The Metamorphosis​
Section III Post-Reading Questions
1. How has Gregor’s injury affected him physically?
Gregor is only able to move with great difficulty; he is “reduced to the condition of an ancient invalid.” He can no
longer crawl on the walls or the ceiling.
2. Why is the living room door now left open? How have the family conversations changed?
Gregor’s family now leaves the living room door open because his condition “seemed serious enough” to remind
them that he was a “family member.” He also poses little threat since he has practically been rendered immobile.
3. How does the charwoman react to Gregor?
The charwoman is not afraid of Gregor and refers to him as “ the old dung-beetle.” She opens the door to his
room but does not clean it. When Gregor attempts to attack her, she threatens to bash him with a chair.
4. How has the condition of Gregor’s room changed? What does this indicate about his family’s care for him?
Gregor’s room grows steadily more filthy as Grete has grown tired of seeing to it. Eventually renters move in and
extra household belongings are shoved into Gregor’s room. The deterioration of his room represents the
deterioration of his family’s feelings for him.
5. Who comes to live with the family? What is the significance of the new characters?
Three renters move in with the family. They are serious, bearded men who are obsessed with cleanliness. These
new characters get the best of Gregor’s family’s attention.
6. How does his sister’s violin performance affect Gregor and why?
Something stirs in Gregor when Grete plays the violin in the living room. He crawls out of his room drawn by the
sound and, "it hardly occurred to him that he had become so thoughtless about the others." Gregor's lack of
consideration, however, is only a response to his family's lack of consideration for him. Having been treated with
neglect, he now neglects them in return, crawling out of the room in plain view of everyone. Gregor is now free: not
only does he not have to work, but he is also no longer bothered by guilt. As an insect, he doesn't seem to need
much more freedom than that. He has finally escaped all the traps that had been set for him. Gregor poses a
question: "was he an animal if music could captivate him so?"
Grade 10: The Metamorphosis
7. How do the renters react to Gregor’s presence?
The renters stare at Gregor with amusement. His father attempts to drive them back into their room, but they
stop on the threshold and the middle gentleman announces that he is giving notice and will not pay for the days he
has lived there because of the “repugnant conditions” in the household. The others also give notice before
retreating into their room.
8. How has Grete’s attitude toward Gregor changed? What does she insist of her mother and father?
Grete completely abandons all attachment that she had to her brother. She has gone beyond indifference for his
care and wants to physically disown him. She tells her parents, ​
“we can't carry on like this. Maybe you can't see it,
but I can. I don't want to call this monster my brother, all I can say is: we have to try and get rid of it. We've done
all that's humanly possible to look after it and be patient, I don't think anyone could accuse us of doing anything
wrong."
9. What effect does Gregor’s metamorphosis ultimately have on his family? What does this effect suggest about
his relationship with his family? According to the story, is the metamorphosis a good or bad thing?
After Gregor transforms, he is no longer able to support his family and they are forced to transform into
providers for themselves. They turn from dependent to independent and ultimately hopeful for the future. This
suggests that Gregor was holding his family back just as much as they were holding him back from his freedom.
The story shows that metamorphosis, or change, can be good.
10. Toward the end of the story, what are Gregor’s attitudes toward himself and his family? How do Gregor and
his family respond to his death?
Gregor feels love for his family after everything that has happened and he thinks​
“back of his family with emotion
​
and love. If it was possible, he felt that he must go away even more strongly than his sister.” Gregor resigns
himself to dying for his family, and they accept it graciously. They are emotional when they realize how skinny he
was after refusing to eat.
Grade 10: The Metamorphosis