Samsa Family Questions

Group 3: The three family members (Grete, mother, father)

What similarities do these characters in the “trinity” share? How are they connected?

All related to Gregor, all live in the same house, all try to get him back in the room, at some point, all of their opinions of Gregor change  at some point.

How do the characters interact with Gregor? Are their interactions similar or different?

Different. Grete goes in and feeds him, mother is kind of afraid/disguseted at him, father is angry at him and is most physical towards him.  

How do the characters influence Gregor and his ultimate demise? Are they similar or different in the way they affect Gregor?

Influence him by showing that they don’t really want him around. Similar, at first sister seems like she is really trying to help him but by the end she doesn’t care. None of them want him or care about him at the end.

How does Gregor's transformation and ultimate demise influence the characters? Are they similar or different in the way Gregor influences them?

They are happy and they feel like they can finally move to their house and on with their lives. They are all similar.

Does this grouping of three have any symbolic significance (religious significance), or is Kafka ironically grouping the characters into a trinity for a larger purpose?

Ironic trinity because they all show the different ways that people could react to Gregor’s transformation into a beetle. Grete is kind and never thinks he will return to human form and brings him food, father is just angry at him, and mother is sad and doesn’t know how to react, yet thinks that he will return to human form.

Come up with a  clear, focused thesis statement that asserts something interesting and arguable about your assigned trinity and its purpose in the novel. Feel free to draw on any or all of the evidence you've gathered.

Although the family members are all initially influenced by Gregor’s transformation in different ways, by the time that Gregor dies all of the family is brought together.