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The use of symbolism in Franz Kafka's Metamorphosis
The use of symbolism in Franz Kafka's Metamorphosis
What is the change in gregor's life in the metamorphosis
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In part two of Franz Kafka’s “The Metamorphosis,” it still is not explained exactly how Gregor became an insect. Last week the assumption was made that the story would slowly unfold to give the explanation. However, that thought has changed. Gregor’s “metamorphosis” could actually be a metaphor for another event that has happened to him; maybe he is not really an insect. Either way, sympathy can be felt for Gregor; his life has been turned upside down, and he is essentially alone. He longs for his family’s presence. “Whenever he heard voices, he would immediately run over to the door in question and press his entire body against it” (1893). Sure, his sister shows him a bit of compassion in bringing him food, but other than that he is completely isolated, which is sad. …show more content…
Even when faced with silence from his family, he thinks about how happy he is that he could give them the luxury of a simple life.“‘What a quiet life my family has been leading,’ Gregor said to himself, and as he gazed fixedly into the darkness before him, he felt great pride at having been able to give his parents and sister a life like this in such a beautiful apartment” (1891). The sympathy felt for Gregor grows even stronger as the story progresses because of the way that his father treats him. In part one, his father hurt him by shoving him through the door. His father was angry, and one wondered exactly why. In the second part, his father hurts him again, by throwing apples at him, and his mother has to beg for his life. “She clasped her hands at the back of his father’s head and pleaded with him to spare Gregor’s life”
Franz Kafka's The Metamorphosis is so strikingly absurd that it has engendered countless essays dissecting every possible rational and irrational aspect of the book. One such essay is entitled "Kafka's Obscurity" by Ralph Freedman in which he delves down into the pages of The Metamorphosis and ferrets out the esoteric aspects of Kafka's writing. Freedman postulates that Gregor Samsa progresses through several transformations: a transformation of spatial relations, a transformation of time, and a transformation of self consciousness, with his conscious mutation having an antithetical effect on the family opposite to that of Gregor. His conjectures are, for the most part, fairly accurate; Gregor devolves in both his spatial awareness and his consciousness. However, Freedman also asserts that after Gregor's father throws the wounding apple, Gregor loses his sense of time. While his hypothesis certainly appears erudite and insightful, there really is no evidence within the book itself to determine whether if Gregor has a deteriorating sense of time. If Freedman had only written about Gregor's spatial and conscious degradation, then his entire thesis would be accurate.
Gregor Samsa’s mother, whose name is never revealed, is a physically and constitutionally weak woman. She cares dearly for Gregor which is first shown by her distress as Gregor does not wake up at his usual time. It is evident that Gregor’s mother has the hardest time coping with his transformation. She can not bear to lay eyes upon Gregor. Though she has trouble adjusting, she doesn’t stop loving her only son. As Gregor’s mother and sister begin to move furniture out of his room, his mother stops to contemplate whether this is the right course of action. As Sheldon Goldfarb states in his critical essay, “When his mother and sister start removing his furniture, his mother's second thoughts provoke him to resist: he does not want to give up his human past and the possibility of returning to it” (Goldfarb). On the outside, Gregor’s mother reacts with repulsion at the sight of the bug, but on the inside still cares deeply about her son underneath. Gregor is able to see this and it gives him new hope.
The Metamorphosis Research paper Franz Kafka, in his novel The Metamorphosis, explores two conflicting ideas through his protagonist Gregor: unity and isolation. Gregor’s transformation created a whole life of distress for him, but on the other hand also formed a deeper and better relationship for the rest of the family. Gregor’s transformation to a Vermin created a new life of separation and isolation for him. Before Gregor’s transformation he already felt isolated and stressed out because he was the only one working and he didn’t have that good of a relationship within his family. Kafka states “Constantly seeing new faces, no relationships that last or get more intimate.”
The American Heritage Dictionary defines metamorphosis as ‘a marked change in appearance, character, condition, or function.’ This definition helps build a strong foundation for discussing the Marxist theories observed in Franz Kafka’s novella, “The Metamorphosis”.
When comparing Franz Kafka and his personal life to The Metamorphosis it is obvious in more ways than one that he was writing a twisted story of his life. The emotional and physical abuse Gregor goes through are similar to what Kafka went through in real life. They were both abused and neglected by their fathers when they were disappointed with them. Kafka uses Gregor transforming into a bug as a way of exaggerating himself, trying to express his feelings and point of view. When writing, Kafka felt as if he was trapped in his room which he referred to as "the noise headquarters of the apartment". Gregor was an exaggeration of this because he could not leave the house to escape the noises and abuse.
