Name: _________________________ Date: _______________ Block: ______ The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka Read background information on Franz Kafka. Read and take close reading notes on [Pay attention to the details and The Metamorphosis. visualization Kafka uses.] Track Gregor’s continuing transition from human to beetle. Construct a list of direct evidence including page numbers that exemplifies this transition. Consider what qualities and characteristics make him and what makes him “human-like” “bug-like”? Complete study guide questions. Prepare for Socratic Seminar: [You must come to class with the following TYPED] Three open-ended discussion questions you generate from the text An explanation of three elements from the text to discuss (include page #’s) A statement of Kafka’s message to his readers Answer the following open-ended questions: What was the of Gregor’s metamorphosis? Why is Gregor so human when his family acts in such an inhuman fashion? Some readers of have proposed that Gregor is actually insane The Metamorphosis and only believes that he has been transformed into an insect. Evaluate this interpretation with your group. What evidence can you find in the text to support or refute this interpretation? Be prepared to share your thoughts with other groups. The word translated as in the first sentence of is vermin The Metamorphosis in the original German. As Kafka probably knew, derives Ungeziefer Ungeziefer from a Middle High German word meaning unclean animal not suited for “an sacrifice.” What meaning do you think this word conveys about the nature of Gregor’s metamorphosis? Do you think that his death can be seen as a sacrifice in any sense? Discuss the title of and its meaning for the events of the story. The Metamorphosis Which characters undergo changes? What are these changes, and how are they brought about? Kafka is important to us because his predicament is the predicament of modern poet W. H. Auden What is this predicament of modern man? man. —British Background Information: Franz Kafka
Name: _________________________ Date: _______________ Block: ______ The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka Read background information on Franz Kafka. Read and take close reading notes on The Metamorphosis. [Pay attention to the details and visualization Kafka uses.] Track Gregor’s continuing transition from human to beetle. Construct a list of direct evidence including page numbers that exemplifies this transition. Consider what qualities and characteristics make him “human-like” and what makes him “bug-like”? Complete study guide questions. Prepare for Socratic Seminar: [You must come to class with the following TYPED] Three open-ended discussion questions you generate from the text An explanation of three elements from the text to discuss (include page #’s) A statement of Kafka’s message to his readers Answer the following open-ended questions: What was the of Gregor’s metamorphosis? Why is Gregor so human when his family acts in such an inhuman fashion? Some readers of The Metamorphosis have proposed that Gregor is actually insane and only believes that he has been transformed into an insect. Evaluate this interpretation with your group. What evidence can you find in the text to support or refute this interpretation? Be prepared to share your thoughts with other groups. The word translated as vermin in the first sentence of The Metamorphosis is Ungeziefer in the original German. As Kafka probably knew, Ungeziefer derives from a Middle High German word meaning “an unclean animal not suited for sacrifice.” What meaning do you think this word conveys about the nature of Gregor’s metamorphosis? Do you think that his death can be seen as a sacrifice in any sense? Discuss the title of The Metamorphosis and its meaning for the events of the story. Which characters undergo changes? What are these changes, and how are they brought about? Kafka is important to us because his predicament is the predicament of modern man. —British poet W. H. Auden What is this predicament of modern man? Background Information: Franz Kafka
ap-prep-metamorphosis.docx