Title: The Metamorphosis
Author: Franz Kafka
Date of Publication: 1915
Genre: fiction (absurdist)
Historical information about the setting/ time of publication:
Significance of opening scene: We find out that he has changed into a bug at the same moment he does, which draws the reader in, basically beginning the story with the climax.
Significance of closing scene: Everyone else in the family is moving on into a new place, which shows that they actually benefitted form his death.
Symbols or motifs:
Author: Franz Kafka
Date of Publication: 1915
Genre: fiction (absurdist)
Historical information about the setting/ time of publication:
- Prague had a large Jewish population
- Angro-Hungarian Empire
- Neo-Renaissance
- Bohemian Revolution
- Czechoslovakia gained freedom
- born in Prague, grew up in middle-class Jewish family
- studied law at the University of Prague
- went to Berlin and focused on writing
- died of tuberculosis
- focuses on characters that can't find purpose in life
- represented by meaningless actions
- Gregor wakes up one day and has turned into a bug
- he misses work and his family and office manager think something is seriously wrong, because he is hiding in his room and can't talk right
- when he opens the door, his boss is scared away and his family is shocked
- he gets food from his sister
- his family tries to adapt to his new way of life, but struggle to do so
- his family thinks that they need to get rid of him because he is ruining their lives
- he hears them, so he goes to his room and dies
- his family is relieved and continues their life better than before
- "When Gregor Samsa woke up one morning from unsettling dreams, he found himself changed in his bed into a monstrous vermin." (1) -Significant because it shows that the initial reaction to the transformation was pessimistic, since they describe his appearance as 'monstrous vermin', which has a negative connotation
- "With a hostile expression his father clenched his fist, as if to drive Gregor back into his room." (25) -Significant because this shows that his father has absolutely no sympathy for him and reacts in violence
- "He thought back on his family with deep emotion and love. His conviction that he would have to disappear was, if possible, even firmer than his sister's." (29) -Significant because it shows that while his family showed him no sympathy, he still loved them enough to realize that he was too much of a burden to stay around
- Gregor:
- role: salesman turned bug
- significance: struggles with his new life, tries to adapt to isolation
- adjectives: accepting, innocent, loving
- Grete:
- role: sister of Gregor
- significance: you can see the change in mentality through her, where initially she is sympathetic but then mad that Gregor is affecting her life
- adjectives: concerned, caring, then annoyed
- the father:
- role: Gregor's father
- significance: he is one of the main reasons that Gregor has such a hard time and receives no sympathy, due to his hostility
- adjectives: hostile, tired, apathetic
- the mother:
- role: Gregor's mother
- significance: while she is being 'protected' from Gregor, she is conflicted because of her love for him and her disgust and horror at his new body
- adjectives: stressed, confused
- role: Gregor's mother
Significance of opening scene: We find out that he has changed into a bug at the same moment he does, which draws the reader in, basically beginning the story with the climax.
Significance of closing scene: Everyone else in the family is moving on into a new place, which shows that they actually benefitted form his death.
Symbols or motifs:
- the father's uniform
- food/the apple
- photo of the woman wearing fur things
- physical appearance over personality
- life's absurdity and unpredictability
- the extent of unconditional family love