Film adaptation of Kafka’s The Metamorphosis.
a.) Discuss the cultural significance of the shoes you are currently wearing. Refer to at least one essay from Signs of Life in your answer.
b.) Consider the following lyrics from Tupac Shakur’s God Bless the Dead:
“God bless the dead and buried nigga. / Don't worry if you see God first
tell Him shit got worse.
I ain't mad, I know you're representin the crew, / And I can picture you in
Heaven with a blunt and a brew. / Fuck the world, pain was a part of the
game. / If you a baller, money went as quick as it came. / My role models
gone or they locked in the pen, / Straight hustlas, caught up in the
whirlwind. / The other day, I thought I seen my homeboy Biggie / Sayin shit
don't stop, nigga, no pity. / We all hoods, and all we ever had was dreams:
/ Money makin mothafuckas plot scandalous schemes. / In the gutter, you
learn to have a criminal mind. / I was addicted to tryin, never meant to do
time. / My epitaph will read "Was the last of the Gs, / Kicked the shit to
make the white man bleed. / God bless the dead.”
Briefly interpret these lyrics or this song. Refer to at least one essay from Signs of Life in your answer.
d.) Consider how you would cast and stage a film adaptation of Kafka’s The Metamorphosis. What changes might you make to the text, and why? Refer to at least one essay from Signs of Life in your answer. NOTE: you may not choose this prompt (d) if you also wrote on prompt (f).
e.) Consider the manner in which the bodies of dead people are treated in this (or another) society: the way they are dressed (or not), the preservation and disposal methods employed, memorialization, etc. What do these practices suggest to you about that culture? Refer to at least one essay from Signs of Life in your answer.
f.) Who is a more ‘heroic’ protagonist, Henry-Jekyll/Edward-Hyde or Gregor-Samsa? Which one faces his dilemmas in a more admirable fashion? Refer to at least one essay from Signs of Life in your answer. NOTE: you may not choose this prompt (f) if you also wrote on prompt (d).
Select THREE (3) prompts and write a brief response for each one.