What food does Grete first leave for Gregor at the beginning of Chapter II?

Rotting vegetables on newspaper

What type of food does Gregor find most appealing after his transformation?

Old, half-decayed vegetables and cheese

Raw meat and blood from the kitchen

Fresh bread rolls with butter and salt

Sweet fruit and soft cream pastries

What was Gregor's secret plan for his sister before his metamorphosis?

To send her to the Conservatorium to study violin

To pay for her to travel abroad for a year

To arrange a marriage for her with a wealthy merchant

To help her open her own dress shop

Why does the mother object to removing the furniture from Gregor's room?

She believes keeping the room unchanged preserves hope for his recovery

She fears the scraping noise will attract the neighbors' attention

She thinks Gregor will become violent if his belongings are taken

She hopes to sell the furniture to cover the family's living expenses

What object does Gregor desperately cling to when the women begin removing his furniture?

A framed picture of a woman dressed in furs

The chest containing his fret saw and tools

The sofa where he hides during the day

His writing desk where he did homework

What job has Gregor's father taken by the end of Chapter II?

Shop clerk at a department store

What does the father use as weapons against Gregor at the chapter's climax?

His crook-handled walking stick

Which of the following events actually occur in Chapter II of The Metamorphosis?

The household cook departs after learning about Gregor, swearing an oath of secrecy.

Gregor spends four hours carrying a sheet to the sofa to hide himself from Grete.

Grete addresses Gregor directly for the first time since his metamorphosis.

A splinter of glass from a broken bottle cuts Gregor's face.

Gregor's mother enters his room and speaks to him directly.

Gregor escapes through the window of his bedroom.

Which details about the Samsa family's financial situation are revealed in Chapter II?

Some investments survived the collapse of the father's business.

The savings could sustain the family for about one to two years.

Gregor's monthly earnings had never been completely spent and formed a small capital sum.

Gregor had been keeping most of his earnings for himself.

The father had been secretly working a second job.

What does "propitiate" mean as used in: "Gregor must now try to propitiate his father"?

To win favor or forgiveness through conciliatory action

To communicate through gestures rather than spoken words

To physically overpower or subdue an opponent

To hide from or avoid encountering someone

What does "recalcitrance" mean as used in: "This determination was not, of course, merely the outcome of childish recalcitrance"?

Stubborn resistance to authority or control

Innocent playfulness and youthful enthusiasm

Careful planning and deliberate strategy

Emotional sensitivity and deep empathy

What does "execrate" mean as used in: "the hospital across the street, which he used to execrate for being all too often before his eyes"?

To feel intense loathing or hatred toward

To ignore or overlook something deliberately

To admire or appreciate something deeply

To study or examine something closely

The Metamorphosis, Chapter II quiz

From The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka

Explore Chapter II of The Metamorphosis by Kafka. Gregor adapts to insect life as family tensions escalate to a violent apple-throwing climax.

12 questions · about 13 minutes

Read the chapter

Questions and answers

1
Question 1. What food does Grete first leave for Gregor at the beginning of Chapter II?
- Correct answer: Fresh milk with white bread
- Cheese and dried fruit
- Leftover meat from dinner
- Rotting vegetables on newspaper
Grete leaves a basin of fresh milk with floating sops of white bread, knowing milk was Gregor's favorite drink. However, he finds it repulsive and cannot eat it.
Read the passage
2
Question 2. What type of food does Gregor find most appealing after his transformation?
- Raw meat and blood from the kitchen
- Fresh bread rolls with butter and salt
- Sweet fruit and soft cream pastries
- Correct answer: Old, half-decayed vegetables and cheese
Gregor devours old, half-decayed vegetables, bones with thickened sauce, and cheese he would have called "uneatable" two days before, while rejecting anything fresh.
Read the passage
3
Question 3. What was Gregor's secret plan for his sister before his metamorphosis?
- To pay for her to travel abroad for a year
- To arrange a marriage for her with a wealthy merchant
- Correct answer: To send her to the Conservatorium to study violin
- To help her open her own dress shop
Gregor had secretly planned to announce on Christmas Day that he would send Grete to study at the Conservatorium, despite the great expense, because she loved music and played the violin movingly.
Read the passage
4
Question 4. Why does the mother object to removing the furniture from Gregor's room?
- She fears the scraping noise will attract the neighbors' attention
- Correct answer: She believes keeping the room unchanged preserves hope for his recovery
- She thinks Gregor will become violent if his belongings are taken
- She hopes to sell the furniture to cover the family's living expenses
The mother argues that removing the furniture would signal they have "given up hope of his ever getting better" and that keeping the room unchanged will help Gregor "forget what has happened" when he recovers.
Read the passage
5
Question 5. What object does Gregor desperately cling to when the women begin removing his furniture?
- The chest containing his fret saw and tools
- Correct answer: A framed picture of a woman dressed in furs
- The sofa where he hides during the day
- His writing desk where he did homework
Gregor rushes to the wall and presses himself against the picture of a lady muffled in fur, determined that it will "be removed by nobody." The picture symbolizes his last connection to human identity and desire.
Read the passage
6
Question 6. What job has Gregor's father taken by the end of Chapter II?
- Factory supervisor
- Night watchman at a warehouse
- Shop clerk at a department store
- Correct answer: Bank messenger
The father appears in a smart blue uniform with gold buttons, "such as bank messengers wear," with a cap bearing a gold monogram. This dramatic change in appearance contrasts sharply with his former lethargy.
Read the passage
7
Question 7. What does the father use as weapons against Gregor at the chapter's climax?
- Correct answer: Apples from the fruit dish
- Pieces of broken furniture
- Books from the shelf
- His crook-handled walking stick
The father fills his pockets with fruit from the dish on the sideboard and bombards Gregor with apples. One apple lodges in Gregor's back, causing him severe pain.
Read the passage
8
Question 8. Which of the following events actually occur in Chapter II of The Metamorphosis?
- The household cook departs after learning about Gregor, swearing an oath of secrecy.
  
