"Metamorphosis" Alienation Essay
" Metamorphosis" by Franz Kafka
Alienation Essay
Alienation is the primary theme in Kafka's The Metamorphosis. Much of early twentieth-century literature makes as its basic premise that man is alienated from his fellow humans and forced to work in dehumanizing jobs in order to survive. There is no choice for most in this matter.
Gregor Samsa, the protagonist in The Metamorphosis, "awakes" from a "dream" to find he has become an insect. He wonders what happened, and tells himself it is not a dream. I think that is exactly what it is; a dream, or rather a nightmare. I think Samsa's feelings of isolation and alienation, from modern society and family, have caused him to lose touch with reality. Gregor's physical isolation from the outside world, by staying in his room when at home, and while traveling, staying in rented hotel rooms, shows his general alienation from modern society, which expects him to work hard, which he has done.
I believe the whole story is played out in Gregor's head. I also think that his break with reality has caused him to be physically ill as well. That would explain his deterioration physically as well as mentally and why his family cannot bear to look at him. It also explains their ill treatment of him. The mentally ill, at that time in society, were usually locked up in sanitariums or hidden away in family homes, as Gregor was hidden. Only when he was deemed to be timid and docile was his door left open. His loss of language could be a result of the mental illness, and this would lead his family to believe he could not understand them because he could not communicate with them.
We learn that Gregor wishes to quit his job and be free of family obligations, of which he bears the total financial responsibility, because his father lost his business. Gregor also loses a love relationship wherein he could find intimacy with another human and perhaps father children to alleviate his loneliness. Becoming an insect frees
Alienation Essay
Alienation is the primary theme in Kafka's The Metamorphosis. Much of early twentieth-century literature makes as its basic premise that man is alienated from his fellow humans and forced to work in dehumanizing jobs in order to survive. There is no choice for most in this matter.
Gregor Samsa, the protagonist in The Metamorphosis, "awakes" from a "dream" to find he has become an insect. He wonders what happened, and tells himself it is not a dream. I think that is exactly what it is; a dream, or rather a nightmare. I think Samsa's feelings of isolation and alienation, from modern society and family, have caused him to lose touch with reality. Gregor's physical isolation from the outside world, by staying in his room when at home, and while traveling, staying in rented hotel rooms, shows his general alienation from modern society, which expects him to work hard, which he has done.
I believe the whole story is played out in Gregor's head. I also think that his break with reality has caused him to be physically ill as well. That would explain his deterioration physically as well as mentally and why his family cannot bear to look at him. It also explains their ill treatment of him. The mentally ill, at that time in society, were usually locked up in sanitariums or hidden away in family homes, as Gregor was hidden. Only when he was deemed to be timid and docile was his door left open. His loss of language could be a result of the mental illness, and this would lead his family to believe he could not understand them because he could not communicate with them.
We learn that Gregor wishes to quit his job and be free of family obligations, of which he bears the total financial responsibility, because his father lost his business. Gregor also loses a love relationship wherein he could find intimacy with another human and perhaps father children to alleviate his loneliness. Becoming an insect frees