The Metamorphasis by Franz Kafka has been shrouded in a haze of surrealism ever since the idea was introduced the first day we started reading the novel. Because events in the book are absurd and bizarre, there is a nightmarish quality about the story; I half-expect Gregor to be having a rather detailed and prolonged dream, wake up, kiss the ground, then get back to the usual grind. One reason I think this is because Gregor seems pretty calm when he realizes that he's transformed, which gives the entire story a dream-like quality.
First of all, the family doesn't call police and there's no media attention; they're poor, but I'd expect more of a reaction out of them.
Second, Gregor goes into great detail and length when explaining to manager his faults; giving such a long explanation in a heated moment seems unrealistic, but since it's necessary for plot explanation, it fits as well.
Third, the family knows him as Gregor, then reject this idea. Gregor also repeatedly tries to get on good terms with his family, even though he is going to fail each time; these repeated attempts seem to serve to illustrate a point (Gregor misses his human life) rather than be a realistic portrayal of a difficult circumstance (I would think he'd realize what he's causing and give up eventually).
The surrealistic tones of the short novel made me less sympathetic to Gregor's plight. I wouldn't be surprised if a dragon broke through the roof and carried Gregor away to Middle-earth. But the emotions that the family goes through make the novel truly gripping; even though I don't really care what happens to Gregor eventually, his family's situation has me fully invested in the book.
First of all, the family doesn't call police and there's no media attention; they're poor, but I'd expect more of a reaction out of them.
Second, Gregor goes into great detail and length when explaining to manager his faults; giving such a long explanation in a heated moment seems unrealistic, but since it's necessary for plot explanation, it fits as well.
Third, the family knows him as Gregor, then reject this idea. Gregor also repeatedly tries to get on good terms with his family, even though he is going to fail each time; these repeated attempts seem to serve to illustrate a point (Gregor misses his human life) rather than be a realistic portrayal of a difficult circumstance (I would think he'd realize what he's causing and give up eventually).
The surrealistic tones of the short novel made me less sympathetic to Gregor's plight. I wouldn't be surprised if a dragon broke through the roof and carried Gregor away to Middle-earth. But the emotions that the family goes through make the novel truly gripping; even though I don't really care what happens to Gregor eventually, his family's situation has me fully invested in the book.
I think the weird surrealism in the book made me sympathize with Gregor all the more. I found his plight first humorous, then gradually more and more tragic. I just wanted someone to love Gregor even though he is a bug. He was so lonely! What a horrible way to die--alone. The surrealism of the fact that his family doesn't seem to freak out in the manner that we think appropriate only makes it more tragic.
ReplyDeleteWhat you refer to as "surrealism," in my view, entails both the obviously strange elements of the story (i.e. the bug thing) and the less obviously strange stuff--the ways the family seems just a little off, the strangeness of the three bearded roomers, and the general air of absurdity that permeates the story. The tension between the dreamlike elements and the rhythms of daily life are central to the strangeness, so that it all seems unnerving and dreamlike.
ReplyDeleteAnd it's funny that you note that there's no "media attention"--what an early 21st-century way to see it! (The Samsas of 2013 would be posting photos of Gregor on Facebook.) But you're right, the story could have gone in a totally different direction, with the family exploiting Gregor as a sideshow at the carnival.