"And it was like a confirmations of their new dreams and good intentions that at the end of their ride the daughter was the first to get up, stretching her young body."
"He recalled his family with tenderness and love...He lingered in this state of blank and peaceful musing until the tower clock struck three in the morning. He held on long enough to glimpse the start of the overall brightening outside the window. Then his head involuntarily sank to the floor, and his final breath came feebly from his nostrils."
Somehow it seems to me that "The Metamorphosis" has a happy ending. Gregor is out of his misery; Dad, Mom, and Grete leave the apartment for the first time in months, just in time for Grete to "blossom into a lovely and shapely girl." All is well in the Samsa house.
Or is it?
I'm writing this instead of Emma, and I find the story so...inscrutable. It takes us back to the the first parable we read, as well as "A Hunger Artist," where Kafka provides as far as I can tell no definitive answers to the questions he raises. You wake up a vermin; a bug; a cockroach; and there's zero explanation for this. Is this metaphor? Is this allegory? Parable? Naturalism (he certainly treats it this way). As I said in class, it reminded me of the great horror film "The Fly" by David Cronenberg, where a scientist ends up genetically splicing himself with a house fly and terror and tragedy occur. But Cronenberg at least comes up with some rationale. Kafka...nope.
So:
1. Your reaction to the story? Like? Dislike? Why?
2. Give it a shot: how would you explain it: what is the story ultimately about? Quote in your response. (Don't bother looking at any web sites for explanations. They're not terribly helpful.)
3. Is it a happy ending? Why or why not?
200 words, folks. Tomorrow, if Emma doesn't call on everyone, I will. I can say that there are no wrong answers here. Emma may disagree. I hope she disagrees. See you all tomorrow.
1. I found the story to be very divergent compared to any short stories I've read before. The concept of the metamorphosis--about a man becoming a different species overnight was bewildering to read about. I enjoyed the writing of Kafka, yet, I did not like the story aspect of it because it was hard to read about one being neglected by family. I was very frustrated while reading the third chapter because his family never came to their senses in now they were treating poor Gregor, and they continued to treat him worse than before; I had expected his family to learn their morals, yet Kafka's stories tend to imly and give the moral instead of having the characters LEARN their morals.
ReplyDelete2. I think this story focuses in on the lack of empathy of Gregor's family; how his family basically judges Gregor based on his appearance, not by his actions. The moral of the story seems to be to keep faith in others through changes in life. Gregor's family is unable to believe that the giant insect in their house could be related to them as a brother/son. Kafka writes, "...You must just try to gate rid of the idea that this is Gregor. The fact that we've believed it for so long is the root of all our trouble. But how can it be Gregor? If this were Gregor, he would have realized long ago that human beings can't live with such a creature, and he'd have gone away on his own accord..." This passage relates to how his sister lacks faith that the insect could be Gregor, even though she only has this idea based off of the fact that the 'real' Gregor would've left the family. This story also is about how after Gregor's metamorphosis, his family were forced to actually work for the first time since Gregir started paying of their debt.
3. I think that the ending of the short story is very sad. None of the troubles of the story are resolved in the end. It was very unsatisying that Gregor never turned back into a human, we don't have any trust that the family will be fine financially, the family never accepted Gregor in his new appearance, and the fact that we will never know if his sister will be able to go to the conservation for music based on their financial state. It is very depressing for me to read a story without anything resolved at the end, for I had hoped for Gregor to turn back human and reunite as a human with his family. However, I believe that there is hope in the end of the story. The family seems to COMPLETELY forget about Gregor and are hopeful about their jobs and one of the last thoughts in the story is that Gregor's sister has grown into a young woman and will soon be able to marry (this would probably also help the family's financial position).
1. I like this story. I like the perversity, the language, and the distrust that it instills in the reader. Kafka has this brilliant ability of luring you in and getting you to pity a character (Gregor, the Hunger Artist), the taking that away at the end (Gregor chose the house for the family, the Hunger Artist only fasted because he doesn't like food). He's a trickster, but not in a malicious way. He seems to trick his reader for a reason (see #2). If asked to categorize this short story, I would call it a grotesque, almost churlish, thought experiment. It is this backward, eerie nature, and the option for the reader to put himself in any of the characters' positions, that makes it a fun story to read.
