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. Prior to becoming an insect, Gregor's defines his existence in relationship to his role as the breadwinner, and finds purpose in diligently working to provide for his family. This imposed role requires him to get up very early, get on a train, and perform his tedious duties as a traveling salesman. When he awakens to find he has become a cockroach overnight, his sole concern is being on time for the train and continuing to perform his work tasks , as he does every other day, so that he may sustain his family. Upon first waking up, he begins to ponder his motivation for waking up early, commuting, and working very hard. He concludes, “If I didn't have to hold my hand because of my parents, I'd have given notice long ago.” By continuing to support his family, in order to pay off his parents' debts, he believes he will event... ... middle of paper ... ...ot a single mention of curing or treating Gregor, his condition is thus rationalized as mundane in relationship to absurdity. Thus, the irrationality, and Because Gregor is no longer capable of filling the role of "provider", his actions no longer define the lives of his family, and they are freed from inauthenticity by this revelation. Much like the philosophers of the existentialist movement, Gregor's family realizes that in the face of absurdity, the only choice one has is to define their own existence. As time wears on, Gregor's family becomes contemptuous of the burden which comes from caring for him and hiding him from the eyes of the public. In reaction to their contempt, each chooses to prevent Gregor's new dependent role from hindering their authenticity. The father feels a sense of renewed pride in once again being the head of the household.
Gregor’s father demotes societal views of himself by his actions. Gregor’s father depends on Gregor for the income for the family. When Gregor morphs into a bug, Mr. Samsa reluctantly becomes the sole provider for his family. Getting a ...
One morning, Gregor wakes up from his dream to realize he has completely mutated into a bug. Due to this physical change in his life, he phases out different experiences with each of his family members. In which he alienates himself and his family because of his new appearance. In fact, he has a lot of care towards his family. He actually works hard to support them, pay off their debt, and tries to keep them as comfortable as possible.
Gregor Samsa awakes one morning to discover that he has been transformed into a repugnant vermin. One may never know what initiated this makeover, but the simple truth is that Gregor is now a bug, and everyone must learn to live and move on in this strenuous situation. In Franz Kafka’s The Metamorphosis, the characters that interact with Gregor, including his mother, his father, and his sister Grete, must come to terms with his unfortunate metamorphosis, and each does so by reacting in a unique way. Gregor’s family members are constantly strained by this unusual event, and all three of them are pressed to their breaking point.
One morning, Gregor awakens to find himself with the body of a beetle. Although it never explains how Gregor morphed into a beetle, or shows that Gregor gives much thought to having the body of an insect, Kafka gives the strong impression that Gregor is extremely devoted to his work and is the sole support for his family, none of whom work themselves. Gregor devoted himself to a life of work and self sacrifice, following ...
People today live in an absurd world, where they are constantly working and on the go, they forget what matters most to them like their dreams and aspirations and become work zombies. That is why the stories of the Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka and The Death of Ivan Ilych by Leo Tolstoy speak to me, they comment on the absurdity of mundane daily life and tasks that we have become accustomed to and make you think about the life that you are living. The main characters of the two stories, Gregor Samsa and Ivan Ilych, become overwhelmed by the amount of pressures that they put on themselves and by their families. The two characters epitomize what the workers of today have become and the worst part is they never realize how unhappy they have become until it is too late. I know many of us feel the burden of working to much and not living the way we want to. These stories are very bleak and don't offer hope for the main characters, they failed to adapt and perished because of it. The stories make you feel that as if there is no escaping the absurdity of life, as is the
Before the transformation, Gregor was a human form of nonchalant reclusiveness. It’s almost as if it was crucial for him to go through the conversion so he could become more emotionally aware despite the irony of him not even being human but a bug. For someone who has been human for about 20 years with absolutely no experience of being an insect, then suddenly become more humane as a creature is odd and outlandish. Gregor’s care for his family increases and begins to worry about their loss of financial and emotional security. He fears that what “if all the peace, the comfort, the contentment were to come to a horrible end?” Gregor’s attitude towards his transformation is hopelessly mundane: he does not question why he has been transformed into a cockroach. Significantly, he fails to find the horror and the absurdity in the situation. Right before his death, Gregor feels all kinds of warm and fuzzy feelings about his family members. Despite his pathetic condition, he seems more humane than the rest of the characters. In a way, Gregor’s transformation and all of the events after that day illustrates both the rewards and sacrifices of defying social convention and living the extraordinary
“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.
