The Metamorphosis Analysis - 1682 Words

In The Metamorphosis, Kafka establishes, through his religious imagery and gospel-esque episodic narration, the character of Gregor Samsa simultaneously as a kind of inverse Messianic figure and a god-like artist, relating the two and thus turning the conventional concept of the literary hero on its ear. The structure of the novel reflects that of the Gospel of Mark in that it is narrated in individual events, and in this it is something of a Kà ¼nstlerroman - that is, the real metamorphosis is over the course of the novel, rather than just at the beginning, and that change is a heightened sensitivity to the world in an artistic sense. The motif of change is a rather theological one as well: we see it in a religious sense, in the form of†¦show more content†¦. . at the table quietly reading the paper or studying (Kafka 12-13). This imagery of Samsa as a studious carpenter characterizes him as humble and, in this, somewhat unlikable to the toughest audiences. Even imagery as simplistic as this conjures the image of Gregor as a bookish, studious milquetoast. At the same time, the carpenter characterization connotes Christ, and thus immediately hints at Samsas eventual heroism, even before anything significant has happened. So when the books first metamorphosis occurs in the first sentence, Gregors prior circumstances make him fertile ground in which a change in spirit can occur. Samsa even acknowledges the metaphysical change enacted in himself: when he tries to explain to his family and the head clerk why he cannot leave his room, his audience can no longer (understand) his words, even though they (are) clear enough to him, clearer than before even (15). It is as if he is in another dimension from them completely and therefore a sort of immortal at heart, before the knowledge is even imparted upon him in the form of his metamorphosis into an insect. Only as a vermin can Gregor, thoroughly isolated from the world, be truly human. In this alternative hum anity Kafka incorporates James Joyces assertion that an artist remains ... invisible, refined outShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of The Metamorphosis1501 Words   |  7 PagesBeveridge, A. (2009). Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka. Advances in psychiatric treatment, 15(6), 459-461. This brief article is written from the psychiatric perspective, pointing out that Kafka has always been of great interest to the psychoanalytic community; this is because his writings have so skillfully depicted alienation, unresolved oedipal issues, and the schizoid personality disorder and The Metamorphosis is no exception to this rule. While this writer tends to think that psychiatrists shouldRead MoreAnalysis Of The Metamorphosis 854 Words   |  4 PagesAnalysis of the Metamorphosis The Metamorphosis can be analyzed in many different ways. One way that could be looked into is why exactly Gregor is turned into an insect. There are many things that he could have changed into, like a monkey or a bird for example. But Kafka makes it obvious that Gregor is a bug although he never says what kind. Bugs can be, more or less, controlled, considered useless, and gross. To call a person a bug means they can bend easily to another’s will and are expendableRead MoreMetamorphosis Analysis1503 Words   |  7 Pagesmost wickedest of men will do the most wickedest of things for the greatest good of everyone.† 20th century novelist, Franz Kafka would agree with such a statement as he strongly despised capitalism and its faults. In his celebrated short story, Metamorphosis, Kafka explores the cruelty and exploitations of capitalism through the eyes of Gregor Samsa. ironically, he also represents capitalism to further illustrate its barbarity. Kafka’s use of ir ony is significant for it leaves the readers confusedRead MoreThe Metamorphosis Analysis848 Words   |  4 PagesIn the short novel The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka, the novel revolves around the transformation of the protagonist, Gregor Samsa. Gregor wakes up one morning to find himself transformed into an insect, and becomes the main conflict and driving force of the novel. Beyond being a driving force within the book, the transformation in which Gregor undergoes being a literal challenge in his life and his family’s, it serves as an allegorical narrative on isolation. Gregor spends the rest of his life inRead MoreAnalysis Of Metamorphosis826 Words   |  4 Pages Metamorphosis, written by Franz Kafka, is a novelette detailing the life of a young man named Gregor and his family, which include his sister, Grete, and his parents. Gregor is a traveling salesman who has an overbearing manager and extremely long hours. He is unhappy with his job due to these circumstances and the fact that he is not able to make any friends. One morning Gregor wakes up and is suddenly a beetle instead of a normal human. The life of everyone in the household is flipped upsideRead MoreEssay on Analysis of The Metamorphosis1033 Words   |  5 PagesAnalysis of The Metamorphosis This story The Metamorphosis is about Gregor, a workaholic, who is changed into an insect and must then deal with his present reality. The hardest part of being an insect for him was the alienation from his family, which eventually leads to his death. In reading the short story The Metamorphosis, (1971),one can realize how small the difference is between Magical Realism and Fantastic. This literature written by the Austrian, Franz Kafka, is often debated overRead MoreAnalysis Of The Metamorphosis Essay1390 Words   |  6 Pagesan attempt to distance oneself from an undesirable event or occurrence. It can also range from an overt set of actions as a person is changed, to willful ignorance, malicious or otherwise, of an individual’s dreams or goals. Franz Kafka’s â€Å"The Metamorphosis†, in which the main character, Gregor Samsa, awakens to find himself changed, contains several obvious examples of this dehumanization. He has become vermin of some kind, no longer even human. Deprived even of basic human form, and transfiguredRead MoreMetamorphosis Analysis1142 Words   |  5 PagesFranz Kafka’s â€Å"The Metamorphosis† is about the dehumanization of a man named Gregor, when he wastes his life monotonously repeating the same task every day to support his uncaring family. The lack of purpose in his life is an example of absurdist fiction, a genre of fictional narrative that uses satire and irrationality to explore the human experience of meaninglessness. Furthermore, â€Å"The Metamorphosis† uses aspects of magical realism, such as transformation of common, distortion of time and lossRead MoreLiterary Analysis Of The Metamorphosis 1422 Words   |  6 PagesElaina Faerber, Hannah Lindsey, Jake Sims Mrs. De Oro Hon, English 12A Pd 3 19 October 2015 Literary Analysis Essay-Rejection When individuals are rejected by family and society, they tend to feel abandoned and unloved. In Franz Kafka’s, The Metamorphosis, Gregor’s transformation into a â€Å"monstrous vermin† (Kafka 1) results in him being psychologically and even physically abused by his family. Rejection from his mother, sister, and father leave Gregor feeling unwanted and feeling as if he is a terribleRead MoreMetamorphosis Analysis1761 Words   |  8 PagesFranz Kafkas The Metamorphosis is so strikingly absurd that it has engendered countless essays dissecting every possible rational and irrational aspect of the book. One such essay is entitled Kafkas Obscurity by Ralph Freedman in which he delves down into the pages of The Metamorphosis and ferrets out the esoteric aspects of Kafkas writing. Freedman postulates that Gregor Samsa progresses through several transformations: a transformation of spatial relations, a transformation of time, and a