Oluwatunmise Akanji
Ms. Hudgins
AP Literature 1
15 January 2015 Gregor’s Metamorphosis as Allegory An allegory is a story in which characters, events, and settings symbolize abstract or moral concepts from the real world. Using PASSAGES/QUOTES from the entire text as needed, explain the following allegorical connections to The Metamorphosis. In other words, explain how/when these ideas are developed in the text.
QUESTION
QUOTE FROM
BOOK
YOUR
EXPLANATION
CONNECTION TO
REAL WORLD:
Think of a realworld situation that relates to this/these idea(s).
The isolation of an individual results in a spiritual death that dehumanizes the lonely person. In what ways is Gregor
“dehumanized” by his isolation?
…show more content…
To hell with that!”
(Kafka, 1915)
Gregor works with a company he does not enjoy because he wants to pay off his parents’ debt.
He works somewhere which provides no benefits to him.
Gregor is unhappy and stressed with his job as a traveling salesman and this makes him feel like a person that is being overworked. A banker who hates her job but does it to fend for her family.
Hh
Many authors who write of religious, philosophical, or moral issues frequently use symbolism and allegory to spark the reader’s interest. This style of writing builds on the emotions of the reader. It creates a visual image making the story real and believable.
Allegory is when a writer extends symbolism to every part of a story to communicate a secondary meaning that parallels the literal meaning. A common example of allegory is “The Tortoise and the Hare.” On its surface, this is a story about a tortoise that, unexpectedly, beats a hare in a footrace, but the underlying message is that those who devote their attention to cultivating a skill surpass those who are born with natural talents. Allegory has been used for a variety purposes, but among the most common is pointing out and critiquing the flaws of society. Any metaphor that is extended throughout an entire story to communicate a meaning that is separate from the literal is allegory.
Franz Kafka’s twentieth-century classic, The Metamorphosis, shows the changes of the Samsa family after their son, Gregor, turns into a vile insect. Even though Gregor has turned into the most disgusting of creatures, this “metamorphosis” is ironic compared to the transformation that his family endures. While Gregor still sustains his humanity, the lack of any compassion and mercy from his family, is what makes them the disgusting creatures rather than Gregor. The changes of Gregor’s father, mother, and sister prove that the theme of metamorphosis is not exclusively present within Gregor.
Franz Kafka’s renown novella, The Metamorphosis (1915), is divided into three sections. Each section approaches a different aspect of the main character, Gregor’s life after his metamorphosis, which in turn makes them easily identifiable. Accompanied by each section are a different set of emotions, knowledge and aesthetics, the potency of each growing or dwindling as the reader reaches the climax of the narrative.
Symbols are important in each story to define the theme. Close observation of the symbols within each story proves to one their
Bernard Branson, a best-selling author once wrote that, “Rejection is an opportunity for your selection.” This quote accurately represents how both Gregor in The Metamorphosis and Jesus in The Bible overcame their challenges to serve a greater purpose. Published in 1915, The Metamorphosis written by Franz Kafka depicts Gregor Samsa’s fascinating transformation into a beetle-like bug. Prior to his change, Gregor was his family’s only source of income, making them proud working as a traveling salesman to pay off their debt. Nevertheless, after his metamorphosis, Gregor’s family was ashamed of him. They spoke of him as a burden, and near the end of the novel they wanted to dispose of him. The Metamorphosis contains many biblical allusions; consequently, a few of them are immensely significant to the story. The symbolism of the apple, and the multiple qualities that are comparable between Gregor and Jesus are notable because they are discussed numerous times within the reading.
An allegory may be a piece of art or literature, sort of a verse form or story, within which folks, things or happenings have a hidden or symbolic which means. Ex. Book- The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis may be a spiritual allegory with Aslan as Christ and Edmund as Judas.
I agree with allegory presupposes that there is distinction between appearances and reality because people never trying to know reality. Most people have their two sides, one side to show and another side who they are in reality. Sometime people get conclusion by seeing people outer look without knowing who is he or she. Sometimes people do not want to accept the truth because truth is always bitter. In the “The Allegory of the Cave” it explain that how prisoners thought about outside world. If they know the truth about outside world, they will never able to believe it because they are staying inside cave and just able to see their shadow.
The term “allegory” originates from the Greek word allegoreo, which is formed from allos (different, another) and agoreuo (to speak in the assembly) (Tambling 6). The “otherness” of allegory derives from its ability to conceal a hidden meaning, but it may also enrich thematics that have already been revealed or emphasize a discrepancy between a surface meaning and what lies beneath (Tambling 6). Perhaps the most well-known allegory is Plato’s Cave, expounded upon in The Republic. Here, Plato describes a group of people who have been imprisoned in a cave for the entirety of their lives.
The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines an allegory as the expression by means of symbolic fictional figures and actions of truths or generalizations about human existence. The Alchemist, by Paulo Coelho, is allegorical through its use of symbolic figures and actions. Take Santiago, for instance. Santiago represents the pursuit of one’s Personal Legend—he represents the generalization that humanity’s collective goal is to fulfill their Personal Legends. King Melchizedek symbolizes the catalyst in that pursuit—without him, Santiago would never have started his journey.
According to Harmon a parable is, “An illustrative story teaching a lesson. This lesson within the story may be as our texts states an allegory or metaphor for a lesson outside of the story.
When writing The Chronicles of Narnia, C.S. Lewis argued that he was not writing an allegory but a supposal instead. Lewis claims that he tried to hypothesize what it would be like for Jesus to live in another world. In the Chronicles of Narnia, I believe that C.S. Lewis wrote an allegory. By definition an allegory typically reveals a hidden meaning behind something, which in this case would be the message behind the characters and their actions within Narnia. This can be supported throughout the series in which Lewis makes small but noticeable innuendos to religious beliefs. One book that can be compared to this series to support the claim that Lewis wrote an allegory would be the Bible. The second book, which could support this claim of allegorical writing, would be Lord of the Flies, by William Golding. Lewis also shares some similar viewpoints with Augustine. In Myth became Fact, by C.S. Lewis we are given another view point as to why he believes people think he writes in allegories rather than supposals.
An allegory is a story where each piece has symbolism that works together to represent an message. These pieces could be a character, a setting, or the small details no one pays attention to. But they all come in a big way and give the audience a lesson. Lord of the Flies by William Golding is one example of an allegory. A group of boys get stranded on an island as the result of a plane crash and as their stay progresses, some boys’ behavior takes a turn for the worse. They go from proper English boys to cavemen. In William Golding’s Lord of the Flies, Golding uses characters and symbols to reveal that man, humankind, instinctively has a dark soul.
Throughout the ages, humanity has put forth intriguing and thought-provoking ideas through the usage of allegories, metaphors, and symbolism. Through these literary devices, a writer can easily put forth their ideas and beliefs in a easier to comprehend and intriguing way than through merely describing it. One such case can be seen in the Greek philosopher Plato's work, The Allegory of the Cave.
As Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary states, an allegory is a symbolic representation or the expression by means of symbolic fictional figures and actions of truths or generalizations about human existence. The fallen women allegory was the most appealing. The allegory of fallen women came about during the Victorian Era with prostitutes growing as a profession. There were at least 300 thousand prostitutes during this period, multiple young women chose this profession because some were disowned, seen as corrupted, or felt that this profession paid the greatest so that they could