Curated set · answers marked
At the beginning of The Metamorphosis, Gregor Samsa wakes up to find that he has undergone a strange transformation. What does he turn into?
AA giant rat
BA large cockroach-like insect (vermin)✓
CA wolf
DA snake
Rationale
In the novella's well-known opening line, Gregor Samsa finds himself changed into an "ungeheueres Ungeziefer" — a monstrous vermin or insect-like creature. Kafka intentionally keeps the exact species unclear, although it is usually interpreted as a large cockroach or beetle.
At the beginning of The Metamorphosis, what does Gregor Samsa realize has happened to him?
AHe has lost his job as a traveling salesman
BHe has been transformed into a giant insect✓
CHe has fallen gravely ill with a mysterious fever
DHe has been robbed and left unable to move
Rationale
The novella starts with one of literature's most iconic lines — Gregor Samsa wakes up one morning to find he has changed into a "monstrous vermin" (or "ungeheures Ungeziefer"). This shocking and unexplained transformation sets the stage for the entire story and acts as the central symbol throughout the work.