Page 12 “Gregor now received his food daily: Once in the morning while the parents and the maid still slept, and a second time after the common lunch, as at a time the parents likewise slept again for a while, and the maid was sent away by his sister to do some shopping”
“Gregor couldn’t find out at all with what excuses they had previously sent the doctor and locksmith out of that first morning”
“On that first day, the maid – what and how much about the occurrences she knew was entirely unclear- had also fallen to her knees and begged the mother to dismiss her immediately, and when she said goodbye a quarter of an hour later, she thanked mother for dismissal with tears, as if it were the greatest favor that anybody had done for her”
In this section there is development in our knowledge of family relationships, the family itself as well as Gregor’s character. Grete feeds Gregor in secret while their parents are asleep in the morning then later again when they are asleep in the afternoon. While a bug Gregor still has no idea what excuses his family gave to the doctor and the locksmith and why he never saw a doctor. His family does not understand that he understands what they are talking about and he hears the maid begging to quit her job at their house. The family dynamics is clear from this section as we see that his sister actually hides that she feds him, we understand that she is much more caring and less affected by society than their parents are. His parents choosing not to let a doctor see Gregor shows their need to have greater social status and acceptance over the health for their own children. However as Gregor questions what excuses they came up with also implies that he is naïve and clueless as he doesn’t question that his family may be embarrassed by him. An example of this disgust and embarrassment is actually shown when the maid quits. She quits, as she does not want to work for or be near Gregor. As she leaves she says, “Without any requesting it of her, swore a terrified oath never to tell anyone the slightest word.” The way in which she swears to his parents that she won tell emphasizes the embarrassment the maid understands that the family will feel.
I agree that this section gives us more of a glimpse of the Samsa family and what their relationship is like. His sister Grete does little things like bringing him food and moving the chair by the window, and this shows that she still cares for him even after his transformation and that before the whole situation they had a very close relationship. I also agree that the maids promise of not telling anyone about what's happened to Gregor implies that she knows and understands the embarrassment the Samsa family would feel.
"[...] before she really came to the realization that it was Gregor she saw, she said in a hoarse, shrieking voice, "Oh, God, oh, God!" and, with her arms wide, as if giving everything up, fell on the couch and didn't stir. "Gregor, you..." cried the sister as she raised her fist and shot him an intense glare. These were the first words that she had addressed directly to him since the transformation."
In this passage from Chapter two of 'The Metamorphosis', Gregor's mother faints after catching sight of him accidentally. His sister Grete who is the only character in the story, apart from Gregor, addressed by her name (which makes her stand out from the rest), is obviously upset by what happens as she shoots her brother an "intense glare". We are aware that the siblings had a good relationship from the way she cares for him after his transformation; like bringing his food and placing the chair by the window for him. She feels pity for him and shows care for him even after his transformation, while trying to hold in her embarrassment. We can see that in Chapter two, she gets more and more accustomed to doing things things for him. However, this passage shows that her pity for him is slowly dwindling as she "raises her fists at him" after their mother faints. We can see how she is starting to develop as a character, from a girl to a woman, and she starts to think of taking care of Gregor as more of a job rather than an act of kindness. Gregor is not the only one in the story who has a transformation, as it is obvious that Grete is also transforming - into a woman/adult - as the story continues.
I agree with you that Grete has developed greatly in this chapter. This makes me empathize more for both Gregor and Grete. I empathize with Gregor because the one person who has had the least prejudice on him - his sister - changes to more like what his parents are like - embarrassed of what Gregor has become. But I can also empathize with Grete because I can understand the pressures and stress - from both her parents and Gregor's lack of independence and his dramatically changed behaviours - she must be going through.
Page 15 “Upon hearing the mother’s words, Gregor realized that the lack of any direct human conversation together with the monotonous life among the family, must have, during the course of these last two months, confused his intellect, because he could not otherwise explain to himself how he could earnestly have longed for his room to be emptied.”
