Franz Kafka’s The Metamorphosis is similar to Expressionism in many ways, German Expressionism and Kafka’s story distorts reality and shows that there is another meaning underneath what the painting or story is. Throughout The Metamorphosis, Gregor goes through many stages of isolation from his family and he starts to lose touch with humanity because of it but in the end he helped his family by his transformation. Kafka’s story relates to German Expressionism because many paintings during this era have to do with reality being distorted into something else. In The Metamorphosis, the plot of the story would be Gregor being transformed into a vermin but the underlying story is that Gregor’s transformation changed the emotional reality of Gregor’s family.
In Martin Shongauer’s ‘The Temptation of Saint Anthony’ it is perceived that the world is insecure and hostile but with the face of Saint Anthony people can be at ease. This painting was included in a panel at a hospital and was a symbol of hope for patients, “when suffering great pain, the sick in the hospital could be tempted to lose their faith in a loving God. The serenity of St. Anthony in the face of torment, by demons was a model of how to respond to such distress.” (Landau, Parshall, Griffths). While Gregor’s mother and sister remove all the furniture in his room, he wishes to keep a picture that is hanging as a last hope of holding on to his old human life. Like ‘The Temptation of Saint Anthony’ the picture Gregor wants to hold on is a symbol that he wants to still hold on to his old life as a human. With his mother and sister taking away his furniture, he almost has nothing left other than that picture to remind him of his life before his transformation, “They were cle...
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...e central panel emerge into the clear light of redemption and release, embarked for Eternity.” (Rathbone). This relates to Gregor in The Metamorphosis because he tries to hold on to hope that his family will be able to accept him as a vermin but in the end they treat him as if he doesn’t matter even though he worked hard for them for many years.
In conclusion, Franz Kafka’s story The Metamorphosis is similar to Expressionism because they all have a story other than what they are showing. They all have something to symbolize but it may not always be as clear as you may think it is. Kafka’s story’s main plot was that Gregor had turned into a vermin but it was really about Gregor’s family’s transitions. Towards the end of The Metamorphosis Gregor’s family realizes that without Gregor they can all obtain jobs and work for the money that only Gregor brought in before.
The Metamorphosis is about a man who is frustrated with his job and family responsibilities. After working five long years to support his parents and sister after his father lost his job, he awakes to find himself changed into a bug. In this compelling novella that is a metaphor in itself, Kafka uses syntax, dialogue, and symbolism to help the readers understand the theme change causes rejection. For example, syntax in the book shows the reader that change leads to rejection. After Gregor has turned into a bug, his family says “We have to try to get rid of it,” “It’s got to go” (Kafka 47). This syntax is a major change from before, as long sentences and more elaborate syntax were used in the beginning of the book, and his own family does not
“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.
In The Metamorphosis Kafka illustrates a grotesque story of a working salesman, Gregor Samsa, waking up one day to discover that his body resembles a bug. Through jarring, almost unrealistic narration, Kafka opens up the readers to a view of Gregor’s futile and disappointing life as a human bug. By captivating the reader with this imaginary world Kafka is able to introduce the idea that Gregor’s bug body resembles his human life. From the use of improbable symbolism Kafka provokes the reader to believe that Gregor turning into a bug is realistic and more authentic compared to his unauthentic life as a human.
Kafka is known for his highly symbolic and oblique style of writing. It is no surprise that several of his pieces contain the same major themes, just in different settings. The fact that he repeats his styles only makes the message that he is trying to convey much stronger. In both “The Metamorphosis” and “A Hunger Artist”, the main characters are similar in the way that they are both extremely dedicated to their work. In “The Metamorphosis”, Gregor Samsa wakes up one morning to find himself transformed into a bug. Oddly enough, Gregor does not question how this transformation happened or even why it happened. He is more concerned about getting to work (Metamorphosis 4). Similarly, in “A Hunger Artist”, the main character is completely dedicated to his job. In fact, he is so dedicated that he actually thinks of ways in which he can improve himself. At the end of a fast he asks himself, "Why stop fasting at this particular moment…why stop now…?" (Bedford 637).
In The Metamorphosis, by Franz Kafka, Gregor’s evolution to an insect symbolizes the loss of thorough communication, representing the disconnection of the individual from his family and his surroundings. Through this metamorphosis, the once loving family begins to remove itself from any past interactions with Gregor. In addition, the setting and surroundings of Gregor completely overcome him and persuade him to lose hope. The family and surroundings, not the change to an insect, lead Gregor towards death. Not only do the uncontrollable surroundings change Gregor, but so does the family.
