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The metamorphosis and how characters change
The metamorphosis critical analysis
The metamorphosis critical analysis
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The passage stated above is from The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka. The major theme of this novel is identity a theme that I was able to link directly to my own experience. In short Gregor was an average young man who had the unfortunate reality of waking up one day as a bug. While in the story Gregor literally turned into a vulgar creature it exemplified the hardships that people face when they wake up hating the skin that they’re in. During the story Gregor discusses how he must cope with this terrifying reality of becoming incapacitated and feeling so unwelcome by his own family. This quote is very significant because it sheds light on a topic that many people struggle with on a day to day basis identity. Through out the story Gregor’s family has been anything but accepting to the tragedy that Gregor has endured turning into a vulgar creature. His mother fainted at the sight of him and his father tried to kill him with an apple which ultimately ended up paralyzing him. Gregor was outcasted from the people he was supposed to feel most comfortable around just because he embodied this different persona. His family’s reaction to Gregor’s abrupt change influences the way that Gregor sees himself and thus creating a new routine that Gregor and his family would …show more content…
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
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.
Also, the short sentence structure shows their curtness and distaste for Gregor when he is the subject of the conversation. Additionally, dialogue helps show the reader that change causes rejection. Grete’s dialogue towards Gregor changes throughout his metamorphosis. Eventually in the book Gete “In front of this monstrous creature, refuses to pronounce [her] brother’s name…” (Kafka 47). She used to have a very good relationship with her brother, Gregor, but now her dialogue indicates otherwise. She can not even bare to say his name, showing that she is rejecting him as a friend and brother. His change also leads to Grete calling him a monstrous creature which is a rejection of his physical self. The Caretaker is in a similar situation as she used to talk to Gregor by name and after he changed she rejected him and did the same as Grete. Moreover, symbolism is used with the apple to emphasize the point that Gregor has become rejected by his family. It is mentioned that “no one dared to remove the apple, it remained in his flesh as a visible reminder.” (Kafka 38). No one was willing to even touch or help him overcome an injury they
“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.
“Life can either be accepted or changed. If it is not accepted it must be changed. If it cannot be changed it must be accepted.”- Winston Churchill. Change is frightening, but without change you can never accomplish a greater goal. Gregor experienced a dramatic change in his life. He may or may not have experienced the physical change described, but he did experience a mental change. The mental change opened Gregor’s eyes to what really mattered in life. Once Gregor accepted his physical change he was able to begin his mental change. Gregor’s values in life had changed dramatically from beginning to end. Though Gregor was subjected to ridicule, he was given the greatest gift. The opportunity to change is the greatest gift anyone can
Secondly, his transformation symbolizes wishful thinking. At the beginning of the novella, Gregor goes on about how stressful his life is with all the work load he has, he is fed up with everything “To the devil with it all!” (Kafkas 4) He wants something different, change, a less stressful job or even a new life itself; oddly enough his wish comes true. This “new life” of his wasn’t what he pictured at all, this is where wishful thinking comes into play. “Be careful what you wish for.” is the best way to describe what happened to Gregor. He wished for something very vague and got it. Everyone has heard the line before, it happens, we need to think before we act. Unfortunately Gregor didn’t, he got an alteration of what he wished for and it affected not only himself but his family members as well.
Gregor’s self esteem went down, when his family was afraid of him. He didn’t know how to move, and he was afraid to for anyone to see him. “The thing he wanted to do was to get up in peace without being disturbed,to get dressed, and most of all to have his breakfast.” Although if I turned into a bug I wouldn’t want anyone to see
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.
Throughout this short story, Gregor who has been reduced to one of the lowest forms of physical animal forms without reason, his family whose psychological development is least human and humane. Although he has changed form, his emotional being has not changed in any fundamental way. Gregor still has human feelings and needs, he still wishes to relate with his family and other members of society, and he still wishes to be responsible, his mother, father, and his sister have not changed form, but their metamorphoses are the most profound because they demonstrate how easily one’s beliefs, values, and basic treatment of others can be compromised because of a failure to adapt psychologically to an unexpected change of something they always considered as normal.
After attaining his readers attention Kafka goes onto describing Gregor’s new physical state. It is thus established that Gregor is the main character of the story. Gregor’s new body ‘which was as hard as armour’ can be seen as a protecting net for him; possibly preparing him for his troublesome future.