Page 16 “So he ventured forth and changed directions four times…picture of the lady clothed in nothing but fur, and crawled quickly up to it and pressed himself up against the glass…felt good against his hot underbelly. At least nobody would take this picture that Gregor was completely covering up.”
Gregor is reminded of his humanity as he hears his mother’s voice near him for the first time since his transformation. His mother’s word and presence bring back to him the feeling of relatedness to his surroundings and Gregor realizes that his furniture is an essentlial part of his humanity. He seems desperate that he wants to hold on to this so he makes a quick decision about the things he has to protect in his room, which is the picture of the woman in fur hanging up on his wall. Here, it is clear that the picture symbolizes his link with his humanity therefore this leads him to cling desperately to the picture. The picture seems to offer him a way of alienation or isolation compared to what we see in act 1 about the “magazine cut-out” which in a way represents his isolation from human beings. Basically, the picture represents the personal human identity Gregor has lost and for the first time in the novel he asserts himself in opposition to his family in order to protect his identity. Much of this section is about Gregor trying to reconcile his human emotions and history with the physical urges of his new body and his prolonged humanity can be shown through his thoughts and emotions. Though he would prefer his room to be empty so it would make him more physically comfortable, he still ties to his possession which again, represents to him his past as a human.
I agree with what you have said. In this chapter, the main focus is the remaining parts of humanity still left in Gregor and how he tries to hold on to it. This is symbolized in the magazine cut-out as he believes taking that away is like taking away his last shred of humanity. Very insightful.
"...the father was in the habit of reading the afternoon edition of the newspaper in a loud voice to mother and sometimes also to sister, and yet instead, there was silence."
"...Gregor later earned so much money that he was capable of bearing the expenses of the entire family, as he also did. They had become quite used to it, the family as well as Gregor; they accepted the money gratefully, and he gladly handed it over, but it no longer resulted in that special warmth."
In this section, Gregor notices that his father isn't reading to Grete, though it is a nighttime tradition. Gregor is concerned, but he thinks about how his family has been able to live in peace and quiet since he's been providing for them, and he's happy that he's been able to give them this comfortable lifestyle. His thoughts turn to concerns about whether "all peace, all prosperity, all contentment should be brought to a frightful end." He calms himself by crawling around his room. He hears his family going quietly to bed, then settles under the couch to rest. He barely sleeps, and plans to help the family to bear the inconvenience he was bound to cause them in his current condition. Unlike in the morning, when Gregor seemed confused or even distracted while he inadvertently terrorized his family, now Gregor shows some understanding about the horror (and possible financial difficulty) that his "change" has caused, how it has altered his family's routine and future. But he deals with this very human thought process in a cockroach-like way—crawling around and going under the bed this shows his inability to change himself to be what he used to be.
(Page.10, Paragraph 2) “He first noticed…crawled back to the middle of the room.”
In this passage, Gregor wakes up in the evening and finds bread and milk left by his sister in his room which he has difficulties eating. This passage focuses on the character development of Gregor, where Gregor is portrayed to be losing/changing some of his human traits. This can easily be spotted through the use of diction such as “tempted”, “submerged”, “writhed away” and “crawled back”. These descriptions of ‘animalistic’ behaviours thus strongly suggest his insect-like actions. Also, not only Gregor find it difficult to be eating with his injuries from the morning’s incident, but he also seems to have changes in his tastes and preferences. His sister has prepared for the food which Gregor has liked as a human, unable to imagine that his brother would be any different inside his changed appearance. However, Gregor being unable to consume and enjoy the food - which was his favourite - convinces that he has transformed not only on the outside, but also in the inside – becoming more like a real insect. I believe that the message suggested here is that when regarded as a pest (an unnecessary and harmful being), one may also eventually become a real pest believing that what the others (society) perceive him as is what he is, despite his own personality and character. This highlights the negative consequences of the society’s critical judgements and prejudice.
