...Existentialism talks about man making himself. Man has a dream for himself to fulfill one day. These dreams sometimes get the best of people and become them. These people become isolated from society with only their dream keeping them going. Isolation is everywhere. There are different types of isolation: intrapersonal, interpersonal, and existential isolation. We see the main character Gregor Samsa going through all three types of isolation in the short story The Metamorphosis. Gregor Samsa is an ordinary man with a dream to one day fulfill. This dream or goal of his has become him. The only thing keeping him going is the thought that one day his goal will be reached. This dream has kept him running away from reality, which has led to his isolation. The first type of isolation that we see in Gregor is interpersonal isolation; this is the form of isolation from others. Throughout the short story Gregor isolates himself from his family. He overworks himself to try to maintain his family by himself. People would think that such dedication from a son would bring him closer to his parents; “but for all the work one does, one still doesn’t gain any right to be treated with loving kindness by everyone; on the contrary, one is alone, a perfect stranger to everyone, and merely an object of curiosity.” (Emrich) Gregor did not stand up for himself, he let his parents control his life; a life he despised. His parents had such control over him that he no longer was a son to them, but an...
Words: 804 - Pages: 4
...The setting of a story often helps a reader to feel as if he were actually a part of the story. Franz Kafka and Herman Melville are two authors who chose specific settings for their stories. The settings they chose help to place their characters into perspective and to understand the problems they face. Franz Kafka’s Metamorphosis and Herman Melville’s Billy Budd take place at different points in time and in different settings; Metamorphosis in an apartment in the early 1900’s, and Billy Budd on a ship in the late 18th Century. These settings help to identify the mood of each story. Metamorphosis takes place in the early 1900’s in the apartment of Gregor Samsa. Kafka does not provide a geographical setting for Metamorphosis, however, the significance of the story taking place on land is the ability of the characters to escape at their own will. Metamorphosis begins with Gregor unable to get out of his bed for work, later succumbing to the fact that he has morphed into an insect. Gregor’s extreme tardiness for work causes upheaval and chaos in the Samsa home; The father is screaming, Gregor’s boss comes to the house to find his employee, Gregor’s mother and sister are crying because they are scared, and there are guests in the home. The setting of the entire Samsa family being confined into a small apartment makes the the turmoil that arises a much larger issue than it really is. At a certain point, the Samsa family, led by their father, decides to isolate Gregor into...
Words: 749 - Pages: 3
...The Metamorphosis The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka is a fictional novel written in the early 20’s about a traveling salesman named Gregory Samsa, who is spontaneously transformed into a bug. The Metamorphosis gives no clear explanation as to why many of the events in the novel occur including why the metamorphosis occurs. Life itself gives no explanation to why things happen. Gregor does not understand the forces shaping his life, and neither do we, but we are free to interpret them as we wish. And although nobody’s interpretation of their own life or someone else’s for that matter, is the same, no interpretation is wrong. Gregor Samsa wakes up one morning to come to the realization that he has transformed into a bug. “It wasn’t a dream” (The Metamorphosis). Gregor, However, does not seem at all concerned that he has unexpectedly woken up as an insect. Although he is a bit perplexed, he doesn’t seem worried or petrified as one might assume. He simply notices his odd state of being and tries to go back to sleep hoping to “forget this nonsense” (The Metamorphosis). He cannot find a comfortable position to sleep because his insect body does not allow him. Samsa is a bit bothered but immediately begins to think about his job and the regret of becoming a salesman, considering it is such a strenuous job. "Oh, God", he thought, "what a strenuous career it is that I've chosen! Travelling day in and day out. Doing business like this takes much more effort than doing your own business...
