Kafka, Franz. The Metamorphosis.
Translated by Stanley Corngold. New York: Bantam, 1972. (1915)
Kafka, Franz. The Metamorphosis. Translated by Stanley Corngold. New York: Bantam, 1972. (1915)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
When Gregor Samsa woke up one morning from unsettling dreams, he found himself changed in his bed into a
monstrous vermin. He was lying on his back as hard as armor plate, and when he lifted his head a little, he saw
his vaulted brown belly, sectioned by arch-shaped ribs, to whose dome the cover, about to slide off completely,
could barely cling. His many legs, pitifully thin compared with the size of the rest of him, were waving helplessly
before his eyes.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
“What’s happened to me?” he thought. It was no dream. His room, a regular human room, only a little on the
small side, lay quiet between the four familiar walls. Over the table, on which an unpacked line of fabric samples
was all spread out--Samsa was a traveling salesman--hung the picture which he had recently cut out of a glossy
magazine and lodged in a pretty gilt frame. It showed a lady done up in a fur hat and a fur boa, sitting upright and
raising up against the viewer a heavy fur muff in which her whole forearm had disappeared.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
Gregor’s eyes then turned to the window, and the overcast weather--he could hear raindrops hitting against the
metal window ledge--completely depressed him. “How about going back to sleep for a few minutes and forgetting
all this nonsense,” he thought, but that was completely impracticable, since he was used to sleeping on his right
side and in his present state could not get into that position. No matter how hard he threw himself onto his right
side, he always rocked onto his back again. He must have tried it a hundred times, closing his eyes so as not to have
to see his squirming legs, and stopped only when he began to feel a slight, dull pain in his side, which he had never
felt before.
Guided Highlighted Reading for The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka
Vocabulary
In line 1, highlight the word that means shaken or weakened.
In line 2, highlight the word that means a noxious, objectionable, or disgusting animal.
In line 9, highlight the word that describes what type of frame was gold in color.
In line 9, highlight the word that means a scarf or stole of feathers, fur, or fabric
In line 10, highlight the word that is the name for a covering for the hands.
In line 13, highlight the word that means incapable of being put into practice.
Kafka, Franz. The Metamorphosis. Translated by Stanley Corngold. New York: Bantam, 1972. (1915)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
When Gregor Samsa woke up one morning from unsettling dreams, he found himself changed in his bed into a
monstrous vermin. He was lying on his back as hard as armor plate, and when he lifted his head a little, he saw
his vaulted brown belly, sectioned by arch-shaped ribs, to whose dome the cover, about to slide off completely,
could barely cling. His many legs, pitifully thin compared with the size of the rest of him, were waving helplessly
before his eyes.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
“What’s happened to me?” he thought. It was no dream. His room, a regular human room, only a little on the
small side, lay quiet between the four familiar walls. Over the table, on which an unpacked line of fabric samples
was all spread out--Samsa was a traveling salesman--hung the picture which he had recently cut out of a glossy
magazine and lodged in a pretty gilt frame. It showed a lady done up in a fur hat and a fur boa, sitting upright and
raising up against the viewer a heavy fur muff in which her whole forearm had disappeared.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
Gregor’s eyes then turned to the window, and the overcast weather--he could hear raindrops hitting against the
metal window ledge--completely depressed him. “How about going back to sleep for a few minutes and forgetting
all this nonsense,” he thought, but that was completely impracticable, since he was used to sleeping on his right
side and in his present state could not get into that position. No matter how hard he threw himself onto his right
side, he always rocked onto his back again. He must have tried it a hundred times, closing his eyes so as not to have
to see his squirming legs, and stopped only when he began to feel a slight, dull pain in his side, which he had never
felt before.
GHR for Summary
In lines 1 and 2, highlight what Gregor Samsa finds has happened to him when he woke up.
In lines 2 – 5, highlight the words that describe what Gregor Samsa has become.
In lines 6 highlight the words that describe his room.
In line 7, highlight what was setting on the table.
In line 8, highlight the words that describe Samsa’s job.
In lines 9 and 10, highlight the words that describe the lady in the pretty gilt frame.
In line 12, highlight the words that describe how Gregor felt hearing the raindrops against
the metal window ledge.
In lines 12-14, highlight why Gregor could not sleep on his right side.
In lines 14 – 15, highlight what Gregor tried to do that did not work.
In line 15, highlight how many time Gregor must have tried to turn over.
In lines 15 and 16, highlight why Gregor closed his eyes.
In line 16, highlight what Gregor felt that he’d not felt before.
