Literary Analysis of The Metamorphosis and 1Q84

A collection of vocabulary terms, character descriptions, and key concepts from Franz Kafka's The Metamorphosis and Haruki Murakami's 1Q84 Book 1.

The Metamorphosis (Die Verwandlung)

A novella by Franz Kafka, first published in $1915$, regarded as a cornerstone of modernist literature that blends realism with the surreal.

Gregor Samsa

The protagonist of The Metamorphosis who transforms into a giant insect; he is a self-sacrificing worker devoted to his family's financial well-being.

Grete Samsa

Gregor's younger sister who is initially compassionate but later becomes cold and resentful, eventually insisting Gregor is no longer her brother.

Mr. Samsa

Gregor's father, a once-weak man who regains authority and hostility following his son's transformation.

Mrs. Samsa

Gregor's mother, who remains torn between her maternal love and her fear of her son's monstrous form.

The Charwoman

The cleaning lady who shows indifference toward Gregor and is the one who discovers his body after his death.

The Lodgers

Three boarders who rent a room from the Samsas, symbolizing social judgment and materialism.

Ungeheures Ungeziefer

The German phrase used by Kafka to describe Gregor as a monstrous vermin.

Alienation and Isolation

A theme reflecting how Gregor becomes cut off from family and society due to his inability to communicate normally.

Dehumanization

A theme showing how people are often valued only for their usefulness; once Gregor cannot work, his family stops seeing him as human.

1Q84

A surreal and suspenseful dystopian trilogy by Haruki Murakami set in Tokyo, $1984$, exploring parallel realities and the Little People.

Aomame

A fitness instructor and part-time assassin in 1Q84 who notices subtle changes in the world and navigates moral dilemmas.

Tengo

A mathematics teacher and aspiring writer who rewrites the manuscript Air Chrysalis and discovers supernatural influences.

Fuka-Eri

The enigmatic young girl who authored the manuscript Air Chrysalis and is connected to the Little People.

The Leader

The head of the cult Sakigake who represents power, control, and manipulation.

The Little People

Mysterious, otherworldly beings who influence events in 1Q84 in subtle, supernatural ways.

Air Chrysalis

The mysterious manuscript written by Fuka-Eri and rewritten by Tengo which contains strange, supernatural elements.

Sakigake

The cult in 1Q84 that manipulates individuals' beliefs, decisions, and sense of reality.

1Q84 (Setting)

A parallel reality of Tokyo in $1984$ characterized by subtle differences, such as having $2$ moons in the sky.