The Metamorphosis Essays

The Metamorphosis

The longer story The Metamorphosis, first published in 1971, was written by Franz Kafka. He was born in Prague in 1883 and lived until 1924, and he has written many other stories along with The Metamorphosis. The Metamorphosis appears to be a fantastic piece. After reading The Metamorphosis, I do believe that there are many similarities between magical realism and fantastic literature. Kafka showed many fantastic issues in The Metamorphosis.

While reading The Metamorphosis, I did not feel that it had any magical elements in the story, but had manyfantastic elements. In my opinion, I think that the story did have some realist elements. For example, there was a lot of tension with the family. Although it had to do...show more content...

But what is particularly found problematic is the apparent contradiction in the definition of magical realism as "an amalgamation of realism and fantasy" such as The Metamorphosis (129).

Many things are fantasy, but now since I have learned what magical realism is, I see magical realism in The Metamorphosis. I feel that waking up and being something else is magical and a person hearing his family talking and being scared to leave his room is magical. Also, he had to learn how to walk differently, lie differently, and even eat differently. I feel that part is more magical than fantastic.

The Metamorphosis did have some realist elements as well. Before Gregor Samsa turned into an insect, he was a young traveling salesman who lived with and financially supported his parents and his young sister. Another realist element I found was that it is true that insects do not like the same food we eat. Gregor's food habits changed. Even though he was an insect, his sister still found the time to feed him, and when she fed him, she gave him bread and milk because that was his favorite. When Gregor went to eat it as an insect, he no longer liked the taste. He began eating scraps. He also liked staying under the furniture. All insects like to hide, and even though he went from a human to a bug, he is doing the things that an insect would naturally

The Metamorphosis

What is the significance of windows and furniture in Gregor's room in Franz Kafka's 'The Metamorphosis'?

"When Gregor Samsa awoke one morning from troubled dreams, he found himself changed into a monstrous cockroach in his bed". This quote comes from the novella, 'The Metamorphosis' which was composed by Franz Kafka in 1912 and published in 1915. The novella was originally written in German and has various translations to English. This signifies that each English translation can be different in terms of language which can overall alter the way a reader interprets it. This essay will be written in terms of the translation by Michael Hofmann in 'The Metamorphosis and Other Stories'. The story takes place in the early 1900's in a quiet working–class neighborhood. However, the events in this novella mainly take place in the main protagonist, Gregor Samsa's, room and entirely in the Samsa household. This shows that the story has a constricting setting in which Gregor becomes a prisoner to his bedroom. What is the significance of windows and furniture in Gregor's room in Franz Kafka's 'The Metamorphosis'?

Seeing the role of symbolism in 'The Metamorphosis' is a central means to reading the novella as it unlocks a whole new perspective to the plot. An example of symbolism would be with the use of windows. Windows are used not to represent...show more content... He uses windows to demonstrate the psychological changes Gregor goes through as a result to becoming a cockroach. Franz Kafka also uses the removal of furniture as a way to show Gregor's loss of hope in ever becoming a human again. And lastly, he uses the picture of a woman in fur to display what Gregor's true aspirations are and will always be even as a cockroach. Overall, symbolism is a central means for the reader to explore different perspectives throughout reading the

Metamorphosis Essay

Insecticide

In order to be considered human, one needs to control their own life and have the freedom to express and think. In The Metamorphosis, by Franz Kafka, Gregor Samsa transforms into a giant insect, terminating his life as a "human" along with all of his tiring duties. Before his transformation, Gregor's life consisted of little sleep and a strict work schedule with hardly any freedom or importance in his job. Therefore, Gregor underwent a transformation that granted him more advanced human qualities than he had before, when he was simply a working man. After Gregor's miraculous metamorphosis, he was relieved of his unreasonable toils and was able to develop a thoughtful view of his situation as wells as the critical society that...show more content...

This lifestyle trapped him into what he felt was for the benefit of his family, yet also relinquished all of his parents' duties to care for him, and sent him into a brutal world where he was most appreciated for the pay he earned from work. Only once he became a giant insect, these thoughts were revealed.

Unlike his previous life, as an insect Gregor has time to reflect upon his tedious old life as well as begin to advance in his new life each day. He felt for his family, after putting them through the unthinkable and uncontrollable, like what had been done to him for so long. He even begins to question his family's care for him, "he would not be in the mood to bother about his family, he was only filled with rage at the way they were neglecting him"(94). Gregor actually began to experience some sort of emotion for the first time, as an insect. He wasn't very shocked about turning into an enormous bug, which had happened months prior, as Gregor is described as an emotionless and rather peculiar guy. So for him to admit to the human sentiments like moodiness and rage in his situation provides evidence that he is gaining further human qualities. Gregor continuously dwells on his love for his parents and shame about his transformation, and how "the money was gratefully accepted and gladly given, but there was no special outpouring of warm feeling"(78). He doesn't recall any of the "fine times" that he had with his family, but