ReplyDelete2. I most certainly cannot explain why Gregor was turned into an insect (or vermin, if you prefer). It may have been interaction with toxic sludge, it may have been the "Hand of God", or it may have been mere coincidence. Either way, this character finds himself completely transformed, and yet, does not react to this transformation. I cannot explain the reasoning. However, I have an idea for the "moral" or the "point" of the story (although it's kind of a meta-moral). Kafka puts his reader in a situation where he cannot trust the narration, even though it is a third person narrator who seems at least somewhat reliable from the start. Kafka manipulates the reader into seeing each character in a certain way (in this story, Father is bad, Mother is bad but she is trying, Grete is good but turns sour, and Gregor is misunderstood). However, in the end, we find out that part of the family's misfortune is due to Gregor's desire for the family to have a big house that is difficult to keep up with. In stead of wanting the big house, as is initially presumed, "[the family] wanted to take a smaller and cheaper but also better situated and more easily run apartment than the one they had, which Gregor had selected." It was not their greed that made them hire a cook and a housekeeper to take care of this oversized house, it was Gregor. Similarly, we trust Gregor to be the most polite and trustworthy character (and we trust that the other characters are mean-spirited), but Gregor wants to lock Grete in his room. He says that he will promise her to the Conservatory, but keep her in his room forever, hissing at anyone who tries to free her. In summary, Kafka has this brilliant skill to completely turn a reader around and make him question everything he thought before. Thus, the "moral" of this story (and possibly all of Kafka's stories that we have read) is that perspective on a situation completely changes the situation. What may seem horrible from one view is normal from another. What may seem fair from one view is perverse from another.
3. I think that this story presents an ending. It's not happy because Gregor never had the chance to speak to his family again, make things right, etc. But it is also not sad because Gregor's family is able to change their lifestyle to be more viable, so they will be able to pay off their debts (which was Gregor's ultimate goal). It's not a perfect ending, but it is realistic. This family would not be able to function forever with a giant vermin living in their apartment. They would not be able to handle the emotional distress of knowing that a family member had been metamorphosed into a grotesque insect. This living situation was toxic for all of them, as they could not function around Gregor, and Gregor would not communicate his needs to them. So, the story ends in a fair way. Everyone is better off in the end, although no one is as happy as they could have been. It seems realistic, as well, that eventually, the giant insect would be squashed under the family's emotional baggage.
1) I both liked and disliked the story. I admire Kafka's ability to create these interesting stories that, in their obscurity, can cover a wide variety of themes and topics (each theme and topic depending on the reader's interpretation of the text). I think there are a lot of ideas and themes to be talked about in the Metamorphosis as well as in the Hunger Artist. And so, while it's great that Kafka touched on such themes as familial love and obligation, subjugation, and dehumanization in Metamorphosis, I also believe the seemingly large amount of themes to be tremendously frustrating because it makes it difficult to determine the central theme and the point/message of the story as a whole.
ReplyDelete2) The story, in my opinion, is ultimately about guilt and power. Gregor's family exploits him for years yet only becomes aware of this exploitation after Gregor's metamorphosis. This awakening manifests in the family's violence towards Gregor. When trying to get Gregor to go back into his room, Gregor's father shoos him violently and treats him like an animal: "Pitilessly Gregor's father drove him back, hissing and crying 'Shoo!' like a savage" (Kafka 129). This violence and dehumanization stems from the fact that Gregor's father has realized that he has essentially subjugated his son for years. Violence is the only way that Gregor's father knows how to deal with the guilt. The power aspect of the story comes in when the fact that Gregor has essentially been the man of the house (working and providing for the family) while his father has spent his days lounging around the house reading newspapers. Perhaps now that Gregor is in a vulnerable position, Gregor's father decides to exercise his power over him in hopes of squashing the guilt he feels for not being the head of the house and failing to take care of his family.
3) It's really an awful ending because the family never deals with their feelings about Gregor and his metamorphosis. The family is relieved and starts to become more normal because they no longer have to deal with the guilt that Gregor reminded them of everyday (the guilt of the subjugation). They simply forget about him and move on with their lives.
1) I thought the story was ok. I liked it, but I found it hard to enjoy because I felt so bad for Gregor. I liked it because it had a good order to it and Gregors problems were really well detailed. It was well written but it made me sad. Also I don't like it as much compared to the Huger Artist and the Law.
