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Text-Dependent Questions
Directions: For the following questions, choose the best answer or respond in complete sentences.
1. Provide an objective summary of The Metamorphosis in 3-5 complete sentences.
2. How does relationship between the Samsa family and Gregor Samsa’s boss contribute to the plot of the story?
A. They are on good terms; Gregor does not wish to disappoint his family and their friend, so he dedicates himself wholly to the work.
B. The Samsa family owes money to Gregor’s boss, and thus Gregor works constantly to pay off this debt.
C. The Samsa family owe serious debt to the bank so they push Gregor’s boss to give him more responsibilities and that he may earn more.
D. They are on poor terms; Gregor has not been earning enough for his boss, so he works overtime in the hopes of saving his job.
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[RL.3] 4. PART A: Which of the following best describe the narrator’s point of view in the story?
A. First-person: the story is told from Gregor’s perspective.
B. Third-person limited: though in third-person, the narration limits itself to Gregor’s perspective and thoughts.
C. Third-person omniscient: the narration covers the thoughts and actions of all of the characters in the story.
D. Third-person omniscient: the narration remains focused on Gregor’s
perspective, however it occasionally branches out to other perspectives (i.e. the Samsas, following Gregor’s death).
5. PART B: What effect does the point of view have on the story overall—such as on the tone or theme?
6. What is the author’s likely purpose for the string of rhetorical questions in paragraph 15?
A. To point out the faults and unfriendly atmosphere of Gregor’s employing company
B. To highlight how poorly the company treats Gregor as an employee and a human being
C. To show Gregor questioning his company and his loyalty to the job
D. To illustrate how anxious and miserable working for this textile company makes him
7. Re-read paragraph 23. What do the lines describing Gregor’s attempt to respond reveal or imply about him?
A. This section confirms his loss of human speech and communication. B. This section reveals that even as an insect, Gregor continues to worry about
work and how others perceive him.
C. This section implies that even in such a short time after transforming, Gregor is already losing his humanity.
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[RL.5] 8. In paragraph 26, we learn that Gregor Samsa was a lieutenant in the army before he
became a traveling salesman. What is the author’s likely purpose for including this detail about the protagonist?
A. This detail establishes that Gregor had another profession before becoming a salesman.
B. This detail emphasizes Gregor’s preference for an organized life and for taking orders.
C. This detail reveals Gregor was happier in his previous post and wasn’t always this way; it’s his salesman position (necessary to provide for his family) that makes him unhappy.
D. This detail reveals Gregor previously was respected and held power, unlike in his salesman job, which brings money but no respect and little gratitude.
9. How does the author develop the theme of shame and guilt in the story? Consider how Gregor’s shame/guilt compares to that of his family (both before and after the transformation).
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[RL.3] 12. PART B: Which of the following phrases best supports the answer to Part A?
A. “to persuade him to exchange the chair for his bed” B. “reproaches and warnings”
C. “tug at his sleeve”
D. “whisper endearments into his ear”
13. What does the interaction between Gregor and the charwoman in paragraph 67 reveal about his then current point of view?
A. Gregor recognizes when he is being called a beetle and remembers that he is not one, thus revealing a retention of his human identity and perspective. B. Gregor is annoyed by the charwoman and refuses to react to her calls,
suggesting human stubbornness.
C. Gregor can discern danger, such as when the charwoman intends to squash him, and therefore retains his logical faculties.
D. Gregor can discern danger, such as when the charwoman intends to squash him, but he reacts with the instincts of an insect.
14. What does the term “superfluous” most likely mean as used in paragraph 68? A. Shabby
B. Unnecessary C. Extra
D. Cluttered
15. “Was he an animal if music could captivate him so? It seemed to him that he was being shown the way to the unknown nourishment he had been yearning for.” (Paragraph 73) How do these lines contribute to the overall meaning of the story?
A. In these lines we are shown Gregor at his most human throughout the story, valuing art and love over money.
B. Kafka is suggesting that music is the only way to remain human.
C. The love Gregor feels for his sister and her music brings him greater joy than his work.
D. These lines suggest that Gregor could have changed his way of life, that the cure for his unhappiness was in what he values.
16. What is the significance of Mr. Samsa telling the three gentlemen renters to leave? A. It shows his grief over his insect-son dying.
B. It reveals his guilt for shooing Gregor back into the bedroom the night before, so he does the same to them.
C. It represents what Gregor could never do: stand up to his employer (or in the case of the renters, people who gave him money).
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[RL.1] 17. In terms of structure and conclusion, what does the final paragraph contribute to the
overall story?
18. PART A: Which of the following best describes a central idea of the text? A. Living like an insect can make you feel like one.
B. The daily grind in earning a living can eliminate one’s humanity. C. We are as we perceive ourselves to be.
D. Allowing others to take advantage of one’s generosity can lead to tragedy.
19. PART B: Which TWO of the following quotes best supports the answer to Part A?
A. “Doing business like this takes much more effort than doing your own business at home, and on top of that there’s the curse of travelling, worries about making train connections, bad and irregular food, contact with different people all the time so that you can never get to know anyone or become friendly with them.” (Paragraph 4)
B. “If I didn’t have my parents to think about I’d have given in my notice a long time ago, I’d have gone up to the boss and told him just what I think, tell him
everything I would, let him know just what I feel.” (Paragraph 5)
C. “Were all employees, every one of them, louts, was there not one of them who was faithful and devoted who would go so mad with pangs of conscience that he couldn’t get out of bed if he didn’t spend at least a couple of hours in the
morning on company business?” (Paragraph 15)
D. “The lad only ever thinks about the business. It nearly makes me cross the way he never goes out in the evenings; he’s been in town for a week now but stayed home every evening. He sits with us in the kitchen and just reads the paper or studies train timetables.” (Paragraph 17)
E. “They had been good times and they had never come again, at least not with the same splendour, even though Gregor had later earned so much that he was in a position to bear the costs of the whole family, and did bear them. …they took the money with gratitude and he was glad to provide it, although there was no longer much warm affection given in return.” (Paragraph 42)
[RL.5] 20. How does Kafka develop the theme of reality vs. illusion in this story, incorporating
Discussion Questions
Directions: Brainstorm your answers to the following questions in the space provided. Be prepared to share your original ideas in a class discussion.
1. Does Gregor Samsa ever accept the reality of his transformation? Does the reader accept the reality of his transformation? Discuss.
2. In Metamorphosis, Kafka pushes readers to consider accepting something impossible: that a human being could suddenly be transformed into a beetle. How does Kafka make us accept this reality?
3. What is Kafka’s likely purpose for writing Metamorphosis? What does this story teach us about identity, shame, truth/fiction, family, and guilt?
4. In the context of this story, what is identity? What makes a person what he/she is—is it the way others see you, the way you see yourself, your status or career, or something else? Cite evidence from this text, your own experience, and other literature, art, or history in your answer.
