Analysis of The Metamorphosis

The relationship between Grete and Gregor in the novella The Metamorphosis is particularly complex and involves lots of twists and turns throughout the plot. When Gregor first changes into the cockroach, Grete is very distressed and becomes his caretaker, much as he had been to the whole family for the past several years.  She feeds him daily and cleans his room up. This shows that she does care for him, and the fact that he attempts to hide himself from her shows that he cares about her. It shows this because he wants to spare her the sight of him as a giant insect. THis relationship shows the theme that family ties are very important in life. The greater scope of the novella allows changes in characters’ attitudes to be revealed while keeping a focus on one problem because the novella describes everything in greater detail than a short story, and this allows an author to show multiple changes at once.

Questions on The Grasshopper and the Bell Cricket

1. Another kid watching the events play out. He talks about how he understands the boy’s actions and what he is probably thinking.

2.The grasshopper represents a person that someone might date, but it never really works out for whatever reason. The bell cricket represents a person’s soulmate or the person that is intended to be their match.

3. It does come close to stating the theme. I believe that the theme is that everyone in the world has another person made just for them.

Questions on Love Medicene

1. Lipsha does change through the story. As time progresses, he loses his healing and medicene abilities and learns what love really is.

2.The phrase means that love is a great medicene in intself. The story tells how Grandma tries to bring Granpa’s mind back, but cannot. The story tells us that love is the medicene that helped him.

3. The stories are off subject, but they are related because it tells about how people on the reservation died. They do, however, arouse expectations of other interesting side stories in the reader. They tell you thatLipsha and the others on the reservation are a very close-knit people.

Questions on A Very Old Man With Enornmous Wings

1.The subtitle is an apt one. This story could be used to teach children that everyone has their own guardian angel and the Good Lord watching over them. Its a way to build childrens’ faith early in life.

2.The husband and wife first believe he is a castaway. Then the wise woman claims that he is an angel. The religious leaders, however, aren’t convinced that he is an angel. The various characters arrive at the conclusion he is an angel because of his wings and his patience. This reveals that people draw their first conclusions based on physical appearance.

3. People first come to see him because he is supernatural and it doesn’t cost much. As other supernatural things that cost less come up, the crowd stops coming. Elisenda is relieved because he had become an annoyance to her. This shows that people try to get everything as cheaply as possible.

Questions on “The Birthmark”

1. I don’t think that the shape of the birthmark would have made any difference. Alymer had a good wife with only a minor flaw and he just wasn’t satified. The mark appears redder when her face turns paler and it changes with the emotions she is feeling. The Birthmark to me represents imperfection, but it is only cosmetic imperfection. She was perfect in every way except that miniature flaw.

2. It shows just how happy and relieved Alymer believes he will be to remove his wife’s birthmark.. It is ironic, because he kills his wife in the attempt to make her perfect.

3. It helps to describe the different places within the story and what it represents.

Questions on “The Lady with the Dog

1. Chekhov waits until the two are on the beach to provide details of the setting because it helps set the mood of the story. The ocean and the beach have long been considered romantic settings, and Chekhov uses setting to great effect to set up the rest of the story.

2. In each setting, the weather accurately reflects the mood of the characters and the events in the story.

3. At the ouset of Gurov’s affair, he is fairly detached and only mildly interested. Anna feels very guilty about it, but she is greatly attracted to Gurov. The both of them were unprepared for the relationship that develops between them. Gurov, because he feels bad about the relationship and does not know what to do. Anna, because she expresses a lot of guilt about the affair, but she cannot leave him, even though she knows that she must.

Questions on Barn Burning

1. Abner Snopes is a pyromaniac. He believes that if someone does something to him he believes is wrong, he can burn thier possesions or their home. The story implies that his experiences in the Civil War turned him into the man that he is. The narrative point of view as a spectator shows that he is a rough man, and discliplines his son but he does care about him.

2.Sarty is characterized by telling his thoughts and emotions throughout the story. It tells about the fear he experiences when his father burns things, and what goes through his mind when he hits him. Sarty does change through the story. He realizes that what his father has done is wrong, but he realizes that his father was a great man.

3.The mother contributes to the story her pleas to Abner to not burn things  The older brother contributes very little in my opinion and the sisters do what they are told by their parents

Questions about character

1. The protagonist is the main character in a story. There is not often more than one protagonist in a story. Minor characters are the ones in the story that affect the story, but not directly.

2.Character’s most distinctive traits are the ones that strongly affect the story.

3. Characters are revealed by their actions and their motivations. What the reader does not know about a character can affect his or her perception as well. The reader may have doubts about a character’s good intentions.

4.Other characters can serve as the enemy to the protagonist, or as the protagonists allies.

5.The text encourages readers to sympathize with the good side of characters and the characters that are trying to do what is right.

6.Some characters change throughout a story, because of the experiences they go through. A reader’s perception can also change, as more and more is revealed about a character.

7.Characterization can be direct or indirect/. It is most often indirect, leaving the reader to make his or her own decisions about a character.

Questions abou Narration and Point of View

1. The narrator speaks in second person.

2. The story is narrated in present tense.

3.The language is more standard and neutral. It is almost as though the narrator is having a discussion with you.

4.He is not identified as a character nor participates in the action.

5.Yes.

6.None.

7.It seems to remain consistent.

Every character has his or her own level of understanding. 

 

The Jewelry discussion questions

1. The first part of the story corresponds with the exposition phase of plot. Everything up until he sells all the jewelry is rising action. Selling the jewelry is the climax, and his spending the money and remarrying is the falling action and resolution.

2. All the extra money they had came from her selling jewelry. The presence of the jewelry insinuates that the wife was unfaithful to her husband.

3. No one would have expected the now wealthy man to remarry, given the amount of grief he had before he got rich. But he remarries, and his life becomes miserable. This is ironic because he believed that money made a person happy.