Franz Kafka's The Metamorphsis (1 Viewer)

[truly-in-bliss]

story of a salesman who one day wakes up and finds himself transformed into an insect....over time he begins to behave like one, eg: eats garbage, simultaneously his famili begins to alienate him... and one day his family threw apples at him...and as the apple rots away, so does he/insect. the lonley events is further emphasised when in the end, the cleaning lady finds his remains and chucks it into a garbage bin...

its one of my fav book... i lyk it for its portrayal of contemporary life and the possibility of lonlinees, alienationa dn isolation due to the need to jobs and the need to fulfill *family duties*

i also lyk the style of all of kafka's writings.. its v straightforward....perhaps lacking in metaphorical richness some might say.... but i lyk it.... it is a strange book... but a marvellous one..

what r ur thoughts? and anione seen the movie? its equally strange..... ahah

 

[gloria*]

yeah i used that as a related text for english [change].
i adore his style also but i think some of his other pieces are more exciting.

 

[Toodulu]

i think it's really ironic how as at the beginning, he works really hard to supply for his family, he becomes a burden and they betray him. as he become weaker and weaker and stops eating, his family becomes more independent and better off. like how he couldn't recognise his father in his work clothes etc. i don't really think he has thaaaat much of a close relationship with his family.. like he said he wanted to see his mum, but when she came in, he hides. and he says that he's heaps close with his sister, but she is pretty disgusted by him and doesn't seem to genuinely care for him, esp. her betrayal at the end is really sad. maybe they were just using him the whole time, he was living a pretty pathetic life and maybe he was already helpless like a bug before the physical metamorphosis. and he doesn't do anything to question whyyy he got turned into an insect, which is the saddest part. i think the ending is pretty unsettling, suggesting maybe the parents will start to rely on the girl instead?
basically i think it's a pretty powerful portrayal of how relationships function, and it's so sad because gregor is so well-meaning (that conservatorium thing was sad ). perhaps he represents the bit in us that has been suppressed and has become helpless? don't know. also an intriguing representation of the balance of power (argh english), it's interesting to see how the power shifts throughout the book. and you know how he says that he'd be adamant about sending his sister to the conservatorium even if his parents objected.. do you think it would have happend had he not turned into a bug?

i don't think it would have because the power never resided with him imo

 

[spin spin sugar]

where's gregor????

 

[Gregor Samsa]

Originally posted by spin spin sugar
where's gregor????

Hehehe..

I also used 'The Metamorphosis' as a related text for change, and it's generally a story I enjoy quite a lot. Quite interesting how the family increases in cruelty and power throughout, which I think is meant to be ironic/a paradox; Gregor is transformed into an insect, yet it is his family who are the real parasites. Incidentally, I find it clever how the initial 'Metamorphosis' is given no explanation beyond It was no dream/. Very surrealistic...

I'd say theres a lot of meaning in there..The sort of story where you pick up new aspects upon re-reading it. Where this was very noticeable for me was in the early portion of the text, with Gregor's initial concerns being only of missing work, and the family's lack of care being subtly implied even at the earlier stage, which is, in my opinion, what makes the story even more tragic; Gregor's naiveity.

This can be seen in passages such as;
"Just listen to that," said the chief clerk next door, "he's turning the key". That was a great encouragement to Gregor, but they should have all shouted encouragement to him, his father and mother too; "Go on Gregor," they should have called out, "keep going, hold on to that key!". And in the belief that they were all following his efforts intently, he clenched his jaws recklessly on the key with all the force at his command (page. 10)

And with fine tact, knowing that Gregor would not eat in her presence, she withdrew quickly and even turned the key, to let him understand that he could take his ease as much as he liked... (page 19.. Leaves the question open as to whether she is actually being kind, or her fear is misread by Gregor.)

Poor Gregor..

Speaking of Kafka, who else has read 'The Cares Of A Family Man?". It's only five paragraphs long, yet it manages to cover a great amount in such a small space.

 

[truly-in-bliss]

Originally posted by Toodulu
and he doesn't do anything to question whyyy he got turned into an insect, which is the saddest part.

i thought that was intersting... the fact that his trnasformation isnt a shock to him as he carried out everyday activities and thoughts such as thinking *how am i going to get to work? * etc... means that he is so caught up in his job..... in fulfiling his *family role*... as of consequence... his emtoional response is lost....

the fact that his family praticially isolates him brings out an intresting pt abt the relationship between money and those who are close to u.....the minute he transfers into an insect and cant work ie: transgressing from his steretypical manoey making male figure of a family... his family isolates him.... it backs up wot u pted out toods abt how he is not close to his family..

Originally posted by Gregor Samsa
Quite interesting how the family increases in cruelty and power throughout, which I think is meant to be ironic/a paradox; Gregor is transformed into an insect, yet it is his family who are the real parasites.

umm...good pt.. didnt pick that up...

Originally posted by Gregor Samsa
I'd say theres a lot of meaning in there..The sort of story where you pick up new aspects upon re-reading it.

even more tragic; Gregor's naiveity.

This can be seen in passages such as;

i have re read it 4 times now.. and yeah each time i read it i find sommehting new.. and u can also appli lots of readings to it as well... psychoanalytical, marxist.. praticalli there is soemthing there for every type of reading ...

and his naivity is def wot makes the story more tragic... i guess it also goes will with the simple style... if he is not oblivious to it the alienation... then he prob would have responded emotionalli.. which would sorta complicates the simplicity of the book...

and great quotes.... man i luv the book.. hahah

 

[Gregor Samsa]

Originally posted by truly-in-bliss
i thought that was intersting... the fact that his trnasformation isnt a shock to him as he carried out everyday activities and thoughts such as thinking *how am i going to get to work? * etc... means that he is so caught up in his job..... in fulfiling his *family role*... as of consequence... his emtoional response is lost....

the fact that his family praticially isolates him brings out an intresting pt abt the relationship between money and those who are close to u.....the minute he transfers into an insect and cant work ie: transgressing from his steretypical manoey making male figure of a family... his family isolates him.... it backs up wot u pted out toods abt how he is not close to his family..



umm...good pt.. didnt pick that up...




i have re read it 4 times now.. and yeah each time i read it i find sommehting new.. and u can also appli lots of readings to it as well... psychoanalytical, marxist.. praticalli there is soemthing there for every type of reading ...

and his naivity is def wot makes the story more tragic... i guess it also goes will with the simple style... if he is not oblivious to it the alienation... then he prob would have responded emotionalli.. which would sorta complicates the simplicity of the book...

and great quotes.... man i luv the book.. hahah

Actually, his family and the monetary situation is what makes it even more ironic, seeing that by the end of the story, it's revealed that the family didn't even want the apartment Gregor was working so hard to fund.

I can see the Marxist element in there too, for Gregor can be free only in death, trapped by his family (Anyone else find it sad that Mr Samsa says Now thanks be to God upon seeing Gregor's corpse?) and his job.

Well, there's still hope; once I've saved enough money to pay back my parent's debts to him-- that should take another five or six years-- I'll do it without fail. I'll cut myself completely loose then. For the moment though, I'd better get up, since my train goes at five (Lucky that I can quote this from my 'Kafka-The Complete Short Stories. Highly recommended.)