ReplyDelete2) I think the story is about the meaning of family. "His mother lay in her chair, her legs stiffly outstretched and pressed together, her eyes almost closing for sheer weariness; his father and his sister were sitting beside each other, his sister's arm around the old man's neck" (159). This is at the end of the story, right before Gregor leaves to go die. When Gregor dies he thinks of his family with "tenderness and love" (160). Even before the story, the family had a rocky relationship. While there didn't appear to be lots of outspoken conflict, there was an air of unhappiness and concern around the house. Gregor goes through a ridiculous transformation and his family instinctually believe it's him. They feed him, and they clean his room. They also can't disguise their disgust and fear. Gregor hears them having loud confrontations and there is the memorable apple incident. Despite all this, the family stays together. At the end, they are together in the kitchen. The sister leans on the father for comfort and support. Even though the family had just decided in front of Gregor that the creature behaves too bizarrely to be him, and they have hurt him, emotionally and physically, since the transformation, Gregor still loves them. He cares for them. He only wishes the best for them. The conflict highlights the importance of family and the deep bonds that family members have. Even when people don't connect or show out right contempt for one another, they will still stand up for each other and stay together because they feel the connection of family. No matter how bizarre or distressing a situation can be, the bond of family can keep people strong and get them through. The bonds won't be broken.
3) I don't think it's a happy ending. Gregor dies! He's starving, broken hearted, covered in dust, and injured. I guess the family is happy. They realize that their jobs might actually make enough for them, and they can move into a new, better, more comfortable home now that Gregor is gone. Also they see hope in their daughter. Although, she doesn't want marriage; she wants to go to music school. To me, it feels like Gregor was the victim of the transformation and the family took it upon themselves to be victimized by it when they should know he's in a lot worse condition. I don't think it was a happy ending because even though the family is happy, Gregor is dead. I can't think of many books where death means a happy ending. I think I expect too much from Kafka though. Obviously a real happy ending would be the family's acceptance of him or him turning back into a human. However, warm and fuzzy feelings aren't really Kafka's style. Even if it wasn't a perfect, happy ending, it's probably the best (happiest) we could ask for from Kafka.
1) I really enjoyed this story because I thought it was bizarre, yet it was so interesting to read. I think the story's unique plot is what made it so entertaining to read. I especially liked the descriptive imagery Kafka used to describe Gregor in his enormous insect form. Although I enjoyed reading this story, I found Gregor's entire situation very depressing, before and after his metamorphosis. Before his metamorphosis, he put his family's needs way before his own needs, and he dedicated his life to paying for his father's debts. When Gregor was transformed into his strange insect form, I found his life to be even more depressing, as he lives isolated and lonely for many months. To me, the most depressing aspect of Gregor's life was that his family never truly appreciated Gregor's selflessness and his dedication to providing for his family. I disliked his parents' selfish natures, and it was sad to me how Gregor was just a burden to them, even after he worked so hard to make their lives easier. It was an exciting story to read, and the description of Gregor as a giant insect is an image that will definitely stay with me.
ReplyDelete2) Ultimately, I think this story is about the necessity of some selfishness, as well as self control. Gregor spends his entire life worrying, caring, and providing for his entire family. He makes his sole purpose in life before his metamorphosis to pay off his father's debt, which is not at all related to Gregor. Even when he transforms into an insect, he worries about his family more than himself. He hides behind a sheet because he knows his appearance disgusts his family. He lacks the self control to realize that his selflessness is not benefiting him. Kafka contrasts Gregor's selflessness with his family's selfishness. Gregor's family wishes that Gregor, now more a disgusting insect than their beloved family member, would leave, as it would make their lives easier to rid themselves of Gregor, now a burden. They don't even to pause to consider Gregor's feelings or opinion. However, ultimately, Gregor's family members end up with more successful fates than Gregor's fate: "the jobs they had got, which so far they had never really discussed with each other, were all three admirable and likely to lead to better things later on." (164). This quote shows how when Gregor dies a gruesome death, after grieving very briefly, his family discusses their hopeful futures. By contrasting Gregor's fate and his family members' fates, I believe that Kafka is conveying that people need a healthy balance between selfishness and selflessness.
3) I believe that this ending is happy for Gregor's family, because they can finally return to their old lives. It seems especially happy for Grete because Kafka describes her as young again, with a new life ahead of her. However, I believe the ending is very sad for Gregor because his family seems to move on from his death rather quickly. They cry for a few minutes, then go outside for the first time since Gregor's metamorphosis. They go on a train, which Kafka describes as "filled with warm sunshine." It seems to me as if they are putting Gregor's metamorphosis, which was a misfortune for them, behind them and moving on very quickly with their now happy lives.
