ipl-logo

Magical Conventions In Franz Kafka's Metamorphosis

533 Words3 Pages

In Franz Kafka’s ‘Metamorphosis’ (1916) a combination of magical realist conventions therefore has been fused with the mundane into a trifecta, which revolve around the centralized character of Gregor Samsa, a salesman who is the sole provider of his family, who suffers from unfortunate events, wakes up from a dream. Little to his knowledge he has been transformed into an insect and how he copes with alienation with his new metamorphic state, and psychological effects which he experiences, within the mundane world of 20th century Europe. ‘Metamorphosis’ is a stage which changes the animal’s psychical structure. Gregor’s transformation from a human being has reversed. therefore, his transformation is somewhat, repulsive. “As it were armour-plated, back and when he lifted his head a little he could see his dome-like brown belly divided into stiff arched segments on top” (Kafka, 1916, pg.9) the opening of the story provides a vivid description of Gregor’s transformation, thus engages the reader, as it throws them straight into a surreal nightmare. …show more content…

Therefore, represents her as a woman of wealth with many rich materialistic possessions, in contrast to Gregor who unfortunately can’t favour to purchase items of a materialistic purpose, as he is the sole provider for his family with no disposable

Show More
Related
616 Words | 3 Pages

1. Almost from the very beginning of Gregor’s metamorphosis, Mr. Samsa has been unwilling to accept Gregor as his son. Furthermore, Gregor’s transformation into an offensive form of an insect, constantly reminds Mr. Samsa of the grotesque, feeble, and pathetic aberration that he has fathered. Consequently, now that Gregor has genuinely revealed himself in all his audacious behavior, his cruel father is driven to destroy him. In his eyes, Gregor has become everything loathsome to him—scrawny, parasitic, and futile—not the kind of son this once successful and ambitious storekeeper could be proud of.

Read More
638 Words | 3 Pages

Gregor’s body was described as having “wriggling legs,” (Kafka 140) and how the “lower part of his body at the moment was probably the most sensitive,” (Kafka 148) and he also had “numerous legs” (Kafka 137).

Read More
561 Words | 3 Pages

Gregors' transformation has made him free in the sense that he does not have to provide for his family anymore, whereas now he is not able to leave his room, physically holding him captive. Since Gregor’s transformation has restricted him from any physical labor, he no longer has to carry the responsibility of paying “off the parents’ debt… [which] should take another five or six years” (138) to completely pay off. “At the office I fulfill my obligations outwardly, but not my inner ones, and every unfulfilled inner obligation turns into a misfortune which does not find its way out of me”. Kafka explores his personal battle between doing what he must to survive in the world and doing what he must for himself.

Read More
1047 Words | 5 Pages

Gregor Samsa’s transition from human to vermin was not the only shift that happened through the duration of Kafka’s The Metamorphosis. The novel is centered around Gregor who wakes up as a vermin, presumably a cockroach, which catalyses a series of emotionally traumatic experiences for him and his family, culminating in Gregor’s death. Yet the most significant change is, in fact, the gender role reversal seen both with Gregor and Grete, his sister, as Gregor becomes more effeminate and Grete becomes more emasculate, directly correlating with their societal and emotional transformation due to Gregor's physical change. From the moment, Gregor wakes up he has transformed. But not just as a vermin.

Read More
747 Words | 3 Pages

Transforming and Romanticizing a Storyline The Metamorphosis, a novella written by Franz Kafka, attracted the attention of many of its readers due to the writing framework and shocking concepts. The story depicts a man named Gregor Samsa who has befallen the fate of a cockroach- literally. After being transformed into a large bug, Gregor goes through the struggles of misunderstanding, neglect, and loss of his family relationships.

Read More
1268 Words | 6 Pages

Through their transformation, Kafka shows his readers how the Samsa family underwent a positive change as a result of Gregor’s unfortunate one. For years, Gregor assumed the responsibility of supporting

Read More
1074 Words | 5 Pages

Kafka’s, The Metamorphosis, brings to light the realities of what many face in everyday life. In life, it is natural for people to expand their horizons and grow to develop a persona unique to themselves. However, all too often the process is interrupted and eventually destroys itself and all the potential that comes with it. In the story, the reader sees Gregor and his mutational life slowly disintegrate into his later demise. Here, the idea of self-worth and acceptance plays a major role in Gregor’s life and his transformation into a bug.

