Heart of darkness and Metamorphosis
Both the novel Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad and the short story Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka signify and are about scratching beneath the surface. Scratching beneath the surface means to go beyond of what’s obvious and to look further in to search for a deeper meaning; and in this case, for these two stories and their purposes which conveys the authors message. Although these books were written by different authors and published several years apart, they share numerous similarities in the overall idea. The heart of darkness is about imperialism and it touches on the tales of different individuals that embarked on the imperialistic journey from Europe to Africa. The brief story Metamorphosis is about a man named Gregor who transforms into an insect. Both stories are dissimilar regarding the plot; yet, they are so similar in their overall message because in both books, both authors articulate by teaching a lesson without actually stating the purpose. They both leave the purpose and the message to their reader’s imagination to resolve.
…show more content…
The Heart of Darkness explores two main characters through Marlow and Kurtz. This novel’s main idea revolves around imperialism, but it also progresses beneath the surface of those people who were involved in the act of imperialism, which is so highly criticized. Marlow goes to Africa, where European companies are building and trading and in doing so he hears of a man named Kurtz. Kurtz was a well-known and respected man, but he believed that he was above the “savages” who were the African workers. After a certain amount of time, Kurtz turns into one of the “savages” himself. Because of that he was able to reevaluate himself and his status, race and profession. He was able to integrate all humans together and equal and falsify the segregation ideologies that he contained. Another character in this novel, Marlow, who is European, says that he is in fact astonished by the humanity he shared with the Africans while he was traveling around. Although this novel portrays the Africans in a negative manner the protagonist Marlow and Kurtz tend to understand and progress beneath the surface of their imperial mission and truly learn and believe that they are in fact the same as their workers and the natives. As the novel progresses and Kurtz, Marlow and the other Europeans were on their home , when Kurtz becomes ill. Marlow is the last person to visit Kurtz and he hears Kurtz's last words “the horror, the horror” which makes him horrified. His unhappiness seemed to be due to his unwillingness to ignore the hypocritical rule of the Europeans that he had witnessed. Reaching deep beneath the words it is evident that Kurtz recalled his time as an “invader” in Africa and those tormenting memories of the injustice caused resulted in his last words being “the horror, the horror”. Marlow is left speechless. He returns to Europe and soon after this a representative from the company visit Marlow and ask for the papers and correspondents that Kurtz had given Marlow before his death. Marlow does not give them what they want. A man saying, he is Kurtz's cousin visits Marlow and he speaks about who Kurtz was beneath the surface. Marlow learns that Kurtz was a man of great talent in music and art. This shows that there was talent and passion beyond the outer surface of Kurtz, although his actions in Africa proved otherwise. Marlow then proceeds to visiting Kurtz's fiancé. She asks what his last words were, and Marlow lies and says that it was her name. This shows that beyond the colonizers there was talent, emotion and family members waiting for individuals like Kurtz to return. His tale ends, and they are returning to London when the narrator suggests that they are entering a dark area, suggesting that this “civilized” place isn’t far from the jungle in which they occupied. Kurtz is a character who perfectly exemplifies the saying of scratching beneath the surface. His cousin and fiancé thought that he was a great talented man. But in fact, he was a man who had caused trauma on his road to colonization and the heads on the fence were an example of his brutality. This novel’s message goes farther beyond the surface of what the viewers read. Various metaphors are used to establish a clear understanding of the novel’s overall meaning of racism, and imperialism. As a reader, the deep message of the story was obviously around the idea of not thinking of one self as superior against others just because of skin color, wealth and imperialistic values. The short story Metamorphosis is a one of a kind story that goes a long way due to its message behind its unique tale.
