Why does the Samsa family begin leaving the living-room door open in the evenings?

So Gregor can watch the family from the darkness of his room

To ventilate the apartment now that the lodgers live there

Because the door was damaged when Gregor forced his way through

So the mother can keep an eye on Gregor while she sews

How does the charwoman address Gregor when she visits his room?

"Come along, then, you old dung beetle!"

"Well, he liked his dinner today"

"Everything's been left standing again"

"Gregor, the chief clerk's here"

What draws Gregor out of his room and into the living room?

The sound of Grete's violin playing

His father's voice calling to him

The lodgers inviting him to join them

What do the lodgers threaten after discovering Gregor?

To refuse to pay rent and bring an action for damages

To call the police and have Gregor taken away

To physically remove Gregor from the flat themselves

To report the Samsas to the health authorities

At what time does Gregor die?

Late in the evening, after supper

What do the parents notice about Grete at the end of the novella?

She has bloomed into a pretty girl with a good figure

She is ready to study violin at the Conservatorium

She has become cold and distant toward her parents

She has developed a talent for business

Which of these events actually occur in Chapter III of The Metamorphosis?

The family sells household ornaments to raise money.

Gregor's mother cleans his room with several buckets of water, upsetting Grete.

Mr. Samsa orders the lodgers to leave the apartment after Gregor's death.

Gregor escapes from the apartment through a window.

The three lodgers demand that Grete play the violin for them.

Gregor attacks the charwoman when she pokes him with a broom.

Which statements accurately describe Gregor's final hours?

Gregor thinks of his family with tenderness and love.

Gregor agrees that he must disappear, even more firmly than his sister.

The rotting apple in his back has almost stopped troubling him.

Gregor's mother comes to his room to say goodbye.

Gregor calls out to his family one last time before dying.

What does "mulishness" mean as used in: "With a kind of mulishness his father persisted in keeping his uniform on even in the house"?

Stubborn, obstinate refusal to change

Dull-witted foolishness or silliness

Extreme fatigue or weariness after work

Absent-minded forgetfulness or confusion

What does "chagrin" mean as used in: "At first he thought it was chagrin over the state of his room that prevented him from eating"?

Distress or humiliation caused by disappointment

Fear or dread of something approaching

Physical illness or nausea caused by spoiled food

Confusion or disorientation in a strange place

The Metamorphosis, Chapter III quiz

From The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka

Chapter III of The Metamorphosis: Gregor declines and dies as the Samsa family transforms. Summary, character analysis, themes, and literary devices.

13 questions · about 14 minutes

Read the chapter

Questions and answers

1
Question 1. What object remains lodged in Gregor's body throughout Chapter III?
- A piece of furniture
- Correct answer: An apple
- A shard of glass
- A splinter from the door
In Chapter II, Mr. Samsa threw apples at Gregor, and one became embedded in his back. It remains there throughout Chapter III as a "visible reminder," rotting and causing permanent disability.
Read the passage
2
Question 2. Why does the Samsa family begin leaving the living-room door open in the evenings?
- Correct answer: So Gregor can watch the family from the darkness of his room
- To ventilate the apartment now that the lodgers live there
- Because the door was damaged when Gregor forced his way through
- So the mother can keep an eye on Gregor while she sews
The family opens the door as a concession to family duty, allowing Gregor to observe them at the lamp-lit table from the darkness of his room, though their evenings are mostly silent.
Read the passage
3
Question 3. What job does Grete take in Chapter III?
- Bank teller
- Seamstress
- Correct answer: Salesgirl
- Governess
Grete works as a salesgirl during the day and studies shorthand and French in the evenings in hopes of bettering herself.
Read the passage
4
Question 4. How does the charwoman address Gregor when she visits his room?
- "Well, he liked his dinner today"
- "Everything's been left standing again"
- "Gregor, the chief clerk's here"
- Correct answer: "Come along, then, you old dung beetle!"
The charwoman calls Gregor "old dung beetle" and other names she considers friendly. She is the only person who shows no fear of him and even tries to poke him with a broom.
Read the passage
5
Question 5. What draws Gregor out of his room and into the living room?
- Correct answer: The sound of Grete's violin playing
- His father's voice calling to him
- The lodgers inviting him to join them
- The smell of the lodgers' food
Gregor is so moved by the sound of Grete's violin that he crawls forward into the living room, wondering "Was he an animal, that music had such an effect upon him?"
Read the passage
6
Question 6. What do the lodgers threaten after discovering Gregor?
- To call the police and have Gregor taken away
- To physically remove Gregor from the flat themselves
- Correct answer: To refuse to pay rent and bring an action for damages
- To report the Samsas to the health authorities
The middle lodger gives notice "on the spot," refuses to pay for the days he has lived there, and threatens to bring a lawsuit for damages based on the "disgusting conditions" in the household.
Read the passage
7
Question 7. At what time does Gregor die?
- Midnight
- Correct answer: Three in the morning
- Seven in the evening
- Late in the evening, after supper
Gregor remains in "vacant and peaceful meditation" until the tower clock strikes three in the morning. His head sinks to the floor and his last breath flickers away as dawn light begins to enter the window.
Read the passage
8
Question 8. What do the parents notice about Grete at the end of the novella?
- She is ready to study violin at the Conservatorium
- She has become cold and distant toward her parents
- She has developed a talent for business
- Correct answer: She has bloomed into a pretty girl with a good figure
On the tram ride, both parents notice almost simultaneously that despite recent sorrows, Grete has "bloomed into a pretty girl with a good figure," and they silently agree it will be time to find her a husband.
Read the passage
9
Question 9. Which of these events actually occur in Chapter III of The Metamorphosis?
- The family sells household ornaments to raise money.
  
