Kafka Metamorphosis Alienation of 20 th century man

Kafka Metamorphosis

�Alienation of 20 th century man. �Man’s struggle to prevail against a meaningless and hostile system. �Man looks for answers in an unresponsive world. �Man cannot make himself understood. �Laws that govern our existence are all-powerful but irrational. We are expected to act rationally in an irrational universe. �Result: man identifies himself with the metaphor created for him by

�METAPHOR: An implied analogy which identifies one object with another dissimilar object and ascribes to the first one or more of the qualities of the second, or invests the first with emotional or imaginative qualities associated with the second.

�Gregor becomes a bug. Physical realization of the metaphor. �Gregor's reaction - not too extraordinary. Acts normal. �Is the thing Gregor or a bug? �Picture on the wall. Girl from a magazine. Implication? �How does Gregor feel about his job? �“what a strenuous profession I’ve picked! Day in, day out on the road. . . I also have to put up with these agonies of traveling—worrying about making trains, having bad, irregular meals, meeting new people all the time, but never forming any lasting friendships that mellow into anything intimate. To hell with it all!”

�Works hard for the sake of his parents. �“If I weren’t holding back because of my parents, I would have given notice long ago, ” �“Once I’ve saved enough to pay off my parents’ debt to him—that should take another five or six years—I’ll go through with it no matter what. I’ll make a big, clean break! But for now, I’ve got to get up, my train is leaving at five A. M. ” �He knows he is a bug, but still worrying about making the next train!

�Can't speak, but can hear everything. What are the implications? No one wants to hear you anyway. Chirping. �Part I emphasizes getting used to new conditions, learning how to do normal things - getting out of the bed, etc. �Food. Has to develop new tastes. �Hhysical problems that he faces: �Turning over, getting off the bed, unlocking and opening the door.

�Manager comes. His comments? �Manager treats Gregor like the vermin that he has, in fact, become �Call the doctor and locksmith. � Opens door. Reaction. � Gregor's speech to everyone. � The manager's reaction. � Father chases Gregor back into his room.

�Gregor has been transformed into a metaphor that states his essential self. �Family drama, a drama about the relationship between Gregor and his sister, his mother, and especially his father. �Gregor's accepts his metamorphosis because he recognizes that his present status as an insect is about the same as his former status as a human being.

�Is Gregor = vermin, a parable about the human condition in the modern world? �Feelings of guilt and inadequacy. �Relationship between individual and authority.

Part II �Needs to learn how to eat. Doesn’t like milk as he use to. �Leaves door open a little bit hoping that someone would come, but no one comes. �Begins to feel comfortable as a bug, hides under the bed. �Wants to help the family endure the inconvenience he has caused them. �Feels bad for inconveniencing his family.

�Gregor's sister enters room. �Feeds him things he likes: rotten vegetables, cheese, etc. �Wants to make him feel comfortable. She becomes mother figure. �Maid quits. �What should the relationship between Gregor and the individual family members be like? It depends on who or what he is. “You are my baby”.

�Gregor proud that he has provided for his family. “They accepted the money gratefully, he was glad to hand it over, but no great warmth came of it. ” �Now it has come to an end. �Gregor finds out that his father has saved some money from his business, it’s not all gone. �They have also saved some of the money that Gregor has been giving them each month. �Had he known this, he would have paid his father’s debt long ago and quit his job.

�Listens to conversation through half open door. �Gregor had not been appreciated by his family, except his sister. �Father has gotten fat and lazy. Has not worked in five years. � Gregor likes to sit by the window, look outside think of the freedom he used to have. �His sight is short, can't see the hospital.

�Gregor wishes he could thank his sister for putting the chair by the window. �Sister gets scared of Gregor. �Parents can't go see him. Mother wants to see him. : “Let me go to Gregor; he is my unhappy son. Don’t you understand I have to go to him? ” �Gregor is getting used to being a bug. �Crawls on walls and ceiling. More control of his body. �What is the implication?

�Moving the furniture: “and if we remove the furniture, isn’t that like showing him that we’ve given up all hope of his improvement and that we’re callously leaving him to his own devices? I believe it would be best if we tried to keep the room just as it was, so that when Gregor comes back to us he will find that nothing’s been changed and it will be much easier for him to forget what happened. ” �When a child dies, some parents keep the room just as it was when the child died. Why?

�Sister's attitude to moving furniture. She takes charge. �Gregor doesn’t want to give up the picture on the wall. �Mother's first words to Gregor. “Oh God, oh God!” and faints. �Sister’s attitude changes: “Hey, Gregor!” the sister shouted with a raised fist and a penetrating glare. These were her first direct words to him since his metamorphosis.

�Changes in the father: wears uniform, walks straight. Wears uniform with shiny buttons. Read paragraph on p. 2019. What’s the implication? Father has taken up his role as the father of the family. �Father chases Gregor with an apple.