Discussion: “The Metamorphosis”

My apologies for any confusion, and for my delay in posting. Since our schedule is a bit off, with Wednesday following a Monday schedule, you don’t have a homework post until after this online discussion.

For our discussion this week, let’s think about our experience reading Franz Kafka’s “The Metamorphosis” by each focusing our comment through a particular passage. Some possible topics to address here:

How do you deal with the outrageous situation presented in “The Metamorphosis”? Does it help to read “The Metamorphosis” metaphorically? What does metaphorically mean? If “Young Goodman Brown” can be read as an allegory (refer “Elements of Fiction” for a description of allegory and allegorical fiction), can “The Metamorphosis” as well?

When you think of “The Metamorphosis,” can you picture it? Do you have a visual sense of the story? What provides that sense, or what would you need to have that sense if you don’t? After you consider that, you might compare the sense of the visual to other stories we’ve read so far. Or you might compare what you’ve envisioned with this short video featuring images from a graphic-novel adaptation of “The Metamorphosis.”

“The Metamorphosis” is translated from Kafka’s German “Die Verwandlung.” As you read, especially as you pay particular attention to the ways the story is crafted using particular words, consider that the words are the choice of a translator. If you are comfortable writing in another language, try translating your favorite passage from “The Metamorphosis” into that language to share with the class. Or, if you can read German, look online for a copy in German and try to translate a passage into English. What kinds of choices did you need to make to translate that passage? Is there anything that isn’t exactly the same as the version you read? Commenters who can read that language, what do you think about the translation, and would you have made the same choices?

There is a word, kafkaesque, based on Kafka’s writing. What do you guess it would mean, and why, based on reading “The Metamorphosis”? After you guess, look for the definition. Explain using details from “The Metamorphosis” why that’s the definition of the word. (Kafka’s is not the only author to have his name turned into an adjective, but it’s one more widely used outside of an English class. Faulknerian  is also a word, but with a narrower usage).

I look forward to this discussion with you!

11 thoughts on “Discussion: “The Metamorphosis””

  1. When I started to read Metamorphosis, I simply could not put the text down. It was so interesting that I was anticipating the next scene. I was reading it through a board view and not a metamorphic lense, so I could only imagine Gregor Samsa transforming into a literal insect. I was so shocked and repulsed by it, all I could think of was Jeff Goldblum playing as the genius scientist Seth Brundle who turns into a fly in The Fly (1986). Throughout the text, Gregor’s new identity is being shown, from “all his little legs moving in different directions” (Page I, p.10), from him “eating inedible, rotten cheese and vegetables” that people would discard in their trash bin (Page II, p.7), having an antenna (Page II, p.1), and Gregor “crawling up the walls and ceilings” (Page II, p.20). I could just imagine Gregor as being a huge bug, like The Fly, that cause horror every time he was seen. He was becoming such a burden and a pest to his family that they all wanted him to leave. Even his close sister was referring to Gregor as a “monster” and that the family “should get rid of it,” the “it” meaning Gregor (Page III, p.18).
    If the story had ended in a different way, maybe I would have seen the transformation of Gregor as a metaphor. Maybe the transformation of Gregor could have been about his family, his personality, his job, or anything pertaining to his life but the story ends with the family being happy that Gregor has perished. They felt elated that the burden of Gregor had been lifted off their shoulders and they were ready to move on with the next chapter of their life, which included moving to a new home and leaving the past behind them. Moreover, there were not any symbols in the text to show that Gregor’s transformation was a metaphor. Overall, this text was really Kafkaesque, meaning very bizarre, and having a nightmarishly complex or an illogical quality to it (Merriam-Webster).

    1. I totally agree with you that if the story had ended in a different way I would’ve seen the change of Gregor as a metaphor. Reading it metaphorically means that you cannot take it literally that Gregor really turned into an insect. The insect that he turned into could mean something else in the story. When the story started, I thought it was a metaphor that he was tired of working for his travel career and that he just could not get out of bed. Maybe he was dreaming or maybe he really was sick and he could not provide for the family anymore. Throughout the entire story, I kept waiting for some hint that it was a metaphor but I couldn’t find any. When the story ended, it left me extremely thirsty for more. Gregor couldn’t have just wilted away.

      Kafkaesque has the author’s last name, Kafka in it. I’ve read some of Franz Kafka’s short stories before. Similar to Metamorphosis, the short stories were all extremely BIZARRE. That is the one word I would use to describe his books. Webster dictionary defines Kafkaesque as of, relating to, or suggestive of Franz Kafka or his writings; especially : having a nightmarishly complex, bizarre, or illogical quality http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/kafkaesque
      The bizarre and nightmarish way that Kafka writes makes me wonder how was his life and how did he live in order to produce such spooky stories.

      On a final note, I noticed how elated the family was when Gregor died as well. Despite his transformation, it should not change the memories they had together, as well as the family bond that they shared!