I agree with you that Gregor is losing some of his human traits and is slowly becoming a real insect because of the way he is being treated. This is shown in the reactions of his family members as well as the attorney who came to see him earlier. They were shocked and also reacted with disgust which may have influenced Gregor's self perception from believing that he is still human on the inside of the insect body to thinking that he is an insect both inside and out.
(page 11 paragraph 4) "Could I be less sensitive now?"
In this chapter Gregor starts eating basically garbage and becomes even more of a cockroach. He is slowly losing himself to the creature that he has become. I chose this quote because he is now questioning himself wether he even cares about his family anymore. His family knows his existence but they do not or choose not to accept him for what he has turned into. The Fact the he prefers rotten food over the fresh food that his sister gives him represents a new phase in his metamorphosis. This change however seems to be more a pyschological change, and this psychological change then carries out to be more physical. When he starts crawling and climbing the walls of his room is a very significant moment because this is when he starts embracing what he has become. However, the picture in his room could symbolize his last bit of humanity or could be the only way or thing that can separate the man and the bug. In chapter 2 it feels that he is slipping and the bug is taking control.
Pg 17 Paragraph 5 "He was standing starkly upright,[...] his prominent double chin expanded above the high, stiff, pleated collar; from underneath the bushy eyebrows a bright alert, and penetrating gaze came forth from the black eyes."
In this passage, Gregor is describing his father after realising how different he looked as he was chasing him due to the fact that he found a job as a bank attendant. This passage was effective because it used imagery to create an image of Gregor's father as someone who was extremely intimidating. The diction used to describe him was slightly exaggerated for dramatic effect, "prominent" was used when describing his double chin, which gives off a sense of strength and solidarity much like describing a large stone statue, whilst "Penetrating gaze" creates an uncomfortable atmosphere, as 'to penetrate' is to pierce through a solid object; that solid object in this context refers to emotional defenses. Thus this shows that there was no escape or refuge from his gaze as it would merely 'penetrate' them all, leaving the reader bare and exposed, and therefore weak, which is an uncomfortable feeling. All this combined together make Gregor's father seem to be extremely intimidating as the descriptions used relate to power, perfection and fear with no mention of weaknesses or humanity, almost as if he were a mechanical golem.
(Pg12 Paragraph 4) "Now, the sister had to cook in conjunction with the mother, this was not a lot of trouble, mind you, because they hardly ate anything. Time and time again, Gregor heard one of them extend to another a futile invitation to eat and receive no other answer than, "Thank you, I've had enough," or something similar. Perhaps they also drank nothing. Sister often asked father whether he wanted to have a beer and gladly offered go get it herself; when the father remained silent, she said that she would send the doorkeeper to go get it, but then father finally voiced an emphatic "No", and no more was said about it." ----
This passage gives the readers insight into Gregor's family. The family is portrayed as one that is falling apart and lacks communication and love. The quotes, "they hardly ate anything" and "Gregor heard one of the extend a futile invitation to eat and receive no other answer than, "Thank you, I've had enough" or something similar", both show that there is little time spent together as a family, even sitting down together to have a meal is not practiced in this household. Having a meal together is normally a time where each family member would talk about their day or what's been happening in their lives; the fact that this family don't have meals together suggests that each of them are still shocked and feel uncomfortable to discuss further about Gregor's metamorphosis. Moreover, they speak to one another with short sentences which implies a sense of annoyance among the family. It seems like the sister is the only one who is trying to bring a little joy or any other feeling into the household besides emptiness. However, the father doesn't appreciate what she tries to do. Also, having a daughter offer to bring beer to her father is quite unusual especially when the consumption of alcohol has bad effects. "....but then father finally voiced an emphatic "No", and no more was said about it", Personally, I feel this quote gives the father a bad impression because he shows that he cares very little for his family and didn't show that he appreciates what the sister was trying to do.