  Happened
- Gregor's mother cleans his room with several buckets of water, upsetting Grete.
  
  Happened
- Gregor escapes from the apartment through a window.
  
  Didn't happen
- The three lodgers demand that Grete play the violin for them.
  
  Didn't happen
- Mr. Samsa orders the lodgers to leave the apartment after Gregor's death.
  
  Happened
- Gregor attacks the charwoman when she pokes him with a broom.
  
  Didn't happen
Read the passage
10
Question 10. Which statements accurately describe Gregor's final hours?
- Gregor thinks of his family with tenderness and love.
  
  Happened
- Gregor agrees that he must disappear, even more firmly than his sister.
  
  Happened
- Gregor's mother comes to his room to say goodbye.
  
  Didn't happen
- The rotting apple in his back has almost stopped troubling him.
  
  Happened
- Gregor calls out to his family one last time before dying.
  
  Didn't happen
Read the passage
11
Question 11. What does "mulishness" mean as used in: "With a kind of mulishness his father persisted in keeping his uniform on even in the house"?
- Dull-witted foolishness or silliness
- Correct answer: Stubborn, obstinate refusal to change
- Extreme fatigue or weariness after work
- Absent-minded forgetfulness or confusion
"Mulishness" means stubborn, obstinate refusal to change, like a mule. Mr. Samsa irrationally insists on wearing his dirty bank uniform at all times, as if permanently on duty.
Read the passage
12
Question 12. What does "chagrin" mean as used in: "At first he thought it was chagrin over the state of his room that prevented him from eating"?
- Fear or dread of something approaching
- Physical illness or nausea caused by spoiled food
- Confusion or disorientation in a strange place
- Correct answer: Distress or humiliation caused by disappointment
"Chagrin" means a feeling of distress or humiliation caused by failure or disappointment. Gregor initially attributes his loss of appetite to embarrassment over his filthy room.
Read the passage
13
Question 13. What does "allocutions" mean as used in: "To such allocutions Gregor made no answer, but stayed motionless where he was"?
- Correct answer: Formal addresses or speeches
- Threats or warnings
- Whispered secrets
- Physical gestures or signals
"Allocutions" means formal addresses or speeches. The word is used ironically here, since the charwoman's greetings to Gregor ("Come along, then, you old dung beetle!") are anything but formal.
Read the passage

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

Questions and answers

Question 1. What object remains lodged in Gregor's body throughout Chapter III?

Question 2. Why does the Samsa family begin leaving the living-room door open in the evenings?

Question 3. What job does Grete take in Chapter III?

Question 4. How does the charwoman address Gregor when she visits his room?

Question 5. What draws Gregor out of his room and into the living room?

Question 6. What do the lodgers threaten after discovering Gregor?

Question 7. At what time does Gregor die?

Question 8. What do the parents notice about Grete at the end of the novella?

Question 9. Which of these events actually occur in Chapter III of The Metamorphosis?

Question 10. Which statements accurately describe Gregor's final hours?

Question 11. What does "mulishness" mean as used in: "With a kind of mulishness his father persisted in keeping his uniform on even in the house"?

Question 12. What does "chagrin" mean as used in: "At first he thought it was chagrin over the state of his room that prevented him from eating"?

Question 13. What does "allocutions" mean as used in: "To such allocutions Gregor made no answer, but stayed motionless where he was"?