  2. After reading “The Metamorphosis,” I’m completely flabbergasted from Gregor turning into an insect As Stephanie mentioned, I too didn’t read this story in a metaphorical view. A metaphor is a figure of speech in which a term or phrase is applied to something to which it is not literally applicable in order to suggest a resemblance (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/metaphor). Similarly to “Young Goodman Brown,” this story can be read as an allegory. Perhaps he never actually transformed into an insect. What if he just perceived himself of being an insect and in reality he was just depressed from his job or his family.

  3. “The Metamorphosis” was a pretty interesting read. The way Kafka wrote made the story seem very realistic. It made me imagine Gregors’ appearance and his actions inside the room he was confined to. The story almost seemed like a nightmare which brings me to the word, “kafkaesque” which is a word based on Kafka’s writing. Since his writing sounds and feels like a nightmares, I would say without looking means something that relates to nightmares. If not, then maybe it means something surreal or realistic yet impossible. In my opinion, compared to the other stories we read, I’d say this felt more real and it’s something that would drag a reader into the story. Hey who knows, maybe we’ll end up having a dream/nightmare about this.

  4. I think “The Metamorphosis” is a very interesting story that drags the readers’ attention by providing with visual sense and excitement. When I was reading and thinking that it would be a nightmare and eager to know what would happen at the end of the story. There are many descriptions that help me to imagine Gregor’s transformation are in (page 1, para 1)“ he lay on his armour-like back, brown belly, slightly domed and divided by arches into stiff sections” “ His many legs, pitifully thin compared with the size of the rest of him, waved about helplessly as he looked” and (page 2, para2) “ he threw himself onto his right, he always rolled back to where he was” (Page 3, para3) “ all those little legs continuously moving in different directions and which he was moreover unable to control”. According to the Merriam Webster, the meaning of the word “metaphor” is a word or phrase for one thing that is used to refer to another thing in order to show or suggest that they are similar or an object, activity, or idea that is used as a symbol of something else. I think the narrator uses the transformation and adaptation of Gregor’s new life (as an insect to learn the way to move, eat and adapt the environment) as a metaphor for the transformation and adaptation of the new life of his family members dealing with financial problem and taking responsibilities of the family, but not the way he treated his family before his transformation and his family treated him back after his transformation. Especially for his sister since she is still a child when Gregor was the breadwinner and as he describe her as “wearing nice clothes, sleeping late, helping out in the housekeeping, going out to a few modest entertainments, and above all playing the violin” (pg 13) and then transforms into a girl who is going out to earn money, providing family, having responsibilities to care Gregor and becoming a mature person due to the needs of the family. Gregor describe his father as “a tired man, used to be lying in his bed, who was hardly even able to stand up” (pg 17) before his transformation is also turned into “standing up straight enough, dressed in a smart blue uniform” (pg 17) working to support the family became a strong man who treated Gregor as his enemy by throwing apples which can take Gregor’s life. At last, all his family members turn out to be happy or transform to be a happy family without Gregor.
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  5. In the reading “The Metamorphosis” it came off very interesting, it felt realistic like u can actually picture what’s going on when it coming to the setting. When Gregor was transforming into an insect u actually can picture that. (Page 3paragraph3) “all those little legs continuously moving in many direction and which he was moreover unable to control” this u can actually picture like a baby deer learning to walk no real control of something new. According to Cambridge Dictionary “metaphor” an expression that describes and object or a person by referring to something that is consider to possess similar characteristics. I believe the narrator showed transformation him turning into and insect and adaption for him learning to life changes with his family and (job)life situation. Then in the first sentence in the beginning of the story it states “one morning,when Gregor woke from troubled dreams”. What if this is all a dreams from belong overwhelmed and stressed.

    1. I also thought that it must’ve been a dream! When the story’s first line started with him ‘waking up from a troubled dream’, I immediately thought that he was not really transformed into an insect. It was all just a dream because of lack of sleep or because he’s so tired from traveling so much. It was kind of like a cliff-hanger when Gregor died as an insect and then the story ends. I was really waiting for them to tell me it was just a dream or that is was just a metaphor.

  6. When I began reading “The Metamorphosis”, I had to reread the first two pages to make sure that I was reading into the story correctly, and that he had in fact turned into an insect. I was immediately repulsed, as I have a serious phobia of creepy crawly insects! I have to agree with Stephanie’s previous post. I immediately thought of the movie “The Fly” with Jeff Goldblum. I remember watching the movie with my father, and being so scared at his transformation and having that picture in my head for weeks. In reading about his transformation, I immediately recalled scenes from that movie and put it to use in imagining Gregor. I think that it’s easier to see the story in the form of an allegory, rather then metaphorically. The story could be interpreted in many ways. Maybe Gregor did really turn into an insect, and if he did, he was treated harshly by everyone he encountered and only his sister, Grete, and his mother showed him a flicker of kindness and tolerance. When their financial situation was becoming grave they decided that they had to be rid of him
 How ironic that he could have done the same to them. In the beginning of the story, Gregor talks about how tired he is of being a salesman and how hard he works. He is working to support his family and clear his parents debts with his employer. Maybe his family was not physically handicapped as he was, but were they not handicap in some capability? Could he not dispose of them and continue to live his life without the burden of his family? Of course he could have, but he stood by them and helped them. At the first test of loyalty to Gregor they can only tolerate him for a short time. Maybe the metaphor of the story is that one can never be sure that loyalty and kindness will be returned.

