Do you think that Gregor is more powerful BEFORE or AFTER his metamorphosis? Explain your response.
- I believe that Gregor is more powerful before his metamorphosis as we can see in the text, Gregor’s mom saying “You know that boy has nothing but work in his head” that it explains Gregor’s life which was focused on helping his family financially. By being the financial help and the only one working and supporting in the household it makes him the head of the house which is why he is a lot more powerful before his transformation.
Look at the final paragraph of the story. How does it shape or alter our understanding of the text?
- At the end of this story, we see how the family has moved on from their lives after Gregor’s death. It reads “…they thought it was about time to find a suitable husband for her. And it felt like a confirmation of their new dreams and their fond intentions…” which is explaining the next steps coming up for Grete as she is no longer a child but a woman. Due to this change, Grete’s parents are expecting to find her a ‘suitable’ husband for her in the sense that he can take care of her financially and of course can also support her parents since they lost the big help of Gregor due to his metamorphosis.
I see a line of connection between these two responses. First, you suggest that Gregor’s value lies in his earning potential and then, in your second response, you suggest that Greta’s value has increased in the sense that she know has the power to attract a wealthy suitor.