Chapter III Practice Quiz — The Metamorphosis
by Franz Kafka — tap or click to flip
Practice Quiz: Chapter III
What injury disables Gregor at the start of Chapter III, and how long does it affect him?
The apple his father threw in Chapter II remains lodged in his back for over a month, permanently impairing his movement so he can only creep slowly across his room.
Why does the family begin leaving the living-room door open each evening?
As a concession to family duty, they allow Gregor to watch them from the darkness of his room while they sit at the lamp-lit table, though their conversations are mostly silent.
Who are the three lodgers, and why does the family take them in?
They are unnamed, bearded gentlemen obsessed with order. The family rents them a room to supplement their meager combined wages from three new jobs.
What happens when Gregor crawls into the living room during the violin performance?
The middle lodger spots him and points him out to Mr. Samsa. All three lodgers give immediate notice, threatening a lawsuit over the "disgusting conditions" in the household.
What does Grete demand after the lodgers give notice?
She insists the family must get rid of the creature, refuses to call it her brother, and argues that if it were truly Gregor, he would have left on his own accord.
How does Gregor die?
Locked in his room, Gregor thinks of his family with tenderness, agrees he must disappear, and dies peacefully at three in the morning as dawn light begins to enter the window.
What do the Samsas do on the day after Gregor dies?
They write excuse notes to their employers, take a tram into the countryside, and discuss optimistic plans for a smaller apartment and better prospects.
How has Grete changed from her role in the earlier chapters?
She transforms from Gregor's devoted caretaker into the person who most forcefully demands his removal, referring to him as "it" and "this creature" and denying his identity as her brother.
What jobs do the three Samsa family members hold in Chapter III?
Mr. Samsa works as a bank messenger, Mrs. Samsa sews underwear for a firm, and Grete works as a salesgirl while studying shorthand and French in the evenings.
How does Mr. Samsa reassert his authority after Gregor's death?
He expels the three lodgers from the apartment with newfound decisiveness, pointing to the door and saying "Leave my house at once!" while advancing on them in a straight line.
Who is the charwoman, and how does she interact with Gregor?
She is a strong, bony old widow hired for rough housework. Unlike the family, she shows no fear of Gregor, calling him "old dung beetle" and even trying to poke him with a broom.
What does Gregor fantasize about during the violin scene?
He imagines bringing Grete into his room with her violin, confiding his plan to send her to the Conservatorium, and keeping her safe with him—she would stay of her own free will and he would kiss her neck.
How does Chapter III explore the theme of conditional love?
The family's tolerance of Gregor erodes as economic strain and social humiliation increase, revealing that their acceptance was tied to patience and duty rather than unconditional affection.
What does the transformation of Gregor's room into a dumping ground signify?
It physically represents his exclusion from the family and from human community—as he loses value as a provider, his personal space is reclaimed for storage and refuse.
How does the ending suggest the family may repeat the cycle of commodifying its members?
Immediately after Gregor's death, the parents assess Grete's marriageability—noticing her "good figure" and planning to find her a husband—implying her value is defined by utility, just as Gregor's was.
What role does economic pressure play in the family's decision to reject Gregor?
The combined exhaustion of three jobs, the loss of lodger income, and the threat of a lawsuit push the family past their limit. Grete frames the rejection in terms of survival: "it will be the death of both of you."
What is ironic about Gregor's response to the violin music compared to the lodgers' response?
Gregor the insect is deeply moved by the music and questions whether an animal could feel this way, while the human lodgers are bored and irritated—inverting expectations about who possesses true sensitivity.
How does Kafka use the motif of doors in Chapter III?
Doors are repeatedly opened, shut, locked, and bolted to mark shifting boundaries of acceptance. The open living-room door signals inclusion; Grete's locking of Gregor's door signals permanent exclusion.
What structural parallel exists between the novella's opening and closing images?
Chapter I opens with Gregor waking transformed in bed; Chapter III closes with Grete stretching her young body. Both are metamorphoses—one into confinement, the other into freedom.
How does Grete's language dehumanize Gregor in her speech to the parents?
She refers to Gregor exclusively as "it" and "this creature," refuses to say his name, and argues that the real Gregor would have left voluntarily—linguistically erasing his identity.
What does "mulishness" mean in the context of Mr. Samsa refusing to change out of his uniform?
Mulishness means stubborn, obstinate refusal to change course. It describes Mr. Samsa's irrational insistence on wearing his dirty bank uniform even at home.
What does Gregor mean when he says he feels drawn to "the unknown nourishment he craved"?
The phrase refers not to food but to emotional or spiritual sustenance—the human connection and beauty represented by Grete's violin music that Gregor has been starved of.
What are "allocutions" as used when the charwoman speaks to Gregor?
Allocutions are formal addresses or speeches. Kafka uses the word ironically, since the charwoman's greetings ("Come along, then, you old dung beetle!") are anything but formal.
Who says "Was he an animal, that music had such an effect upon him?" and what does it reveal?
Gregor thinks this while listening to Grete's violin. It reveals his lingering humanity—he questions his animal nature precisely because his emotional response to beauty feels deeply human.
What is the significance of Grete's line, "If this were Gregor, he would have realized long ago that human beings can't live with such a creature"?
Grete redefines Gregor's identity by arguing that a loving brother would have chosen to leave. This logical trap strips Gregor of both his humanity and his claim to family membership.
What does Mr. Samsa mean when he says "This is a life. This is the peace and quiet of my old age"?
He says this sarcastically each evening when his wife and daughter try to get him out of his armchair and into bed, expressing bitterness about his exhausting new life as a bank messenger.