The Metamorphosis: Chapter 3 Notes and Questions
Chapter 3 – The Metamorphosis
1. How are motifs of sin, guilt and purification presented in Chapter 3?
In Chapter 3, the significance of the rotten apple, “An apple thrown without much force grazed Gregor's back and glanced off harmlessly. But another following immediately landed right on his back and sank in” is important since the apple is a permanent scar reminding Gregor of his perpetual guilt. The collision with the apple brings forth a sudden comprehension within Gregor and his family, as told in the Bible; the apple (“Your eyes shall be opened”) opens their eyes. Gregor can painfully distinguish that his life has changed, he no longer holds the position as the son; he is not valuable because he cannot earn money anymore.
The apple symbolises wisdom because in the bible, it is the fruit of the tree “that gives the knowledge of what is good and what is bad”. Adam and Eve eat the apple. After they consume the forbidden fruit, Adam and Eve “are given understanding” and are dismissed from the Garden of Eden. Therefore, the apple may also symbolise the beginning of an exile, or suffering. This biblical illusion is used in the novella as a disguise of Gregor’s exile from family life.
The significance of the imagery of dirt and dust emphasises how grotesque Gregor has become and that he is truly living like a ‘monstrous vermin’, “Streaks of dirt stretched along the walls, here and there lay balls of dust and filth”. The imagery of the rottenness highlights that Gregor’s transformation is official and there is no way that he will turn back into who he was.
Gregor feels “a conviction that he would have to dissapear” because Gregor knows that once he disappears, the life of his family will become easier and they will be able to live a normal life again. Before Gregor’s death, he was just a function for the family to benefit from and Gregor is depicted as a scapegoat for the reason that he bears the guilt of his family.
Gregor's death at the end of the book is
1. How are motifs of sin, guilt and purification presented in Chapter 3?
In Chapter 3, the significance of the rotten apple, “An apple thrown without much force grazed Gregor's back and glanced off harmlessly. But another following immediately landed right on his back and sank in” is important since the apple is a permanent scar reminding Gregor of his perpetual guilt. The collision with the apple brings forth a sudden comprehension within Gregor and his family, as told in the Bible; the apple (“Your eyes shall be opened”) opens their eyes. Gregor can painfully distinguish that his life has changed, he no longer holds the position as the son; he is not valuable because he cannot earn money anymore.
The apple symbolises wisdom because in the bible, it is the fruit of the tree “that gives the knowledge of what is good and what is bad”. Adam and Eve eat the apple. After they consume the forbidden fruit, Adam and Eve “are given understanding” and are dismissed from the Garden of Eden. Therefore, the apple may also symbolise the beginning of an exile, or suffering. This biblical illusion is used in the novella as a disguise of Gregor’s exile from family life.
The significance of the imagery of dirt and dust emphasises how grotesque Gregor has become and that he is truly living like a ‘monstrous vermin’, “Streaks of dirt stretched along the walls, here and there lay balls of dust and filth”. The imagery of the rottenness highlights that Gregor’s transformation is official and there is no way that he will turn back into who he was.
Gregor feels “a conviction that he would have to dissapear” because Gregor knows that once he disappears, the life of his family will become easier and they will be able to live a normal life again. Before Gregor’s death, he was just a function for the family to benefit from and Gregor is depicted as a scapegoat for the reason that he bears the guilt of his family.
Gregor's death at the end of the book is