By Nick, Gabe, Charles, Peter, Danielle

Metamorphosis refers to the way that certain organisms develop, grow, and change form.

Metamorphosis actually means "change".

1883-1924 Born in Prague (now the Czech Republic) Spoke and wrote in German Had a doctorate in law, but worked in the

insurance industry

Kafka’s writings often deal with loneliness, isolation, and alienation, all of which are aggravated by the social and economic systems that structure human relations.

His style is stark in spite of the strange subject matter in many of his works, there is no poetic or metaphoric language.

The Metamorphosis is probably his most famous work.

“Vermin” can either be defined as a parasite feeding off of the living, just as Gregor'sfamily feeds off of him, or a vulnerable entity that scurries away upon another’s approach, as Gregor does for most of the novel after his transformation.

Works as a salesman (Hates his job) Only works to pay off his father’s debt and

support his family Makes a lot of money Family’s sole breadwinner Workaholic, painlessly avoiding intimate

relationships, a side effect he claims comes with being a salesman.

Turns into a insect overnight

Gregor’s sister Takes sole responsibility for Gregor’s care

after he turns into insect Likes to play the violin

Business failure leaves him in a lot of debt Begins working once Gregor’s is transformed

and can no longer support the family Responsible for Gregor’s death

Very weak women Tries to help Gregor but is disgusted by him Suffers most from Gregor’s transformation

10

The protagonist of the story is Gregor Samsa, who is the son of middle-class parents in Prague.

Gregor’s father lost most of his money about five years earlier, causing Gregor to take a job with one of his father's creditors as a travelling salesman.

Gregor provides the sole support for his family (father, mother, and sister), and also found them their current lodgings in Prague.

When the story begins, Gregor is spending a night at home before embarking upon another business trip.

Gregor is transformed into a “vermim” overnight, he must depend on his family and can no longer provide for them, he lives isolated in his room because his family can not bear the sight of him.

Family begins to become stronger, able to do work without and make enough money to get by without Gregor.

Family begins to feel hostile towards Gregor, they no longer want to support him.

12

Mr. Samsa becomes so disgusted with Gregor he throws an apple at him.

“The serious injury done to Gregor, which disabled him for more than a month—the apple went on sticking in his body as a visible reminder, since no one ventured to remove it—seemed to have made even his father recollect that Gregor was a member of the family, despite his present unfortunate and repulsive shape, and ought not to be treated as an enemy, that, on the contrary, family duty required the suppression of disgust and the exercise of patience, nothing but patience”.

13

The door leading from Gregor's darkened room to the lighted living room is now left open every evening, but when Gregor creeps out to listen to his family’s conversations, they sound glum, tired, and defeated

The serving-girl is dismissed and replaced with an elderly charwoman, many ornaments' and family keepsakes have to be sold in order for the family to have money for the apartment.

14

Family wants to leave in order to find a cheaper place, but could not find a way of moving Gregor

“But what they lamented most was the fact that they could not leave the flat which was much too big for their present circumstances, because they could not think of any way to shift Gregor. Yet Gregor saw well enough that consideration for him was not the main difficulty preventing the removal, for they could have easily shifted him in some suitable box with a few air holes in it; what really kept them from moving into another flat was rather their own complete hopelessness and the belief that they had been singled out for a misfortune such as had never happened to any of their relations or acquaintances”.

15

The family feels persecuted, and Gregor, consequently, is increasingly neglected.

His sister begins to neglect cleaning the room and his mother begins to do so, this causes a noisy family row, and the charwomen must take over taking care of Gregor. She is not frightened of him and even refers to him as “you old dung beetle”

16

Gregor’s room becomes filled with spare furniture and various items because one of the rooms in the flat has been let to lodgers.

Gregor has become very depressed, he has almost completely stopped eating and remarks that the three lodgers are eating three meals while he starves.

17

Grete plays the violin in the kitchen, and Gregor is certain that this is the first time that he has heard the instrument since his metamorphosis.

The lodgers invite her to come into the living room, where they spend their evenings in order to play for them.

18

The lodgers hate Grete’s violin playing but, Gregor, however, is certain that his sister is playing beautifully, and he craws from his room to listen to Grete in person.

19

Gregor’s response to the music is human like, and this is very significant because it shows that he has no completely transformed into an insect.

“He was determined to push forward till he reached his sister, to pull at her skirt and so let her know that she was to come into his room with her violin, for no one here appreciated her playing as he would appreciate it”

20

The lodgers soon spot Gregor, and Gregor’sfather tries to block the view of the lodgers and drive them towards their room. Unsurprisingly, the trio immediately gives notice that they will leave the apartment.

21

After this incident, Grete announces that things cant go on like this, they want to get rid of Gregor because they cant stand him anymore, they are all convinced that Gregoris completely gone and this monster is in no way Gregor.

22

It does not take long for the father and sister to relize that Gregor cannot understand them, and Grete insists that “if this were Gregor, he would have realized long ago that human beings can’t live with such a creature and he’d have gone away on his own accord. Then we wouldn't have any brother, but we’d be able to go on living and keep his memory in honour. As it is, this creature persecutes us, drives away our lodgers, obviously wants the whole apartment to himself and would have us all sleep in the gutter”

Gregor makes his way back to his room, and then hears the door immediately being shut and bolted by his sister.

23

“The rotting apple in his back and the inflamed area around it, all covered with soft dust, already hardly troubled him. He thought of his family with tenderness and love. The decision that he must disappear was one that he held to even more strongly than his sister, if that were possible. In this state of vacant and peaceful meditation he remained until the tower clock struck three in the morning. The first broadening of light in the world outside the window entered his consciousness once more. Then his head sank to the floor of its own accord and from his nostrils came the last faint flicker of his breath”

The apple in his back is becoming infected, this ultimately leads to Gregor’s death.

24

In the morning, the charwoman finds Gregor’s dead, body.

While Grete points out that Gregor must have starved to death, the family seems relieved, and they all celebrate.

The charwoman opens the window. It is the end of March, and therefore, the beginning of spring.

25

Mr. Samasa dismiss the lodgers from the house, and the entire house is finally calm and relaxed.

26

The family decides to “spend this day in resting and going for a stroll; they had not only deserved such a respite from work, but absolutely needed it”

27

The charwoman reveals that the body has already been disposed of, and though this briefly upsets the family, they are soon unified again.

“They all three left the apartment together, which was more than they had done for months, and went by trolley into the open country outside the town. The trolley, in which they were the only passengers, was filled with warm sunshine. Leaning comfortably back in their seats they canvassed their prospects for the future, and it appeared on closer inspection that these were not at all bad, for the jobs they had got, which so far they had never really discussed with each other, were all three admirable and likely to lead to better things later on . . .”

28

“They grew quieter and half unconsciously exchanged glances of complete agreement, having come to the conclusion that it would soon be time to find a good husband for her. And it was like a confirmation of their new dreams and excellent intentions that at the end of their journey their daughter sprang to her feet first and stretched her young body”