Page 12
ReplyDelete“Gregor now received his food daily: Once in the morning while the parents and the maid still slept, and a second time after the common lunch, as at a time the parents likewise slept again for a while, and the maid was sent away by his sister to do some shopping”
“Gregor couldn’t find out at all with what excuses they had previously sent the doctor and locksmith out of that first morning”
“On that first day, the maid – what and how much about the occurrences she knew was entirely unclear- had also fallen to her knees and begged the mother to dismiss her immediately, and when she said goodbye a quarter of an hour later, she thanked mother for dismissal with tears, as if it were the greatest favor that anybody had done for her”
In this section there is development in our knowledge of family relationships, the family itself as well as Gregor’s character. Grete feeds Gregor in secret while their parents are asleep in the morning then later again when they are asleep in the afternoon. While a bug Gregor still has no idea what excuses his family gave to the doctor and the locksmith and why he never saw a doctor. His family does not understand that he understands what they are talking about and he hears the maid begging to quit her job at their house. The family dynamics is clear from this section as we see that his sister actually hides that she feds him, we understand that she is much more caring and less affected by society than their parents are. His parents choosing not to let a doctor see Gregor shows their need to have greater social status and acceptance over the health for their own children. However as Gregor questions what excuses they came up with also implies that he is naïve and clueless as he doesn’t question that his family may be embarrassed by him. An example of this disgust and embarrassment is actually shown when the maid quits. She quits, as she does not want to work for or be near Gregor. As she leaves she says, “Without any requesting it of her, swore a terrified oath never to tell anyone the slightest word.” The way in which she swears to his parents that she won tell emphasizes the embarrassment the maid understands that the family will feel.
I agree that this section gives us more of a glimpse of the Samsa family and what their relationship is like. His sister Grete does little things like bringing him food and moving the chair by the window, and this shows that she still cares for him even after his transformation and that before the whole situation they had a very close relationship. I also agree that the maids promise of not telling anyone about what's happened to Gregor implies that she knows and understands the embarrassment the Samsa family would feel.
Delete"[...] before she really came to the realization that it was Gregor she saw, she said in a hoarse, shrieking voice, "Oh, God, oh, God!" and, with her arms wide, as if giving everything up, fell on the couch and didn't stir. "Gregor, you..." cried the sister as she raised her fist and shot him an intense glare. These were the first words that she had addressed directly to him since the transformation."
ReplyDeleteIn this passage from Chapter two of 'The Metamorphosis', Gregor's mother faints after catching sight of him accidentally. His sister Grete who is the only character in the story, apart from Gregor, addressed by her name (which makes her stand out from the rest), is obviously upset by what happens as she shoots her brother an "intense glare". We are aware that the siblings had a good relationship from the way she cares for him after his transformation; like bringing his food and placing the chair by the window for him. She feels pity for him and shows care for him even after his transformation, while trying to hold in her embarrassment. We can see that in Chapter two, she gets more and more accustomed to doing things things for him. However, this passage shows that her pity for him is slowly dwindling as she "raises her fists at him" after their mother faints. We can see how she is starting to develop as a character, from a girl to a woman, and she starts to think of taking care of Gregor as more of a job rather than an act of kindness. Gregor is not the only one in the story who has a transformation, as it is obvious that Grete is also transforming - into a woman/adult - as the story continues.
I agree with you that Grete has developed greatly in this chapter. This makes me empathize more for both Gregor and Grete. I empathize with Gregor because the one person who has had the least prejudice on him - his sister - changes to more like what his parents are like - embarrassed of what Gregor has become. But I can also empathize with Grete because I can understand the pressures and stress - from both her parents and Gregor's lack of independence and his dramatically changed behaviours - she must be going through.
DeletePage 15
ReplyDelete“Upon hearing the mother’s words, Gregor realized that the lack of any direct human conversation together with the monotonous life among the family, must have, during the course of these last two months, confused his intellect, because he could not otherwise explain to himself how he could earnestly have longed for his room to be emptied.”