Read More
1510 Words | 7 Pages

Callie Gray Lybarger-Monson English M01B February 21, 2017 In Support of “Transforming Franz Kafka’s ‘Metamorphosis’” In Franz Kafka’s 1915 novella “The Metamorphosis,” Kafka recounts the transformation of a man into an insect, an idea that has been subject to a multitude of interpretations and almost constant analysis. Nina Pelikan Straus, Professor of Literature at Purchase College, State University of New York, makes a strong argument for the validity of a gender based approach to the analysis of Kafka’s work in her 1989 article, “Transforming Franz Kafka’s ‘Metamorphosis.’” While criticism of Kafka’s work is plentiful, it was not until the 1980’s that feminist theories entered the expository debate.

Read More
313 Words | 2 Pages

The metamorphosis by Franz Kafka is one of the most profound and well known short stories of all time. This story takes control of the reader with the very first sentence, “When Gregor Samsa woke up one morning from unsettling dreams, he found himself changed in his bed into a monstrous vermin.” (716), that first sentence is what catches the attention. This story is about Gregor Samsa, a brother, a son, and above all a protector, whose life gets completely turned upside down when he awakes as a cockroach. Once his family sees him in his new state, they are completely disgusted and want him out, they see him as a vermin, Gregor’s human characteristics are thrown out the window.

Read More
235 Words | 1 Pages

The Metamorphosis is a short story penned by the Czech author Franz Kafka. It is about a young man by the name of Gregor Samsa, who one morning found that he took the shape of a hideous bug. Some critics might find the short story satirical in some ways, but in truth, the author wrote the story as a means to highlight the modern tribulations that men of Gregor's position often had to go through. The Metamorphosis is a short story that details the true nature of man when they fall subject to a monotonous way of life, instead of enjoying life as it comes.

Read More
587 Words | 3 Pages

The Metamorphosis is a novella, a short novel, written by Franz Kafka. This story is about a traveling salesman, Gregor Samsa, who transforms into a enormous bug overnight. Because of this transformation, Gregor cannot work off the debt his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Samsa, owe to his boss. Now the family is left to provide for themselves, leaving Gregor a burden on the family because he is no longer useful to them. Psychoanalytic criticism is using the author’s personality, state of mind, feelings and desires to better understand their works.

Read More
775 Words | 4 Pages

Within Franz Kafka’s novel The Metamorphosis, a subsequent meaning for the unusual predicament of Gregor Samsa is considerably enhanced throughout the frequent use of allusions and symbolism. Throughout Kafka’s work, he seems to attribute each realistic physicality with some unrealistic spiritual relevance; thus, “Gregor’s physical transformation, then, stands for a spiritual transformation” (Holland). Kafka illuminates this idea as Samsa first remains rational in his thoughts and his desires despite his physical appearance, but later turns much more aggressive in his thoughts and actions, revealing more of that of an animal rather than a human. In some way, Samsa’s spiritual transformation is even more horrific than his physical transformation

Read More
715 Words | 3 Pages

However, using Gregor’s thoughts and actions allows the reader to interpret the theme. Kafka uses Gregor and the changes of other characters as a symbol to convey the theme that alienation can cause people to feel disconnected from their lives. In the midst of the novella, it can be seen that Gregor is kept in his room from the rest of his family and previous life. However, earlier in the book his family and the chief clerk were desperate for him to open the door.

Read More
1259 Words | 6 Pages

Published in 1915, Kafka’s The Metamorphosis is a tale of a salesman named Gregor Samsa who one day wakes up to discover that he has quite literally transformed into an insect. Unable to support his family as an insect, he is only able to stay in his room and eat the rotting scraps of food that his sister brings him. Over time, Gregor’s transformation into a large bug begins to affect the lifestyle of his family, and they slowly become resentful of him. His family secretly wishes Gregor would leave, and knowing this, Gregor willfully dies in his room.

Read More
103 Words | 1 Pages

Franz Kafka displays the concept of characters bringing an insight into ourselves and the real world in The Metamorphosis. He does this by exploring the transformations of each character through the changes in their physical appearance, environment and the ways that the characters adjust to new situations. Kafka has chosen the character Gregor Samsa to show us that his change into a bug is a representation of how society treats us and how we conform to the expectations of society in our capitalist world. The Metamorphosis has further enforced the idea that ‘characters offer a window into ourselves and the world’ is true.

Read More

More about Magical Conventions In Franz Kafka's Metamorphosis

Open Document