ReplyDeleteI liked this story because of the nuanced portrayal of this family, and the aftermath of the metamorphosis. Though the metamorphosis was the catalyst for the events in the novella happening, the more interesting part of the story was how this change revealed his family's true feelings and beliefs. Through Gregor's changed appearance, it was revealed that his family somewhat selfishly used him to support them financially, and now that he was essentially useless, they cared little for him. I also enjoyed the descriptions of Gregor as a beetle scurrying around. As much as the story was a tragedy, it also had comedic elements which I appreciated.
2. I believe that the story is ultimately about change: its aftermaths and the truths it reveals. Though the physical change of Gregor's appearance was quite obvious, his metamorphosis brought changes in their family as well. His father, who once sat and read the newspaper, was forced to return to work. With Gregor no longer proving useful, his father's temper was no longer dormant, shown when he hit Gregor with an apple or when he pushed him. His sister, who in the beginning left food for Gregor and showed some concern for his wellbeing, was cold and hardened by the end of the novella. After Gregor revealed his presence to the boarders, forcing them to leave, his sister was the one who suggested they get rid of him, saying,"We must try to get rid of it. We've tried to look after it and to put up with it as far as is humanly possible, and I don't think anyone could reproach us in the slightest." (158) Even the family's conversation and interactions changed, as Gregor noted this: "he could see them all at the lamp-lit table and listen to their talk, by general consent as it were, very different from his earlier eavesdropping." (148) Gregor too changed, from being dedicated to his job to thoroughly enjoying his life without work, and dreading the possibility of having to go back. Arguably, Greta was the character who changed the most. She started off as a young girl and by the end matured into a woman, aged by her growing responsibilities in the household. As her parents noted by the end, "she had bloomed into a pretty girl with a good figure." and "soon it would be time to find a good husband for her." (164)
3. I think that the novella ended with a happy ending, because all the characters were left with a fate they were content with. Gregor felt like a burden to his family, and to free them of this, he died. He died as he lived, sacrificing, in this case his own life, for his families' best interests. Death freed him of his guilt and also freed him from his cramped life and the possibility of having to work again. The family also was free, from Gregor. Gregor seemed to be holding them back, as he was the one who bought their apartment (which they disliked) and also because he was the only one who worked, held a lot of power. Without Gregor, they were free to go to the countryside, as the novella ends with an image of warm sunshine and picturesque views.
1. I'm partial to happy endings but it was a riveting and well written story, so I'd say I liked it. The style in which it was written managed to be incredibly descriptive with its short, succinct sentences, and the story grabbed my attention and held it. The premise itself, even without the deeper analysis and metaphors, is just so interesting! Then, WITH the deeper analysis, there are just increasing layers of complexity to an already intriguing story. I found it interesting that the question of why or how Gregor became an insect... never really came up, neither in class nor in the story itself - that was one of the first questions that came to mind for me, and I'm both frustrated and somehow pleased that it was never answered because though it would have certainly been interesting the "how" and the "why" were not the focus of this text. Instead the story was all about the repercussions of the metamorphosis and the truths it revealed about the characters - how little they knew Gregor, how apathetic they had become in their own lives, and where they wanted to go from there.
ReplyDelete2. Ultimately its a story about self-sacrifice. A man who wants to provide for his family is suddenly and inexplicably barred from this, his (apparently, if you discount reading train schedules) sole purpose in life. Gregor becomes a burden on the very people he's been trying to support, and they become angry and frightened and, most importantly, willful. Gregor is useless, and so they step up to the plate, clearly outlining their financial situation and then working to better it. They could have done this earlier - the short time span between when Gregor became a bug and when they all got jobs is evidence of this - but they did not, because why would they, when their son was working for them? When they were secure in their assumption he'd always be there to keep them in this dull, apathetic comfort, who would motivate themselves to sew, and find jobs at banks? It was the sudden disappearance of their productive son and simultaneous appearance of a mysterious and disgusting creature that prompted the family to become more self-sufficient. Gregor's transformation and death actually did end up providing for his family by prompting them to provide for themselves, and Gregor was content.
3. I would say that... I'm not certain weather this is a happy ending or not. My immediate reaction was to say no, this was absolutely not a happy ending because Gregor was neglected and died, and his family got to forget about him and move on. Being happy about one's death, or the death of your family, is not what I'd consider a good sort of happiness - in fact I was deeply disturbed. Yet I also recognize that yes, everyone WAS happy at the end of this story - in a round-about and morbid way, Gregor really DID provide for his family, and they were set on a path to prosperity. When Gregor was incapable of bringing in revenue, and his family now had one more set of mandibles to feed, they actually began to take on more responsibility and confidence, reaching the point where they openly chase out the arrogant lodgers they'd doggedly tried to please just the night before. They even decided what to do about Gregor, even if their solution was to get rid of him so they'd have one less thing to worry about. The family ended up happy and looking forward to the rest of their lives. In one light, it is a tragedy, with everyone gleefully accepting Gregor's death, and in another Gregor managed to really help his family, which was his life's goal to begin with. I like happy endings, but I really think both are equally valid and important - and I also think that this duality contributes to the story. Kafka often doesn't have definite answers to things, and this makes his stories all the more interesting.
