Insert
The source that follows is:
- Source A: 20th-century prose fiction
- The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka
An extract from a work first published in 1915.
This extract is from Franz Kafka's The Metamorphosis: Gregor Samsa, waking to find his body disturbingly altered, struggles to get out of bed and worries about missing work, just as the chief clerk arrives at the family's flat, increasing pressure and fear.
Source A
1 It took just as much effort to get back to where he had been earlier, but when he lay there sighing, and was once more watching his legs as they struggled against each other even harder than before, if that was
6 possible, he could think of no way of bringing peace and order to this chaos. He told himself once more that it was not possible for him to stay in bed and that the most
11 sensible thing to do would be to get free of it in whatever way he could at whatever sacrifice. At the same time, though, he did not forget to remind himself that calm consideration was
16 much better than rushing to desperate conclusions. At times like this he would direct his eyes to the window and look out as clearly as he could, but unfortunately, even the other side of the
21 narrow street was enveloped in morning fog and the view had little confidence or cheer to offer him. “Seven o’clock, already”, he said to himself when the clock
26 struck again, “seven o’clock, and there’s still a fog like this.” And he lay there quietly a while longer, breathing lightly as if he perhaps expected the total stillness to bring things back to their real and
31 natural state. But then he said to himself: “Before it strikes quarter past seven I’ll definitely have to have got properly out of bed. And by then somebody will
36 have come round from work to ask what’s happened to me as well, as they open up at work before seven o’clock.” And so he set himself to the task of swinging the entire length of his body out of the bed all
41 at the same time. If he succeeded in falling out of bed in this way and kept his head raised as he did so he could probably avoid injuring it. His back seemed to be quite hard,
46 and probably nothing would happen to it falling onto the carpet. His main concern was for the loud noise he was bound to make, and which even through all the doors would probably
51 raise concern if not alarm. But it was something that had to be risked. When Gregor was already sticking half way out of the bed—the new method was
56 more of a game than an effort, all he had to do was rock back and forth—it occurred to him how simple everything would be if somebody came to help him. Two strong people—he had his father and the maid in
61 mind—would have been more than enough; they would only have to push their arms under the dome of his back, peel him away from the bed, bend down with the load and then be patient
66 and careful as he swang over onto the floor, where, hopefully, the little legs would find a use. Should he really call for help though, even apart from the fact that
71 all the doors were locked? Despite all the difficulty he was in, he could not suppress a smile at this thought. After a while he had already moved so far across that it would have been hard
76 for him to keep his balance if he rocked too hard. The time was now ten past seven and he would have to make a final decision very soon. Then there was a ring at the door of the flat. “That’ll be
81 someone from work”, he said to himself, and froze very still, although his little legs only became all the more lively as they danced around. For a moment everything remained quiet.
86 “They’re not opening the door”, Gregor said to himself, caught in some nonsensical hope. But then of course, the maid’s firm steps went to the door as ever and opened it.
91 Gregor only needed to hear the visitor’s first words of greeting and he knew who it was—the chief clerk himself. Why did Gregor have to be the only one condemned to work for a company where they immediately
96 became highly suspicious at the slightest shortcoming? Were all employees, every one of them, louts, was there not one of them who was faithful and devoted who would go so mad with pangs of conscience that he
101 couldn’t get out of bed if he didn’t spend at least a couple of hours in the morning on company business? Was it really not enough to let one of the trainees make
106 enquiries—assuming enquiries were even necessary—did the chief clerk have to come himself, and did they have to show the whole, innocent family that this was so suspicious that
111 only the chief clerk could be trusted to have the wisdom to investigate it? And more because these thoughts had made him upset than through any proper decision, he swang himself with all his force out of
116 the bed. There was a loud thump, but it wasn’t really a loud noise. His fall was softened a little by the carpet, and Gregor’s back was also more elastic
121 than he had thought, which made the sound muffled and not too noticeable. He had not held his head carefully enough, though, and hit it as he fell; annoyed and in pain, he turned it and rubbed it against
126 the carpet.
Questions
Instructions
- Answer all questions.
