Introduction In this activity, you will build on your previous readings and analysis of Franz Kafka’s The Metamorphosis to compare the situation in the story to real-life experiences. Before you start

Introduction In this activity, you will build on your previous readings and analysis of Franz Kafka’s The Metamorphosis to compare the situation in the story to real-life experiences. Before you start the activity, you might want to review The Metamorphosis, keeping the following questions in mind:  What are the themes of the story? Which theme did you think was the most important in the story?  What conflicts drive the plot, and how are they resolved?  How does the protagonist change as the story progresses? How do the other characters change? Assignment: In this task, you will compare the situation faced by Gregor Samsa, the protagonist of Kafka’s The Metamorphosis, with a real-life situation in which someone has experienced comparable isolation and difficult personal, moral, and social experiences. In The Metamorphosis, Gregor Samsa transforms suddenly, without any apparent reason, into a large insect. His transformation ends his ability to express his thoughts in words, and his family eventually stops viewing him as a family member. Gregor is isolated from the world outside his room and home. Though Gregor’s transformation is absurd and physically impossible, the story explores the consequences of that transformation in a realistic and understandable manner, emphasizing the effects of his isolation. Select a real-life situation in which a person may face isolation due to a difficult condition, as Gregor does after turning into an insect. You may choose a situation from the list below, or use a different one if your teacher agrees with your choice.  psychological conditions: dementia, schizophrenia, depression, or post-traumatic stress disorder  physical conditions: paralysis or severe injury, going blind or becoming deaf, or facing an addiction  social conditions: being wrongly convicted of a serious crime, or moving to a place where some attribute of the person makes others around the person view him or her with contempt or suspicion  what condition did you choose to compare with Gregor’s condition? Engage in research to better understand the condition you selected. Use your knowledge and research to answer these questions as you compare and contrast the situation you chose with Gregor Samsa’s transformation.  What kind of difficulties is the person in this situation likely to face?  What psychological and emotional experiences might someone in this situation undergo? Which of those experiences relate to Gregor’s experience?  What themes in The Metamorphosis are relevant to the experiences of someone in the situation you chose?  How are those experiences similar to Gregor’s experiences after his transformation?  How are they different?  How are the social interactions of a person in this situation similar to the interactions between Gregor and the other characters in The Metamorphosis? EVALUATION Criteria Distinguished (4 points)  The student thoroughly reflects on the experiences of people in the selected situation and the difficulties they face.  The student insightfully compares the situation with Gregor Samsa’s situation in The Metamorphosis.  The student uses insightful detail to relate the experiences of people facing the selected situation to themes in The Metamorphosis. Proficient (3 points)  The student adequately reflects on the experiences of people in the selected situation and the difficulties they face.  The student meaningfully compares the selected situation with Gregor Samsa’s situation in The Metamorphosis.  The student meaningfully relates the experiences of people facing the selected situation to themes in The Metamorphosis. Developing (2 points)  The student adequately reflects on the experiences of people in the selected situation and the difficulties they face.  The student meaningfully compares the selected situation with Gregor Samsa’s situation in The Metamorphosis.  The student attempts to relate the experiences of people facing the selected situation to themes in The Metamorphosis. Beginning (1 point)  The student does not reflect meaningfully on the experiences of people in the selected situation and the difficulties they face.  The student’s comparison between the selected situation and Gregor Samsa’s situation in The Metamorphosis is vague, invalid, or untenable.  The student does not relate the experiences of people facing the selected situation to themes in The Metamorphosis.