The Metamorphosis
The Metamorphosis is a novella by Franz Kafka, first published in 1915. It has been cited as one of the seminal works of fiction of the 20th century and is studied in colleges and universities across the Western world. The story begins with a traveling salesman, Gregor Samsa, waking to find himself transformed (metamorphosed) into a large, monstrous insect-like creature. The cause of Samsa's transformation is never revealed, and Kafka himself never gave an explanation. The rest of Kafka's novella deals with Gregor's attempts to adjust to his new condition as he deals with being burdensome to his parents and sister, who are repulsed by the horrible, verminous creature Gregor has become.
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Readers say Kafka’s *The Metamorphosis* is a profound, bleak classic exploring dehumanization, identity, and family dynamics under societal pressures....
“I only fear danger where I want to fear danger”.
Written so long ago but so true of present society. It relates to the state of today’s young people, especially millennials, sandwiched between a generation with high expectations and, on the other hand, a take -it- easy generation.
I'm not a male commercial traveler, but as a previously angsty teen, I could definitely relate to some aspects of this novella.
Gregor Samsa wakes up one morning as a huge, giant bug, stuck in his bed. Nearly all of his thoughts after his 'metamorphosis' are of his family. He wants to get to work so he can provide for them, he wants to get his sister into music school, and he wants to make sure his mother and father have stable lives.
The book tells a story of rejection, isolation, and depression. Though Samsa is consumed by his thoughts for his family, he loses the ability to vocalize them. He appears to just be a massive bug, crawling around all over the place, contributing nothing to society. He does his best to make the people around him comfortable, but they see him as an inconvenience. His family misunderstands how he feels and what he wants. They had relied entirely on him for survival before, as he had been the sole provider of their household. He goes from being the head of the house to literally being the garbage bug with an apple stuck to it of the house. He got THE SHORTEST end of the stick. They start to ignore him, throwing all of their garbage in his room, not feeding him or cleaning, and focusing on only working. Everyone refuses to look at him because they are too disgusted and afraid.
My man literally starves himself until he dies. When I describe this novella, it seems uncomfortable and depressing, but for some reason, it was a very entertaining read.
Though this would never happen in real life, this story is so realistic. You can use up all of your energy giving, but when you really need something, many people will continue to focus on themselves like they always do.
Funny, sad, gross, AND thought-provoking! 4/5.
Gregor Samsa wakes up one morning as a huge, giant bug, stuck in his bed. Nearly all of his thoughts after his 'metamorphosis' are of his family. He wants to get to work so he can provide for them, he wants to get his sister into music school, and he wants to make sure his mother and father have stable lives.
The book tells a story of rejection, isolation, and depression. Though Samsa is consumed by his thoughts for his family, he loses the ability to vocalize them. He appears to just be a massive bug, crawling around all over the place, contributing nothing to society. He does his best to make the people around him comfortable, but they see him as an inconvenience. His family misunderstands how he feels and what he wants. They had relied entirely on him for survival before, as he had been the sole provider of their household. He goes from being the head of the house to literally being the garbage bug with an apple stuck to it of the house. He got THE SHORTEST end of the stick. They start to ignore him, throwing all of their garbage in his room, not feeding him or cleaning, and focusing on only working. Everyone refuses to look at him because they are too disgusted and afraid.
My man literally starves himself until he dies. When I describe this novella, it seems uncomfortable and depressing, but for some reason, it was a very entertaining read.
Though this would never happen in real life, this story is so realistic. You can use up all of your energy giving, but when you really need something, many people will continue to focus on themselves like they always do.
Funny, sad, gross, AND thought-provoking! 4/5.
although i dont like bugs but this one is really good! read it during university years and im glad i did!
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