kafka presentation
TRANSCRIPT
Austria-Hungarymiddle-class, German-speaking, Jewish family in Prague
→ question of national identityoldest of six childrenemployed at insurance company, making money for his familybegan writing short stories as a hobby, later became more seriousdiagnosed with tuberculosis in 1917 – no curenever marriedrequested his manuscripts be destroyed after his death:
“Everything I leave behind me ... in the way of diaries, manuscripts, letters (my own and others'), sketches, and so on, [is] to be burned unread.”
LIFE: 1883 – 1924
FirstReactions?
of or relating to the writings of Franz Kafka; resembling the state of affairs or a state of mind described by Kafka (O.E.D.) –
nightmarishforeignsurrealdisorientinghelplessfutile?
“Kafkaesque”
Who is Gregor Samsa?What facts can we gather about his life?
What is his occupation?What is his relationship to his family?How is his metamorphosis described?physical features, movements, strengths & weaknesses...What is the biggest conflict in the story?How does the plot deal with the revealed climax?
What is happening?
Group Discussion Questions1. How does Kafka complicate the story after revealing the climax in
the first line?2. What similarities can be drawn between Gregor Samsa and Kafka?3. What do we understand through the framed image of the woman
with fur?4. How does Samsa initially react to his transformation? What is his
biggest concern?5. What is it that finally wills Samsa out of his bed?6. What do we know about Grete? What is her relationship to her
brother?7. What does Gregor’s father say his son does in his spare time? Does
this support or disturb our understanding of Samsa?8. Why does the Chief Clerk come to the Samsa house? What do we
gather from his speech?9. Samsa’s response is incomprehensible to everyone except the reader
– why? 10.Why do you think Samsa’s father wept when he reveals himself as a
bug?11.What does the tone of the narration lend to the story?12.Do you think Samsa’s transformation is literal or symbolic? Both?