Words: 2688 - Pages: 11
...Each member of Gregor's family played a key role throughout the novella. Gregor's family members are his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Samsa and his sister Grete. Gregor's family was contaminated before he transformed into an insect. Mr. Samsa was not taking care of family responsibilities and decided to put the entire burden of his family on his son. Gregor not only had the pressure of supporting his family but of his father's past debts. This put Gregor in a bad situation for his life, he had to exist for his family only. Even when Gregor was confronted with the chief clerk on the other side of the door all he worried about was the future of his family. I however, do not feel his parents ever spared him. He continued to beg for the chief clerk to hear him. The chief clerk must be detained,persuaded and finally won over because the whole future of Gregor and his family depended on it. If only his sister had been there, she was intelligent; she had begun to cry while Gregor was still lying quietly on his back. Gregor's mother loved her son. However, she seemed to partly love him because of the role he played. Mrs. Samsa was the one who was in a state of panic when Gregor could not come to the door when he was transformed. She seemed to be the only one who toyed with the idea that Gregor may be ill, "Oh dear," cried his mother, in tears, "perhaps he's terribly ill and we're tormenting him." Mrs. Samsa was the first to explain the Chief that Gregor had no social life...
Words: 1039 - Pages: 5
...The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka portrays an extreme example of existentialism. In this existential allegory, Gregor is forced to give up his normal human life when he suddenly turns into an insect overnight. This transformation shows the reader, if not Gregor, that things in the world will happen inevitably and the only way to enjoy life is to change your perspective of it. Looking at this story as an existential allegory, Gregor is a modern everyman. Before Gregor turned into an insect he was a traveling salesman. He worked very hard to support his family and “[save] up enough money to pay back what [his parents] owe[d]” (Kafka 24) someone. He was stuck in this dark bubble of his own world, work, and money without any sight of a bigger life view. His way of thinking was that he was very important because he provided for his family and “he felt great pride at having been able to give his parents and sister a life like this in such a beautiful apartment” (Kafka 54). However, one morning when “he [finds] himself transformed right there in his bed into some sort of monstrous insect” (Kafka 21) the reader can infer that Gregor’s life is actually really unimportant to others outside of his little world and this radical change symbolizes that he must now change his outlook on life. Gregor never really does change his outlook on life and he ends up dying. He dies the dawn after he finds out that his sister, who had been his caretaker during his time as an insect, admits that she...
Words: 644 - Pages: 3
...Kafka's Metamorphosis "As Gregor Samsa awoke one morning from uneasy dreams he found himself transformed in his bed into a gigantic insect" (Kafka 1757). This opening is famous not only for its startling content but also for its calm, matter-of-fact style which then sets the tone for the rest of the story. Along with Homer's Iliad and Odyssey and Dante's Inferno, Franz Kafka's "The Metamorphosis" has one of the most-memorized and most attention-catching opening lines. Gregor Samsa feels that he has been treated as a lowly insect and comes to feel that he is one; the story makes the leap from "I feel like an insect" to "I am an insect." Whatever the causes for Gregor feeling this way, these causes have led to his isolation and alienation (the feeling of being a stranger and an alien, even in those places where one should feel at home). Gregor has undergone an ultimate alienation: he is alienated from both his psychological and physical self. Once Gregor's metamorphosis (change) has been accomplished, the story moves inevitably to his death. In many ways, the protagonist (main character) of "The Metamorphosis" and his dilemmas are much like those in "The Death of Ivan Ilyich." Franz Kafka (1883-1924) was born in Prague, Czechoslovakia to a Jewish family of German...
Words: 678 - Pages: 3
...Trial” and “The Metamorphosis” Works from the one of the most influential author, Franz Kafka, is like trying to read hieroglyphics. Unless, of course you are Egyptian. It is difficult to comprehend someone that comes from a total different era or background. Usually an author, relates their theme of their works with simple and easy literary devices, such as symbolism. So does Franz Kafka, but on a greater scale. All of the aspects and elements of his works seem unimportant, because of the different interpretations of his works. Most of his works , depicts his own thoughts and dreams. Like some authors, Kafka focuses on a single character symbolizing himself or his life. To fully recognized and understand this method , the audience must study his background and just basic history to understand his motive. He stands out against all these other authors because he goes against the flow of the writing norms. Some of the genre's found in his works are Kafkaesque, Magic Realism,Dystopia,Fantasy,Science Fiction,Modernism,Post Modernism and Existentialism. First time reading one of Kafka's predominant novel, "The Trial" was pretty overwhelming. Personally, I have nothing to compare his works to, other than his own work, in particular, "The Metamorphosis." While these two have some obvious similarities, there are some hidden and usually inconspicuous ones that readers, like myself, don’t usually pick out. Finding some common themes in “The Trial” and “The Metamorphosis” provides a...
