The two novels Equus and The Metamorphosis carry comparable themes which isolate the main character from the father figure within each story. Kafka and Schaffer both contrast similar ideas of rejection within a father and son relationship in Equus and The Metamorphosis, to imitate the way society policies its members through family disagreements. The family differences about religion in one novel, and the stress because of a major transformation which causes the parent to work in another, creates tension, and in turn results in rejection towards the son in the two books.
Throughout Equus, Schaffer manipulates the idea of rejection between Alan Strang and his father, by means of Alan’s imitation of biblical motifs from the Christian religion, with the use of a horse to reveal a deeper connection between a human and their God. The family members disagree on religion because of a son who believes in a Godly stature, and a father who rejects this belief due to being a disbeliever of God.
The father; Mr. Strang, rejects his son Alan because of the bond Alan has with the horse he refers to with the Latin word Equus. Alan’s bond with the horse portrays the power and grace one finds in religion, in which the father disagrees with. Mr. Strang explains to the doctor how Alan and his mother chant, “And Legwus begat Neckwus. And Neckwus begat Fleckwus, the king of Spit. And Fleckwus spoke out of his chinkle-chankle!” at the foot of his son’s bed, in front of the horse photograph he owns (Schaffer 46). This compares to a sinner who chants in front of a cross, or some religious symbol for forgiveness, or just out of traditional practices. The father believes this is absurd, and disagrees with his son’s religious behavior. Schaffer relies on ...
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The two authors Schaffer and Kafka present the ideas of rejection differently, and both isolate the main character from their father, at the same time. By focusing on multiple disagreements throughout the novels, the authors reveal the reasons for rejection between the father and son, and both of the sons separate themselves differently. While Alan separates himself to find faith in his own religion, Samsa isolates himself because of his current appearance of a bug. Knowing that in Equus the difference in religion causes the rejection, and in The Metamorphosis, the act of work causes the separation, allow the readers to see the author’s intent to reject and isolate the main characters.
Works Cited
Kafka, Franz. The Metamorphosis. Trans. Stanley Corngold. New York: Bantam, 1972.
Shaffer, Peter. Equus. New York, Scribner, 1973.
The Horse is represented in full profile as to show off it’s perfect proportions; it is forcefully modeled so as to give its perfect anatomy and it moves with regulated step of the riding school so as to give demonstration of perfect rhythm. The fact that a beautiful setter is running by the side of the horse completes the picture of the Christian man as known to the Late Middle Ages – the man who armed with faith and accompanied by religious zeal, symbolized by the faithful hound goes on his way along the narrow path of earthly life menaced by Death and the Devil.
The Mother is among a family of four who lives on a small farm and takes immense pride in what interests her, however her passion does not particularly lie in her two children; James and David; nor in her husband and their interests; but instead lies within her chickens. Though chickens bring the most joy to the Mother, they are not the sole animals that live on the farm. The animal that draws the most interest from the father, James and David is their horse, Scott. At a young age, Scott was used as a working mule for the family and grew up alongside the Father and two Sons. To the father, Scott was like one of his own sons, and to James and David, Scott was like their brother; but according to the Mother, “He’s been worthless these last few years”(Macleod, 267). Ever since Scott was young, he was a burden on the Mother’s lifestyle; she never took a liking to the horse even when he served as a source of profit for the family. The Mother had never appreciated the sentimental value that Scott possessed because he had never been a particular interest to her. Once Scott had aged and was no longer able...
His father, being an atheist, strongly believed “religion’s at the bottom of all this,” which to Alan, it was. Alan called his idol “Equus the Godslave, faithful and true” (63). Having heard about God and Jesus constantly while growing up with his mother, he transferred these ideas and how others worshipped them to his own sense of worship, which was to Equus the horse. To summarize, this proves that Alan believes in horses the way that so many people believe in God. To him, this is completely normal but to others, his mental state could easily appear to be
The Metamorphosis is said to be one of Franz Kafka's best works of literature. It shows the difficulties of living in a modern society and the struggle for acceptance of others when in a time of need. In this novel Kafka directly reflects upon many of the negative aspects of his personal life, both mentally and physically. The relationship between Gregor and his father is in many ways similar to Franz and his father Herrman. The Metamorphosis also shows resemblance to some of Kafka's diary entries that depict him imagining his own extinction by dozens of elaborated methods. This paper will look into the text to show how this is a story about the author's personal life portrayed through his dream-like fantasies.
Kafka’s book “The Metamorphosis” is a story about the transformation and change of the entire Samsa family. Generally, we think of a metamorphosis as a transformation by which something grows up and out, consider the caterpillar for instance; this animal enters the cocoon and emerges into something bigger, stronger and more beautiful. With so much focus being on Gregor, it is assumed that he is the one who the book is titled for, but in fact, it is Grete. The metamorphosis the title refers to is about Greta’s transformation from a weak, young and needy teenager into a strong, outspoken young lady. Evidence of this can be seen in each of the three sections; where Gregor loses some piece of his former self, Greta slowly gains new unfound qualities
The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka is a classic piece of literature. This masterpiece of stunning psychological, sociological and existential angst has blessed the minds of readers since it was written in 1912. It is the story of Gregor Samsa, a hardworking man trying to pay off the debt of his family, but transforms into a vermin, (bug). There are many parallels of Kafka’s life to Gregor’s in Metamorphosis. Both Kafka and Gregor were in family and social discord, and a bureaucracy of a work world. The way Kafka chose to write his novella, in third person limited omniscient narration, serves his purpose of wanting to understand and reflect on his own experiences along with entertaining. Choosing Gregor to narrate the novella would change the purpose, plot, and understanding of the story.
