Page 6 “But if they took in everything quietly, then he would have no reason to get excited and could, if he hurried, actually be at the train station around eight o’clock.”
Page 7 “But at least people now thought that things were not well with him and were prepared to help him. The confidence and assurance with which the first arrangements had been carried out made him feel good”
In this section Gregor speaks and those that are outside the door don’t understand him. They say that a human could not have made the noises that they had heard. Gregor’s mum and Grete start to cry and they call for a doctor. However although the situation is alarming and doesn’t look promising for Gregor in the reaction of his family, he stays calm and positive that they will realize there is something wrong and will want to help him this is shown in the second quote as he says he is “confident” and they were “prepared to help”. Gregors character is developed in this section, we can see how hopeful he is and how positive he thinks the outcomes of his situation will be and almost how delusional he is being towards his physical situation as he says if they react ok he can still make the train even though it is clear with his body that he can’t. His good meanings are overpowered by the harsh consequences. Its as if his mind is not in working as one with his physical body. As he tries to open the door he is so focused on giving his family an explanation as to why he hasn’t gone to work however he is oblivious to how they will react to his appearance and is actually going to cause more angst to those he is ironically trying to relax.
"...he gripped the attorney's cane, which he had left behind on a stool with his hat and pullover, and with his left hand picked up a large newspaper from the table and attempted to drive Gregor back into his room by stamping his feet and swinging the cane and newspaper....."
"...then the father came from behind and gave him a truly liberating and hefty push, and he flew, heavily bleeding, far into his room. The door was slammed shut with the cane. It was finally silent." (pages 9 and 10)
In this section, Gregor's father tries to force Gregor back into his room with a cane and a newspaper. Gregor has trouble backing up especially since his father was obsessed with the idea of getting Gregor in the room as quickly as possible and also his father irritated him with the hisses. The hisses might imply that his father already sees him as a pest not his son. Gregor could not fit through the door way but he tries to understand that his father wants him in as fast as possible so he cooperates as he painfully wedges himself into the doorway, staining it and his father pushes him the rest of the way in and slams the door in front of him. Here, Gregor's father's attitude has also changed remarkably from the beginning of the scene that was when he wept in sadness at seeing Gregor. His father no longer treats him like a son but rather more like he would treat the insect that Gregor appears to be (and is) most likely due to the prejudices about cockroaches and from Gregor's irrational, non-human behavior.The quote "It was finally silent" shows the act of rejection or being banished and excluded from society) and the door acts as a barrier between Gregor and society because of the lack of acceptance.
(Page 4, paragraph 1) “Thus, he tried to get his upper body…” to (Page 4, paragraph 2) “…for his real and natural proportions to return out of the complete stillness.”
In this passage, Gregor fails to successfully move himself out of bed despite his long, struggling attempt. This passage enables readers to gain knowledge on Gregor’s character, and the situation and circumstances he’s dealing with. Firstly, his obsession and dependence on regularity and order is suggested, and is developed through the use of diction such as “width and weight”, “process”, “arbitrary movement” and “proportions”. This could imply that his daily lifestyle revolves around strict order and regulations, unexposed or unable to live in a disorganised environment or deal with unsystematic situations such as the one he is in now. This is once again highlighted towards the end of the passage when he is discouraged to stare out the window with the fog covering the other side of the street. The fog can represent the uncertainty and confusion which Gregor is facing, hence why Gregor is portrayed to be unwilling to face the fog - the reality and its lack of order and predictability. Secondly, Gregor’s lack of control over his body represents his lack of self control – both mentally and physically. Although he has several attempts to manipulate parts of his body – his head and legs -, he gives up in the end and decides to remain still. The first part of this passage focuses on his attempt to control his head – which is believed to be a representation of this mentality – to raise his head “outside the bed in open air” and “moving forward”. However, he becomes unable to achieve this as he believes that he will eventually only be injured by doing so. This strongly suggests that he has a fear/worry of stepping out of his comfort zone – his bed – and being exposed to the outside world whilst confidently expressing his views and his ideas. In addition to the symbolism of the bed, Gregor is also portrayed to be very reluctant to step out of his comfort zone as often represented by the bed. This is well highlighted by the quote “if there were even the slightest hope of freeing himself from bed in the process”. This suggests his firm yet unconscious belief that he is unable or unsuitable to step out of his comfort zone, and that he would be better off to be remaining inside the walls/limitations he has created for himself.