Words: 1673 - Pages: 7
...Name: Instructor: Course: Date: The Irony in “The Metamorphosis” by Frank Kafka It is true that anyone and everyone who writes can be considered a writer; it is not necessarily true that those whose writings follow a certain ideal structure are writers. According to Smith, what a writer openly says through his writing is not necessarily important; however, what a writer or an author whispers is what is of great importance (Morrel and Niles 128). What this implies is that anything whatsoever can be written to satisfy what readers and the audience are expected to see and feel (Anthony Collins 54). However, the messages in such writings can be continually nurtured in order to increase the power of the emotions and the images communicated if the story is relayed via a deeper message. This means that authors and writers can opt not to put a vivid face in the true significance and purport; this eventually expands the force field of their story’s meaning (Collins 34). Further, this prospers the capacity of the readers and the audience to interpret and explore; particularly, when the author employs the use of writing devices that prompt the readers to explore the writing in very different light. This is the kind of technique that Frank Kafkas employs in his novel, “The Metamorphosis”, in which he presents readers with a story of how a man mutates into a bug – a cockroach. “The Metamorphosis” is not just an intriguing tale, it is also a perfect example of an author employing various...
Words: 2995 - Pages: 12
...Anthropomorphism and the grotesque are concerned with the attribution of human behaviour and characteristics to an animal. These ideas are established in various pieces of literature, perhaps the simplest example of the fusion of human and animal is highlighted in Franz Kafka’s short story “A Report to an Academy”, which can be found in his novel The Metamorphosis and other stories. The short story essentially tells the tale of an ape, named Red Peter who was wounded and captured by members of an expedition. Red Peter was then put in a cage, on a boat headed for Europe and quickly realised that there was no chance of escape and that his only chance of survival was to stop being an ape and start being a human. The story is centred on the idea...
Words: 1200 - Pages: 5
...Jesus Barry Webster Metamorphosis 12 October 2012 Grete’s Metamorphosis Franz Kafka’s intriguing literary work, “The Metamorphosis,” details the physical change a man experiences and its subsequent effect on those around him. Within the novella, Gregor Samsa’s unexplained transformation into a monstrous vermin affects his entire family, and in particular his sister, Grete. This change leaves the family distraught, but allows Grete the liberty to flourish into her own person. The pressures of a metamorphosis, as seen through Grete’s example, force people to change accordingly to the one being metamorphosed. This theme is illustrated through her relationship with her brother, her emerging role in the family, and her development into womanhood. The diminishing pity Grete has for her brother’s dire predicament is a strong indicator of her metamorphosis into self-sufficiency, which she achieves by maturing in their relationship, from being his caregiver to wanting him eradicated. Initially, she is the only member of the Samsa family to care for Gregor: “[H]e could never have guessed what his sister in her kindness actually did. In order to test his likings, she brought him a big selection.” (Kafka 26). The sincerity in Grete’s actions towards her brother is evident, especially because their parents refused to even enter his room. Her behaviour is undoubtedly a sign of the close relationship they shared before his metamorphosis, a time in which his earning...
Words: 1089 - Pages: 5
...Stephanie Lowden Period 6 Metamorphosis Essay Aside from all of the physical changes that Gregor encountered, his personality also took some major turns. Before this unfortunate transformation occurred, Gregor did not have the best relations with his family. Even though he was pretty much generating all of their income, he didn't have much of closeness with them, except for his sister. "With his sister alone he remained intimate"; (Kafka, 24). Gregor did in fact care for his sister so much that he wanted to send her to study at the Conservatorium, even though it would cost him greatly. But despite these good intentions, Gregor's mother and father frowned upon such ideas. Gregor also was not aware of his family's true financial status, which is iron since he was the one providing for them. His parents seemed to be keeping something from him. Gregor's separation from his family also had to do with his work. Since he had to travel a lot of the time, he just wasn't around that often to spend time with his parents and sister. Even after Gregor's metamorphosis, many of his attributes remained similar. He still cared most about his work; that was pretty much all he thought about even when he first turned into a bug. 'The next train went at seven o'clock; to catch that he would need to hurry like mad and his samples weren't even packed up, and he himself wasn't feeling particularly fresh and active';(Kafka 3). He had made up his mind that he would have to catch the train - completely...