Page 16
“So he ventured forth and changed directions four times…picture of the lady clothed in nothing but fur, and crawled quickly up to it and pressed himself up against the glass…felt good against his hot underbelly. At least nobody would take this picture that Gregor was completely covering up.”
Gregor is reminded of his humanity as he hears his mother’s voice near him for the first time since his transformation. His mother’s word and presence bring back to him the feeling of relatedness to his surroundings and Gregor realizes that his furniture is an essentlial part of his humanity. He seems desperate that he wants to hold on to this so he makes a quick decision about the things he has to protect in his room, which is the picture of the woman in fur hanging up on his wall. Here, it is clear that the picture symbolizes his link with his humanity therefore this leads him to cling desperately to the picture. The picture seems to offer him a way of alienation or isolation compared to what we see in act 1 about the “magazine cut-out” which in a way represents his isolation from human beings. Basically, the picture represents the personal human identity Gregor has lost and for the first time in the novel he asserts himself in opposition to his family in order to protect his identity. Much of this section is about Gregor trying to reconcile his human emotions and history with the physical urges of his new body and his prolonged humanity can be shown through his thoughts and emotions. Though he would prefer his room to be empty so it would make him more physically comfortable, he still ties to his possession which again, represents to him his past as a human.
I agree with what you have said. In this chapter, the main focus is the remaining parts of humanity still left in Gregor and how he tries to hold on to it. This is symbolized in the magazine cut-out as he believes taking that away is like taking away his last shred of humanity. Very insightful.
Delete"...the father was in the habit of reading the afternoon edition of the newspaper in a loud voice to mother and sometimes also to sister, and yet instead, there was silence."
ReplyDelete"...Gregor later earned so much money that he was capable of bearing the expenses of the entire family, as he also did. They had become quite used to it, the family as well as Gregor; they accepted the money gratefully, and he gladly handed it over, but it no longer resulted in that special warmth."
In this section, Gregor notices that his father isn't reading to Grete, though it is a nighttime tradition. Gregor is concerned, but he thinks about how his family has been able to live in peace and quiet since he's been providing for them, and he's happy that he's been able to give them this comfortable lifestyle. His thoughts turn to concerns about whether "all peace, all prosperity, all contentment should be brought to a frightful end." He calms himself by crawling around his room. He hears his family going quietly to bed, then settles under the couch to rest. He barely sleeps, and plans to help the family to bear the inconvenience he was bound to cause them in his current condition. Unlike in the morning, when Gregor seemed confused or even distracted while he inadvertently terrorized his family, now Gregor shows some understanding about the horror (and possible financial difficulty) that his "change" has caused, how it has altered his family's routine and future. But he deals with this very human thought process in a cockroach-like way—crawling around and going under the bed this shows his inability to change himself to be what he used to be.
(Page.10, Paragraph 2) “He first noticed…crawled back to the middle of the room.”
ReplyDeleteIn this passage, Gregor wakes up in the evening and finds bread and milk left by his sister in his room which he has difficulties eating. This passage focuses on the character development of Gregor, where Gregor is portrayed to be losing/changing some of his human traits. This can easily be spotted through the use of diction such as “tempted”, “submerged”, “writhed away” and “crawled back”. These descriptions of ‘animalistic’ behaviours thus strongly suggest his insect-like actions. Also, not only Gregor find it difficult to be eating with his injuries from the morning’s incident, but he also seems to have changes in his tastes and preferences. His sister has prepared for the food which Gregor has liked as a human, unable to imagine that his brother would be any different inside his changed appearance. However, Gregor being unable to consume and enjoy the food - which was his favourite - convinces that he has transformed not only on the outside, but also in the inside – becoming more like a real insect. I believe that the message suggested here is that when regarded as a pest (an unnecessary and harmful being), one may also eventually become a real pest believing that what the others (society) perceive him as is what he is, despite his own personality and character. This highlights the negative consequences of the society’s critical judgements and prejudice.