Franz Kafka illustrates in his book the struggle that most humans have throughout their life: ‘Who am I?’ He demonstrates this through his radical and exaggerated formation of The Metamorphosis, a man becoming a bug; or a bug always thinking he was a man, then realizing that he is and always has been a bug. This bug, Gregor Samsa, goes through an immense psychological realization at the beginning of the book; he had been deceived by his own mind from the beginning of his life. Throughout Gregor’s Metamorphosis, Gregor experiences the loss of his self actualization, recognition, belonging, security, and physiological needs. His situation had taken away all the basic psychological needs of any human as illustrated by Maslow’s Hierarchy of
Frank Kafka is considered one of the most influential writers of all time. Helmut Richter would agree with this statement. Richter agreed that Kafka was a very prominent figure in world literature and was amazed by his mechanics and word usage. I feel that his essay is supportive of Kafka’s writing, but also leaves out many important details in its brevity. Richter did not include Kafka’s flaws and tendencies in his essay.
Towards the conclusion of the novella, Gregor is referred to an “it” by Grete (Kafka 37). In doing so, Grete dehumanizes Gregor, even though ironically Gregor has a more human consciousness than the rest of his family, and makes a last attempt to categorize Gregor as “it” is a signifier for many things. Here, Kafka shows the extent to which society will go to for order to remain, which is to dehumanize, and even demonize, those who do not fit the system. In Gregor’s final moments, “his conviction that he would have to disappear was, if possible, even firmer than his sister’s.” Then, “without his consent, his head sank down to the floor” (Kafka 39).
Alfred Prufrock's indecisiveness prompt each character to possess a feeling of isolation. In Metamorphosis, Gregor’s inability to recover after his transformation leads to further isolation. The narrator describes the results of Gregor’s change, “Many things had become superfluous, and though they certainly weren't salable, on the other hand they could not just be thrown out. All these things migrated into Gregor's room. Likewise the ash can and the garbage can from the kitchen. Whatever was not being used at the moment was just flung into Gregor's room by the cleaning woman” (Kafka 25). The quote represents Gregor losing his grasp on humanity and the implication it had on his family. He was no longer regarded with respect or compassion but merely locked in a room with trash. Gregor is not only physically isolated but also emotionally isolated as he is unable to process the recent events and receives no empathy.
The Metamorphosis is a novella written by Franz Kafka in 1912. The main character, Gregor, who experiences metamorphosis, is victimized throughout the remainder of his life as an insect. Although it was not his fault initially to become a vermin, he deals with it the best he possibly could; however, his family did not. As Gregor is growing more isolated from the household, the better off he is. He psychologically distances himself from others, hides underneath his couch, and hopes he would somehow reverse the metamorphosis and go to his old self. But as time passes by, Gregor stops fighting his inner battle and accepts the fact that he is no longer a part of the human race, which urges him to reminisce. Then, he finally realizes that the more he worked for the family, the less loved he was; he spent no quality time with them, but was always expected to bring home the money and work harder and harder, beyond his limits, which he mentions in the beginning of the novella: “Other traveling salesman live like harem women. For instance, when I come back to the inn during the course of the morning to write up the necessary orders, these gentlemen are just sitting down to breakfast. If I were to try that with my boss, I’d be thrown out on the spot”(3). Through his transofrmation into a hideous creature, i.e a veminous insect, Gregor becomes more similar to the rest of his surrounding and his metamorphosis depicts the failure of humanity as he becomes, in many ways, more human than the rest of of his family, while at the same time, altering his lifestyle to the one of a vermin.
Gregor’s denial takes place when he prepares for work, ignoring his transformation, “First of all he wanted to get up quietly, […] get dressed, […] have breakfast, and only then think about what to do next” (Kafka 6). By characterizing Gregor as determined, Kafka shows his protagonist’s resolve to remain firm in ignoring his transformation for his family’s sake. Typically, such a metamorphosis would warrant panic, but Gregor is so selfless that he denies his own emotions to be useful for his family. Through the sequential syntax employed in this quoate, Kafka shows that Gregor does not want to stray from his usual routine. This attribute, along with his physical transformation, separates Gregor from humanity.