Social Commentary in "The Metamorphosis"
"The Metamorphosis" is a social commentary about mankind more than a story about anything else. Through Gregor and his transformation, Kafka addresses many issues that make the story timeless. Kafka uses the theme of appearances to make a point about the basic nature of man. His family's reaction to his altered state is one of shock but it is telling when it comes to human behavior. The resulting alienation Gregor feels is also significant to the development of the story because even in our extremely connected world, alienation is a problem. These issues force us to look at the human condition and reconsider what is important, even though we think we already know what that is. Kafka knew the days at work might be long but life is short.
Kafka emphasizes the theme of alienation with the story. Gregor's transformation immediately sets him apart and forces him to live in solitude and rejection. Alienation is a powerful message in the play because through it, Gregor must look at his life and everything it means to him. He has time to stop and think about the long hours he spends working and this makes him realize how exhausting the process became over the years. He realizes how many hours he spent working and he also comes to the conclusion that getting out of bed early in the morning "makes one stupid" (Kafka 742). His so-called friends were simply "casual acquaintances that are always new" (742) and not true friends. Gregor stays with his job because he is working to pay off his family's debt and his dream is to be free from that in about five years. He remains committed to his job because he is helping to pay off his family's debt. His hope is to be free from his job in about five years, after which he can cut himself "completely loose" (741)....
In the beginning of the story, Erendira must "bathe and overdress her grandmother, scrub the floors, cook lunch, and polish the crystal ware" (Marquez) every day. Erendira endures a difficult life for a fourteen-year-old girl, considering she was "too meek for her age" (Marquez). The life her grandmother makes her live is inhumane as she attempts to make Erendira pay for her mistake with prostitution. Erendira's prince does not
Things Fall Apart repudiates imperialist and colonialist ideology almost goes without saying and is one of the primary underlying purposes and themes of the novel (Osei-Nyame, 1999, p. 148). Things Fall Apart is so much more than an anti-colonialist novel or even a post-colonialist one. The novel conveys complex moral ambiguities that plague human societies whatever their ethnicity or geographic location. Okonkwo is a fierce, unyielding, patriarchal hero whose
Psychopathology in Popular Film; "A Clockwork Orange" Psychology -- Abnormal Psychopathology symptoms have been analyzed through various movies but the movie "A Clockwork Orange" has raised several deep philosophical questions that are still unanswered. This movie reflected the dilemma that an increase in moral leads to a decrease in freedom. The dualistic society is beautifully portrayed in this movie only consists of victims and perpetrators. The purpose of this term paper
Balzac and Kafka: From Realism to Magical Realism French author Honore de Balzac defined the genre of realism in the early 19th century with his novel Old Man Goriot, which served as a cornerstone for his more ambitious project, The Human Comedy. Old Man Goriot also served as a prototype for realistic novels, with its setting of narrative parameters which included plot, structure, characterization, and point-of-view. The 20th century, however, digressed
For example, his parents feel no paternal instincts toward their son at all - his mother "fell on the floor" (Kafka 20) at the sight of and his father "covered his eyes with his hands and wept until his great chest heaved" (20). His sister also allows his appearance to get the best of her as she tries to convince the family to "try to get rid of it"
We actually feel that we are there, one of the spectators, experiencing the story along with Procne and Philomela. Titus lacks these specificities and cultural details. Similarities, however, may be found in other elements. The imagery in both narratives is rich. Both Ovid and Shakespeare have a penchant for enlivening the passages with verbal imagery, particularly in the forms of simile and metaphor. Tamora's praise of the forest alludes to
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