Question

In Franz Kafka's The Metamorphosis, Gregor's sister, Grete, becomes Gregor's sole caregiver after he turns into a giant insect. Complete this passage about Gregor's mother. Gregor's mother, Mrs. Samsa, appears as a to her husband. However, although she tries to prove her maternal love to Gregor, she fails miserably. When Grete asks her mother to help her in clearing Gregor's room, she refuses because . NextReset

Answer 1

I assume your options are 1) rival, foil, accomplice, adversary and 2) weak, greedy, noisy, insensitive. Mrs. Samsa appears as a B. foil to her D. insensitive husband. Here are the explanations:

1. Mrs. Samsa seems to have much compassion for her son. However, she can't help being grossed out by his new appearance - she just can't bear to have a look at him and hopes he would eventually return to his former shape. In a way, this is a symbolic depiction of her frail and untrue love for him, because she can't sympathize enough with him to understand him and keep loving him no matter what he looks like.

2. Mr. Samsa is insensitive from the beginning to the end of the story. He even believes that Gregor turned into a vermin on purpose, to avoid his duty of supporting his family. He doesn't even want to give Gregor a chance to explain what happened. He just wants him out of his sight.