Ronald Blackwell
Valerie Thomas
English 1101
17 November 2016
On Being Human
Merriam-Webster Online defines “dehumanization” as, “to deprive of human qualities, personality, or spirit” (Merriam-Webster) This means that a person is denied their own personal opinions, characteristics, or dreams, in favor of another person overriding them in favor of their own or for none. Deprivation of these things separates an individual from the fact that there is a person that is being dealt with in a given situation. This dehumanization can take place for a variety of reasons, ranging from self-loathing and an unfulfilling existence to an attempt to distance oneself from an undesirable event or occurrence. It can also range from an overt set of actions as a person is changed, to willful ignorance, malicious or otherwise, of an individual’s dreams or goals.
Franz Kafka’s “The Metamorphosis”, in which the main character, Gregor Samsa, awakens to find himself changed, contains several obvious examples of this dehumanization. He has become vermin of some kind, no longer even human. Deprived even of basic human form, and transfigured into a repulsive creature, this might be the simplest form of dehumanization that can be displayed. As obvious as this display, it may simply be an overt example of Gregor’s own disgust with himself. Rather than an actual transformation, the metamorphosis of the title is Gregor’s personal viewpoint of himself as being without worth or value. His behavior becomes
Seeing the performance live was great. There were many different aspects that would not have been seen if the play was read. Something unique about the performance was the stage directions and Acts/scenes being set up by the characters. Also, the characters were introduced by other characters. This aspect was a great addition to the performance, the audience was introduced to what was going on rather than jumping into the performance. The Diner was spectacular and very detailed, it brought to life the set. The cast only consisted of one woman, similar to August Wilson play Fences. This is interesting because there are many different perspectives of African American men, but only one perspective of the African American woman. This can hinder
In Kafka’s “The Metamorphosis”, the character Gregor transforms from a man into a bug, specifically a cockroach. Although Gregor physically changes, he does not change as a person. Gregor merely accepts his new condition as a bug and his family’s continuous abuse and hostility. Gregor’s acceptance of his new bug form is representative of his passive personality before and after his transformation. Gregor’s passivity, in response to the hostile world around him, causes his eventual downfall. Therefore, Kafka uses the character Gregor to exemplify how a passive attitude can cause one’s demise.
In the novella The Metamorphosis, by Franz Kafka, the main character Gregor undergoes a physical transformation from human to bug. Despite this change in appearance, he maintains his human brain as insect tendencies slowly take over his day to day behavior. He maintains his thoughtless state of mind, memories, and inner dialogue during his exterior transformation. Although he maintains his mental capacities, it is his change in appearance that causes his family to turn against him and eventually kill him. These events show how people can become dehumanized by society and the government only because of a difference in behavior or appearance.
it. There was a faint sign of rebellion hidden behind this idea..." (Politzer, 76-77) All of
In The Metamorphosis Gregor Samsa is forced to deal with his transformation from a human being into an insect. After his transformation Gregor is no longer able to do everyday ordinary things. He now has to depend on someone to do these things for him. His younger sister, Grete, makes herself responsible for Gregor. She takes it upon herself to make sure that Gregor is fed and his room is cleaned. This leads to the question; why does she place such a huge responsibility on herself? An optimist like Gregor who only sees the good side of people would say it is because she is a loving and caring person. That her brother’s current condition makes her feel sorry for him and
When individuals are rejected by family and society, they tend to feel abandoned and unloved. In Franz Kafka’s, The Metamorphosis, Gregor’s transformation into a “monstrous vermin” (Kafka 1) results in him being psychologically and even physically abused by his family. Rejection from his mother, sister, and father leave Gregor feeling unwanted and feeling as if he is a terrible burden on the family and their well being.
Love in itself is a very complicated emotion, being either the driving force for a great blessing or a pressing burden. When comparing the surrealist chronicle, The Metamorphosis, written by Franz Kafka, and the down-to-earth short story Samsa in Love, written by Haruki Murakami, this idea truly takes form. The Metamorphosis is the story of Gregor Samsa, a young man who works vigorously to support his disconnected family. One morning, Samsa awakens to find spontaneously himself transformed into a giant cockroach. No longer able to support them, the roles are flipped and Gregor is now being cared for and quickly becomes a burden on his family. On the other hand, Samsa in Love transforms Kafka’s original story as in this version, Gregor Samsa
He glanced out of the window, watching the sky turning from a deep blue shade to a clear, blue, breezy morning. ‘A good day.’ He made a mental note to himself. The sun baked through the curtains, sharpening his enormous shadow. He thought of that fussy factory owner and sighed.
Without the constraints of external forces, is human nature inherently good or evil? In Franz Kafka’s novella, The Metamorphosis, Gregor Samsa’s transformation into a "monstrous vermin” serves as a window into the human psyche. Through lack of obligations, decreased sense of shame, and increased sexual drive, Kafka reveals Gregor’s relationship to the outside world weaken, as his internal instincts grow stronger. Kafka utilizes Gregor’s transformation as a symbol to show the dangerous potential of the human “id”, a term coined by Sigmund Freud, to break down social norms. This psychological venture reveals humanity’s true instincts as animalistic, when not contained through personal and societal pressures.
Frank Kafka is considered one of the most influential writers of all time. Helmut Richter would agree with this statement. Richter agreed that Kafka was a very prominent figure in world literature and was amazed by his mechanics and word usage. I feel that his essay is supportive of Kafka’s writing, but also leaves out many important details in its brevity. Richter did not include Kafka’s flaws and tendencies in his essay.
Throughout literary history, certain authors are so unique and fresh in their approach to the written word that they come to embody a genre. Franz Kafka is one such author; “Die Verwandlung” or “The Metamorphosis” is one of his works that helped coin the term “Kafkaesque.” Through this novella, Kafka addresses the timeless theme of people exploit-ing others as a means to an end. He demonstrates this point through showing that a family’s unhealthy dependence on the main character results in that character’s dependence on the family.
Franz Kafka, in his novel The Metamorphosis, explores two conflicting ideas through his protagonist Gregor: unity and isolation. Gregor’s transformation created a whole life of distress for him, but on the other hand also formed a deeper and better relationship for the rest of the family.
Right now we have a very big national problem. With our president having such a set way of thinking and him having so much power to our country. Lives like mine are put to so much danger. Right now Donald Trump made an executive order saying any immigrant that is here illegally will be sent back to their country of birth. This puts many people at risk. People in my family are facing this I put this in the global issue section because, yes it is affecting people here but now countries like Europe who already have refugees and don't have to find some way to fit all the illegal immigrants in the United States. People like my parents are hard working people and are not criminals, this may sound like any story you may already read or heard but it
I chose to do my multi genre project on the Twenties. The Twenties have also interested me and that unit was by far my favorite this semester, so it only seemed right to go deeper into and expand my learning on it even more. To portray the different changes and new inventions that came about during this era, I did a drawing. In my drawing, there is a young flapper girl and a large thought bubble. Inside this bubble, it shows her reflecting on what has happened during the past ten years.
This story "The Metamorphosis" is about Gregor, a workaholic, who is changed into an insect and must then deal with his present reality. The hardest part of being an insect for him was the alienation from his family, which eventually leads to his death. In reading the short story "The Metamorphosis," (1971),one can realize how small the difference is between Magical Realism and Fantastic. This literature written by the Austrian, Franz Kafka, is often debated over.