Modernism

  1. Cover Design. Compare the original cover design of The Metamorphosis (shown in the Prezi) with some more modern covers (shown in the Prezi or do a google image search on your own). What is special about the design that was used during Kafka's lifetime? What is different about the more modern designs? Choose 2 covers to discuss and explain how their designs showcase specific themes from the story.
  2. The Beginning. Kafka's story is famous for its first sentence ["When Gregor Samsa woke one morning from troubled dreams, he found himself transformed right there in his bed into some sort of monstrous insect"] Why do you think he begins the story so abruptly? What effect does it have?
  3. The Ending. Reread the final paragraph of the story ["Then all three of them left the apartment together..?] With Gregor now dead, the story's focus shifts to his family. What does this ending suggest? What might Kafka be saying by shifting the focus in this way?