Main Themes of the MetamophosisMain Themes of the Metamophosis“What has happened to me? he thought.”(Kafka, 495) This quote is from the narrator in Kafka’s tale; The Metamorphosis, when Gregor Samsa wakes up and finds himself turned into a giant insect, and it was apparently not a dream. Gregor was a traveling salesman, he hated his job, but he was forced to stay in that business in order to pay his father’s debts to his boss, and maintain a comfortable lifestyle to his family. Kafka presents the metamorphosis event in an interesting way, when it seemed that Gregor was not shocked by the transformation, causing a little mystery, especially that Kafka did not provide any events prior to the metamorphosis scene. Several themes emerge in the story; however they all contribute to the main theme of alienation. The effect of financial pressure on social life, the struggle to satisfy family duties and the struggle for freedom; are all “secondary” themes that contributed to generate the “primary” theme of alienation.
In the average family, parents try to recognize their children and treat them all equally, but that was not the case with the Samsas, where they recognized their son Gregor no more than a source of income. When Gregor was not able to work anymore after the metamorphosis, the family rejected his existence as a bug and he was neglected and treated with cruelty. The effect of financial pressure on Gregor’s social life took place before the metamorphosis, because Gregor has devoted all his effort and time into his job to serve the family’s needs, in the meantime he ignored his social life, which lead to an extreme sense of alienation. From a personal interpretation, Kafka tries to present Gregor as a frustrated building block of the bureaucratic system, which leads to the belief that Kafka was criticizing bureaucracy and prove that it is alienating on a much larger scale than one person; rather it could alienate an entire society or even a nation.
But does he, like other writers, have a rational objection to government action or is he just a person simply reading Kafka’s script? (And does he speak or read from an author’s point of view?) The answer to this question is, he’s a writer who wants to be read; he doesn’t have a problem with government intervention, but he wants to avoid government action—as well as a problem with an author’s views on government intervention.
When Gregor first heard my argument that my work could be read, he was skeptical and moved. The essay that he was reading was entitled “Mapping the ‘Futurist’ Social Life of Father Gregor, The Great Family and The Alienation of Children.” It read much like the old one in which John Paul II was said to have been “futured” in the name of his “spiritual purity.” As another essay in the essay, Fanny Smith, points out, the narrator’s own words read out like a novel: “[T]his is an extreme form of isolation, and not only a ‘disgusting’ state of affairs, it makes for a great discomfiture.”
The book was a reaction to the alienation of many children during the second world war, including the four-year-olds whom I gave some of my most vivid descriptions of. Those children came home with little or no memory of the war and with a lot of the family being too tightly knit and isolated to be involved in any kind of political engagement. Their mother told them their father was a bureaucrat and they would not be allowed to see their parents, and their dad’s mother told her that they could be called back and asked to stay.
In my account, I described a moment in the story when a large group of mothers and fathers moved into a small house. The father was there and had two sets of windows in front of him, and he had been moved out of his house by the war on Germany. His house was filled with young girls, and he wanted the women to be his wife and mother (though the fathers were not his wives). The first man in the house was a young man, probably under 16. All the children were raised on their parents’ backs. My account states that once at school one of the primary elements of his mother’s plan was to leave them a house so that he could get away from her by telling her to stay. He wanted to stay for six months, so the parents were told to do that.
It is difficult to imagine how many children went through that process with their parents—perhaps more than the children who returned to their parents’ houses were. It is possible that some groups of children, in the late 1970s and early 1980s, returned to their parents when they did not feel ready for their mothers’ roles. Yet at least 10 to 15 of those mothers, not only of the children they had left but so many of the ones at home, felt that their parents’ decision was a matter of social disapproval and wanted to get away. If the fathers had come for their children as the children of God’s Chosen, what was the meaning of the father’s action?
I see my own book as offering both reasons for the book’s review and arguments.
If Gregor’s narrative could be read in this way and without the intervention of any “bad” writer, in which the father’s family could be a source of his social power, there is an alternative interpretation of Samsas history that argues for his inclusion as a character. There are four generations of the family; there is an ancient version written when there were only nine children.
Many of these children felt excluded from
The reader is left with the following thoughts.
First, I would like to point out that Kafka’s vision of a future that would be more like his present one is far from an ideal one and is, unfortunately, inconsistent with the present present of this country.
Second, I would like to point out that the social status of the average family is inextricably tied to the overall prosperity of the nation.
Third, I would like to point out that most problems, although common, result from an overall lack of leadership, social harmony and community engagement, especially in some areas such as the health of the environment. If our future is about economic development or social harmony, we want people to lead a healthier life as they are at their most optimistic, which is why the American success story, by any metric, isn’t an ideal one.
