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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What human emotion does Gregor seem to lack?

2. What happens to Gregor in the first part of The Metamorphosis?

3. What aspect of the story is developed throughout The Metamorphosis?

4. What could Gregor's speech potentially arouse in others, if understood?

5. What is consistent of Gregor's relationship with his father?

Short Essay Questions

1. What disparity exists for Gregor throughout The Metamorphosis that creates tension within the story?

2. What is the main aspect of the plot that is developed as the narrative progresses?

3. Why is Grete ultimately the final authority on whether or not the beetle is Gregor and Gregor the beetle?

4. Who has a small inkling that Gregor might understand them and why is this character an ironic choice for this revelation?

5. What do Gregor's interactions with his father throughout The Metamorphosis illuminate for the reader?

6. What human capacity does Gregor keep as the narrative develops and how is this shown?

7. Who ironically turns on Gregor in the third part of The Metamorphosis and why?

8. What does the visit of the Chief Clerk serve to represent within The Metamorphosis?

9. What is shocking to the reader in the first part of The Metamorphosis after Gregor wakes up to his new insect body?

10. What prevents Gregor from communicating with his family pre-transformation?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Gregor understands far more about his family than they understand about him. Prove or disprove this statement using specific examples from the text.

Essay Topic 2

When Grete plays her violin she enchants Gregor, while The Lodgers are hardly amused. Kafka could be proposing a question of humanity with this scene: Is the difference between being human and inhuman a matter of physical shape? Prove, or disprove this statement with the violin serenade scene and any other scenes that support your thesis.

Essay Topic 3

Communication is the key to solving any problem. However, Gregor is unable to communicate with his family during and following his transformation into a beetle. Use scenes and examples from the text that justify the inability to communicate as the crux of all conflict in The Metamorphosis.

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