  Happened
- Gregor's mother enters his room and speaks to him directly.
  
  Didn't happen
- Gregor spends four hours carrying a sheet to the sofa to hide himself from Grete.
  
  Happened
- Grete addresses Gregor directly for the first time since his metamorphosis.
  
  Happened
- Gregor escapes through the window of his bedroom.
  
  Didn't happen
- A splinter of glass from a broken bottle cuts Gregor's face.
  
  Happened
Read the passage
9
Question 9. Which details about the Samsa family's financial situation are revealed in Chapter II?
- Some investments survived the collapse of the father's business.
  
  Happened
- Gregor had been keeping most of his earnings for himself.
  
  Didn't happen
- The savings could sustain the family for about one to two years.
  
  Happened
- The father had been secretly working a second job.
  
  Didn't happen
- Gregor's monthly earnings had never been completely spent and formed a small capital sum.
  
  Happened
Read the passage
10
Question 10. What does "propitiate" mean as used in: "Gregor must now try to propitiate his father"?
- To communicate through gestures rather than spoken words
- To physically overpower or subdue an opponent
- Correct answer: To win favor or forgiveness through conciliatory action
- To hide from or avoid encountering someone
"Propitiate" means to appease or win the favor of someone who is angry. Gregor, unable to explain himself, tries to show his father through submissive body language that he intends no harm.
Read the passage
11
Question 11. What does "recalcitrance" mean as used in: "This determination was not, of course, merely the outcome of childish recalcitrance"?
- Innocent playfulness and youthful enthusiasm
- Careful planning and deliberate strategy
- Correct answer: Stubborn resistance to authority or control
- Emotional sensitivity and deep empathy
"Recalcitrance" means obstinate defiance or resistance to authority. Kafka notes that Grete's insistence on removing the furniture is not mere stubbornness but also reflects her genuine assessment of Gregor's needs.
Read the passage
12
Question 12. What does "execrate" mean as used in: "the hospital across the street, which he used to execrate for being all too often before his eyes"?
- Correct answer: To feel intense loathing or hatred toward
- To ignore or overlook something deliberately
- To admire or appreciate something deeply
- To study or examine something closely
"Execrate" means to feel or express intense hatred or loathing. Gregor formerly hated looking at the hospital, but now his failing eyesight means he can no longer even see it clearly.
Read the passage

Play it live with your class.

Put the code on the screen and students join on whatever they have.

Next: The Metamorphosis, Chapter III

Questions and answers

Question 1. What food does Grete first leave for Gregor at the beginning of Chapter II?

Question 2. What type of food does Gregor find most appealing after his transformation?

Question 3. What was Gregor's secret plan for his sister before his metamorphosis?

Question 4. Why does the mother object to removing the furniture from Gregor's room?

Question 5. What object does Gregor desperately cling to when the women begin removing his furniture?

Question 6. What job has Gregor's father taken by the end of Chapter II?

Question 7. What does the father use as weapons against Gregor at the chapter's climax?

Question 8. Which of the following events actually occur in Chapter II of The Metamorphosis?

Question 9. Which details about the Samsa family's financial situation are revealed in Chapter II?

Question 10. What does "propitiate" mean as used in: "Gregor must now try to propitiate his father"?

Question 11. What does "recalcitrance" mean as used in: "This determination was not, of course, merely the outcome of childish recalcitrance"?

Question 12. What does "execrate" mean as used in: "the hospital across the street, which he used to execrate for being all too often before his eyes"?