Hi guys!

Here's a fun little website you might want to check out:

Metamorphosis Test

And here is the prompt for Kafka's THE METAMORPHOSIS:

How does The Metamorphosis reflect Kafka's views and fears about the human condition? How does he convey these anxieties through his use of tone, syntax, imagery, motif and symbolism?

Just a brief update:

By the beginning of class tomorrow (11:40 am; Tuesday, April 15th) you need to have read up to page 28 in Kafka's METAMORPHOSIS.
During tonight's reading, you need to: summarize the pages read; have at least one notation of the following plus a brief commentary:

DICTION
SYNTAX
TONE
SYMBOLISM
MOTIF
IMAGERY

You need to write a phrase, line, or passage (or paraphrase) from the book which shows each one of the above devices. Then you must comment on the example and show how it expresses Kafka's use of diction, syntax, tone, et al.

We have discussed in class Kafka's syntax (according to Julius, Kafka uses simple declarative sentences which contribute to the character's flat affect).

We have also discussed the sexual symbolism of the picture of a young woman in Samsa's bedroom which also leads to imagery. You may elaborate on this and contrast this with the unemotional, matter-of-fact tone of the narrator.

For tomorrow, we will read and explicate pages 28 - 38. For homework tomorrow night (Tuesday, April 15th) you will read and explicate pages 38 - 53.

For Wednesday, we will finish the book in class and then a lovely essay will be waiting for you.

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