upon humans. Why might gods and goddesses feel this attraction for ordinary mortals, who are merely lesser, weaker versions of themselves?
While Ovid's poem focuses primarily on religious aspects of ancient roman life (that is, relationships between mortals and gods), the poem also reveals a great deal about society during Ovid's time. Name three characteristics that were valued in roman society and explain how Ovid's [Metamorphoses] treats these values.
In Metamorphoses , Ovid suggests that love is a dangerous, destructive emotion which has more negative than positive results. How do the actions and characteristics of the god and goddess of love (Venus and her son Cupid) support this interpretation? Are there any counterexamples in the poem? That is, does love ever play an entirely positive role in a relationship or action?
Discuss the theme of Trust in the poem. Does Ovid believe that trust is something to be valued, or does he think that too much trust can be dangerous? Name and analyze at least three stories in which trust plays an important role.
Many women in the poem, some goddesses and some mortal, wish to remain chaste. Why might this decision seem appealing to women in this society? Support your answer with examples from the text of women who made this decision, both successfully and unsuccessfully.
Ovid intersperces story-telling and singing contests throughout the poem, which suggest that the act of remembering and retelling myths and legends was an important activity in this society. How does this fact help explain why Ovid's Metamorphoses was so popular at the time that it was written? Can you think of any comparative activities in your own life or society?
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Metamorphoses Questions and Answers
The Question and Answer section for Metamorphoses is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.
I gave a signal that a God had come, and the people commenced to pay their adorations.
Did you have a question about the abovel quote, which is found in Book I, Fable VII?
In many ways the Metamorphoses is about the origin of things. First, it begins with the creation of the universe and of man. Throughout the poem, Ovid points out when transformations result in the invention of new animals, plants, and even musical...
How does Jupiter compare Lycaonâs crime to that of the snake-footed monsters?
Which publication of Metamorphoses are you using in your class?
Study Guide for Metamorphoses
Metamorphoses study guide contains a biography of Ovid, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.
- About Metamorphoses
- Metamorphoses Summary
- Character List
Essays for Metamorphoses
Metamorphoses literature essays are academic essays for citation. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of Metamorphoses.
- Giving Eurydice a Voice
- Love, War, and Thracians: A Critical Analysis of the Significance of Thrace In Ovid's Metamorphoses
- Make Panic Look Fetching: The Eroticization of Rape by Ovid
- Ovidian Transformations Change Readers' Perceptions
- Pygmalion: The Power of the Artist in Metamorphoses
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Lesson Plan for Metamorphoses
- About the Author
- Study Objectives
- Common Core Standards
- Introduction to Metamorphoses
- Relationship to Other Books
- Bringing in Technology
- Notes to the Teacher
- Related Links
- Metamorphoses Bibliography
Wikipedia Entries for Metamorphoses
- Introduction
The Common App Opens TodayâHereâs How To Answer Every Prompt
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Writing the Personal Statement for the Common Application
Today, the Common Application opens for the 2024â25 application cycle. As the platform opens, officially signaling the start of the college admissions season, many students are starting the daunting process of crafting their personal statements. The personal statement is a crucial opportunity to showcase individuality, character, and intellectual depth. In only 650 words, students should seek to encapsulate their authentic voice and perspective through a compelling and creative narrative. The process requires thorough brainstorming, strategy, and editing in order to produce an essay that is distinct from those of thousands of other applicants vying for seats at top colleges.
As students choose a prompt and begin brainstorming essays, here are the key points to consider in order to create a stellar essay for each prompt:
1. The Meaningful Background Prompt
Prompt: Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.
This prompt invites you to share an aspect of your identity or experience that is central to who you are. Start by thoughtfully considering aspects of your identity that are unique to you; then, try to think of a specific anecdote or experience that provides a portrait of those qualities. While detail and specificity are critical for all engaging essays, they are particularly important in this one, as you should show (rather than tell ) admissions committees the things that are quintessential to who you are.
Your essay should also have a takeawayâaside from just telling admissions officers what the background, identity, interest, or talent is, you should also focus on what youâve learned from this piece of your identity, how it has developed over time, and how you will apply it in college and beyond.
NYT âStrandsâ Hints, Spangram And Answers For Thursday, August 1st
What we know about simone bilesâ earnings and endorsements as she competes for all-around gold in paris, russia releasing reporter evan gershkovich and ex-marine paul whelan in major prisoner swap, reports say, 2. the overcoming obstacles prompt.
Prompt: The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?