Words: 430 - Pages: 2
...Gregor’s Metamorphosis Imagine waking up from a normal nights sleep and the first thing you notice is that you have completely morphed into a beetle. Imagine the confusion that would be going though your mind. That’s what Gregor went through in the story The Metamorphosis. Everything about his everyday life was changed. Even the love and support that he received from his family changed with him morphing into a beetle. Gregor goes though many changes and with each of those changes it affected him and his family. Gregor was a family man who woke up early every morning to get on a bus and head to work as a traveling salesman to support his family after his fathers company went out of business. Gregor always thought of his family first even after realizing what has just happened to him Gregor’s first thought was how am I going to go to work and support my family. When he was later fired he could do nothing about it but hope he would one day change back into his normal self. Because of Gregor now losing his job there was no family income and Gregor’s father who already struggled with walking now had to go out and find a job so he could put food on the table. Gregor points out that their house is bigger than they need but the family refuses to sale the house. Then family starts running low on money so they resort to having people pay rent in a spare bedroom. But soon after Gregor accidently shows himself to the renters and they change their mind. His sisters role of the family...
Words: 544 - Pages: 3
...Title of Work: The Metamorphosis Author: Franz Kafka Date of Publication: 1899 Genre: Novella, Kafkaesque, sureal, Absurdism Writing Style: Journalism, analogous, short story, 3 parts Point of View: First Person, Third Person Omniscient Setting/Atmosphere: Samsa’s house, mainly Gregor’s room Plot Development: Part I- Gregor has just woke up in his bed and realizes he is turned into a giant bug/ he looks around his room and struggles to fall back asleep, and worries about what a difficult job he has/ he was leave but he has to pay off his parents that/ he is stressed that he has overslept and will be late for work/ the office manager has come to see where Gregor is/ his family tried to get him out of his room and the office manager demands an explanation and criticizes his recent work performance/ his sister leaves to fetch a doctor and a locksmith/ Gregor reaches the door and turns it with his mouth while the office manager leaves in fright, his mother passes out and his father cries shooting him into the room with a newspaper and a cane. Part II- Gregor wakes in the evening and sees someone left him milk and bread milk was his old favorite but it detests him now/ he worries about his family's financial situation/ he tries to fall asleep under the couch and bows he will not be a burden to his family/ Grete brings in various foods to see which he likes/ he eats the moldiest food and leaves the fresh/ she then continues to feed him and clean up for him and reporting back...
Words: 1017 - Pages: 5
...The topic that I will be talking about is about is how Gregor is treated bad, and etc. I will writing about how he is treated, how he was ill, and things that pertain to that. I will bring up examples such as no-one would hardly take care of him and how he is mistreated. The reader would probably care because of simply, how he is treated. Gregor would be one of the main characters in the story, and seeing how he is treated. It would catch people's attention on that. They would be worried, or really curious about what is happening. I am trying to prove out of all of this, is where Gregor was mistreated. Well, going toward the end of the book, Gregor gets really ill. No One could possibly care about him at the moment. I know because in part...
Words: 525 - Pages: 3
...It is very peculiar -to say the least- to open a book and the first line describing the main character waking up as a life sized insect. Most authors tends to use symbolism to relate to the theme of their books, but the author of “The Metamorphosis,” Franz Kafka uses a different method. He uses a method that utilize all aspects and elements of the story to be uses of interpretation. In the novella “The Metamorphosis”, it employs symbols, imagery, and settings to emphasize that a family with equally-shared responsibilities is more effective in maintaining a positive home- loving atmosphere. In the usage of symbols, Kafka illustrates that an imbalance in family responsibility results in hatred and resentment in the end. In Part I of the novella,...
Words: 945 - Pages: 4