The metamorphosis very possibly was written by Kafka as an outlet for his feelings of isolation and helplessness. In it, the protagonist, Gregor Samsa, awakens one morning to find himself spontaneously "transformed in his bed into a monstrous vermin." The story continues from there in a most realistic fashion: his family rejects him, and he stays cooped up in his room until he dies. Although interpretations of the story differ, my opinion is that Kafka wrote this story as a protestation, whether consciously or unconsciously, of his own inner needs not being met. Franz Kafka suffered from severe mental disorientation. This man suffered severe tragedies as a child: as the first child of Hermann and Julie Kafka, he lived to see two brothers born and die before he was six years old. Although they were eventually replaced by three new sisters, Kafka began his life with tragedies which most people do not experience until they are much older. Kafka lacked parental guidance, as he and his sisters were brought up mostly by governess. He was a Jew, and lived in Czechoslovakia, but he went to German schools. Therefore Kafka masked himself twice, at the bidding of his father. His father had made himself into a successful businessman, and expected Kafka to do the same. Most of Kafka's stories contain or center around an over-domineering, almost frightening father figure. Kafka obeyed his father. He remembered his high school education as being meaningless and dull, but, out of obedience to his father, he completed it, and passed with flying colors. This switching to a less offending option in order to offend no one characterizes Kafka very well. He possessed a wonderful mind but rarely, ...
In Franz Kafka's The Metamorphosis, Gregor Samsa's sudden transformation into a cockroach is appalling to all that encounter him, but none attempt to cure him of his affliction. The acceptance of his condition by Gregor and those around him highlights the underlying existentialist and absurdist perspective within the characters' attempt to come to terms with this circumstance. In the face of this dramatically absurd metamorphosis, Gregor does not blame a higher power, nor himself. As time wears on, he not only refrains from questioning his transformation but, at times lavishes in it and embraces it. His adjustment, and the adjustment of his family members, is not one of questioning his new life, but rather attempting to accept it for exactly what it is. In this way, Gregor and his family, particularly his father and sister, epitomize rationalization and freedom of choice in the face of absurdity.
The Metamorphosis took place when Gregor Samsa wake up transform in a parasite, but everything else appears normal, so in spite to go back to normal, he goes back to sleep. As he start thinking about his job as a salesman and how his boss never accept excuses, “He was a tool of the boss, without brains or backbone” (5) or how is the life of the others that work in sales, he looks the clock and realized he is late and he already missed his train for work and what consequences would bring. Between that his family started to worry about why he is not leaving jet and finally his boss arrives to check on him personally, but Gregor’s door was close, he tries to explain his situation to his boss but suddenly anybody understands a word, ”Did you understand a word? The manager was asking … Oh my God!, cried [Gregor’s] mother” and in order for Gregor does not lose his job because he still needs to paid his father debt after his family business broke, Gregor manages to open the door shortly with his mouth. But his horrible appearance, everybody immediately rejected, his boss left and his family make him stay in his room and Gregor exhausted falls sleep. Initially, Grete -Gregor’s sister- decide take care of him, realizing his brother’s new likes and Gregor stayed under the coach, looking at her; captivating his parents away from the task, among they talked about the difficult financial situation that they have and how they need to solve it between Gregor recovers. With time, Grete empower Gregor’s situation and to making feel more comfortable, she wants to remove the furniture and let Gregor moves free; so with the help of Gregor’s mother, they started the task until Gregor’s left himself out, protecting his precious portrait and his mother ...
Since the start of The Metamorphosis, Gregor is an ordinary character with a few complex ideals. Although he hates his job, he knows that he must do because it helps support his family. He applies himself “with great earnestness” (Kafka 1182) to his grinding work as a traveling s...
Franz Kafka wrote the short story Metamorphosis in 1912. No one can truly know what he aimed to accomplish with the story, but it is thought he wrote it to demonstrate the absurdity of life. The story is written with a very simplistic undertone, ignoring how completely ludicrous the situation that Gregor Samsa and his family are in. Metamorphosis is most often thought of in the scientific meaning of the word, which according to dictionary.com is a profound change in form from one stage to the next in the life history of an organism. It is also defined as a complete change of form, structure, or substance, as transformation by magic or witchcraft or any complete change in appearance, character, circumstances, etc. This word is generally reserved for describing how a caterpillar turns into a butterfly, a good analogy for the process of metamorphosis. It brings to mind a pleasant event, very unlike what Gregor and his family experience. We as readers only get to see things through Gregor’s eyes. Does this skew our understanding of the story, and how do Gregor and Grete’s metamorphoses differ, and how are they alike?
