Choose a thematic concern of The Metamorphosis some possibilities are work, romantic love, and the family. Develop a thesis about what it has to say on your chosen themes. Now choose three key moments from the story to back up your argument. Be sure to quote as needed from the text. (Refer to Short Story Writing about Literature section in the Short Story Essay Instructions.)
In Franz Kafka’s The Metamorphosis, the entire story is set in the Samsa family apartment. The main characters are Mr. and Mrs. Samsa, Grete Samsa, and Gregor Samsa. Gregor Samsa woke up one morning to learn that he has somehow turned into a gigantic bug. Gregor also happens to be the main provider for the family, which gives him motivation to still try to get up and
We see the blossoming of this development early in the story and it all comes to a head when she decides to “get rid off” Gregor. In the beginning of our story Grete was simply a crying sixteen year old girl. Her mother didn’t think that she was useful, only her brother truly believed in her. Gregor had a very close bond with her. After Gregor’s transformation, Grete was very close to him-in the beginning. She attempted to make the most out of his situation, she was the first to be kind to Gregor. She attempted to bring him some milk-his favorite food when he was a human. When he didn’t drink the milk, she brought him miscellaneous food scraps to attempt to find something more to his liking. As the story progressed, however, Grete began to detach from Gregor. She lost hope in ever truly getting her brother back. His room began to become cluttered with stuff. His room was also very dust and no one feed him anymore. The place where we as readers see that official detachment from Gregor is the moment that she decided that it was time for them to get rid off Gregor. She explains that they had done everything possible to try to help Gregor, but he just wasn 't getting any better. Grete realized that Gregor was doing more harm than good in their
Samsa doesn’t speak as much as the other two characters in the story, nevertheless we can obviously see that Mrs. Samsa deeply cares for Gregor even after his transformation. When he Mrs. Samsa first sees Gregor in his new form, she cries out and asks God for help. Although Grete seemed to have the strongest relationship with Gregor, his mother seemed to have the longest relationship with him. WE can see this several times throughout the story, the most significant two happen when Gregor’s life was at stake. The first instance was when Mr. Samsa was throwing fruit at Gregor. Mrs. Samsa ran toward Mr. Samsa and clasped her arms around his neck begging for him to be saved. Even though Mr. Samsa has basically given up on Gregor and has begun to treat him like a bug, Mrs. Samsa still wants him around. She doesn 't want him to die because she hopes that one day she’ll get her son back. The second time that we see the strength in this relationship is when grete and Mr. Samsa decide that Gregor needs to die. She doesn’t say a single word throughout the entire conversation-it’s just Grete and Mr. Samsa talking. Although this may seem as though the shows the opposite of the strength in their relationship, it demonstrates how Mrs. Samsa knows that she has become the least powerful out of the humans in the apartment. She doesn’t add how she feels about killing him because it would probably sadden her even more. When Gregor did die, Mrs. Samsa was the only one of the family to not
One of the major symbols in the story is the window in Gregor’s room. Gregor always seems to be looking out the window admiring the external domain. The window represents freedom in a way he feels a strong connection with the outside world despite the fact he is grounded indoors. He realizes is no longer associated with the real world. Grete, Gregor’s younger sister supports Gregor at the beginning. Grete helps out with Gregor’s complication by taking care of him. She gives him his food, cleans up after him, and she even came up with an idea to make it easier for him to move around in his room. She wanted to make Gregor feel like he is appreciated and link to the world so she moved the chair by the window so he could see more clearly.
It is notable that Grete is a very good violin player. We see that Grete seems to take care of Gregor in a way, but that leads to her starting to act like his owner, and that he is a piece of property. “She had grown accustomed, certainly not without justification, so far as a discussion of matters concerning Gregor was concerned.” (Kafka, 161) Though, near the end of the story, Grete begins to care less and less for her older brother, and eventually decides to let him go. ““He must go,” cried Gregor’s sister” (Kafka, 176) It's just another example of Gregor never fitting in. He is stereotypically, just a bug. A quote, more than less an example that really hits it
and Mrs. Samsa. Gregor describes throughout the novel his sister’s passion for music. He also points out the fact that their parents do not assist Grete in pursuit of this type of career, “Often during Gregor’s short days in the city the Conservatory would come up in his conversations, but always merely as a beautiful dream which was not supposed to come true, and his parents were not happy to hear these innocent allusions” (Kafka 26). The Samsa’s hindered Grete’s potential which forced her into a path she did not want to follow. Another example is how she was forced to become the primary caregiver for Gregor.
Throughout The Metamorphosis, Franz Kafka shuns Gregor. At first glance, Gregor’s transformation creates the only isolation. As the story evolves, the Samsa family’s segregation begins to play a larger role. Through intuitive actions, each family member isolates themselves. The Samsa’s accommodate the renters generously, in order to win communal approval. Failing the renters positions the Samsa’s lower in society than they previously were. Not only do the Samsa’s isolate themselves, they are also secluded from society. Many instances allow the Samsa’s severance from society to shine through Gregor’s isolation.