Kafka, Franz. The Metamorphosis. Translated by Stanley Corngold. New York: Bantam, 1972. (1915)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
When Gregor Samsa woke up one morning from unsettling dreams, he found himself changed in his bed into a
monstrous vermin. He was lying on his back as hard as armor plate, and when he lifted his head a little, he saw
his vaulted brown belly, sectioned by arch-shaped ribs, to whose dome the cover, about to slide off completely,
could barely cling. His many legs, pitifully thin compared with the size of the rest of him, were waving helplessly
before his eyes.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
“What’s happened to me?” he thought. It was no dream. His room, a regular human room, only a little on the
small side, lay quiet between the four familiar walls. Over the table, on which an unpacked line of fabric samples
was all spread out--Samsa was a traveling salesman--hung the picture which he had recently cut out of a glossy
magazine and lodged in a pretty gilt frame. It showed a lady done up in a fur hat and a fur boa, sitting upright and
raising up against the viewer a heavy fur muff in which her whole forearm had disappeared.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
Gregor’s eyes then turned to the window, and the overcast weather--he could hear raindrops hitting against the
metal window ledge--completely depressed him. “How about going back to sleep for a few minutes and forgetting
all this nonsense,” he thought, but that was completely impracticable, since he was used to sleeping on his right
side and in his present state could not get into that position. No matter how hard he threw himself onto his right
side, he always rocked onto his back again. He must have tried it a hundred times, closing his eyes so as not to have
to see his squirming legs, and stopped only when he began to feel a slight, dull pain in his side, which he had never
felt before.
On the lines provided on the back of the text, write a 1-4 line summary of what you
learned from the text you’ve just read and highlighted. You may refer back to the
text as necessary.
GHR for Writer’s Craft
In line 1, highlight the author’s words that are a foreshadowing that something is
not right.
In lines 2 -5, highlight the words the author uses to describe Gregor’s situation.
A rhetorical question is a question to which no answer is required. In line 6,
highlight the rhetorical question Gregor asks himself.
In lines 8 and 9, highlight the words, related to the picture described in lines 9 and
10, that tell us the origin of the picture.
In lines 12 and 13, highlight the words the author uses that has Gregor tell us that
he does not accept the reality of his situation.
In lines 14 – 17, highlight how the author describes Gregor’s difficult situation and
frustration.
Kafka, Franz. The Metamorphosis. Translated by Stanley Corngold. New York: Bantam, 1972. (1915)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6
7.
8.
9.
10.
When Gregor Samsa woke up one morning from unsettling dreams, he found himself changed in his bed into a
monstrous vermin. He was lying on his back as hard as armor plate, and when he lifted his head a little, he saw
his vaulted brown belly, sectioned by arch-shaped ribs, to whose dome the cover, about to slide off completely,
could barely cling. His many legs, pitifully thin compared with the size of the rest of him, were waving helplessly
before his eyes.
“What’s happened to me?” he thought. It was no dream. His room, a regular human room, only a little on the
small side, lay quiet between the four familiar walls. Over the table, on which an unpacked line of fabric samples
was all spread out--Samsa was a traveling salesman--hung the picture which he had recently cut out of a glossy
magazine and lodged in a pretty gilt frame. It showed a lady done up in a fur hat and a fur boa, sitting upright and
raising up against the viewer a heavy fur muff in which her whole forearm had disappeared.
11. Gregor’s eyes then turned to the window, and the overcast weather--he could hear raindrops hitting against the
12. metal window ledge--completely depressed him. “How about going back to sleep for a few minutes and forgetting
13. all this nonsense,” he thought, but that was completely impracticable, since he was used to sleeping on his right
14. side and in his present state could not get into that position. No matter how hard he threw himself onto his right
15. side, he always rocked onto his back again. He must have tried it a hundred times, closing his eyes so as not to have
16. to see his squirming legs, and stopped only when he began to feel a slight, dull pain in his side, which he had never
17. felt before.
Questions to consider for discussion…
1. In this excerpt from The Metamorphosis, Gregor, the protagonist, has been
transformed from human to insect yet still has his human thoughts and emotions.
How do think others will react to this transformation?
2. This metamorphosis has profoundly changed Gregor. How will he continue with
his life from this point onwards?
3. The young woman in the picture that Gregor has taken from a magazine and
framed appears to have some significance. What could it be?
4. If you were to awaken one morning to find that you had been transformed into
something quite horrible, what would you do? How would you handle it? What
would you expect from others, your family, friends, work colleagues?