Preview

How Did Franz Kafka's Metamorphosis Grow

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1276 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
How Did Franz Kafka's Metamorphosis Grow
What would you do if the only person who provided for the family suddenly turned into a bug? In the novella, The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka, the relationship between Gregor and his younger sister, Grete, was incredibly strong before Gregor turned into a bug. Throughout the story, Gregor talks about how much he loves his sister and how strong of a bond they have with each other, but after Gregor turned into a bug, that bond eventually came to an end. Before their bond officially ended, there was a time where Gregor developed feelings for his younger sister, Grete. As the novella grows, Gregor’s love for his sister goes from caring to becoming an obsession. After his bug transformation, Gregor transitions from having human thoughts to thinking …show more content…
The words chosen after Grete stops talking to Gregor gets more luscious. For example, when Gregor is hidden in his dark bedroom, he watched Grete play her violin. He talks about how he wants to take her away from all the lodgers and lock her away in his room with him (971). This symbolizes Gregor wanting to protect her from any other man and locking her up in his room to keep her for himself. It’s almost like putting a toy back in your toy box because it belongs to you and not to anyone else. Having thoughts of keeping his sister in his room builds up his obsession with her. Also, Gregor describes his sister’s music as a “sustenance he had unknowingly desired” (971). The word choice “desired” is used to describe how he feels about his sister. It’s a word to describe something that someone needs or wants in a luscious way. The music that Grete plays could symbolize the sound a female insect would make when trying to find the right male to mate. When Gregor felt “gripped” by the music, he thought of it as a mating call coming from the violin his sister. In addition, to Gregor talking about wanting to keep Grete in his room, he also explained how he planned on telling her about his plan of sending her to the conservatory. Filled with joy, he thought that “kissing her neck” could be a part of their celebration. (972) It’s unusual to desire to kiss your sister on the neck. It’s usually something that’s done when two significant others are participating in intercourse and in this case, Gregor and Grete are siblings and not with each other. This symbolizes how Gregor didn’t care if Grete was his sister; Gregor only saw that she was the only one providing for him so felt emotionally attached to her as a boyfriend would to a girlfriend. When Grete started to ignore Gregor, maybe he missed what she would do for him and that could’ve given him ideas to fantasize about her. Without the presence of his sister,
Continue Reading
View Writing Issues

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Summary Of Franz Kafka's Metamorphosis
    • 239 Words
    • 1 Page

    Summary Of Franz Kafka's Metamorphosis

    Franz Kafka’s “The Metamorphosis” is a nightmarish tale with a very straightforward, matter-of-fact style, and this style enhances its nightmarish quality. An example of this is found in paragraph, which states, “His many legs, pitifully thin when compared with the size of the rest of him, waved about helplessly as he looked.” When describing this scene, the narrator definitely uses illustrative words, but does not have the disgusted tone one would expect from a story like this. The narrator speaks in an emptier way, which helps magnify the eerie feeling of the work. Both it and Gregor act very removed from the events, not how a normal human would react. Another instance of this is, “So then he tried to get the top part of his body out of bed…

    • 239 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Analysis Of Franz Kafka's Metamorphosis
    • 329 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Analysis Of Franz Kafka's Metamorphosis

    In the Metamorphosis,Gregor must work to support his family after they lost the company and lost all their money. One morning he wakes up and discovers he is a vermin. The first thing that occurs to him when he discovers this is how will he get to work and that his boss will come to his house and demand that Gregor come to work, meanwhile Gregor is locked in his room unable to get out of bed because he is a bug. Finally he is able to get out of bed, but the boss is gone the time he gets up. His family sees him and is disgusted and shocked by his transformatio. His sister brings him food and cares for him like no one in his family ever has, but even she becomes disgusted with him after a while. They all ignore Gregor. At one point Gregor is…

    • 329 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    How Does Gregor's Metamorphosis Change
    • 651 Words
    • 3 Pages