“Oh God,” he thought, “what a strenuous occupation I’ve chosen! Always on the road, day out, day in. The rigors of the job are much greater than if I were working locally, and furthermore, the nuisances of traveling are always imposed upon me- the worries about train connections, bad meals at irregular intervals, fleeting human contact that is ever-changing, never lasting, and never expected to be genuine. To the devil with it all!” (pg 2)
Here, we learn the details of Gregor’s human life and also the first glimpses into his feeling of alienation from those around him. It basically gives the reader the first hint of how his life was like when he was working. As he struggles to get out of bed, he complains a great deal about how hard his job is on him and this definitely must be affecting his present health. It is also quite ironic because he never did choose this alienating career. Gregor was forced by his father whho was indebted to his boss to take on the job as a salesman to pay off his father’s debt. Moreover, Gregor represents the outcast archetype because even as human, he was somewhat distanced from his family though he provided all financial stability. This is basically self-sacrifice to support his family. His first thoughts as he wakes up also suggest that it is neither horror nor disbelief but surprisingly, he is merely worried about getting fired from his job. In general, this passage shows how he cares about his family and that he is very responsible.
"Because he wasn't getting up and wasn't letting the attorney in, because he was in danger of losing his position, and because then his boss would badger his parents once again with old demands?" ( page 5 )
In this short passage from 'The Metamorphosis' by Franz Kafka, Gregor is contemplating why his sister was crying and not going after the others who left to another room, after he refused to leave the his room to see the attorney, unable to explain the reason why (the reason being his big transformation into a "gargantuan pest"). This is where it is slightly that money does play a huge role in this literary classic and more specifically, it plays a big role in him and his family. When it says that "his boss would badger his parents again with old demands" after stating that he was in danger of losing his job, it is revealed that he is only working to pay off his parents' or family's debt. Although the author, Kafka, does not reveal too much about why they are in debt. Just the fact that they are in debt and that Gregor is the only one in the family who works, as so far we learn that his father does not work and stays at home. Although we are told further on in Chapter one/Part one that they are in debt because of the failure of their fathers business. It is obvious that money is a huge concern to Gregor and his family, and that they are not very wealthy. This passage basically tells us how big of a role money plays in the Samsa family.
Page 4 "once again saw his little legs fighting one another with even more fury than before, if such a thing were possible and didn't see any chance of bringing peace and order to this arbitrary movement."
This passage refers to when Gregor is attempting to leave his bed after realizing what has happened to him and that he has woken up late. I found this passage effective because it highlights the frustration that Gregor is feeling and the futility of his efforts. When the author refers to his "little legs fighting, with more fury than before" he does not mean that the legs are engaged in conflict, but rather they are so uncoordinated and in such disarray that the movement of the legs are similar to that of a chaotic battle. The use of the word "fury" is also a word used to describe warriors. This diction helps us visualize the ferocity of the leg's movements showing that it does not just merely move rapidly but with extreme force, not to mention "fury" is negative when referring to emotions, thus it implies that Gregor is stressed by this situation. when the passage says "[...] and didn't see any chance of bringing peace and order to this arbitrary movement" it creates the sense of futility. The words "peace and order" sound very uniform and controlled, however by saying there was little "chance" of bringing the two, the author has created the complete opposite, meaning there is an uncontrollable hectic issue that has no resolution in sight. By doing this, the reader gets a clear image of Gregor attempting to leave, but utterly failing and just flailing his legs around.
(Pg 8 Paragraph 2 Line 8) "On the other hand, I have to provide for my parents and the sister. I'm in a fix, but I'll work myself out of it again. Don't make things more difficult for me than they already are. Be my advocate in the office! People don't like travelling salesmen, I know. People think you can have a good life only by earning a bundle of money. People don't even have any good reason to stop and think over this prejudice."
