Tuesday, December 9, 2008

The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka

I couldn't imagine waking up to find myself transformed into a bug. I always try to make the best of everything, but how can any good come of this? Being different is one thing, we are all different, not one of us is exactly the same, but at least every one shares things in common. There may be thousands of people in the world that share your same hair and eye color, weight and height. But if you suddenly become a human in a bug's body, odds are you're the only one of your kind, and that can't be an easy life.

Gregor Samsa awakes late one morning to find he has been transformed into a giant cockroach. Instead of looking at the overall problem like a normal person would, Gregor's main concern is loosing his job, primarily because even though he dislikes his job, it is his life. Since the collapse of his father's business five years prior, resulting in their family's debt, and the poor health of his mother, Gregor is the main provider for the family which in a sense makes him proud. Gregor's presence at work is so important that when he doesn't show up, his boss comes to his house demanding an explanation for his absence. As days go by, the more Gregor is seen the worse the situation becomes, ultimately resulting in his sad, painful death.

In Gregor's case, "make the best of it" isn't going to cut it. When things go wrong in your life, turning to your family or those who mean the most to you usually seems most logical. But not much about this story makes logical sense. A human turning into an enormous slimy cockroach? I think every one handles the situation as well as they could. Although, the situation may have been more stable if Gregor were appreciated the way he should have been from the beginning for supporting his family. Gregor's family seemed to love him but couldn't bear looking at him or having him in the same room as them, which is understandable. He was taken for granted and in the end his family realized how must their lives would change once he was gone. I just wish he wasn't "squashed like a bug."
Image source: http://www.jewcy.com/files/images/metamorphosis2.img_assist_custom.gif

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