    How Does Gregor's Metamorphosis Change

    At first, she takes care of her brother Gregor because of sympathy, then ultimately her pity toward Gregor slowly diminished, which then she finds interesting in taking a job to help the family financially. At the end of the story, while looking at Grete, the parents cognize that their daughter turned into a woman, and would soon be able to find a husband, starting a better life. “It seemed to them almost a confirmation of their new dreams and good intentions when their daughter swiftly sprang to her feet and stretched her young body.”(433)The quote inferred that Grete has experienced her metamorphosis of being mature which she will start a new chapter in her life, taking more responsibilities of the family, and stretched her body for the family’s…

    • 651 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Analysis Of Franz Kafka's The Metamorphosis
    • 288 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Analysis Of Franz Kafka's The Metamorphosis

    In “The Metamorphosis” by Franz Kafka, the style enhances the nightmarish quality of the work. The text states, “It took just as much effort to get back to where he had been earlier, but when he lay there sighing, and was once more watching his legs as they struggled against each other even harder than before, it that was possible, he could think of no way of bringing peace and order to this chaos,” (Kafka 12). This is interesting because the situation that Gregor is in is extremely scary and unusual, and the calm language used makes the event seem like a normal occurrence. Although one would think that Kafka would use chilling and disturbing language to describe these events, that is not what he did. The emotionless tone of the story confuses…

    • 288 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Analysis Of The Metamorphosis By Franz Kafka
    • 254 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Analysis Of The Metamorphosis By Franz Kafka

    In “The Metamorphosis” By Franz Kafka, the style enhances the nightmarish quality of the work in many ways. This quote from line 304-306 can be used to illustrate this when Gregor says, “I’ll open up immediately, just a moment. I’m slightly unwell, an attack of dizziness. I haven’t been able to get up.” These lines from the text show that Kafka describes this nightmare in a simple style. Gregor has completely transformed from a human into a vermin yet he treats the situation as if it could happen to anyone, and he still attempts to complete his normal responsibilities. Gregor thinks his transformation is simply a cold, and Kafka describes it very blankly, leaving it open to interpretation by the reader which in turn shows how horrifying the…

    • 254 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Gregor Samsa Chapter 1 Summary
    • 1337 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Gregor Samsa Chapter 1 Summary

    He sees how much energy his family puts into him just because of his newfound situation. Gregor does his best to adjust to his new ways of life by learning more about himself, and also about his new form of outward appearance. Gregor not only looks back on himself and his new insect body, but he reflects also on his family relationship, as well as realizing how both him and his parents have now drifted further apart than before, as opposed to him and his sister’s relationship, which remains a strong bond no matter the situation. Gregor changes some of his habits as a repercussion to how he sees his family working hardly to maintain his life. In an effort to not be so much of a burden, Gregor devises a plan so his family does not have to do so much for him.…

    • 1337 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    The Metamorphosis By Franz Kafka Analysis
    • 330 Words
    • 2 Pages

    The Metamorphosis By Franz Kafka Analysis

    The nightmarish quality of “The Metamorphosis,” by Franz Kafka, is enhanced by the straight forward -almost academic- nature of the writing. One such example of this occurs on page 93, reading, ““What’s happened to me?” [Gregor] thought. It wasn’t a dream. His room, a proper human room, although a little too small, lay peacefully between its four familiar walls.”(Kafka) From thereon, he abandons the description of his transformation to describe the room and previous night. As the audience reads this, they are thrown by the sudden shift of topic, still wondering what has happened. The fact that most works put an emphasis on the “why?” makes the reader expect an answer, developing their panic as it becomes less and less likely that there will…

    • 330 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Analysis Of The Metamorphosis By Kafka
    • 95 Words
    • 1 Page

    Analysis Of The Metamorphosis By Kafka

    As with any great literary work, there must be a purpose behind the story. Kafka’s short story was written for a few main reasons. He wanted to exemplify the absurdity of life, show that there is often a disconnect between the mind and body, and that there are limits to society’s affection for its servants. I found that all points appeared to be both relevant and accurate while maintaining the fantastical appeal of the strangeness of Gregor’s sudden transformation. I believe this contributes to why “The Metamorphosis” has made a lasting impact across the globe.…