In the novel, The Metamorphosis, Kafka writes about a man who one day transformed into a bug. Kafka’s own feelings of nothingness caused this story to shape into this unique story. Kafka writes, “The dream reveals the reality, which conception lags behind. That is the horror of life – the terror of art” (qtd. In Kennedy and Gioia 299). Kafka said this as a rebuttal to a friend trying to pry information out of him about The Metamorphosis. Kafka meant that the true burden of art is that a person’s experiences will always heavily influence their creations, and that is horrifying. It is clearly shown in his writings that his personal experiences helped shape the story The Metamorphosis. Every little detail about Gregor’s life is a reflection of Kafka’s own life. Gregor’s family, job, and dreams all were influenced by Kafka’s personal experiences. His father was domineering just as Gregor’s father controlled him after he turned into an insect. He had a horrid job just as Gregor did, and he lived at his parent’s house for most of his life. Gregor’s dreams of being free from his job and parents were also Kafka’s dreams. Kafka’s reality is shown in his story, The Metamorphosis, through Gregor’s family and dreams of freedom.
Many people would argue that Kafka reflects his personal life in The Metamorphosis. These people would describe it as an autobiographical work. Kafka’s parents were very similar to that of Gregor. He was born into a wealthy family and his father was an overbearing man. His mother was a very nice woman, as Gregor’s was in the novel, but she often took the side of his father. The striking resemblance of the families is that of Gregor’s sister. Kafka’s sister, like Gregor’s si...
Indeed, it is only the premise, only the beginning of the tragedy. The true metamorphosis happens internally, and within the world around him (Corngold). As Gregor loses his humanity and his family loses their empathy, the metaphor takes a new form. If Gregor becoming a bug is the starting point, the new reality the reader is forced to accept, then his dwindling sense of self is the true meat of the metaphor. Although Gregor reacts with little to no shock to his transformation, he is almost painfully aware of his fading human consciousness. Within the context of the metaphor (a literalization of how society perceives him), this loss of humanity is an extremely menacing prospective effect of alienation. He is regarded as a bug and thus takes the shape of one, and in the face of his family’s isolation and antipathy, mentally becomes a bug himself. Gregor’s family, and even his own consciousness, begins to forget Gregor’s humanity. This raises a question of human existence—how much of a person’s Self is influenced by the world around them? Gregor knows that he is still human, it is evidenced in his compassion and the room around him, and yet his family’s fear—their insistent belief that a monster is living under their roof—makes him question his own mind. If a person is continually called a monster, would they not begin to believe it
In Franz Kafka’s short story, Metamorphosis, the idea of existentialism is brought out in a subtle, yet definite way. Existentialism is defined as a belief in which an individual is ultimately in charge of placing meaning into their life, and that life alone is meaningless. They do not believe in any sort of ultimate power and focus much of their attention on concepts such as dread, boredom, freedom and nothingness. This philosophical literary movement emerged in the twentieth-century, when Kafka was establishing his writing style in regards to alienation and distorted anxiety. A mirror to his own personal lifestyle, this story follows the short and sad life of a man unable to break out of the bonds society has placed on him. These bonds are not only evident in the work place, but at home too. Being constantly used and abused while in his human form, Gregor’s lifestyle becomes complicated once he becomes a giant insect and is deemed useless. Conflicts and confusion arise primarily between Gregor and his sister Grete, his parents, and his work. Each of these three relationships has different moral and ethical complications defining them. However, it is important for one to keep in mind that Gregor’s metamorphosis has placed him into a position of opposition, and that he has minimal control over the events to take place. Conflicts will also occur between family members as they struggle with the decision of what to do with Gregor. In the end they all come to the agreement that maintaining his uselessness is slowly draining them and they must get rid of him.
Abstract Expressionism gets its name from the combining of emotional intensity and self-expression of German Expressionists and the anti-figurative aesthetics of abstract schools where Futurism, Bauhaus and Synthetic Cubism came from. The term Abstract Expressionism was applied to any number of the artists in New York who each had quite different styles, such as Pollock’s “action paintings” which had a very busy feel to it, which was different both technically and aesthetically to Willem de Kooning’s grotesque “women’s series”, which was rather violent and not particularly abstract, and Mark Rothko’s block work which was not very expressionistic, but yet all three were classified as Abstract Expressionists.