This prompt is an opportunity to demonstrate resilience and the capacity to learn from adversityâqualities that elite universities value highly. Begin by choosing a specific incident where you faced a significant challenge or failureâthis could be an academic setback, a personal loss, or a time when you were out of your comfort zone. Students often fall into one of two common mistakes when tackling this question. First, many students rely on cliches and overused tropes. Keep in mind that admissions officers will likely read hundreds of essays recounting stories of students missing the game-winning goal or flunking a test in sophomore English. Try to select a story that only you can tell, and if you choose a topic you worry might be popular among other students, consider how you might recount it in a unique and unexpected way. On the other hand, some students fall into the opposite problem, sharing about a particularly personal, traumatic, or triggering experience that impacted them. Though it should convey personal insights, the personal statement is still a professional document, and you should not make your reader uncomfortable or unsettled by the information you share.
Finally, note that admissions officers are not primarily interested in the challenge itself, but in how you responded to the challenge. Focus on the steps you took to overcome the obstacle, what you learned about yourself in the process, and how this experience has shaped your future actions and mindset. Highlight any new skills, perspectives, or motivations that emerged from this experience, demonstrating your ability to grow and adapt in the face of adversity.
3. The Changed Perspective Prompt
Prompt: Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?
Top colleges seek to admit students who are willing to engage in critical thinking and who possess the intellectual courage to question norms or ideas. For this essay, consider beginning with an anecdoteâstarting the essay in media res can be an engaging way to catch the readerâs attention and quickly establish the stakes of your narrative. As you share your story, remember that the essayâs focus is to demonstrate your open-mindedness, your commitment to seeking the truth, and your willingness to engage deeply with complex issues. It also shows your ability to respect differing viewpoints while developing your own reasoned stance. As such, you should take the admissions committee through your process of growth and change step-by-step, clearly articulating how the experience impacted you and how your changed perspective will enhance their campus community should you enroll.
4. The Gratitude Prompt
Prompt: Reflect on something that someone has done for you that has made you happy or thankful in a surprising way. How has this gratitude affected or motivated you?
Like the two prior prompts, this prompt requires students to share a particular anecdote, and students should consider beginning with their narrative before zooming out to explore the broader theme of gratitude. Start by recounting a specific instance where someone did something for you that made you feel unexpectedly grateful. This could be a small act of kindness, a significant gesture, or a moment of support that made a lasting impression on you. Then, explore how this experience of gratitude has affected your actions or attitude. As you do so, be sure to avoid platitudes or vapid buzzwordsârather than expressing that the experience made you feel âgoodâ or âappreciatedâ or the equivalent, share how it has affected your perspective or actions going forward. The best responses are those that illustrate actionable change rather than fuzzy feelings.
5. The Personal Growth Prompt
Prompt: Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.
A studentâs college years are all about growth and transformation, and this prompt invites students to demonstrate their capacity for self-reflection and teachability. Thus, while this prompt might invite you to describe a major event or accomplishment, what you really want to show is a transformative period and the resulting reflection. Donât feel as though the accomplishment, event, or realization needs to be especially earth-shattering or ground-breakingâsometimes the small things can make an impression in a big way. Finally, if you do choose to write about an accomplishment, be sure that you are not bragging. The prompt is an opportunity to show self-awareness, rather than to tout your achievements.
6. The Captivating Concept Prompt
Prompt: Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?
Intellectual curiosity and authentic passion are distinguishing characteristics in the landscape of top college admissions. For this prompt, zoom in on a particular topic that genuinely fascinates you, whether itâs a specific academic subject, a philosophical idea, or a creative pursuit. Many students manufacture a response to this prompt based on what they assume will impress admissions officersâbut if you arenât truly interested in Kantian ethics, an admissions officer will be able to tell. However silly, mundane, quirky, or bizarre your âcaptivating conceptâ may be, if itâs true to youâwrite about it!
While your response should describe how a specific aspect of this topic captivates your interest and why it resonates with you on a deeper level, it should also demonstrate how you have taken the initiative to explore this topic in unique ways. Have you sought out books on the topic? Taken an online course to elevate your knowledge? Started a club to connect with others who share your interest? Developed a passion project that mobilized your interest in service of your community?
7. Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you've already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design.
If none of the above prompts allow you to effectively express yourself, remember that the Common App includes an open prompt, wherein you can write on a topic of your choice! This is an excellent opportunity to share a story that doesnât fit neatly into the other prompts but is crucial to understanding who you are. If you choose to pursue this prompt, make sure your essay is well-structured and cohesive, with a clear theme or message that ties everything together.
The Common App essay is more than just a component of your application; itâs a chance to speak directly to admissions officers and present your authentic self. Taking the time to brainstorm and edit will allow you to submit an essay that showcases your unique voice and original perspective to admissions officers at top colleges.