Lastly, many who are interested in an alternative vision of a “new American nation” who live above a broken and dysfunctional political system and lack leadership, would like to suggest that the present America is the “real American” or that we should focus on the past or hope that the future might be better.
Finally, and most importantly, I would like to highlight an issue I have not covered adequately enough and that really needs to be noted here, which is the fundamental lack of political will in this country right now, that has led to a current presidential election being won by a president who has the worst governing record of any incumbent and yet the only one actually standing to take the helm (though there’s a very good chance that a presidential run is possible for him). I have a lot of respect for this senator; he knows much about the world, but he doesn’t know enough about his own campaign and to how he handles it. However, he should be looking for his own path. By running for office that would put him in control of his own affairs not only in the first year after his election, but over the coming years. Of course, a successful President will seek to win back the Senate and have all of the legislative and legislative chambers in Congress (although many in Congress oppose it). It’s not possible for a President to run for office if the public are unaware of his or her party-base. It’s a political liability. I do believe that there should be an honest attempt in this country to educate the public about just how bad he is with power, and I’ll be very eager to hear from the public, along with his or her fellow citizens in the coming years on how they can do better.
I hope that we’ll be able to see how the politics of the future are shaping up and this government will work harder to meet this challenge. I know how people feel when that comes up during the campaign, whether you agree with everything they say about American politics in general, or you don’t. I’m just happy we’ve got someone who doesn’t get involved in politics. I hope I’ve helped your campaign and they will be as successful as I hope they will be in helping you.
You should read my piece here.
Also by Lisa
Lisa
The reader is left with the following thoughts.
First, I would like to point out that Kafka’s vision of a future that would be more like his present one is far from an ideal one and is, unfortunately, inconsistent with the present present of this country.
Second, I would like to point out that the social status of the average family is inextricably tied to the overall prosperity of the nation.
Third, I would like to point out that most problems, although common, result from an overall lack of leadership, social harmony and community engagement, especially in some areas such as the health of the environment. If our future is about economic development or social harmony, we want people to lead a healthier life as they are at their most optimistic, which is why the American success story, by any metric, isn’t an ideal one.
Lastly, many who are interested in an alternative vision of a “new American nation” who live above a broken and dysfunctional political system and lack leadership, would like to suggest that the present America is the “real American” or that we should focus on the past or hope that the future might be better.
Finally, and most importantly, I would like to highlight an issue I have not covered adequately enough and that really needs to be noted here, which is the fundamental lack of political will in this country right now, that has led to a current presidential election being won by a president who has the worst governing record of any incumbent and yet the only one actually standing to take the helm (though there’s a very good chance that a presidential run is possible for him). I have a lot of respect for this senator; he knows much about the world, but he doesn’t know enough about his own campaign and to how he handles it. However, he should be looking for his own path. By running for office that would put him in control of his own affairs not only in the first year after his election, but over the coming years. Of course, a successful President will seek to win back the Senate and have all of the legislative and legislative chambers in Congress (although many in Congress oppose it). It’s not possible for a President to run for office if the public are unaware of his or her party-base. It’s a political liability. I do believe that there should be an honest attempt in this country to educate the public about just how bad he is with power, and I’ll be very eager to hear from the public, along with his or her fellow citizens in the coming years on how they can do better.
I hope that we’ll be able to see how the politics of the future are shaping up and this government will work harder to meet this challenge. I know how people feel when that comes up during the campaign, whether you agree with everything they say about American politics in general, or you don’t. I’m just happy we’ve got someone who doesn’t get involved in politics. I hope I’ve helped your campaign and they will be as successful as I hope they will be in helping you.
You should read my piece here.
Also by Lisa
Lisa
The reader is left with the following thoughts.
First, I would like to point out that Kafka’s vision of a future that would be more like his present one is far from an ideal one and is, unfortunately, inconsistent with the present present of this country.
Second, I would like to point out that the social status of the average family is inextricably tied to the overall prosperity of the nation.
Third, I would like to point out that most problems, although common, result from an overall lack of leadership, social harmony and community engagement, especially in some areas such as the health of the environment. If our future is about economic development or social harmony, we want people to lead a healthier life as they are at their most optimistic, which is why the American success story, by any metric, isn’t an ideal one.
Lastly, many who are interested in an alternative vision of a “new American nation” who live above a broken and dysfunctional political system and lack leadership, would like to suggest that the present America is the “real American” or that we should focus on the past or hope that the future might be better.
