Author Question: When Gregor wakes to discover he has become a gigantic insect, he ismostly intent on the practical ... (Read 637 times)

tiffannnnyyyyyy · **on:** Jul 20, 2018

When Gregor wakes to discover he has become a gigantic insect, he ismostly intent on the practical implications of his metamorphosishow to get out of bed, how to get to his job, and so forth. He never wonders why or how he has been changed. What does this odd reaction suggest about Gregor?

What will be an ideal response?

Question 2

What was Gregors occupation before his transformation? How did hecome to his particular job? What keeps him working for his firm?

What will be an ideal response?

recede · **Reply #1 on:** Jul 20, 2018

Answer to Question 1

The only fantastic element present in The Metamorphosis is its opening sentence. After that unexplained event, the subsequent action unfolds in a bizarrely realistic fashion. Perhaps the strangest detail of all is Gregors matter-of-fact acceptance of his transformation into a monstrously large insect. He never wonders why or how he has been changed from a young man into vermin. Although he worries about a great many other things, he accepts his new situation absolutely. This narrative detail is surely part of what gives Kafkas tale its uniquely brooding mystery. For some unstated reason, Gregor acknowledges the inevitability of his fate. Establishing why Gregor and his family so naturally accept his transformation into a despicable creature is central to any interpretation of the story. (See comments on question 10 for some common interpretations of Gregors metamorphosis.)

Answer to Question 2

The question of Gregors employment is crucial to understanding the story. Gregor works as a traveling salesmana situation he dislikes. He wants to quit his job, but the pressure to support his family and pay off his bankrupt fathers business debts keeps him trapped in his career. Gregors boss holds the fathers debts, so his job reinforces his sense of obligation to his family. The influential Kafka scholar Walter H. Sokel has observed that Schuld, the German word for debt, also means guilt in German. The symbolism of its double meaning has not been lost on Freudian and Marxist critics. Both family debts and family guilt force Gregor into intolerable employment.