Dear all,
Post a reflection (complete with references from all 3 chapters) on your character answering the question: what is the purpose of ... in the novella?
Thank you.
Mrs Gougeon
Post a reflection (complete with references from all 3 chapters) on your character answering the question: what is the purpose of ... in the novella?
Thank you.
Mrs Gougeon
One of the main reoccurring themes is transformation, which is a theme that is carried along the plot by Gregor. Gregor himself transforms from a salesman who is the provider of his family to a bug that can no longer communicate with humans. Gregor undergoes a physical change in the first line of the story “One morning, upon awakening from agitated dreams, Gregor Samsa found himself, in his bed, transformed into a monstrous vermin.” There is never really any explanation as to why Gregor has woken up in the form of a bug however this change allows us to see his emotional transformation in dealing with the situation as well as the transformation of his family and his relationship with them as well as their acceptance for him. His transformation forces his family to adjust the way in which they respond and interact with him. Gregor emphasizes the way in which people change under pressure and in situations they don’t want to deal with. He accentuates the physical, psychological and emotional changes that people go through as well as the extent to which they can change and transform into someone completely different to themselves.
ReplyDeleteIn chapter one there is great evidence of the way in which Gregor is used as a way to display the way in which others transform or change when put in situations with a lot of pressure as well as ones they don’t want to deal with. “His father came on, hissing like a wild man… if only his father did not keep making this intolerable hissing sound! It made Gregor lose his head completely” this quote displays the way in which his family reacts to his change. Although his father is in disgust at Gregor the way he reacts almost mirrors the disgust as he becomes ugly in the way he reacts. Gregor’s purpose in this section is to display the overbearing and violent side that is displayed while put in an uncomfortable position. In chapter two we see a new side and transformation of the sister, someone who was once so close to Gregor who no longer wants to be near him but almost acts as if she cares in obligation. “Would she really notice that he had let the milk stay there, and not even from a lack of hunger; would she bring him in another dish that was more suitable form him?” Grete feeds Gregor which can be looked at as caring however the food and drink she gives him is not suitable for his life now and shows that she has not taken in to consideration of his physical state but rather that she may feel obligated as he worked so hard for her to get a better education. We see the relationship that was once strong between Grete and Gregor be destroyed. In chapter 3 it says, “Gregor’s corpse was actually extremely flat and dry, and one really to notice only now because he wasn’t raised on those little legs, and no other distractions existed.” In this section we see a very different reaction to Gregor dead rather than when he was alive, his family is no longer in disgust, as they were when they came in contact with him during his life as a bug. His family reacts rather calmly which is the opposite of how they would be expected to react if he were a human, this displays the final transformation in the way that they viewed him as no longer as Gregor their son or brother but as an unfamiliar bug.
The mother, though a minor character, serves a fairly important role in the novella. She is a weak and distressed character and she seems torn between her love for Gregor and her disgust at her son’s new state. In the first chapter after Gregor reveals himself, she yells “Help, for God’s sake help!...as if she wanted to view Gregor better, and yet in spite of this, she senselessly ran backwardfs…hardly appeared to notice that near her a stream of coffee was puring forth onto the carpet from the large, toppled pot.”
ReplyDeleteHowever, throughout the book, she seems like the only character who actually cares about Gregor. Though her tendency to faint upon seeing Gregor is not beneficial to helping him. In chapter 2, when she finally sees Gregor again but this time he is on the wall and this causes her to be in shock. She yells “Oh, God, oh God!”. It is quite confusing that she reacts this way because one will expect her to act normally since she has already seen Gregor’s metamorphosis earlier and this suggests that she is a weak character.
She just will not accept Gregor after his metamorphosis yet she keeps wanting to see him. Another loving trait of the mother is that she tried to save Gregor from the “apple attack” but she is too weak. The mother throughout the story does what she is told and her opinions on family affairs remain unknown. Additionally, her personality is involving in her husband’s authority.
In chapter three, there is a conflict between the sister and the mother. The mother cleans Gregor’s room completely unlike Grete who just leaves some dust behind. This shows how she does it selflessly while Grete just does it as a job. Again, this suggests that she is actually caring but does not accept the truth. Lastly, when Grete talks to her parents about getting rid of Gregor, the mother does not seem to have a say and the father has been the only one replying which again shows how she is under her husband’s authority and that she is weak.
Of all the characters, Grete has by far the most interaction with Gregor and apart from her brother Gregor, Grete is the only other character addressed by name in the story, a distinction that reflects her relative importance. Grete is also the only character to show pity for Gregor through most of the novella.
