Grete, Gregor's sister, may go through the most dramatic and genuine change in the entire novel. Whereas the father merely reverts back to adopting the roles that he is supposed to fulfill and did at an earlier point in the family's history, and the mother simply succumbs to her emotional weaknesses that were already present, the direction of Grete's psychological and emotional development is dramatically altered because of Gregor's transformation. Grete was on her way to growing up completely dependent upon her brother. His secret desire to send her to a conservatory to study violin may or may not have been her desire as well, but her devotion to her brother would likely have inspired her to follow his wishes especially since he was taking on the entire financial burden of her education. Grete is the only one to find the strength to directly deal with Gregor in his new form, and her newfound responsibility elevates her to a place of importance in the family, whereas she was just a child before.
Grete's self-appointed expert status on Gregor and his condition allows her to control the situation as best as anyone could. It is she that determines when the family has had enough and should rid themselves of the burden. Again, it is she that finds the most psychologically gentle way for the family to come to this decision by asserting that this creature is no longer her brother and so no one would ever fault any of the family for wishing him gone or attempting to rid themselves of the situation. Her revelation and decision making is what brings about the denouement of the novel and of the family.
It is at this point that Gregor's family has worked themselves into a strong unit consisting of self-sufficient individuals. Gregor's transformation allows every single one of them that their reliance on Gregor was never necessary and that...
Metamorphosis Gregor Samsa, the man-turned-insect central character in Franz Kafka's the Metamorphosis, leads readers to question: who is truly in need of help? Clearly, Gregor needs help with returning to his human form, but other than that he is extremely unassuming and dedicated to taking care of his family. He never misses a day of work at his stressful job, and even when he finds himself transformed into a giant, grotesque
The idea of the communication failure between Gregor and his family is emphasized through the use of a very powerful metaphor, i.e. The doors in Gregor's room. Gregor's room is both a safe retreat and a place of complete isolation from his family, similarly to how the author himself took refuge from his father in his room. In fact, Gregor's room can be deconstructed as a symbol for Kafka's
When Grete first saw Gregor, she was in denial. Gregor's metamorphosis was like being confronted by sudden death. On the other hand, Gregor's continued presence defied the grieving process. He was dead; but he was not gone. Grete could not come to terms with the loss of her brother because in order to accept this loss, Gregor had to be physically removed. That he was not removed caused anguish
Specific events in the story reflect this posthuman and postmodernist change in form and thought of the individual, characterized by Samsa. The first incident of posthuman change and acceptance was when Samsa's family had just discovered his metamorphosis. While Samsa questioned his transformation at first, after some time, he felt comfortable with the change himself: "…for the first time that day, he began to feel alright with his body…and he
Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka Why did Vladimir Nabokov -- a brilliant, respected and often-quoted novelist, best known perhaps for his classic novel, Lolita -- do a razor-sharp editing job on Kafka's The Metamorphosis? And what is the meaning and the motivation behind Nabokov's intervention into the classic Kafka short story? This paper reviews Kafka's iconic short story and delves into the way in which Nabokov has editorially changed the direction and
Metamorphosis and Frankenstein No Eve soothed my sorrows, nor shared my thoughts; I was alone. I remembered Adam's supplication to his Creator. But where was mine? He had abandoned me: and, in the bitterness of my heart, I cursed him." (Marry Shelly Frankenstein) Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka and Frankenstein by Marry Shelly perhaps two of the most brilliant stories in English literature, Shelly and Kafka touch the sensitive issue of human relationship
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