In this passage, we gain insight into Gregor's character and how he feels people think of him. Gregor's character is portrayed to be mature and responsible in that he cares for his family and is aware of his responsibility to provide for them. Moreover, he acknowledges the mess he's in, being a bug that no one understands, yet he is willing to work hard to solve the problem. The quote, "but I'll work myself out of it again", suggests that Gregor has had to work his way out of problems before so he is experienced and knows what he is expected to do. He then expresses his frustration towards the assumption of people, or society, that having a lot of money meant a good life. This is most likely a reflection of his own life as we know Gregor works hard as a travelling salesmen and probably earns a lot from his job, yet he isn't having a very good life as shown when he turned into a bug. In addition, Gregor shows that he's realistic as he is aware that travelling salesmen aren't liked very much. This passage also enables us to sense Gregor's anxiety through the fast pace in his soliloquy as he continues talking as if he's talking to himself. Furthermore, he changes the topic in each new sentence, this implies that he isn't putting in much thought into what he is saying as he's speaking from whatever is at the top of his head.
page 3 Gregor wanted to answer in detail and explain everything, but in these circumstances he confined himself to say, "Yes, yes thank you mother. I'm getting up right away."
I chose this part of chapter one because it relates the reader with the main character Gregor. When his mother comes and checks on him and Gregor wants to tell her about what has happened to him, he later thinks about what she might think about him if she saw him as a insect. This represents society and how no matter who we are and what we look like, people will always judge us and that we as human beings care about what people think and say about us.
The writer has made it so that the reader can have a better emotional understanding towards the main character and somewhat relate-able. Human beings naturally care about what other people think about us, but we choose to ignore it and small changes in our body. But when this transformation happens that completely changes Gregor we start to see it more clearly and start to emphasis for him.
Page 6
ReplyDelete“But if they took in everything quietly, then he would have no reason to get excited and could, if he hurried, actually be at the train station around eight o’clock.”
Page 7
“But at least people now thought that things were not well with him and were prepared to help him. The confidence and assurance with which the first arrangements had been carried out made him feel good”
In this section Gregor speaks and those that are outside the door don’t understand him. They say that a human could not have made the noises that they had heard. Gregor’s mum and Grete start to cry and they call for a doctor. However although the situation is alarming and doesn’t look promising for Gregor in the reaction of his family, he stays calm and positive that they will realize there is something wrong and will want to help him this is shown in the second quote as he says he is “confident” and they were “prepared to help”. Gregors character is developed in this section, we can see how hopeful he is and how positive he thinks the outcomes of his situation will be and almost how delusional he is being towards his physical situation as he says if they react ok he can still make the train even though it is clear with his body that he can’t. His good meanings are overpowered by the harsh consequences. Its as if his mind is not in working as one with his physical body. As he tries to open the door he is so focused on giving his family an explanation as to why he hasn’t gone to work however he is oblivious to how they will react to his appearance and is actually going to cause more angst to those he is ironically trying to relax.
"...he gripped the attorney's cane, which he had left behind on a stool with his hat and pullover, and with his left hand picked up a large newspaper from the table and attempted to drive Gregor back into his room by stamping his feet and swinging the cane and newspaper....."
ReplyDelete"...then the father came from behind and gave him a truly liberating and hefty push, and he flew, heavily bleeding, far into his room. The door was slammed shut with the cane. It was finally silent."
(pages 9 and 10)
In this section, Gregor's father tries to force Gregor back into his room with a cane and a newspaper. Gregor has trouble backing up especially since his father was obsessed with the idea of getting Gregor in the room as quickly as possible and also his father irritated him with the hisses. The hisses might imply that his father already sees him as a pest not his son. Gregor could not fit through the door way but he tries to understand that his father wants him in as fast as possible so he cooperates as he painfully wedges himself into the doorway, staining it and his father pushes him the rest of the way in and slams the door in front of him. Here, Gregor's father's attitude has also changed remarkably from the beginning of the scene that was when he wept in sadness at seeing Gregor. His father no longer treats him like a son but rather more like he would treat the insect that Gregor appears to be (and is) most likely due to the prejudices about cockroaches and from Gregor's irrational, non-human behavior.The quote "It was finally silent" shows the act of rejection or being banished and excluded from society) and the door acts as a barrier between Gregor and society because of the lack of acceptance.