It starts with the protagonist, Gregor, waking up and realizing that he’s transformed into an insect which leaves him in great shock. As his boss and parents first recognize Greg after his transformation they too are shocked and angry for an irrational reason. Gregor’s father becomes aggressive towards him as he now cannot work and cannot help his family who is in debt. Going beneath the surface, it is evident that his father has forgotten all about Gregor’s diligent work for years in a split second and has begun to be hostile towards Greg. His life continues in a dull and isolated room as his family has now turned to despise his existence. When he is no longer of use to his family and needs their support, they view him as a burden and will continue to do so throughout the short
story. Gregor has been helping his family for five years, ever since his father's business went bankrupt. To his surprise, he overhears his father speaking about saving up money which showed that Greg could've had an easier life instead of working diligently all those years. A month passed by and one day Greg witnesses his mother faint which then for some reason makes his father attack him. His family is now in search for jobs; they even sell their jewelry and possessions to gain extra cash. They hire a cleaning lady who picks on Gregor and looks down on him, although that insect was once an honorable man working rigorously to provide and support his family. To gain extra money the family finds three tenants to rent one of the extra rooms. The tenants accidently notice Gregor and in great fear they demand to move out without paying the rent. In anger, Gregor’s sister states that he must be taken care of and that they should eliminate him. She even continues on and says that the insect is not Gregor. He is beat emotionally and as he lies in his room his emotional and physical pain along with the guilt of not being able to work and provide for his family proves to be too much for him and he breathes his last breath. This story reveals a deeper meaning and it emphasizes on a side of life in which humans feel and experience, and one that readers can relate to. Gregor worked arduously to provide for his family, yet they had money saved and proved they could work once he turned into an insect. Even on his deathbed, he felt guilty about not being able to help his family. He gave his all for his loved ones and when he needed them all, they turned their backs on him as if he was a stranger. Metamorphosis goes beneath the surface of family ties and shows that all the love Gregor's family had was due to him providing them with materialistic objects. It continues to reveal the deeper meaning and show that once an individual faces a rather difficult situation they are left alone without the support of their loved ones. The Metamorphosis leaves a deep, meaningful, and a valuable lesson to its readers. Both the novel Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad and the short story Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka exemplify in going beneath the surface of a story and leaving the reader with an unforgettable lesson. Although both the novel and short story were written in different times with unrelated plots they share more similarities than differences. It is evident that both stories have a deep meaning which makes readers advance beyond the surface of the tale and take a deeper understanding and analysis to fully take away the meaning of the novel and the brief story. The Both the novel and short story reveal a meaningful lesson one cannot forget. They both have vastly different plots yet they both with inspiration and majesty reach beneath the surface of the tales and give a meaningful lesson one cannot forget.
Similar to the woman in Gilman's story, Gregor, in "The Metamorphosis," watches as his life slowly deteriorates. He woke up one morning to find himself to have taken the shape of a bug. But early on he tried to continue in his normal activities; he focused on how he was going to make it to the train station so he did not miss his train, and how his employer would be upset with his absence from work. Then he begins to realize that he is a bug, and he cannot live his life the same way he used to. His sister begins to take care of him, and he loses touch with everything human that he used to know. His mother and father take away all of his furniture and other possessions. Gregor's family come to the agreement that the bug must be eliminated, it...
The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka is the story of Gregor Samsa, his turning into a bug, and his ultimate death. In the beginning of the novel Gregor wakes up as a bug and struggles to become used to his new body. Gregor is locked in his room and late for work; he is the only one who works in his family, so it is important that he shows up and earns money to pay off his parents debts. His office manager shows up wondering where he has been and everyone is shocked to see Gregor’s transformation when he finally makes his way out of his room. Upon seeing him, his father shoves him forcefully back into the room, scraping Gregor’s back. Grete, Gregor’s sister, is his primary caretaker throughout the book and she makes certain he is receiving the food he wants and is the only one to clean his room for him. Gregor’s mother and father do not pay much attention to him at all throughout the book. The mother occasionally checks on him, but can barely stand the sight of him. Eventually, Grete starts working and stops taking care of him too, leaving Gregor all by himself. Betrayal is evident in The Metamorphosis and contributes to
‘’This internal lack of self-esteem and the insecurities it produces are heightened by the change in his body. One of the major problems to reading The Metamorphosis is accepting Gregor’s transformation as literal and not merely symbolic; he has really turned into an insect. The strangeness of this fact, along with his and his family’s reactions to it, is what makes the narrative so fascinating and rich in interpretative possibilities’’(Silet). In the Metamorphosis it’s quite odd the way his family reacts to him during his transformation from a human to a creature. They act as if it was something common like, a flu or something. The fact that Gregor initially greets his metamorphosis with a chilling calm suggests that he previously saw himself as vermin like. In the same sense even when he knew he was a bug all he could think about was not being late for work. And even though Gregor was not the best salesmen he made going to work a priority because he wanted to provide for his family, Gregor never missed
One morning, Gregor wakes up from his dream to realize he has completely mutated into a bug. Due to this physical change in his life, he phases out different experiences with each of his family members. In which he alienates himself and his family because of his new appearance. In fact, he has a lot of care towards his family. He actually works hard to support them, pay off their debt, and tries to keep them as comfortable as possible.
Franz Kafka's The Metamorphosis is a masterfully written short story about Gregor Samsa, a man who devotes his life to his family and work, for nothing in return. Only when he is transformed into a helpless beetle does he begin to develop a self-identity and understanding of the relationships around him. The underlying theme of The Metamorphosis is an existential view that says any given choice will govern the later course of a person's life, and that the person has ultimate will over making choices. In this case, Gregor?s lack of identity has caused him to be numb to everything around him.
Although both Joseph Conrad and Franz Kafka distance their protagonists from conventional society to represent the shallowness of mankind, Kafka does so through internal changes whereas Conrad creates external changes. In Heart of Darkness, Conrad removes Marlow from accepted society to show how challenges man suffers through to survive on their own with the superficiality surrounding them. Kafka exiles Gregor in Metamorphosis to demonstrate the ignorance people have for others physically and mentally different from themselves through Gregor’s transformation and the isolation he endures. Both authors transition their main character into a new environment, and combine the new environments with different behaviors to live with.