1. I enjoyed reading The Metamorphosis. I like that it prevents the reader from seeing any character as wholly good or bad. We initially side with Gregor over his family, but their repulsion becomes understandable as they have no way of ascertaining that the insect is Gregor. Furthermore, by the end of the story, we learn that Gregor is not just a selfless provider for the family; he selected a house for them to live in that they could not afford (164), thereby necessitating his constant work.
ReplyDelete2. Ultimately, I believe the story is about what happens when an individual lives to serve others. Both before and after Gregor’s metamorphosis, he assumes responsibility for his family’s problems and takes it upon himself to solve them, even when this necessitates his own death. After his sister says, “If this were Gregor, he would have realized long ago that human beings can’t live with such a creature, and he’d have gone away on his own accord,” (158) Gregor makes the ultimate act of self sacrifice by choosing to honor the wishes of his family and succumb to death. However, Kafka forces us to question Gregor’s motivation to single-handedly support his family. As we see from his father’s apparent health after Gregor’s metamorphosis, his father may have been capable of doing work all along. If his father could work, Gregor may have taken it upon himself to support the family because he gets gratification from the role, not because it was a necessary act. Furthermore, prior to Gregor’s death, he hears his sister say she wished he would die so that they could “keep his memory in honor” (159). Therefore, if we interpret Gregor’s death as a reaction to Grete’s comment, his true motivation for supporting his family may be that he wants to be in their high esteem.
3. Gregor’s fate tarnishes the happiness of the ending. The title of Kafka’s story alludes to more than one metamorphosis; both Gregor and his family, especially his sister, go through a fundamental change. The way Kafka writes the end of the story emphasizes this fact as he sets the final scene in March (161), the beginning of spring, and emphasizes the emergence of Gregor’s newly beautiful, mature sister into the world. However, while the family’s newfound freedom and Grete’s desirability may seem like a happy ending, the family’s happiness depends on Gregor’s death. In fact, we learn that the family hoped for and anticipated his death. While Gregor believed that his family simply paid less attention to his wellbeing near the end of his life, Kafka reveals that Gregor’s sister had noticed that he had stopped eating (161), yet did nothing to prevent him starving to death.
1. I think I like it. "The Metamorphosis" is an unusual story to say the least so I like it in ways that are different from other stories that I've read. It's not satisfying nor clear but it is well written and I think there is a lot of things that it tries to say. The elusiveness of "The Metamorphosis" is part of its allure. The whole story is so absurd but there are some very real moments, from the physical descriptions of Gregor's transformed body to the reactions of his family to Gregor's own feelings.
ReplyDelete2. I don't know how to explain why Gregor transformed into a giant bug; I have no idea why. The way I think about it is that it is merely a tool that Kafka uses to set up the story. Now, about the point of the story...I'm still not sure. One thing that stood out to me is how his family seems to get stronger as Gregor gets weaker. His father, particularly, transforms from a weak, old man to a commanding figure with his "smart blue uniform with gold buttons," "strong double chin," and his "black eyes" that "darted fresh and penetrating glances." When Gregor died, it felt as if his family has been set free. Grete became this young, attractive, vivant woman. His end was their beginning. So, what does this say? Perhaps, that, what seemed to be bad changes are actually good; that we don't know what's good for us. Gregor's death, in a way, sets him free from his responsibility and monotonous life and sets his family free from the safety net and reliance that Gregor provides.
3. Ultimately, I think it is a happy ending. Yes, Gregor died in a terrible way, starved to death and isolated from the family that once loved him, but I don't see any other solution to their problem. Will Gregor transform back into a human? Of course, we don't know. I think Gregor felt a certain relief in his death. He wants to disappear: "The decision that he must disappear was one that he held to even more strongly than his sister, if that were possible." There's no way that his family can reconcile the ideas of the Gregor that they know with the Gregor that is now a bug. With his death, both Gregor and his family are set free from this absurd situation. It may not be a stereotypical happy ending but "The Metamorphosis" is not a normal short story.