Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Metamorphosis essay

In Franz Kafka's the Metamorphosis, Gregor Samsa transforms into a giant bug. While Gregor's transformation is both physical and mental, his sister Grete experiences a metamorphosis, as well, in a less complex way. The metamorphoses contribute to the overall meaning of the work: beware of unexpected occurances and changes in life.

Gregor Samsa has a stressful and unhappy life. He has a lot of responsibilities, especially within his family. Gregor adores his sister and does not have a close relationship with his parents. To top off his unhappy life, he hates his job. Gregor's metamorphosis into a giant bug illustrates his deep feelings. The pressures that are put on him may be too great and he may feel as small as a bug in some cases. Before his metamorphosis, he felt as if he was an important link in his family. After, however, he feels like he has no use at all.

Grete samsa has not always been the apple of her parents' eyes and the responsible young lady that she has morphed into. All of this changes when Gregor morphes into a bug. Grete loves her brother and even respects him more than their parents. Grete gets a job to help her family just as Gregor had. With her rising to the occasion, there are no more thoughts of Gregor.

Both metamorphoses are significant to the novella. They contribute to the meaning of the work in different ways, however. Gregor's metamorphosis is more complex and perhaps more unexpected. Gregor deals with a lot and feels alone, he probably does not expect to wake up as a bug one day. Grete's metamorphosis is unexected in that she took on responsibilities because of Gregor's metamorphosis.

Though one metamorphosis is more complex than that of the other, they both have significant roles in the novella. They both contribute greatly to the meaning of the work.

2 comments:

Shantanique said...

Relate to thesis more.

Explain thoughts and be to the point.

4 or 5

Letters. said...

Shantanique—

-‘Occurrences’ (no a), ‘morphs’ (no e), ‘unexpected’ (p was missing)
-The “beware of unexpected occurrences and changes in life” part of the thesis is barely mentioned in the essay.
-Paragraphs don’t quite flow, very slightly choppy.
-“With her rising to the occasion, there are no more thoughts of Gregor” is not needed.
-Concluding paragraph is very short and vague.

Overall, the essay is well-written—5