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Alternate Ending to Franz Kafka's The Metamorphosis
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How Kamala Harris Can Win
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By Michael J. Sandel
Mr. Sandel teaches political philosophy at Harvard.
Kamala Harris has a lot to do in a short time â build a team, choose a running mate, introduce herself to the country. But her most important task is to figure out what this election should be about.
Over the past week, Ms. Harris has been campaigning on protecting democracy, the rule of law and reproductive freedom from another four years of Donald Trump. As a forceful defender of abortion rights and a former prosecutor, she is ideally equipped to make these issues the centerpiece of her campaign. She relishes reminding voters of Mr. Trumpâs status as a felon. âI took on perpetrators of all kinds,â she declared in her first campaign rally, at a gym in Milwaukee on Tuesday. âSo hear me when I say: I know Donald Trumpâs type.â
But standing up to Mr. Trump and defending reproductive rights is not enough. To defeat him, Ms. Harris needs to address the legitimate grievances he exploits â the sense among many Americans, especially those without a college degree, that their voices arenât heard, that their work isnât respected and that elites look down on them. She needs a message that reconnects the Democratic Party with the working-class voters it has alienated in recent decades. Delivering this message may not come naturally to her as a former senator from California, and Mr. Trump has wasted no time attempting to brand her a âradical-left lunatic." But if she wants to shape a progressive politics that can wrest the future from the MAGA movement, then she has to try. It could be the difference between victory and defeat this November.
To begin addressing the anger and polarization gripping this country, Democrats need to recall what brought us to this volatile historical moment: An overwhelming majority of Americans â some 85 percent â believe that their leaders donât care what they think and that they lack a meaningful say in shaping the forces that govern their lives.
This sense of disempowerment underlies the Republicansâ most potent issues in this campaign: inflation and immigration.
If Ms. Harris continues to repeat economic facts without acknowledging most votersâ feelings, she will fail to address the mood of discontent that has her running just behind Mr. Trump in the polls. Low unemployment, robust job growth, rising wages â by the usual metrics, the economy has been a success during the Biden years. And yet inflation looms so large for voters that most disapprove of the presidentâs handling of the economy. Why? Because inflation is not merely about the price of eggs. Many voters experience it as an assault on their agency, a daily marker of their powerlessness: No matter how hard I work or how much I make, I canât get ahead or even keep up.
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Study Help Essay Questions. 1. What did Kafka try to express through the metamorphosis of Gregor Samsa? 2. Is Samsa partly to blame for having incurred his fate? 3. Samsa's metamorphosis goes hand in hand with a description of the world around him as he sees it in his new state. Give some specific illustrations of this.
1. The picture of the woman wrapped in furs on Gregor's wall is something that he refuses to part with. Write an essay showing the importance of this picture in Gregor's life and, if possible ...
The Metamorphosis Essay Questions; đ Best The Metamorphosis Topic Ideas & Essay Examples. Critical Analysis of The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka. The main subject of the novel is the family relations and problem of a person's worthiness in the society. The author explores and analyses such social problems as a person's worthiness and the ...
Thanks for exploring this SuperSummary Study Guide of "The Metamorphosis" by Franz Kafka. A 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 ...
Start free trial Sign In Start an essay Ask a question The Metamorphosis. by Franz Kafka. Start Free Trial ... The Metamorphosis Questions and Answers. Themes. Characters. Symbolism. Plot. All Tags.
The Metamorphosis study guide contains a biography of Franz Kafka, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis. Best summary PDF, themes, and quotes. More books than SparkNotes.
The Metamorphosis. A 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.
Sample Essay Outlines. The Metamorphosis is a richly layered and textured story that is open to many interpretations, that is, religious, philosophical, autobiographical, Freudian, and mythical ...
1,887. The Metamorphosis is a surreal story that can and probably will leave many readers wondering. On this page, we've gathered the most popular questions about the novella. Here you'll see the short answers, and by clicking on the links, you can see the full versions. We will write a custom essay specifically for you by our professional ...
Teaching The Metamorphosis Teacher Pass includes: Assignments & Activities. Reading Quizzes. Current Events & Pop Culture articles. Discussion & Essay Questions. Challenges & Opportunities. Related Readings in Literature & History.