ReplyDeleteAt the beginning of the novella, like the other family members, she's just a voice behind a wall, trying to get Gregor to open up his bedroom door. Unlike her parents, Grete begins to moan and weep as Gregor refuses to open his door. In section 2, she becomes Gregor’s primary caretaker. She brings him food, which suggests that Grete believes, at least initially, that some part of Gregor remains the same. She also places his chair by the window so he can see out to the street, and comes up with the idea of removing his furniture so he has more room to scurry and climb which also suggests that she sees him as an insect by now. Over the course of section two, their relationship changes dramatically as although Grete wants to take care of Gregor, she cannot stand the sight of him. Gradually, Grete’s disgust appears to wear down her sympathy for Gregor, and while she continues to care for him, she does so evidently more from a sense of duty than love. She sees her caring for Gregor as a role and thus part of who she is—in the family. Gregor also feels like Grete’s presence in the room slowly becoming an intrusion and he starts to prefer being alone. By the end of section 2, Grete and Gregor’s affection for each other has faded gradually as Grete sees him more like a chore thus making Gregor feel more alienated. In the last section, Gregor becomes even more isolated as the family loses interest in caring for him. Grete, once the family member to spend the most time in contact with Gregor, stops caring for him entirely. Grete cannot tolerate his presence. By this time, Grete also does not see or think of the bug as her brother anymore. Grete therefore demands they get rid of Gregor, this suggests that she has no sympathy remaining.
Grete changes more than any other character in the novella, which was going through her own “metamorphosis” from a girl to a woman, which was said at the end of the novella when her parents noticed that she has grown into a pretty young woman and a new chapter in her life is beginning and this change occurs while her sympathy for her brother gradually fades away.
What is the purpose of The Mother in the novella?
ReplyDeleteI feel as though Gregor’s mother, Mrs Samsa, is the only character who shows genuine and sincere care for her son all throughout the novella. Unlike Grete, who later on sees it as more of a duty to take care of her brother, and Grete’s father Mr Samsa, who is enraged with Gregor’s transformation and cannot bare the thought of his son anymore and cannot accept what he has become. Mrs Samsa is a relatively weak and fragile character who needs Grete’s protection, from not only Gregor, but Mr Samsa as well, as he verbally abuses and belittles her. She seems to not have a say in most matters, and this shows her weak nature, unable to stand up for herself or Gregor – as seen when she did not have .
Mrs Samsa represents the bond between a mother and a son, as she still loves him and sees him as her son even after the transformation. It is obvious that she wants to help him, but cannot do much to help seeing as she goes into shock every time she sees him, and even faints. However, despite this, she still does as much as she can to help Gregor, as a mother would do. Her cleaning Gregor’s room completely shows how much she cares for him and still sees him as a son.
In my opinion i believe that the only reason the Gregor's father is in the story is because the writer wanted to give the reader someone they can hate. Gregor's character throughout all the chapters never says or shows signs that he hates his father and how he treats him and his family, and because of that the writer has made the father like this so that the reader can feel the emotions that Gregor is suppose to feel.
ReplyDeleteHis father does not care about his son the second he lays eyes on him and discovers what he has become. He only cares about the families financial situation and comes off as a unkind, cold and heartless man. We learn in the story that he had a business that failed and has given up, because of this Gregor has to take responsibility and take care of the family financially. But still with all of Gregor's help and sacrifice he still is a hopeless man who treats his son and family badly even after he undergoes his metamorphosis'. His encounters with his son is only to beat him or push him back into his room, this symbolizes the hate that he has towards his son for being the father figure.
What is the purpose of Gregor in this novella?
ReplyDeleteGregor is the main character, and the main protagonist of this novella. The narrative, although written in third person register, tells the story in Gregor’s perspective which allows readers to have great empathy and understanding for Gregor’s situation and emotions. The main purpose of Gregor is the representation the ‘metamorphosis’ – the transformation –developed by his transformation from a man to an insect. This transformation symbolises the vulnerability of an individual in an egocentric and judgemental society.
In the beginning of this novella, Gregor wakes up one morning to find himself “transformed into a gargantuan pest”. A pest can be regarded as the lowest form of life which is viewed negatively as it is believed to serve no purpose and only cause harm. This huge transformation taken place just over a night highlights how the social status can face a downfall very quickly and easily in a society. However in the very beginning, despite this life changing physical transformation, Gregor does not seem to react or worry as greatly as expected and instead he thinks about his job - how he needs to get up and go to work – which shows how his mentality is still one of a man’s, uninfluenced by his appearance. This also strongly suggests the pressures and high expectations of society from an individual of the working class – the need to be serving a purpose and having a beneficial input in society regardless of one’s personal situations and wishes. Even after Gregor realised the seriousness of his situation, his main concerns are for his family instead of himself – about not being able to go to work and provide for the family and the shock they will receive when learnt of Gregor’s transformation. This suggests one’s obligations in a family– especially in case of providing the main income.
