DP Language A: Literature Discussion 1

1. The last word of the first line is sometimes translated as bug, cockroach, or insect, but Kafka intended it to be “vermin.” Definition for vermin: “Vermin is a term given to animals which are considered by humans to be pests or nuisances, most associated with the carrying of disease. Disease-carrying rodents and insects are the usual case but the term can also apply to larger animals, on the basis that they exist out of ecological balance with their environment.” Why did Kafka leave the term abstract? What might the bug transformation symbolize?

2. Who is to blame for Gregor’s metamorphosis? Why does the metamorphosis take place?  What things are left unexplained? Why do you think Kafka left them unexplained? Do you have sympathy for Gregor? Do you have sympathy for his family? Why or why not? How does the Samsa family’s life change after Gregor is transformed into an insect? In what ways has it remained the same?

3. How does Gregor’s metamorphosis goes hand in hand with a description of the world around him as he sees it in his new state? What did Kafka try to express through the metamorphosis of Gregor Samsa? What is the point of the novella (if any)?

4. Kafka said, “Great antipathy to Metamorphosis. Unreadable ending. Imperfect almost to its very marrow.” (quoted in Introduction to Everyman’s edition, page xv, written by Gabriel Josipovici) What do you think about the ending? What were your reactions to the entire novella?

5. What is the effect of Kafka's matter-of-fact assertion of the bizarre incidents with which the story begins? How does Kafka keep the way it came to pass from becoming a major issue in the story? 
How do you view the reactions of Gregor's parents to their first view of his metamorphosis? What circumstances in ordinary life might elicit a similar response?



6. What symbolic objects or other details appear in the story? Do they have connections with earlier mythologies or legends or literature? How does this story compare with other transformation stories or animal stories we are studying? What makes the narrative approach of this modern story different from a folktale?

7. The Metamorphosis has been read and interpreted in many ways – as an example of existentialist philosophy, a depiction of man’s condition in the modern world, Marxist approach (Gregor’s work has dehumanized him), a presentation of psychological neurosis, feminist approach to the story (the women take on the main work), and as a theological parable (a martyr that is example of human suffering, apple is guilt, etc.). Discuss these possible interpretations.

8. Expressionism was an aesthetic movement of the early 20^th century. It focused on distorting and magnifying the shape of reality in order to express a higher order of emotional reality beneath the surface. It assumes, like many of the major movements of modern art and literature, that art based predominately on visible reality is inadequate. German Expressionism’s features include the following: the distortion of surfaces, the obsession with the inner life, and the relationship between the individual and authority (especially the conflict between fathers and sons). How is Kafka’s Metamorphosis similar to Expressionism?

Metamorphosis Discussion:

Instructions: When formulating your response to the assigned question, know that I’m expecting a complete and original answer. Your answer should be of at least twelve sentences with a thesis statement, topic sentences, explanations and examples to prove your point. After posting, you will respond to three classmates' posts; when responding to your classmates' posts, you must choose a topic/question that you did not write about. Your response should either agree or disagree with the posting while also illuminating or adding to the dialogue in a meaningful way (approximately five to seven sentences).

1 = B

2 = C

3 = D & F

4 = G & K

5 = M

6 = N & P

7 = R & S

8 = T & W