    I often find it hard to translate books or movies into another language. I am fluent in Spanish and recently, I watched a miniseries from Spain, and had the English subtitles turned on. I noticed that much of the translation was off, but then thought to myself that it is hard to translate some words and endearments from Spanish to English.

    When I saw the word “Kafkaesque” I thought of something like magic. It sounds like a word that carries weight.

    The Merriam Webster definition for Kafkaesque – of, relating to, or suggestive of Franz Kafka or his writings; especially : having a nightmarishly complex, bizarre, or illogical quality.

    This word is an apt description of the story in which this man awakes to find himself removed of his previous human form to now be an insect, is, in fact, bizarre and nightmarish. How many times have people had a terrible dream and woken up from it, scared and shaken, and need a moment to realize that it was just a dream and are able to go back to sleep? Imagine a horrible nightmare actually being a reality and what a true nightmare that would be.

  7. The Metamorphosis was ideally a descriptive story. I also cannot believe that this human actually turn into a bug. I thought towards the end of the story he was going to wake up from a bad dream, and tell his family his horrible nightmare. However, I have come up with the idea that one of the narrator ideas of the story was to show the audience how things can change overnight. You can go from this important stabilize person to nothing which was what had happen in this story. Gregor woke up the next day morphed into a bug/insect. I felt this was a way the narrator showed this character coming from this significant person (big) to not being able to provide or give for his family at all (little creature) due to his inefficiency. Unfortunately, after this incident Gregor dies. Although, his family was able to manage themselves financially and was able to move on their lives as if Gregor had never exists. Maybe life has rendered Gregor’s insignificant to make a better lives for his so called “family”. This can be a message to show or teach us the demands of life can sometimes leave us insignificant to better the purpose of someone or something else.

  8. Whole reading The metamorphosis, I found my self addicted to the story for a few reasons but none more significant than its visual illustrations and its suspense. Also due to the lack of knowledge that was deliberately left out, of how events unfolded drive me to carry on by later proved to be a search for fools gold. In The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafk’s, we find a young man by the name of Gregor that happened to be in a particularly unusual situation. The story starts with Gregor struggling to get out of bed while at the same time becoming further behind in getting to work on time. This was quickly realized to be impossibly in his current and unknown situation. When the titles of the story came to mind, it gave me strong visual support for the continuation of the story in how Gregor may be experiencing his new world. While reading, the title insisted that the weird description that were presenting them selves had a more devious origin and could only be fount through continues reading. For example the author stated in the first paragraph “His many legs, pitifully thin compared with the size of the rest of him, waved about helplessly as he looked”. This showed that there was something extremely unusual taking place which be brought the title back to mind. This also showed how the author creates scenes with the use of the title and small descriptions versus the use of any metaphors to give the reader a better visual sense of Gregor’s condition.

  9. A metaphor is a figure of speech that uses something to present symbolism within a story. One case The Metamorphosis used a metaphor is when it depicted the main character, protagonist Gregor, as a bug. Throughout the story we follow him as he experiences his new form and how it affects his life and also his family. The author used the bug metaphor really well and made it easy to understand what points she wanted to convey. Bugs are sometimes viewed as pest and an annoyance, some traits Gregor could have. For example, In part II of the story, Gregor’s family seemed to be doing well with Gregor being isolated in his room, not being involved with his family, except for his sister, Grete. Before he transformed, Gregor was sending money to his parents because they were in debt and they weren’t physically well enough to work. When Gregor was unable to work because of his new body, his father got a job at the bank. He looked healthier and more confident than before. As soon as Gregor scares his mother when they were moving out his furniture, his father fights with him. Later on, the father became depressed and started slacking off with his job. Gregor’s ‘reintroduction’ into his family’s life caused conflict. Even he felt guilty about the problems that his family were going through.

    In Young Goodman Brown, the characters, setting, and character actions represented a different situation that the original story depicted. I believe Metamorphosis can be read as an allegory. After analyzing the story, I think it could be read as a man that’s a burden to his family(Gregor). They try to help him, but as time passes they can’t stand being around him(Grete) because nothing good happens when he’s present. When the family gets away from him(Gregor’s death), they try to start a new life.

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