(Page 4, paragraph 1) “Thus, he tried to get his upper body…” to (Page 4, paragraph 2) “…for his real and natural proportions to return out of the complete stillness.”
ReplyDeleteIn this passage, Gregor fails to successfully move himself out of bed despite his long, struggling attempt. This passage enables readers to gain knowledge on Gregor’s character, and the situation and circumstances he’s dealing with. Firstly, his obsession and dependence on regularity and order is suggested, and is developed through the use of diction such as “width and weight”, “process”, “arbitrary movement” and “proportions”. This could imply that his daily lifestyle revolves around strict order and regulations, unexposed or unable to live in a disorganised environment or deal with unsystematic situations such as the one he is in now. This is once again highlighted towards the end of the passage when he is discouraged to stare out the window with the fog covering the other side of the street. The fog can represent the uncertainty and confusion which Gregor is facing, hence why Gregor is portrayed to be unwilling to face the fog - the reality and its lack of order and predictability. Secondly, Gregor’s lack of control over his body represents his lack of self control – both mentally and physically. Although he has several attempts to manipulate parts of his body – his head and legs -, he gives up in the end and decides to remain still. The first part of this passage focuses on his attempt to control his head – which is believed to be a representation of this mentality – to raise his head “outside the bed in open air” and “moving forward”. However, he becomes unable to achieve this as he believes that he will eventually only be injured by doing so. This strongly suggests that he has a fear/worry of stepping out of his comfort zone – his bed – and being exposed to the outside world whilst confidently expressing his views and his ideas. In addition to the symbolism of the bed, Gregor is also portrayed to be very reluctant to step out of his comfort zone as often represented by the bed. This is well highlighted by the quote “if there were even the slightest hope of freeing himself from bed in the process”. This suggests his firm yet unconscious belief that he is unable or unsuitable to step out of his comfort zone, and that he would be better off to be remaining inside the walls/limitations he has created for himself.
“Oh God,” he thought, “what a strenuous occupation I’ve chosen! Always on the road, day out, day in. The rigors of the job are much greater than if I were working locally, and furthermore, the nuisances of traveling are always imposed upon me- the worries about train connections, bad meals at irregular intervals, fleeting human contact that is ever-changing, never lasting, and never expected to be genuine. To the devil with it all!” (pg 2)
ReplyDeleteHere, we learn the details of Gregor’s human life and also the first glimpses into his feeling of alienation from those around him. It basically gives the reader the first hint of how his life was like when he was working. As he struggles to get out of bed, he complains a great deal about how hard his job is on him and this definitely must be affecting his present health. It is also quite ironic because he never did choose this alienating career. Gregor was forced by his father whho was indebted to his boss to take on the job as a salesman to pay off his father’s debt. Moreover, Gregor represents the outcast archetype because even as human, he was somewhat distanced from his family though he provided all financial stability. This is basically self-sacrifice to support his family. His first thoughts as he wakes up also suggest that it is neither horror nor disbelief but surprisingly, he is merely worried about getting fired from his job. In general, this passage shows how he cares about his family and that he is very responsible.