Many views of existentialism are exposed in Kafka's Metamorphosis. One of these main views is alienation or estrangement which is demonstrated by Gregor's relationship with his family, his social life, and the way he lives his life after the metamorphosis. Namely, it suggests that man is reduced to an insect by the modern world and his family; human nature is completely self absorbed. Kafka reflects a belief that the more generous and selfless one is, the worse one is treated. This view is in direct conflict with the way things should be; man, specifically Gregor should be treated in accordance to his actions. Gregor should be greatly beloved by his family regardless of his state. This idea is displayed in three separate themes. First, Gregor's family is only concerned with the effect Gregor's change will have on them, specifically the effect it will have on their finances and reputation. They are more than willing to take completely gratuitous advantage of Gregor; he works to pay their debt and they are happy to indulge themselves with luxury. Gregor is the soul employed member of his family and this is their primary interest when Gregor is transformed. Secondly, Gregor is penalized for his efforts to be a good son, and a good worker; his toils are completely taken for granted by his family. The Samsa family is not interested in Gregor beyond their own needs, outsiders are reverentially treated. Thirdly, it is displayed by the positive changes that occur in the Samsa family as Gregor descends into tragedy and insignificance. As Gregor's life becomes more painful, isolated, and worthless the Samsa family becomes more functional and self-reliant.
There is a theory that dream and myth are related which is conveyed through the writing of Douglas Angus’ Kafka's Metamorphosis and "The Beauty and the Beast" Tale and supported by Franz Kafka’s Metamorphosis. The stories are very symbolic when conveying the metamorphosis of a human being. Unlike Beauty and the Beast, in the Metamorphosis some suggest love is received through acts of cruelty yet in actuality it appears that cruelty results in heartache. Due to being a beast, the repulsiveness requires genuine love which can achieve the “magical transformation.” This “magical transformation” is not achieved and creates a twist in the plot derived from the concepts in the “Beauty and the Beast.”
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.
In the stories of the Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka and The Elephant Vanishes by Haruki Murakami, there are events of magical realism and marxism that occur. In the Metamorphosis, Gregor had to adapt to his new environment and also deal with the financial crisis from his family. In the Elephant Vanishes, the people in the city, had to deal with the disappearance of the town’s symbol, the elephant.
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...
First and foremost Gregor was betrayed by his own parents who failed to care for him after his transformation. The initial reaction of the parents, especially his father, set the tone for the whole novel. Instead of trying to resolve the issue with a reasonable solution, his father physically abuses him, “when from behind, his father gave him a hard
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
"Metamorphosis": The story of a traveling salesman who, shortly after returning home, awakens one day to discover that he has literally changed into a gargantuan insect incapable of communication. Upon the initial scanning of this story a reader might think this is the plain and simple case, but on further examination will find that this is not what the story is about at all. Although focusing on and told from Gregor's point of view and what is happening to him, don't be fooled though, this is actually a story about Grete. If you study each of the main characters in the story you will find many similarities Gregor, his Father, and Mother share in the manner of their metamorphosis. All three of them go through quite sudden and obvious metamorphoses near the same time. Grete, on the other hand, becomes a point of interest in that her metamorphosis is quite different; it is a much slower, gradual, and overall more inconspicuous change that comes over her.
From the very opening of The Metamorphosis, Gregor is portrayed as a pathetic main character. He works so hard for his family, paying for everything in a job that he hates and receives absolutely nothing in return, not even a thank you. He always puts everyone before himself, and wants the best for his family and wants their love and encouragement. Even after he’s transformed into a cockroach, Gregor still thinks of way that he can go to work and pay for the bills. When his family sees him as a cockroach and throws him in his room alone, in the dark he is unable to live with the pain that they don’t see him as family anymore. He realizes their true colors and d...
Interpretations are flexible depending on what filter the audience uses to read with. Biographical criticism is used to analyze reading material with the author’s life in mind. These aspects of the author’s life are their unique experiences that are written into their literary works. A famous example of literary filters is Franz Kafka’s The Metamorphosis. The novella can have a variety of interpretations depending on what literary criticism is applied. Kafka’s novella is about a travelling salesman named Gregor who experiences being transformed into an insect (physically or mentally is debatable). Through the lens of biographical criticism, Franz Kafka’s novel The Metamorphosis, Gregor shares similarities with the author in terms of feeling like a useless burden to the family.