Sadomasochism in The Metamorphosis
As I discussed in class, I believe that there are elements of possible sadomasochism between the characters in the book The Metamorphosis. There are elements of sadomasochism between Gregor and his father, Gregor and Grete, Gregor and his boss, and the boarders and the family.
To understand what sadomasochism really is, you need to know how it came about and what the definition is. The concept of sadism was brought about by a man by the name of the Marquis de Sade (1740-1814). The Marquis de Sade was a French soldier and writer who from the time he was a young nobleman consorted with prostitutes and developed a taste for sexual perversions. He was later imprisoned on several occasions for his harsh abuse of the prostitutes. After arriving at the Bastille in 1784 he began writing erotic novels in which he gave full expression to his sexual fantasies. His most famous work of literature was The Adversities of Virtue (1787). His works are highly known for their very graphic descriptions of sexual perversions. His last years were spent in an insane asylum at Charenton, where he wrote plays for his fellow inmates to perform. His compulsion for physically and sexually abusing others is what brought about sadism. The definition of sadism is as follows: 1. the deriving of sexual gratification of the tendency to derive sexual gratification from inflicting pain or emotional abuse on others. 2. The deriving of pleasure, or the tendency to derive pleasure, from cruelty. 3. Extreme cruelty. 4. The act or an instance of deriving sexual gratification from infliction of pain on others. 5. A psychological disorder in which sexual gratification is derived from infliction of pain on others. 6. Sexual pleasure obtained by inflicting harm (physical or psychological) on others. 7. A sexual perversion in which gratification is obtained by the infliction of physical or mental pain on others. (www.dictionary.com/sadism)
The concept of masochism was brought about by a man by the name of Leopold von Sacher-Masoch (1836-1895). He was an Austrian novelist most famous for his erotic novels. In these novels the characters dwell at length on sexual pleasure derived from pain. The subject matter reflects Sacher-Masoch's personal life. He had two wives and several mistresses with whom he acted out the sexual fantasies described in his fictional works. Venus in Furs (1870), which is his most widely read book, reflects his fetish for furs.
“We must try to get rid of it” (Kafka 49). In the novella, The Metamorphosis, by Franz Kafka a man by the name Gregor Samsa awakes transformed into a vermin. The transformation itself is not only physical, it turns out to become very mental as well, highlighting how Gregor's parents treat him. The cruelty and isolation that Gregor faces involves physical pain, including many weapons. It is also emotional, insults that lead to his death. The transformation surprises few, but nobody seems to care or see the cruelty that happens to Gregor.
“Love is whatever you can still betray. Betrayal can only happen if you love.” John le Carr. The novel Metamorphosis, by Franz Kafka is a story about the transformation of a man named Gregor who turned into a bug. The story takes place inside an apartment and describes the struggles Gregor goes through with his life and family. Throughout the entirety of the writing he is met with different challenges and obstacles. Grete, his sister and his parents have a unique bond that is not always the strongest. Gregor has not been close with his parents for awhile, but Grete especially at the beginning was the only person who truly cared about his predicament. This conflict results in the desertion of Gregor and the downfall of the family. These negatives compound, causing the his suicide. The Metamorphosis portrays how the betrayal of Gregor and Grete by their parents, and Gregor by his sister, leads to the demise of the family.
The people interviewed showed different reasons that led them to the sadomasochism, diversity of reasons does not build to a certain pattern so there is no specific reason that causes sado-masochism(Wikipedia). “Attachment, family configuration, and childhood abuse have all been explored in relation to sadomasochism.” However, there was no study that completely supported the connection of the traumatic experiences in the childhood and the sadomasochistic behaviors. The majority of people engaged in BDSM activities come from ordinary families with no history of abuse or any other traumatic experiences(article). The studies conducted by the different researchers revealed contradictory results. The study conducted by the Breslow et al in 1986 proved that only 5.4% of people engaged in BDSM activity have a history of an abuse while the Nordling et al in 2000 found the higher amount of people(while the study conducted by Nodding et al in 2000 showed the higher number of people. The connection between abuse experience and sadomasochistic behavior is inconsistent due to the different perception of pain. In a case of sadomasochism, the pain is associated with the pleasure while people experienced abuse link it with painful memories(article). The another possible cause of the sadomasochistic behavior comes from the suppression of
Franz Kafka’s beginning of his novel, “The Metamorphosis,” begins with what would seem a climactic moment: “As Gregor Samsa awoke one morning from uneasy dreams he found himself transformed in his bed into a gigantic insect.” From this point on, the reader is determined to make sense of this transformation. However, the reader later comes to realize that Gregor is actually not an insect, but this metamorphosis into a vermin was purely symbolic. It symbolizes the degrading lifestyle that Gregor leads to support his family. This leads the reader to understand Gregor’s absurd dilemma.