"Because he wasn't getting up and wasn't letting the attorney in, because he was in danger of losing his position, and because then his boss would badger his parents once again with old demands?" ( page 5 )
ReplyDeleteIn this short passage from 'The Metamorphosis' by Franz Kafka, Gregor is contemplating why his sister was crying and not going after the others who left to another room, after he refused to leave the his room to see the attorney, unable to explain the reason why (the reason being his big transformation into a "gargantuan pest"). This is where it is slightly that money does play a huge role in this literary classic and more specifically, it plays a big role in him and his family. When it says that "his boss would badger his parents again with old demands" after stating that he was in danger of losing his job, it is revealed that he is only working to pay off his parents' or family's debt. Although the author, Kafka, does not reveal too much about why they are in debt. Just the fact that they are in debt and that Gregor is the only one in the family who works, as so far we learn that his father does not work and stays at home. Although we are told further on in Chapter one/Part one that they are in debt because of the failure of their fathers business. It is obvious that money is a huge concern to Gregor and his family, and that they are not very wealthy. This passage basically tells us how big of a role money plays in the Samsa family.
Page 4 "once again saw his little legs fighting one another with even more fury than before, if such a thing were possible and didn't see any chance of bringing peace and order to this arbitrary movement."
ReplyDeleteThis passage refers to when Gregor is attempting to leave his bed after realizing what has happened to him and that he has woken up late. I found this passage effective because it highlights the frustration that Gregor is feeling and the futility of his efforts. When the author refers to his "little legs fighting, with more fury than before" he does not mean that the legs are engaged in conflict, but rather they are so uncoordinated and in such disarray that the movement of the legs are similar to that of a chaotic battle. The use of the word "fury" is also a word used to describe warriors. This diction helps us visualize the ferocity of the leg's movements showing that it does not just merely move rapidly but with extreme force, not to mention "fury" is negative when referring to emotions, thus it implies that Gregor is stressed by this situation. when the passage says "[...] and didn't see any chance of bringing peace and order to this arbitrary movement" it creates the sense of futility. The words "peace and order" sound very uniform and controlled, however by saying there was little "chance" of bringing the two, the author has created the complete opposite, meaning there is an uncontrollable hectic issue that has no resolution in sight. By doing this, the reader gets a clear image of Gregor attempting to leave, but utterly failing and just flailing his legs around.
(Pg 8 Paragraph 2 Line 8) "On the other hand, I have to provide for my parents and the sister. I'm in a fix, but I'll work myself out of it again. Don't make things more difficult for me than they already are. Be my advocate in the office! People don't like travelling salesmen, I know. People think you can have a good life only by earning a bundle of money. People don't even have any good reason to stop and think over this prejudice."
ReplyDeleteIn this passage, we gain insight into Gregor's character and how he feels people think of him. Gregor's character is portrayed to be mature and responsible in that he cares for his family and is aware of his responsibility to provide for them. Moreover, he acknowledges the mess he's in, being a bug that no one understands, yet he is willing to work hard to solve the problem. The quote, "but I'll work myself out of it again", suggests that Gregor has had to work his way out of problems before so he is experienced and knows what he is expected to do. He then expresses his frustration towards the assumption of people, or society, that having a lot of money meant a good life. This is most likely a reflection of his own life as we know Gregor works hard as a travelling salesmen and probably earns a lot from his job, yet he isn't having a very good life as shown when he turned into a bug. In addition, Gregor shows that he's realistic as he is aware that travelling salesmen aren't liked very much. This passage also enables us to sense Gregor's anxiety through the fast pace in his soliloquy as he continues talking as if he's talking to himself. Furthermore, he changes the topic in each new sentence, this implies that he isn't putting in much thought into what he is saying as he's speaking from whatever is at the top of his head.
page 3 Gregor wanted to answer in detail and explain everything, but in these circumstances he confined himself to say, "Yes, yes thank you mother. I'm getting up right away."
ReplyDeleteI chose this part of chapter one because it relates the reader with the main character Gregor. When his mother comes and checks on him and Gregor wants to tell her about what has happened to him, he later thinks about what she might think about him if she saw him as a insect. This represents society and how no matter who we are and what we look like, people will always judge us and that we as human beings care about what people think and say about us.
The writer has made it so that the reader can have a better emotional understanding towards the main character and somewhat relate-able. Human beings naturally care about what other people think about us, but we choose to ignore it and small changes in our body. But when this transformation happens that completely changes Gregor we start to see it more clearly and start to emphasis for him.