“So many interpretations, so many exegetic passions and energetic controversies” (Felman). In The Turn of the Screw by Henry James there are many different interpretations. Readers use scrutiny to decode different parts of the text and create many different interpretations. The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka forces readers to think what the true cause of the problem is. However, compared to The Turn of the Screw, the interpretations in The Metamorphosis is from a lack of context. Both texts get a deeper meaning and interpretation when put side by side and examined. The largest factor contributing to the similarities between the two books is ambiguity. Both novels create a craving in readers for more information or at the least a moment of clarity.
In The Metamorphosis, Kafka uses various details and events to express his own feelings and personal events in his life. Kafka uses Gregor to symbolize himself and mainly uses him as a medium to express these aspects of his own life. Kafka makes Gregor a vile creature in order to express his feelings about his own physical characteristics. He also uses Gregor’s volatile relationship with his father to show his own relationship with his father and uses Gregor’s alienation and change in voice as a way to show his disconnect with those around him. The Metamorphosis, in a way, is not a fictional story, but an autobiography in which Kafka attempts to show the world the extent of his suffering.
Transformation is prevalent in the ever-changing world, whether the outcome is desirable or undesirable. In the final paragraph of Kafka’s “Metamorphosis”, Gregor’s metamorphosis and death results in transformations of Samsa family. When analysing the last paragraph, Gregor’s family embraces a new light, with new hopes for the future, which contrasts with the initial feeling of darkness and despair. The transformation of the Samsa family is evident in the change in atmosphere, change in setting, and through the use of symbolism. Although atmosphere is not directly connected to the characters, there are indirect connections as the atmosphere reflects the interiority of the characters.
The routine of life can bring some people a sense of stability and happiness. For others this routine can be the cause of immense discontent and a feeling of entrapment. The main characters of the books The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka and Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton both experience this feeling of being trapped by their everyday responsibilities and environment. Family obligation, societal expectation, and their internal and external appearances trap both Gregor Samsa and Ethan Frome.
In contrast to this concise and straightforward essay, Kafka uses startling and strange style to baffle the readers in The Metamorphosis. As soon as the reader opens up the first page of the book, Kafka tells the reader that Gregor has turned into a vermin overnight. Gregor still worries about getting up “since [his] train leaves at five” even though he is well aware of the metamorphosis. (Kafka 3). The reaction of the minor characters in the The Metamorphosis baffles the readers too. The family members never dare to call a doctor even though the transformation of their own son. The manager shows only disgust, running away with his “twitching shoulder” (16). Even though the manager knows that there is
The story, Metamorphosis, is an unusual story to say the least. The very first sentence one meets the main character, Gregor Samsa. This sentence really shows how different this story is when compared to other books in this class. Throughout the story the author, Franz Kafka, wants the reader to sympathize with Gregor. ‘When Gregor Samsa awoke one morning from troubled dreams, he found himself changed into a monstrous cockroach in his bed’ (87), is the first sentence, and already the author wants the reader to feel sympathy for Gregor. This is no dream either, he is really a bug, and Kafka makes sure there is no confusion. This is just one of many examples that I will discuss where Kafka wants the reader to sympathize with Gregor.
Kafka, Franz, and Stanley Appelbaum. The Metamorphosis and Other Stories. New York: Dover Publications, 1996. Print.
In Albert Camus’ The Stranger and Franz Kafka’s The Metamorphosis, both feature protagonists in situations out of which arise existentialist values. Existentialism is a philosophical theory or approach that emphasizes the existence of the individual person as a free and responsible agent determining their own development through acts of the will. In The Metamorphosis Gregor Samsa is the protagonist, and realizes his existentialism attitude towards the end of the novel. Meursault, the protagonist in The Stranger, knows of his existentialism attitude, realizing his life's lack of meaning. Similar values are found in both novels. Each protagonist did not realize how they could create their own future, and that the behavior presented by both protagonists
In 1908, he started a job at the Workers’ Accident Insurance Institute; he had to complete tasks such as handling claims for injuries and examining equipment at factories for safety precautions (Robertson; Loveday). Luckily, his job had flexible hours, so he had time to write after he got home at around mid-afternoon. Along with his work at the Workers’ Accident Insurance Institute, his father made him take over his brother-in-law’s asbestos plant for several years (Loveday). Eventually, Kafka’s condition escalated to the point where he began alternating between brief returns to work and stays in sanatoria. He filed for early retirement from the insurance company in 1922 (Robertson). While Kafka was still working for the insurance company and writing, he wrote stories between the years of 1912 and 1914 that dealt with complex psychological issues, such as guilt and judgement. During that time period, he had thoughts of suicide (Barry). His short stories and novels express feelings of inadequacy, struggle with power and other common feelings that people experience. Kafka’s novel, The Metamorphosis, dealt with the struggle between inner experiences and unknown forces. Kafka has little intentions of having his work being published, but he was urged to by Max Brod, a friend he met in college. Because of this, he published Meditation, in January 1913, and The Judgment, The Stoker, and a chapter of Amerika later that year (Loveday). Kafka also wrote a letter to his father that was 100 pages long, in which he attempted to justify his personality and passion for writing and to reconcile (Loveday; Barry). However, at the same time, it was an attack on his father’s previous treatment of him. Subsequently, Kafka gave the letter to his mother to give to his father, but she never gave it to