In Chapter 2, Gregor seems to increasingly embody the life of an insect and its behaviour shown by his changes in tastes and increase in actions such as crawling. This shows the power and control society’s judgements and prejudice can have on one’s individuality. As he is appeared to be a pest, Gregor becomes to believe that he actually is one – losing his original human traits. By Chapter 3, he is completely viewed and believed to be nothing more than just a pest regardless of his past and his contributions to society (family). The aspect which is most apparent throughout these chapters is the change in family relationships. Gregor’s mother, although she has the strongest attachment and care for Gregor, her struggles between her duty as a mother and her fear of Gregor’s new appearance leads her to eventually conform to the pressure and reality of society. Grete, Gregor’s sister, initially maintained her close relationship with Gregor as she took the role of being a ‘care taker’ of Gregor. However, this relationship doesn’t last long as she not only meets the burden of caring for what her brother has become but also the resentment towards Gregor as she would need to give up her further studies and her dreams in order to earn money for the family. Gregor’s father reacts most cruelly to Gregor’s transformation. He constantly treats Gregor with violence, which also lead to leaving an apple piercing and rotting on Gregor’s back. All these different relationships all conclude as one at the very end of the novella where they all choose to forget about Gregor’s life and his death and live a new life for themselves. As heart breaking as this is, it effectively shows how although society’s forces can lead to one’s pain and death it is not significant to others in the society as they don’t realise the extent of the consequences of their words and actions to an individual.
The purpose of the father was to highlight the theme of power, control and pride. He is the only other male in the house besides Gregor. However unlike Gregor he is unable to provide for the family and only maintains power through the respect given to him as a father. As a result he feels powerless in the family as they do not need to rely on him anymore; he has become redundant. However when Gregor turns into a giant insect, there is suddenly nobody providing for the family. Gregor's father then assumes the position of the provider, taking a job as a banker. When this happens Gregor's father sees a massive change in his demeanor, "standing starkly upright[...] his prominent double expanded above the high, stiff, pleated collar" he is clearly looks more physically able, contrasting his previous description where it was said that "he had put on a lot of weight in those five years" earlier in chapter two. This change shows that by becoming the provider for the family, he has become needed and relied on, he takes joy in the fact that his family needs him and that he is fulfilling the role of a man; he now has complete control and power over the family. This power is then re-emphasized at the end of the chapter two when he throws an apple at Gregor's back which severely wounds him. By doing this he has supposedly "defended" his family, which shows that he is stronger than them because he is able to fend off Gregor whilst they can't, therefore establishing dominance. However in chapter three it seems this dominance is then slightly reduced as he is visibly weaker and more tired from the days work as he says that his family should "Live and let live. This is the peace of [his] my old age." This shows that due to his age and physical state, he is unable to cope with this sudden responsibility and amount of work, thus he has lost his status within the family as his daughter and wife often have to help him to get to bed and sleep. He has now become slightly more of a burden as his old age has weakened him. Meanwhile the upkeep of living in the apartment has become much more costly and Gregor's father is unable to keep up with the costs with his current job. In response, the family has no choice but to help with the store and rent out some rooms to tenants, meaning yet again Gregor's father is no longer the main source of income. As well as that, at the end he completely loses his leadership over the family as he becomes unsure what to do with Gregor in the end. This is when his daughter steps in and takes charge, deciding what to do next with Gregor. By doing this she has removed the father from the only position he had left, and that was the leader of the family. This is then re-emphasized as the story ends with her stretching, showing that she is the main focus.
ReplyDeleteIn Chapter 1, the sister, Grete, was portrayed to be the family member that is closest to Gregor. We see this when she tries to get Gregor's door to open up so she could help Gregor. Then she cries about it when he doesn't open the door, which shows us the impact Gregor's metamorphosis had on her.
ReplyDeleteThroughout Chapter 2, we see that Grete was the only one in the family who bothers to check up on Gregor and shows her efforts in trying to feed him something, although not with the right food. Through Gregor's character, it was revealed that he had a secret plan to help send Grete to the conservatory to fulfill her dreams as a violinist. This fact has enabled the readers to see the transformation in Gregor and Grete's relationship as we know that both siblings must have had a close relationship for Gregor to want to help his sister pursue her talent. However, in Chapter 2, Grete starts to show signs of disgust and reluctance in helping Gregor, this is evident in the quote on pg11, "But, as if she rued her behaviour, she immediately opened the door again and tiptoed inside, as she would near a seriously ill person or even a stranger." We also see Grete starting to take Gregor's place and responsibility as she attends to the parents' needs. Grete's behaviour towards Gregor worsen by the end of Chapter 2, she took care of the mother and also attended to Gregor as if to show that she is completely capable of taking Gregor's place. She also does this with contempt which implies that she is only doing all these because she has to and not because she wants to. Knowing that Gregor is the cause of all this has made Grete even more reluctant to help him.
In Chapter 3, Grete has already started working to help support the family. Although everyone in the family, except Gregor, has started to work, they were still not earning enough. Instead of feeling grateful and realizing how hard Gregor had to work to support the family before, this has put more anger into Grete. This is shown in the way she treats Gregor. Pg 23 ""We must get rid of it,", the sister now said exclusively to the father." In this chapter, Grete has already given up on Gregor and refers to him as "it" which shows she has excluded him from being part of the family and sees him as what he appears to be.
In conclusion, I believe the purpose of the sister in the novella is to show us the kind of person Gregor's responsibility is passed on to, Grete is hardworking but not compassionate, she does things out of obligation instead of humility.