Self-sacrifice is one of the themes conveyed throughout the novella The Metamorphosis. Gregor Samsa seems to be a tragic protagonist, as he feels obliged to take care of the family, yet he is never appreciated. In The Metamorphosis, Franz Kafka uses point of view, symbols, and plot to convey that without acknowledgements, self-sacrifice would ultimately lead to tragic self-destruction.
what has happened to him, and begins to rant "what an awful job I've picked! Day in,
The story of The Metamorphosis starts out simply, with a human waking up no longer human, but rather as a giant bug. This existential novella is filled with absurdity, as well as betrayal. When Gregor Samsa, the main character, wakes up one day as a bug, his first priority is getting to his job, in order to make money to support his family. But as the story goes on, he is betrayed by the family he loves so much, but worse, he betrays who he is as a person. Betrayal in the novella The Metamorphosis contributes to the overall message of the story that anyone will betray you, regardless of if they are family, enemies, or even yourself, through showing the actions of Gregor’s father towards Gregor, Grete’s actions against Gregor, and Gregor’s own
Extra! Extra! Read all about it! Humanity has lost all compassion! Franz Kafka’s novella The Metamorphosis demonstrates the lack of kindness and compassion amongst the human race. Following the story of Gregor Samsa, a man who has mysteriously woken up as a life sized bug, The Metamorphosis shows the reactions of the people around him. The lack of compassion is first exhibited through Gregor’s interaction with his office manager, who shows up when Gregor does not arrive at work. As the story progresses the apparent disdain Gregor’s family has for him is apparent, and his mother,father, and sister all seem to not understand how hard this is for Gregor. Gregor, in his bug form, was more compassionate than any of the human characters. Kafka achieves a gloomy storyline that provokes thought and makes the reader somewhat uncomfortable in the truth that lies within the plot.
In Franz Kafka’s The Metamorphosis, the author seeks to reveal experiences that all living creatures confront, from the complexity of a human being to the simplicity of a cockroach. Kafka uses his protagonist to represent primal instincts that relate to masculinity, which is shown most significantly through Gregor’s obsession with a photograph of a woman dressed in fur. The photograph reflects certain elements of life that all masculine organisms desire, regardless of their species type or specific habitat.
It is very difficult to make a set definition of what a monster is. Monsters may look frightening, have unnatural body proportions, or even a dark and evil aura. We often see monsters as ghosts, werewolves, vampires, or artificial creatures, but it is still hard to say exactly a monster is. I believe monstrosity is made within the eye of the beholder. “Monsters” are what you make of them. Most “monsters” are just different and unique and that’s what makes them monstrous- because they are different from what people perceive as normal. That is how Gregor is turned into a monster in The Metamorphosis.
The feelings of loneliness and betrayal are feelings that we all feel one too many. Some have these feelings for a few simple days, and then those feelings soon pass. For others, however, this is a feeling that is felt for most of their lives. Our loneliness may make us feel alone, when our loneliness is actually common. In The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka, the topic of alienation is an ongoing theme from beginning to end. I have interest in this passage because it reveals the writers understanding of a feeling that we all get from time to time. This novella helps us relive these emotions with an understanding that we are not alone in our loneliness.
...jective and extremely interpretative and he also placed an over-emphasis on sexual drive and provides us with an extremely pessimistic outlook on personality as it discounts the notion of free will. Weakness of sociocultural perspective is that to become a sangoma requires difficult training, as it is regarded as a calling which is as great honour gift and that if the person abuses the power ancestors withdraw power (Cumes, 2013:71).
Expressions of sexuality can be indirectly labeled as an effect of colonialism. The expression of sexuality was shown through Xuela and the way she used her body to have her way with men, especially with her British husband Phillip whom she described as not being sexually knowledgeable. Some of her sexual encounters with her husband can be described as a nod to his cultural dominance, in the sense that it was the only time she was the dominant party. In “I Made Him” Sadomasochism in Kincaid’s The Autobiography of My Mother by Gary E. Holcomb, the two characters are explored. Instead of Phillip being the dominant, party he seems to approach Xuela in a submissive form. “The scene demonstrates the novel’s problematization of traditional gendered images as they are bound up with colonialist ideology” (Holcomb and Holcomb 2002). In the encounter discussed in the essay, we see that she loses herself and bites her husband on the hand while giving him instructions on how to touch her and what to do to satisfy
Metamorphosis is a key element in Greek mythology. The ability of the gods to change the shapes of others or themselves is well portrayed in several of the stories, including Baucis and Philemon, Ceyx and Alcyone, and Pometheus and Io.
Life is a never-ending metamorphosis. It is always changing, always transforming. Sometimes a change is followed by positive results, but on the darker side, a metamorphosis can lead to damage or suffering. But of course, the concept of metamorphosis can also be related into the wonderful yet unrealistic world of magic and sorcery. Metamorphosis can mean a rapid transformation from one object to another or a distinct or even degenerative change in appearance, personality, condition, or function. The concept of metamorphosis is commonly used in pieces of literature to describe an extreme change in character or form.