Read about The Metamorphosis
Class Discussion Questions:
- If what happens to Gregor is not a dream, not an hallucination, should we hesitate to look at it symbolically? What happens to the story if we look upon this event as a symbol?
- Is Gregor still human after he turns into a bug? How does Kafka make this a debatable question? Does he act like a bug? Does he act like a man?
- Can we account for the transformation? Are we meant to consider some sort of cosmic justice or is it little more than absurd?
- "Was he an animal if music could captivate him so?" What can we make of this question? Does Gregor have a point of view?
- What is the significance of Gregor's speech being unintelligible? Does this at all reflect the absurdity of the story we are reading? Do we struggle to understand the language of this narrative?
- In addition, what is the significance of the assumption (except for the hired servant) that Gregor could not understand them?
- What are some motifs from the narrative that might help us think more carefully about Kafka's design in telling this story?