Finally, and most importantly, I would like to highlight an issue I have not covered adequately enough and that really needs to be noted here, which is the fundamental lack of political will in this country right now, that has led to a current presidential election being won by a president who has the worst governing record of any incumbent and yet the only one actually standing to take the helm (though there’s a very good chance that a presidential run is possible for him). I have a lot of respect for this senator; he knows much about the world, but he doesn’t know enough about his own campaign and to how he handles it. However, he should be looking for his own path. By running for office that would put him in control of his own affairs not only in the first year after his election, but over the coming years. Of course, a successful President will seek to win back the Senate and have all of the legislative and legislative chambers in Congress (although many in Congress oppose it). It’s not possible for a President to run for office if the public are unaware of his or her party-base. It’s a political liability. I do believe that there should be an honest attempt in this country to educate the public about just how bad he is with power, and I’ll be very eager to hear from the public, along with his or her fellow citizens in the coming years on how they can do better.
I hope that we’ll be able to see how the politics of the future are shaping up and this government will work harder to meet this challenge. I know how people feel when that comes up during the campaign, whether you agree with everything they say about American politics in general, or you don’t. I’m just happy we’ve got someone who doesn’t get involved in politics. I hope I’ve helped your campaign and they will be as successful as I hope they will be in helping you.
You should read my piece here.
Also by Lisa
Lisa
The reader is left with the following thoughts.
First, I would like to point out that Kafka’s vision of a future that would be more like his present one is far from an ideal one and is, unfortunately, inconsistent with the present present of this country.
Second, I would like to point out that the social status of the average family is inextricably tied to the overall prosperity of the nation.
Third, I would like to point out that most problems, although common, result from an overall lack of leadership, social harmony and community engagement, especially in some areas such as the health of the environment. If our future is about economic development or social harmony, we want people to lead a healthier life as they are at their most optimistic, which is why the American success story, by any metric, isn’t an ideal one.
Lastly, many who are interested in an alternative vision of a “new American nation” who live above a broken and dysfunctional political system and lack leadership, would like to suggest that the present America is the “real American” or that we should focus on the past or hope that the future might be better.
Finally, and most importantly, I would like to highlight an issue I have not covered adequately enough and that really needs to be noted here, which is the fundamental lack of political will in this country right now, that has led to a current presidential election being won by a president who has the worst governing record of any incumbent and yet the only one actually standing to take the helm (though there’s a very good chance that a presidential run is possible for him). I have a lot of respect for this senator; he knows much about the world, but he doesn’t know enough about his own campaign and to how he handles it. However, he should be looking for his own path. By running for office that would put him in control of his own affairs not only in the first year after his election, but over the coming years. Of course, a successful President will seek to win back the Senate and have all of the legislative and legislative chambers in Congress (although many in Congress oppose it). It’s not possible for a President to run for office if the public are unaware of his or her party-base. It’s a political liability. I do believe that there should be an honest attempt in this country to educate the public about just how bad he is with power, and I’ll be very eager to hear from the public, along with his or her fellow citizens in the coming years on how they can do better.
I hope that we’ll be able to see how the politics of the future are shaping up and this government will work harder to meet this challenge. I know how people feel when that comes up during the campaign, whether you agree with everything they say about American politics in general, or you don’t. I’m just happy we’ve got someone who doesn’t get involved in politics. I hope I’ve helped your campaign and they will be as successful as I hope they will be in helping you.
You should read my piece here.
Also by Lisa
Lisa
After the metamorphosis, Gregor becomes useless to the family, he is alienated in his room where he could not be seen by anyone, and the only person who was able to go in and out of his room was his sister Grete, where she used to go in to bring food and clean the room. The family realized that their work horse does not exist anymore, so they all begin working, and therefore their interactions with each other decreased, and the family realized how the responsibilities and demands of jobs can be exhausting, and they knew how it could isolate human beings and disable them from establishing a social life.
These days, it is very rare and almost fascinating to see the son providing all the financial support for the family, but for Gregor this lifestyle was natural and it was one of the main reasons for his downfall. Prior to the metamorphosis, Gregor’s primary concern is to keep up with the family’s needs and pay his father’s debts and maybe send his sister to the Conservatory to learn the violin. This amount of duties became natural to Gregory, it became a major stress in his life, and he would even feel guilty if he can not be up to the expectations “The next train went at seven; to catch it he must hurry madly, and his collection of samples was not packed;” (Kafka, 496) despite the fact that he is a bug, he still wants to go to work in order to make money and help his family. Gregor’s concerns with the duties he was responsible for are related to the financial pressure situation; therefore it contributed to the same outcome, which is gaining more sense of alienation.
After the metamorphosis, Gregor is no longer able to keep up with the family’s expectations; but rather the family now has a new duty of taking care of their bug son. The family handles Gregor’s state with more isolation when they lock him up in his room, and the only thing he was receiving is food and some minor cleaning from his sister. But after a while, the family thought that they have given him enough care already, and the sister is frustrated by all duties she was doing, “I dont think anyone could reproach us in the slightest,” (Kafka, 527) she says as she suggests that they need to get rid of him. Ironically, we see that the people Gregor cares for and supports