By Dr Oliver Tearle (Loughborough University) 'The Metamorphosis' is a short story (sometimes classed as a novella) by the Czech-born German-language author Franz Kafka (1883-1924). It is his best-known shorter work, published in German in 1915, with the first English translation appearing in 1933. 'The Metamorphosis' has attracted numerous interpretations, so it might be worthâŚ
Get a custom essay on Social Issues in "The Metamorphosis" by Franz Kafka. This is one of the key issues fairly depicted by Franz Kafka in his story "The Metamorphosis", the bright example of modernism story highlighting realistic problems concerning traditional values perverted by the surrounding society. Having described an outcast in ...
This critical essay aims to analyze the work by examining themes such as isolation, identity, and the symbolism of the transformation. The purpose of this essay is to provide a comprehensive analysis of The Metamorphosis that sheds light on Kafka's literary techniques and the novella's reception.
The complexity of The Metamorphosis 's plot has been a topic for many debates. In the novella, the author depicts the existential nature of urbanization. The essay discusses how the central character represents the metaphor of being released from the norms of society. Lessons Learned from "The Metamorphosis" by Franz Kafka.
Use at least one "positive" and one "negative" transformation to support your answer. 2. Define hubris and explain the role it plays in Ovid's [Metamorphoses]. Give examples from the text to support your answer. 3. One of the roles played by myths in a society is to explain things that seem to be unexplainable.
This ambiguity forces the reader to question the boundaries between reality and fantasy. Is Gregor's transformation a physical reality, or is it a manifestation of his own mental state? ... A Study of the Theme of Self-sacrifice in the Metamorphosis Essay. In Franz Kafka's stories "The Metamorphosis", "In The Penal Colony", and "The Fasting ...
Franz Kafka's novella, "The Metamorphosis," has captivated readers for decades with its surreal and thought-provoking narrative. The story follows Gregor Samsa, a diligent salesman who wakes up one morning to find himself transformed into a monstrous insect.
Discussion Questions for "The Metamorphosis" Directions: Prepare for the class discussion (to be held tomorrow, Wednesday, December 15, 2021) by gathering evidence and jotting down your ideas on this document.This document is to help you prepare and is worth 20 points of your total discussion grade, and your oral answers in the discussion will determine the other 30 points.
SOURCE: "Kafka's Metamorphosis and Modern Spirituality," in Tri-Quarterly, No. 6, 1966, pp. 5-20. [In the following essay, Greenberg examines The Metamorphosis as the dying lament of a spiritually ...
Franz Kafka Metamorphosis Essay; Franz Kafka Metamorphosis Essay. 506 Words 3 Pages. Franz Kafka's novella The Metamorphosis reflects the ideals about capitalism during the 20th century. In the novella, the protagonist, a traveling salesman by the name of Gregor Samsa, wakes up one day to discover that he's been transformed into a giant ...
In Franz Kafka's Metamorphosis, readers are often wondering whether Grete, Gregor's sister has a true metamorphosis or if Gregor was the only character that had a true metamorphosis. There is an abundance of evidence supporting the statement that Grete matured and had a full metamorphosis as a result from Gregor's metamorphosis.
For this essay, consider beginning with an anecdoteâstarting the essay in media res can be an engaging way to catch the reader's attention and quickly establish the stakes of your narrative ...
On day two of Judge Brett Kavanaugh's Supreme Court confirmation hearing in September 2018, Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) asked about law and the "male body." (Video: C-SPAN)
This essay explores the possibility of an alternative conclusion to Kafka's iconic novella, shedding light on the potential outcomes of Gregor's metamorphosis. By examining various aspects of the story and incorporating analysis from credible sources, this essay aims to demonstrate how an alternate ending could have presented a unique ...
Metamorphosis By Kafka Essay; Metamorphosis By Kafka Essay. 573 Words 3 Pages. Reading the beginning of "Metamorphosis" by Kafka, the reader is confronted with a paradox, the transformation of the hero into a huge bug. This unexpected event remains until the end of the novel, a familial tragedy without seemingly to interest or influence the ...
Suggested Essay Topics ... , Stanley Corngold was able to publish a book of summaries of essays on The Metamorphosis containing accounts of well over a hundred articles, beginning as early as 1916 ...
Harvard University added a new essay topic for high school seniors who apply for admission: how they handle disagreements. The change comes after a school year when US college campuses were roiled ...
Below is a partial list of questions that I and many other medical professionals (and Americans) have about Mr. Trump, Mr. Biden and Ms. Harris right now. For Donald Trump: 1) Has Mr. Trump taken ...
The Metamorphosis is a novella written by Franz Kafka. It was first published in 1915. It follows the story of its main protagonist, Gregor Samsa, who finds himself transformed into a beetle-like ...
Mr. Sandel teaches political philosophy at Harvard. Kamala Harris has a lot to do in a short time â build a team, choose a running mate, introduce herself to the country. But her most important ...