...The Effects of Gregor Samsa’s Metamorphosis on Himself and on the Other Characters Submitted by: Andrea Mendoza Maunahan IV- Yakal Submitted to the English and Literature Department in partial fulfillment of the requirements in English IV and Literature IV for the Academic Year 2012- 2013 February 26, 2013 Introduction In the world of fiction, there have been many stories about people transforming, or partially transforming into animals. Some make the most out of it, like super heroes; while others, aren’t very fortunate. Peter Parker, or Spiderman, acquired spider abilities but his appearance was still of a human. On the other hand, his enemy, Lizardman, who was once Dr. Osborn, has a body and has the abilities of a lizard. The only thing human left of Lizardman is his ability to speak and think like a human. There is also Beastboy from Teen Titans whose body turns into a beast’s and can turn back into a human, a green one at that. But how did they turn into what they are? Peter Parker can turn into Spiderman because a certain kind of spider bit him. Dr. Osborn can turn into Lizardman because he injects a green chemical he created himself on his body to mutate it. Beastboy can turn into different beasts because it’s his special power. But in Gregor Samsa’s tale, The Metamorphosis, he didn’t turn into a super hero. He didn’t even turn into someone’s enemy. His transformation isn’t a power but instead, a curse. He can’t turn back into a human. And worst of all,...
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...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...
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...Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka , is a story about change, as the title of the novel implies. But As we go deeper into the story, the continuous changes brings us to the root that it is the desire to existence that Gregor truly wants. In an unsettling dream, Gregor Samsa wakes up and realizes that he has transformed into a “monstrous vermin”. By examining the story, the metamorphosis of the protagonist represents his true self and his yearning of freedom from maintaining the entire financial stability of his family. Gregor’s metamorphosis and the dependence on him greatly affects Gregor’s sister, Grete. This leads to Grete’s drastic transformation from a child to a young woman and is in turn the biggest effect to Gregor's fate. Gregor’s mind never fully copes with his physical change into a bug. Gregor approaches life the same after the metamorphosis, doing almost the same routines; in fact Gregor almost completely ignores the change of his physical body, and only spends a small amount of time worrying about such a significant occurrence. Gregor becomes travelling salesman because his father loses his job, “At that time Gregor’s sole desire...
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...ANALYSIS OF THEME IN METAMORPHOSIS THEMES ANALYSIS The theme of "The Metamorphosis" is modern man's sense of isolation. Driven to work long hours in meaningless jobs around people who do not care about others, just like Gregor, mankind seems to live a meaningless and ineffectual existence. Although Gregor's metamorphosis is actual and physical, Kafka implies through his change that all too often mankind is forced into an insect-like existence, no better than the bugs at the bottom of the natural order. When mankind tries to rise above their insect status and connect with humanity, as Gregor did when he emerged from his room to see his sister and listen to the violin, they are cruelly driven back into isolation and alienation. Through Gregor, Kafka presents a totally tragic view of man's existence. Kafka also shows that mankind is driven by materialism, often to the exclusion of developing human relationships. Modern life demands that a person have a job to earn money to fulfill materialistic desires. The materialistic mind-set usually enslaves the individual and transforms him into a beast or insect who does not have time to care for others. Gregor is the perfect example. He hates his job as a salesman but endures it in order to provide material things for his family. In order to have and give financial security, he sacrifices a social life, companionship, pleasure, and dreams. His life is miserable, and he counts the days until he can quit his job. Ironically, the people...
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...Gregor’s transformation from human to a giant cockroach is certainly a metamorphosis, but it is only physical and rather simple. But this event triggered a series of more complicated metamorphosis amount all family members. And these transformations of personality and humanity are what the book title really refers to. Before Gregor’s transformation, he is the only financial support for the entire family. The rest family take it as granted without any appreciation. Dispirited and lifeless, Gregor’s family lived like insects, dwelling around without any purpose. After Gregor’s transformation, realize their only financial support is now a giant bug, the rest family were forced to take control of their own life. Learning their full potentials in the process of become self-sufficient individuals, the family awakens with brighter future after Gregor’s death. Using Samsa family's metamorphosis,...
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...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...
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...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...
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...‘She smiled at herself in the mirror too often these days.’ What do you think is the significance of mirrors in the Bloody Chamber? Mirrors are used in The Bloody Chamber, The Courtship of Mr Lyon and The Tiger’s Bride as a very effective plot device. The way that they are used differs between the three stories but all have a slight magical quality in keeping with the fairy tale theme. Within all three short stories there is an existing theme of metamorphosis. The first mention of mirrors within The Bloody Chamber is within the intimate scene between the Marquis and the heroine of the story. The bed chamber is surrounded by mirrors, amplifying all of the intense emotions of the scene. This is because the mirrors repeat the scene 12 times over ‘a dozen husbands impaled a dozen wives’ the violent and emotive language used makes the reader feel uncomfortable and highlights the connection between sexuality and violence throughout the book. In the use of the mirrors throughout this scene Carter succeeds in heightening the horrific nature of the scene through the addition of more reflected couples to the scene. The mirrors also create a pornographic element to the scene, making it appear as though the Marquis and the girl are being observed by onlookers. In using mirrors throughout this scene some of the Marquis perverse sexual desires are revealed to the readers, helping to foreshadow what is to come later on in the story. As the protagonist has discovered the books that the...