- Use black ink or black ball point pen.
- Fill in the boxes on this page.
- You must answer the questions in the spaces provided.
- Do not write outside the box around each page or on blank pages.
- Do all rough work in this book. Cross through any work you do not want to be marked.
- You must refer to the insert booklet provided.
- You must not use a dictionary.
Information
- The marks for questions are shown in brackets.
- Time allowed: 1 hour 45 minutes
- The maximum mark for this paper is 80.
- There are 40 marks for Section A and 40 marks for Section B.
- You are reminded of the need for good English and clear presentation in your answers.
- You will be assessed on the quality of your reading in Section A.
- You will be assessed on the quality of your writing in Section B.
Advice
- You are advised to spend about 15 minutes reading through the source and all five questions you have to answer.
- You should make sure you leave sufficient time to check your answers.
Section A: Reading
Answer all questions in this section. You are advised to spend about 45 minutes on this section.
Question 1
Read again the first part of the source, from lines 1 to 5.
Answer all parts of this question.
Choose one answer for each question.
1.1 What did Gregor Samsa find took just as much effort?
- Returning to the position he had been in earlier
- Keeping his legs apart so they would not clash
- Lifting himself up so that he could sit upright
[1 mark]
1.2 According to the text, what happens when Gregor gets back to his previous position?
- Gregor lay sighing and watched Gregor’s legs, which knocked together more forcefully than before.
- Gregor stood calmly and felt Gregor’s legs, which moved more smoothly than before.
- Gregor sat upright and examined Gregor’s arms, which seemed heavier than before.
[1 mark]
1.3 What is Gregor Samsa's situation as Gregor Samsa watches Gregor Samsa's legs?
- Gregor Samsa is lying and sighing while Gregor Samsa's legs struggle against each other.
- Gregor Samsa is standing calmly with Gregor Samsa's legs moving in harmony.
- Gregor Samsa is sitting comfortably with Gregor Samsa's legs at rest.
[1 mark]
1.4 What best describes how Gregor's legs were moving as Gregor lay there sighing?
- Gregor's legs moved together smoothly in the same direction
- Gregor's legs lay side by side without moving
- Gregor's legs moved in conflicting directions more forcefully than before
[1 mark]
Question 2
Look in detail at this extract, from lines 51 to 65 of the source:
51 raise concern if not alarm. But it was something that had to be risked. When Gregor was already sticking half way out of the bed—the new method was
56 more of a game than an effort, all he had to do was rock back and forth—it occurred to him how simple everything would be if somebody came to help him. Two strong people—he had his father and the maid in
61 mind—would have been more than enough; they would only have to push their arms under the dome of his back, peel him away from the bed, bend down with the load and then be patient
How does the writer use language here to present Gregor’s struggle and his wish for help? You could include the writer’s choice of:
- words and phrases
- language features and techniques
- sentence forms.
[8 marks]
Question 3
You now need to think about the structure of the source as a whole. This text is from the start of a story.
How has the writer structured the text to create a sense of urgency?
You could write about:
- how urgency builds from beginning to end
- how the writer uses structure to create an effect
- the writer's use of any other structural features, such as changes in mood, tone or perspective.
[8 marks]
Question 4
For this question focus on the second part of the source, from line 76 to the end.
In this part of the source, the arrival of the chief clerk is presented as the most stressful and scary event for Gregor. The writer suggests that Gregor is more afraid of being late for work than of his own monstrous transformation.
To what extent do you agree and/or disagree with this statement?
In your response, you could:
- consider your impressions of Gregor's panic at the chief clerk's arrival
- comment on the methods the writer uses to convey Gregor's internal panic
- support your response with references to the text.
[20 marks]
Question 5
A national park authority is creating a new visitor brochure and would like creative pieces from young people.
Choose one of the options below for your entry.
-
Option A: Write a description of a sea cave from your imagination. You may choose to use the picture provided for ideas:
-
Option B: Write the opening of a story about being trapped by the tide.
(24 marks for content and organisation, 16 marks for technical accuracy)
[40 marks]