I agree with you that Gregor is losing some of his human traits and is slowly becoming a real insect because of the way he is being treated. This is shown in the reactions of his family members as well as the attorney who came to see him earlier. They were shocked and also reacted with disgust which may have influenced Gregor's self perception from believing that he is still human on the inside of the insect body to thinking that he is an insect both inside and out.
Delete(page 11 paragraph 4) "Could I be less sensitive now?"
ReplyDeleteIn this chapter Gregor starts eating basically garbage and becomes even more of a cockroach. He is slowly losing himself to the creature that he has become. I chose this quote because he is now questioning himself wether he even cares about his family anymore. His family knows his existence but they do not or choose not to accept him for what he has turned into.
The Fact the he prefers rotten food over the fresh food that his sister gives him represents a new phase in his metamorphosis. This change however seems to be more a pyschological change, and this psychological change then carries out to be more physical. When he starts crawling and climbing the walls of his room is a very significant moment because this is when he starts embracing what he has become. However, the picture in his room could symbolize his last bit of humanity or could be the only way or thing that can separate the man and the bug. In chapter 2 it feels that he is slipping and the bug is taking control.
Pg 17 Paragraph 5 "He was standing starkly upright,[...] his prominent double chin expanded above the high, stiff, pleated collar; from underneath the bushy eyebrows a bright alert, and penetrating gaze came forth from the black eyes."
ReplyDeleteIn this passage, Gregor is describing his father after realising how different he looked as he was chasing him due to the fact that he found a job as a bank attendant. This passage was effective because it used imagery to create an image of Gregor's father as someone who was extremely intimidating. The diction used to describe him was slightly exaggerated for dramatic effect, "prominent" was used when describing his double chin, which gives off a sense of strength and solidarity much like describing a large stone statue, whilst "Penetrating gaze" creates an uncomfortable atmosphere, as 'to penetrate' is to pierce through a solid object; that solid object in this context refers to emotional defenses. Thus this shows that there was no escape or refuge from his gaze as it would merely 'penetrate' them all, leaving the reader bare and exposed, and therefore weak, which is an uncomfortable feeling. All this combined together make Gregor's father seem to be extremely intimidating as the descriptions used relate to power, perfection and fear with no mention of weaknesses or humanity, almost as if he were a mechanical golem.
(Pg12 Paragraph 4) "Now, the sister had to cook in conjunction with the mother, this was not a lot of trouble, mind you, because they hardly ate anything. Time and time again, Gregor heard one of them extend to another a futile invitation to eat and receive no other answer than, "Thank you, I've had enough," or something similar. Perhaps they also drank nothing. Sister often asked father whether he wanted to have a beer and gladly offered go get it herself; when the father remained silent, she said that she would send the doorkeeper to go get it, but then father finally voiced an emphatic "No", and no more was said about it."
ReplyDelete----
This passage gives the readers insight into Gregor's family. The family is portrayed as one that is falling apart and lacks communication and love. The quotes, "they hardly ate anything" and "Gregor heard one of the extend a futile invitation to eat and receive no other answer than, "Thank you, I've had enough" or something similar", both show that there is little time spent together as a family, even sitting down together to have a meal is not practiced in this household. Having a meal together is normally a time where each family member would talk about their day or what's been happening in their lives; the fact that this family don't have meals together suggests that each of them are still shocked and feel uncomfortable to discuss further about Gregor's metamorphosis. Moreover, they speak to one another with short sentences which implies a sense of annoyance among the family. It seems like the sister is the only one who is trying to bring a little joy or any other feeling into the household besides emptiness. However, the father doesn't appreciate what she tries to do. Also, having a daughter offer to bring beer to her father is quite unusual especially when the consumption of alcohol has bad effects. "....but then father finally voiced an emphatic "No", and no more was said about it", Personally, I feel this quote gives the father a bad impression because he shows that he cares very little for his family and didn't show that he appreciates what the sister was trying to do.