Statement of Intent. and this may be what encouraged him to create the personalities of the family in The

Transcription

1 1 Statement of Intent It is unlikely that Franz Kafka ever completely reconciled with his domineering father, and this may be what encouraged him to create the personalities of the family in The Metamorphosis. In the novella, the protagonist Gregor Samsa turns into an insect only to discover that his family, rather than caring for him, detests him for upsetting the comfortable lifestyle his income had afforded. I plan to write a number of diary entries by the sister Grete because she is the most compassionate and loving towards Gregor, but inevitably rejects him as well. Kafka s motif of deteriorating family relationships in The Metamorphosis critiques the notion that one must be responsible and loving to one s family. He employs diction, characterization and imagery to portray Gregor s family as antagonistic in order to suggest that one s family can be a detriment in one s work and life. Kafka s characterization of Gregor challenges Gregor s submissive attitude towards his family. In the past, Gregor had kept only a few florins for himself (Kafka 41) from his income and surrendered (39) to the rest of his family. The word surrendered implies that the family members are antagonists of some kind. Gregor transforms into a repulsive insect which his family loathes, but even after they cause his death Gregor believed that the rotten apple in his back.he hardly noticed. He remembered his family with deep feeling and love (82). Gregor s unflinchingly feeling and loving attitude towards his family, because it is not reciprocated, suggest that his devotion is misplaced and that his family were taking advantage of him. I will demonstrate this aspect through Gregor s character in the diary entries: although Grete s opinion of him will change, Gregor s actions will not. Grete, Gregor s sister and confidant, is characterized antagonistically through diction in order to reveal her reliance on Gregor s wealth. Her concern with Gregor is that this animal plagues us. It drives away the lodgers, will obviously take over the entire apartment, and leave us to spend the night in the alley (81). Kafka s diction dehumanizes Gregor when

2 2 Gregor calls him an animal. All of Grete s concerns are also monetary: the lodgers and the apartment imply she is thinking of her own comfort rather than the well-being of Gregor. When Grete exclaims, We must try to get rid of [Gregor]. We have tried what is humanly possible to care for it (79), she repeatedly does not regard Gregor as human by using words such as monster and it to refer to him. The fact that Grete, the only one who showed affection for Gregor, considers him completely alien emphasizes how fickle her love is and how it was connected to his ability to provide for her. Kafka creates this negative characterization of Gregor s sister in order to critique the notion that a man must be willing to accept the burdens of his family without consideration for whether that generosity is returned. I will represent this through diction in the diary entries that Grete employs to distance herself from Gregor. Word Count: 499

3 3 June 1 How wonderful! Gregor told me today of his intent to send me to the music observatory in the city. His work affords him so many wonderful opportunities; my love for him has seemed to multiply tenfold. Ever since he has gotten that job in the city, mother and father treat him with delight and astonishment. I fear they are becoming complacent, for Gregor may not always be so generous, but for now he surrenders his income without complaint. Why would he not? July 24 I must persevere. Life is difficult, but surely there must be some final salvation. Yesterday, mother and I entered Gregor s room in order to clean it, though it is more like a cavern now. I believe that mother is afraid of Gregor. And with good reason. Without warning something scuttled from below the bed and its monstrous shadow caused mother to burst into tears, shouting Oh God, over and over. I wanted to hit that horrible thing, but, being helpless, I merely shook my fist. It has been nearly a month since Gregor has become that thing. I find myself disliking him more each day despite myself. Before he was so kind and generous. Now he is alien and drains our family s life as if he were should I say? an insect. His bulky frame has taken residence in the hallway to my future, and in the place of light there is a vile darkness. Sometimes I imagine what would happen if Gregor were to die. I wake up each morning to, instead of Gregor s usual sounds as he prepares for work, a faint hissing. Before he had provided food and lodgings for us. But now I must care for him, and in a humiliating routine that consumes hours each day. He does not touch the food I give him. Sometimes I eat it myself.

4 4 If there is one benefit to this, mother and father have given their full attention to me. Perhaps it is because I have taken greater responsibility within the house and now they must rely on me. As the only one willing to care for Gregor, I have become an essential cog in our lives. The gratitude and love I receive from them is unexpected but lovely in itself. I believe mother and father hate Gregor. Can anyone blame them? Gregor s indiscretion has set us along an increasingly hopeless track. I suspect that mother s illness is cause more by our lack of comforts than by Gregor s distressing state. I catch her sobbing in her room, clutching her pendants and necklaces as if they were her children. Father becomes more and more defensive with our savings. Once I caught him withholding money from our mother, even against my interjections. It would help if Gregor could understand us. It is almost like he is deliberately hurting us. The revolting slime that he coats his walls with has seeped into all of our dreams. I no longer play the violin for recreation. If there were only some sign that he cared about us. Some attempt at communication. How can he expect us to coddle him if he does not reciprocate in any way? It is unfair! Whenever I enter his room he merely hides underneath the bed. He refuses to come out and help sort everything out. It is obvious that Gregor no longer loves us. But as strange and wearing as Gregor is, he is still my brother. I will never hate him. August 30 How far can we descend? Each day is merely another step in a falling staircase. Every step I take is done with the knowledge that it is following me. The monster does not allow me to turn back. Mother and father are resigned to their fate. It is most obvious in father s face: the lodgers we have taken on command his entire attention. It is as though he has become a

5 5 servant himself: he seeks to please them with no regard for his family. Once he was a strong man when he first saw Gregor he was violent and powerful but now he is cold and weakly. And mother! How can I attend her when I have so many concerns of my own! Each day I grow more exhausted. I don t even bother eating the food Gregor doesn t touch. Yesterday was the final insult. I had decided to play my violin once more in front of the lodgers, no less when Gregor strutted out of his room and ruined the entire ordeal. The lodgers skittered out of the house, causing father to suffer what I believe may be a panic attack. How hollow he was! Had the monster stolen this much life from my once dear father! Gregor once offered to pay for my studies at the music observatory, but now I am not sure whether that was a dream. Gregor is more and more dreamlike; in the presence of this monster his good memory because spiteful. I found a picture of his last week. I spit on it. For months I took care of the monster. I painstakingly cleaned its room and laid out fresh food and comfort. And yet it never returned my gestures. Never communicated. We must get rid of the idea that this was Gregor. Would it allow us to suffer in this manner if it were? Gregor would have ensured that we were taken care of, even at his own expense. His kindness was what bound us together. And this creature is hateful, mortifying, repulsive, everything that Gregor was not. Mother is sobbing in the next room. We must get rid of it. Word Count: 941 Total Count: 1440

6 6 Works Cited Kafka, Franz. The Metamorphosis. Translator: Ian Johnston. West Valley City: Waking Lion Press, 2006.