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...
Gregor Samsa’s outcast status sent him into a short lived life as a “monstrous vermin” (Kafka,7). While his predicament may have appeared avoidable, a life of constant selflessness to the point of severe adult naïveté remains inevitable in Gregor’s case. Kafka’s portrayal of a pitiful young man’s support of his family can produce none other than the childlike thinking of Gregor Samsa.
Gregor worked and raked in income, that was the extent of his life. He reckons "there 's still some hope, once I 've got the money together to pay off my parents debt [...] another five or six years I suppose" (8). He becomes so absorbed in aiding his family and their difficulties that he loses himself along the way. His transformation ridding him of the only family tie he held, a regular salary. The exclusion and its effects that came with his transformation are immediate, thinking "back to his family with emotion and love [...] he felt that he must go away even more strongly [...] Then, without his willing it, his head sank down completely, and his last breath flowed weakly from his nostrils" (41). Without his consent, Gregor dies in a tranquil state of emotion and love. His feelings overriding his body 's state of neglect. A story of insignificance, reflected by the metamorphosis into an insect.
Before his unimaginable transformation, he was a traveling salesman, who made his earnings to help his parents and his sister. Gregor loves and respects his mother and especially his sister for all she was compelled to do for him, but "extreme warmth" and proximity do not arise between them (Kafka, pp. 1896). The world of Gregor’s hobbies and spiritual intelligence is miserable: reading a newspaper or familiarity with the train schedule. The life of Gregor Samsa is monotonous, boring and dull; he is lonely at work and at home. The only thing that unites the family is the dream of material well-being and money. One morning, after a restless sleep, Gregor finds himself in his bed transformed into a large insect. He is always in a hurry from one train to another in pursuit of profits. The transformation is a complete embodiment of the state in which Gregor Samsa has been accustomed. Now his appearance is consistent with the life that he led, when taking care of the family completed all his interests, and he had to live like a bustling and helpless insect. Taking in his views of life from a different perspective, Gregor sees the truth that he previously could not understand because of the severe family circumstances and exhausting work. Previously, he believed that his sacrifice was not in vain. Now all the illusions crumble away after he discovers that the family can do without him (Kafka, pp. 1909). His dear people feel
...haracter, Gregor, transforms into a cockroach in the beginning. Throughout the story, Gregor is portrayed as a “helpless bug” and is treated unfairly and poorly by his own family. His parents are more astonished than pitiful when they first see Gregor. Later on, his mother faints at the sight of him. His father throws apples at him because his mother fainted from the way he looks. Grete, in the beginning of the transformation, is nice and takes care of him. Later, she changes her mind about Gregor, quits taking care of him, and comes up with the idea to get rid of it. ‘If it was Gregor, he would have long ago seen that it’s impossible for human beings to live together with an animal like that,’ (139). Kafka, throughout the story, tries to get the reader to feel sympathy towards Gregor in many scenes, and it works because his family doesn’t show sympathy towards him.
The expectancy from Gregor’s parents to provide for four people, given his destructive mindset, is sheer cruelty. The only reason as to why Gregor is holding the job position in the first place, is because of his parents’ debt to the boss (Kafka 4, 5). Debt has the potential to put people in a cage, and unfortunately for Gregor, he is now in charge of making up for his parents’ money mismanagement. Family success is based on the whole family's’ contribution and cooperation. Gregor needs his family to pitch in, showing that they care about the great sacrifices he is
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.
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.