    • 95 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Kafka's Transformation In The Metamorphosis
    • 555 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Kafka's Transformation In The Metamorphosis

    In The Metamorphasis, Kafka’s treatment of Gregor’s transformation demonstrates how beyond human control the natural world is. The human turning back into nature demonstrates a relationship between man and the environment. Throughout the novel there is, however, much talk of the cure and of acceptance, yet nature goes on unrelated to all talk of ways to change the situation.…

    • 555 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    A compare and contrast Analysis of Frank Kafka’s, The Metamorphosis and The Things They Carried.
    • 1069 Words
    • 4 Pages

    A compare and contrast Analysis of Frank Kafka’s, The Metamorphosis and The Things They Carried.

    A compare and contrast Analysis of Frank Kafka’s, The Metamorphosis and The Things They Carried.…

    • 1069 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Why Did Franz Lose His Life After Gregor's Transformation
    • 430 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Why Did Franz Lose His Life After Gregor's Transformation

    Metamorphosis If Gregor was to relive his life, he should try to escape the house instead of staying, since he brought the family down. When he became an insect, he lost his job, and the family no longer had a source of income, and they started to decline. However, keeping Gregor in the house meant the family couldn’t move to a cheaper home, seeing as they had no way to transport Gregor. Gregor’s father, his mother, and Grete all had to take on jobs and rent out Grete’s room to make enough money to stay stable. Grete was forced to clean Gregor’s room and feed him, as no one else would even try.…

    • 430 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Metamorphosis By Franz Kafka Character Analysis
    • 707 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Metamorphosis By Franz Kafka Character Analysis

    He is often worried how his family would take him in his hideous state, he often wondered, would they accept him? “They were cleaning out his room, taking away from him everything he cherished; they had already dragged out the chest of drawers in which the fret saw and other tools were kept, and they were now loosening the writing desk which was fixed tight to the floor, the desk on which he, as a business student, a school student, indeed even as an elementary school student, had written out his assignments… He squatted on his picture and did not hand it over.” (Kafka 57, 58) As a result, even though he knows he would feel more physically comfortable if his room were emptied of furniture, allowing him to crawl anywhere he pleased, Gregor panics when Grete and his mother are taking out the furniture, such as the writing desk he remembers doing all his assignments at as a boy. In a desperate attempt to hold onto the few reminders he has of his humanity, he clings to the picture of the woman muffled in fur so that no one will take it away.…

    • 707 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Isolation In Franz Kafka's Metamorphosis
    • 530 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Isolation In Franz Kafka's Metamorphosis

    Isolation of a person is the act of distancing a person from society. Gregor Samsa wakes up one day to see he has mutated into a vermin, and now can no longer be the central income producer. Gregor then tries to distance himself from his family due to the fact that the mother faints almost every time she sees him, and they are revolted by him. Possibly for the sake of his family or society, Gregor has always been isolated.…

    • 530 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Gregor Samsa Abusive
    • 460 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Gregor Samsa Abusive

    What would you do if you were transformed into a beetle overnight? This very thing happened to Gregor Samsa one rainy night. When Gregor turned into a beetle, his family ended up not wanting anything to do with him. This led to his father being abusive toward him. Gregors father was physically, mentally, emotionally abusive to him ever since the transformation.…

    • 460 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    How Did Franz Kafka Metamorphosis Change
    • 993 Words
    • 4 Pages

    How Did Franz Kafka Metamorphosis Change

    It is more likely that Kafka uses these characters as a reflection of his own guilt. He invests a range of emotions —anger, fear, indifference—in the characters to depict the reactions he'd imagined he'd receive as a response to his condition. While Kafka's transition was not entirely tortuous—shown by Gregor's reaction to his sister's violin playing, symbolizing new found enjoyment —ultimately Kafka felt helpless as evidenced by the escape he provides himself through Gregor,…

    • 993 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More

Related Topics