But everyone’s family bonding is quite different. As far as Kafka novella, this family state has lack of communication and feelings. However, when it comes to financial support, the Samsa family depends on Gregor. Sadly, while the oldest child is the family breadwinner, he is better yet the most divided one. But overall, he would rather have his family live a better life than having them worry about anything.
The story, Metamorphosis, is an unusual story to say the least. The very first sentence one meets the main character, Gregor Samsa. This sentence really shows how different this story is when compared to other books in this class. Throughout the story the author, Franz Kafka, wants the reader to sympathize with Gregor. ‘When Gregor Samsa awoke one morning from troubled dreams, he found himself changed into a monstrous cockroach in his bed’ (87), is the first sentence, and already the author wants the reader to feel sympathy for Gregor. This is no dream either, he is really a bug, and Kafka makes sure there is no confusion. This is just one of many examples that I will discuss where Kafka wants the reader to sympathize with Gregor.
Gregor is the focal point of the family, he provided for them when they needed the money. Gregor also brought the family into turmoil with his change. Just as Gregor brought them into turmoil he brought on growth for the family. His death gave his family a new life. Before Gregor’s metamorphosis, his family was a helpless and selfish. There was little meaningful interaction among them. Once Gregor had become a creature the family had to become resourceful, they learned valuable skills. Gregor gave his family something that could bond them together, they discussed what to do about Gregor almost every night. Gregor’s tragedy brought his family together. Gregor served as a “savior” for his family, he played the same role that Jesus did for the world. Gregor’s life was taken so that the rest of his family may achieve salvation. His family had changed from a selfish and lazy group of people to a loving and caring family. As Gregor grew closer toward death, his family grew closer to
The relationship between Gregor and his sister Grete is perhaps the most unique. It is Grete, after all, with whom the metamorphosed Gregor has any rapport, suggesting the Kafka intended to lend at least some significance to their relationship. Grete's significance is found in her changing relationship with her brother. It is Grete's changing actions, feelings, and speech toward her brother, coupled with her accession to womanhood that seems to parallel Gregor's own metamorphosis. This change represents her metamorphosis from adolescence into adulthood but at the same time it marks the final demise of Gregor. Thus, certain symmetry is to be found in "The Metamorphosis." While Gregor falls in the midst of despair, Grete ascends to a self-sufficient, sexual
Because Gregor is no longer capable of filling the role of "provider", his actions no longer define the lives of his family, and they are freed from inauthenticity by this revelation. Much like the philosophers of the existentialist movement, Gregor's family realizes that in the face of absurdity, the only choice one has is to define their own existence. As time wears on, Gregor's family becomes contemptuous of the burden which comes from caring for him and hiding him from the eyes of the public. In reaction to their contempt, each chooses to prevent Gregor's new dependent role from hindering their authenticity. The father feels a sense of renewed pride in once again being the head of the household.
By Mr. Samsa’s stowing his pain in his proverbial soul effects his actions in life and the people surrounding him including his children. His childhood equally lacked a health structure. When family coexists under the same household, especially children, they begin to take on certain roles in the family. Grete’s role in the family structure was the one as the initiator. She’s the one who suggested killing Gregor or disposing of him and the father followed pursuit in agreement.
The Metamorphosis is a among Franz Kafka’s famous stories. The story is about a haunted man who changed into an insect. The author has written the story based on various theories such as Marxism, existentialist and religious views. It is also a reflection of a hostile world with major themes being abandonment, self-alienation, and troubles relationship. It reveals people’s struggles while in the modern society where one is neglected in the time of need (Franz 8). The cultural and social setting of the story helps in supporting the major themes of the story. In as much as the story is a dramatic fiction, it is necessary to explore the interior monologue style in order to inform the audience what the protagonist is thinking.
Goldfarb, Sheldon. “Critical Essay on ‘The Metamorphosis’.” Short Stories for Students. Ed. Jennifer Smith. Vol. 12. Detroit: Gale Group, 2001.
Ralph Waldo Emerson said “What lies behind you and what lies in front of you, pales in comparison to what lies inside of you.” “In a Good Man is Hard To Find” the Grandmother expresses herself as a lady of upmost standards. In actuality, she lives as a Grandmother from the old South whose mouth runs on its own. The Metamorphosis includes Gregor Samsa a self-proclaimed family man who tries to take on all of the responsibilities in the Samsa household. His way of living seems great for everyone, but at the same time does not seem necessary. In A Good Man is Hard to Find” and The Metamorphosis, The Grandmother and Gregor despite being completely different, also share very similar qualities. They differ in values, but in the same way they are irresponsible and nuisances to the people around them.
Who you are is essential to the life you live and is often times jaded by the opinions that others have of you. It’s imperative as you go through life that you hold onto who you are because somewhere along the line someone will happily let you be who you are. While Gregor’s fate was dismal the hardships he went through molded this new character he grew into and he would not have been able to do that without Grete who accepted him for who he was no matter what he looked like. Something to take away from this novel is that who you are on the outside is not defined by who you are on the
Metamorphosis is a common theme in pieces of literature because the author needs the readers to understand if a character was dynamic or static or in other words, whether a character changed thought the piece or remained the same. If a character underwent great and significant changes throughout a story, then the concept of metamorphosis needs to be implying to reflect changes in appearance, personality or even outlook on life.