Metamorphosis Section 1

How does Gregor first react to his transformation? What does it reveal about him as a character?

Gregor calmly wonders what has happened to him. Then he attempts to fall back asleep. His calm demeanor indicates that he accepts the unfortunate events of his life and, instead of dwelling on them, immediately deals with the consequences.

How does Gregor feel about his work? Why is his attitude important?

Gregor does not like being a traveling salesman and thinks he needs more sleep. He dislikes his boss and the way the company functions. He cannot wait for the day he can go "up to the boss and ... let him know just what I feel." He feels trapped in his circumstances and not free to pursue his own interests.

What is Gregor's role in the family?

Gregor is the main provider for his entire family. He works to support his mother, father, and sister. He is even working to pay back his father's debts.

From Gregor's point of view, what might be some of the positive aspects of his transformation into an insect? What does this suggest about what it means to be human?

Gregor will not be able to go to his job which is something he dreads. He is free to himself in his own room, and he has not had that opportunity much. This may suggest that humans are not free to do what they want and live how they want in the world.

Describe Gregor's return to his room and his father's involvement in it.

Mr. Samsa grabs the clerk's stick and violently drives Gregor back to his room. The loud hisses of his father confuse Gregor who struggles to control his new body. As Gregor straightens out, he realizes that he can't fit through the door in this current position, but his father does not open the other door or try to understand Gregor's difficulty. In response to his father's continued hissing, Gregor enters his room by scraping one side of his body and injuring himself. His father gives him a shove and slams the door.

What is the woman in the framed picture wearing? What do you think is its significance?

The woman is "fitted out with a fur hat and a fur boa" and is covering her arms in a fur muff. It is like she is wearing a second skin, that of another animal, the way Gregor awakes to be in another skin of a vermin.

"You had to concede it was possible." Why does no one ever wonder about why the metamorphosis has taken place? What is the significance of the event being accepted without question?

None of the characters question Gregor's transformation because they are all just reacting to the circumstances it creates. Gregor struggles with the difficulty of getting up and the prospective problems his transformation poses to his job. The clerk just runs without questioning. His mother weeps and his father reacts by banishing him to his room. No one questions the transformation because it is a reality in the story.

Why does the chief clerk mention the company's money? What is he insinuating about Gregor's refusal to leave his room?

The chief clerk references "the money that was recently entrusted" to Gregor to suggest that the boss thinks he has not shown up for work because he plans on stealing the money. The chief clerk defended Gregor to the boss, giving "his word of honor that that could not be the right explanation" but now he threatens to withdraw

What happens to Gregor when he leaves his room to meet the chief clerk? How does his family react? What do the various reactions reveal about the characters?

When Gregor opens the door to walk into the other room, the chief clerk, his mother, and his father are able to see that he has transformed. The chief clerk immediately turns away in disgust and leaves, revealing him to only be a mouthpiece and not brave at all. Gregor's mother steps toward him then sinks to the floor in tears. She truly loves her son and is heartbroken by his transformation. Gregor's father "looked hostile" before he begins to weep. Eventually he grabs the clerk's stick and hisses at Gregor while violently driving him back to his room. This reveals a harsh tendency toward violence and an unwillingness to understand his son.