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...was determined to become a cave painter and fulfil his dream. The only restriction Tao had from his dream was that Volt and the clan believed it was taboo. Tao metamorphosed , or changed in form, throughout the story from determined to over confident to dauntless. The first stage of Tao’s change and movement in his metamorphosis was __Determined____ . This is stated in the quote when he says.“ No, itdid not look like a rabbit, it was to stiff,not real.” [14].He showed he was determined when he tried to draw the rabbit on the sand over and over again. In the quote he is trying and trying again to become good at drawing. This shows he was determined because no would keep trying...
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... when an artist is part of a movement like Surrealism, I ask a question for myself "Did Surrealism enter to our century?", if yes - "How?". In this essay I’ll discuss about social, economic and political influences of the time when movement born, what influenced this movement and what subsequent influence did this movement have on others? Also I discussion about of one artist who made major contribution to Surrealism - Salvador Dali (1904 - 1989) and try discuss about his artwork "Metamorphosis of Narcissus". Social, economic and political influences of time "Surrealism, was officially born in 1924 in Paris and had virtually become a global phenomenon by the time of it demise in the later 1940s" (Hopkins, 2004, p.15). It was difficult time for all world. Two wars: World War I (1914–1918) and World War II (1939–1945), Europe, as well as the United States, Canada, Australia, and Japan, would experience the effects of the Great Depression. "The early 20th century was a period of tumultuous change. The First World War and the Russian Revolution profoundly altered people’s understanding of their worlds. The discoveries of Freud and Einstein, and the technological innovations of the Machine Age, radically transformed human awareness" (Hopkins, 2004, p.20). Art movement - Surrealism There is an opinion, that term Surrealism came in 1917, when a poet Apollinaire (1880 - 1918) referred his own drama Les Mamelles de Tirésias as Surrealist (Arnason, 2003). Surrealism was influenced...
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...In Franz Kafka’s novel ,The Metamorphosis, the author pertains to his character, Gregor Samsa,with uncontrollable circumstances such as isolation caused by outside forces. Gregor Samsa, upon waking one morning finds himself transformed into what he already feels like, an insect. His parents deem him unworthy of their love and throw him away like the rest of their junk. Gregor’s father chooses a job for him that dismisses all hopes of forming human connections because of its time consuming nature. Experiences such as theses parallel with Kafka. Born into an anti Semitic community, along with a very opinionated father Kafka’s life is filled with people pushing him away. Kafka truly lives through his characters, especially Gregor, in this short...
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...Metamorphosis is a change in form, structure, or appearance. Change is a major theme throughout Franz Kafka's novella, The Metamorphosis. There is a significant relationship between the title, The Metamorphosis, and the theme of change. Kafka's main character, Gregor Samsa, undergoes many changes and his transformation evokes change in his family. Several metamorphoses take place involving Gregor. First, a physical change occurs, "When Gregor Samsa woke up one morning from unsettling dreams, he found himself changed in his bed into a monstrous vermin," and after that happened, Gregor's voice changes from human into the voice of a bug. "That was the voice of an animal," Gregor's manager said, but the words seemed perfectly clear to him. Beginning to see things less and less, Gregor experiences a change in his vision. An example, found on page 29, would be Gregor seeing the hospital less and less distinctly. A mental change in Gregor occurs when he starts not caring about or having no consideration for his family. "It hardly surprised him that he was showing so little consideration for the others; once such consideration had been his greatest pride." This has is a growing problem with him in the story because of the social change that Gregor has experienced from the alienation from the rest of his family. The only thing Gregor had to look forward to at one point was when his sister would come and clean his room or the charwoman would come in and clean. This was such...
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...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...
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...understanding of the cultural and contextual considerations of Kafka’s novella, The Metamorphosis deepened. I learned about Kafka’s life, the social structure of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in the late nineteenth century, as well as the interpretations of his work, which helped me understand the themes of oppression and alienation, and how it influenced Kafka’s writing of The Metamorphosis. Although the novel is not a representation of Kafka’s life, parallels between Gregor and Kafka can be noted throughout the novel. The Metamorphosis may have been a metaphorical allegory written to expresses Kafka’s unvoiced antipathy with his life and authoritarian father. According to the presentation over Kafka’s biography,...
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...The Metamorphosis of Gregor Samsa Gregory Samsa, is the main character in the story by Frank Kafka entitled "Metamorphosis". This story, published in 1915, is a disturbing look at the seemingly pathetic life of man and how a major change affects not only him, but those around him. Gregor Samsa appears to be a hard working young man, with a strong work ethic, whose main existence in life is to provide for his family through his work. His family, likewise, seems to be only interested in the money that Gregor provides to the family, so that they family debt may be paid. Otherwise, Gregor Samsa is a lonely man who leads a lonely life. He seems to go through life with no sense of being until one day he awakes completely transformed physically. He becomes something completely unknown to him in the physical sense. However, the question remains does the physical transformation produce a transformation in the emotional sense? Does Gregor change his sense of being as a result of his metamorphosis? The story tells the tale of a man who is disconnected from society in so much as a drastic, dramatic and disturbing change in his appearance does nothing to change his emotional state. Transforming into a hideous creature, a detested cockroach does not seem to affect him in the psychological sense, it does not seem to change who he is at the core. However, what we do see is how the transformation seems to change the people around him. His family and boss respond very differently to Gregor and...
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