In Franz Kafka’s The Metamorphosis, the transformation of the character Gregor from a man to one of the most hated insects, a vermin, may seem exaggerated and ridiculous, becoming more so over the course of the story the action builds and the emotions and ideas of the characters in the story begin to change and become more prominent. Kafka’s intention, however, is to expose and explore the impoverishment of human psychology with respect to the ways in which changes in one’s circumstances and conditions reshape notions people have of the way they believe in justice and mercy which will be explore further in this analysis of Gregor Samsa.
It is unusual to say the least to open a book and the first line is about the main character waking up as a large insect. Most authors’ use symbolism to relate the theme of their work, not Franz Kafka. He uses a writing method that voids all aspects and elements of the story that defy interpretation. In doing this, he leaves a simple story that stands only for an objective view for his own thoughts and dreams. Kafka focuses the readers’ attention on a single character that symbolizes himself and his life, not Everyman as some authors do. This method is displayed in most of his literary works. To understand how this method is recognized, readers must study the author’s background during the period of writing and basic history to understand this author’s motive. In his short story, “The Metamorphosis”, there are multiple similarities between Kafka’s true life and Gregor Samsa’s.
Franz Kafka’s The Metamorphosis is a novella that follows the story of Gregor Samsa who, one day, wakes up as an insect. On the surface, it’s just a story about a man who’s transformed into a bug; but, when deeper analyzed, you come to understand that it’s a about a man who was always a bug conflicted by his identity in a class struggle between what is known as the proletariat and the bourgeoisie. Kafka’s work was written in a time in history when the struggles between the classes were becoming more defined due to the rise of industrialization and other changing social structures. This story can best be interpreted though a Marxist lens. In Kafka’s The Metamorphosis, his Marxist ideology comes through in the way the characters represent the struggle between the proletariat and bourgeoisie classes during the turn of the century.
Within the text of Heart of Darkness, the reader is presented with many metaphors. Those that recur, and are most arresting and notable, are light and dark, nature and Kurtz and Marlow. The repeated use of light and dark imagery represents civilization and primitiveness, and of course the eternal meaning of good and evil. However, the more in depth the reader goes the more complex it becomes. Complex also are the meanings behind the metaphors of nature included within the text. It represents a challenge for the colonists, often also signifying decay and degeneration. Finally Kurtz and Marlow represent imperialism and the colonists. All these metaphors come together and contribute not only to the effect for the reader, but also to the overall meaning.
After Gregor wakes up and realizes that he has been transformed into a bug, he starts to worry about how he will go to work in order to provide for his family. He debates about calling in sick as he thinks ”The chief himself would be sure
The Metamorphosis is said to be one of Franz Kafka's best works of literature. It shows the difficulties of living in a modern society and the struggle for acceptance of others when in a time of need. In this novel Kafka directly reflects upon many of the negative aspects of his personal life, both mentally and physically. The relationship between Gregor and his father is in many ways similar to Franz and his father Herrman. The Metamorphosis also shows resemblance to some of Kafka's diary entries that depict him imagining his own extinction by dozens of elaborated methods. This paper will look into the text to show how this is a story about the author's personal life portrayed through his dream-like fantasies.
As Marlow assists the reader in understanding the story he tells, many inversions and contrasts are utilized in order to increase apperception of the true meaning it holds. One of the most commonly occurring divergences is the un orthodox implications that light and dark embody. Conrad’s Heart of Darkness brims with paradoxes and symbolism throughout its entirety, with the intent of assisting the reader in comprehending the truth of not only human nature, but of the world.
On the surface, Heart of Darkness is the exploration of the African Congo where the explorers are trying to conquer the natives and make a profit in the ivory business. However, there is much more to the short novel written by Joseph Conrad than just the surface. It is also the exploration of the unconscious where the goal is to conquer the unknown. At the same time when Heart of Darkness was surfacing in the 20th century society, a psychologist named Sigmund Freud was publishing his research findings. Freud’s research of the unconscious and Conrad’s journey into darkness is remarkably similar. John Tessitore, a modern critic, says of the similarity, "...it is enough simply to observe that two great minds found themselves arriving at identical conclusions and expressed those conclusions through the modes of their individual disciplines" (Tessitore 93). Specifically comparable are Conrad’s exploration of the mind and Freud’s exploration of the id, superego, and ego.
Without personal access to authors, readers are left to themselves to interpret literature. This can become challenging with more difficult texts, such as Joseph Conrad’s novella Heart of Darkness. Fortunately, literary audiences are not abandoned to flounder in pieces such as this; active readers may look through many different lenses to see possible meanings in a work. For example, Conrad’s Heart of Darkness may be deciphered with a post-colonial, feminist, or archetypal mindset, or analyzed with Freudian psycho-analytic theory. The latter two would effectively reveal the greater roles of Kurtz and Marlow as the id and the ego, respectively, and offer the opportunity to draw a conclusion about the work as a whole.