p. 25, 1st full paragraph (towards the end) "he felt very proud of himself for having been able to provide his parents and sister with a life like that, in such a beautiful apartment. But what if now all the peace, the prosperity, all the contentment were to come to a fearful end?"
At this point, Gregor has been transformed for a full day, and yet still thinks of his family before himself. He worries that he will no longer be able to provide for his family, but it is not until later that he addresses his own well-being (and that is brief). His thinking parallels his lifestyle, for as a traveling salesman, he is rarely at home to enjoy the fruits of his labor. He works for his family -- not himself.
Questions. Why is he so selfless? Is he truly selfless -- or has this responsiblity been forced upon him?
Why does he say "what if" this way of life will end? (How has he retained any hope for returning to normal?) and... Why a giant insect?
"And so, at that time he had begun to work with extreme enthusiasm and almost overnight had changed from a junior clerk into a traveling salesman... Those had been good times and had never been repeated later, at least not so gloriously" (29, top).
"Did he really want to have the warm room, comfortably furnished with heirloom pieces, transformed into a cave, in which he would, of course, be able to crawl about freely in all directions, but at the cost of simultaneously forgetting his human past, quickly and totally? ...Nothing must be removed, everything must stay" (34, top).
I chose these passages because of their pertinence to the idea that Ellery touched on, of metamorphosis. I found it interesting that there is a seemingly parallel overnight change in Gregor Samsa, from a dependent to the family's primary breadwinner, but it is a glory that was never relived. In fact, even in light of Gregor's second and more shocking metamorphosis, he clings desperately to the status quo, rather undesirable though it may be; he rejects the idea of change because he fears that it will trigger an integral and irreversible change in him. I feel like this is a vague and not entirely satisfactory answer to one of Ellery's questions--Gregor seems inherently predisposed to maintaining the status quo, even if it is not ideal. Rather than risk greater discomfort, he likes things to stay just the way they are, and undergoes transformations only in the greatest necessity (as with the job) or unwillingly (as with the bug).
So my question/s:
- What is Kafka saying about change?
- Is Gregor's attitude towards it necessarily the one that we're meant to have?
- What exactly is Gregor's attitude towards metamorphosis? Not just the cockroach change, but to change in general. Do we know?
p. 29 middle of the page "Gregor subsequently earned so much money that he was enabled to shoulder the expenses of the entire family, and did so. They had grown used to it, the family as well as Gregor; they accepted the money gratefully, he handed it over gladly, but no particularly warm feelings were generated any longer. Only his sister had still remained close to Gregor all the same..."
The attitudes of Gregor's father and mother are reflected through how they treat him after he turns into a bug: they do not feed him or care for him in any way. Moreover, his father even throws fruit at him when Gregor angers him. Gregor's sister is the only one that truly cares for him, bringing him food and cleaning his room. Clearly, Gregor's metamorphosis is not an easy one for the family, or for Gregor, himself.
Questions: Why do Gregor's parents take him for granted when he has done so much for them?
Why does Gregor's sister still care for him even when his parents do not?
@Ellery: I think Gregor is genuinely selfless. As you stated, Gregor hasn't wavered in his dedication to his family. Even in his state, where he cannot work or communicate with his parents and sister, he still worries about his family's well-being and how they will survive without sufficient income. I do not think that responsibility has been forced upon him, although he does feel pressure to provide for his family.
p. 22. a sentence into the new paragraph: "His parents didn't understand things like that so well: in all those long years they had gained the conviction that Gregor was set up for life in this firm, and, besides, they were now so preoccupied by the troubles of the moment that they had lost track of all foresight. But Gregor possessed that foresight."
I chose this passage because it shows how Gregor is different from the rest of his family in that he has "foresight." He knows how to please the chief clerk, and he knows how to act in order to keep his job. He is the only one providing for his family at the moment, and like Ellery said, he is worried that he won't be able to do that anymore now that he is a bug...
Q: I was just wondering why he isn't more confused and worried about the fact that he is a bug than the fact that he won't be able to provide for his family?
Alice- I really like what you said about glory and Gregor's attitude towards his metamorphosis. I just find it so odd that he is more stressed about being late to work (or not being able to work for that matter) than about being transformed into a bug.
...and Ellery, I have no idea why Kafka chose a giant insect... maybe it has something to do with Gregor's inner attitude or self image. Maybe he was so much like a bug before (because he never really went out, and kind of seemed to stay in the shadows) so he actually turned into one.
"...Gregor fully intended to return to his room at once, and that it was unnecessary [for his father] to chase him back; instead, all they needed to do was to open the door, and he would disappear right away. "But his father was in no mood to observe such niceties; as soon as he walked in, he yelled 'Ah!' in a tone that suggested he was both furious and happy at the same time."
I've been trying to understand Gregor's relationship to his family, and this passage especially confused me. I guess I'm confused about his family's view of him (as a giant bug... I actually asked myself how I would feel if my sister turned into a bug....). The intentional contradiction in this passage made me stop: he's furious while also happy; he doesn't want to "observe niceties," yet he's happy. Then Gregor launches into the whole thing about how his father is practically unrecognizable now that he has to work and doesn't sit in his robe all day....?
"But Gregor had become much calmer. To be sure, he now realized that his speech was no longer intelligible, even though it had seemed clear enough to him, clearer than before...the confidence and security with which the first measures had been taken, comforted him. He felt that he was once more drawn into the circle of humanity and hoped for magnificent and surprising achievements on the part of both, the doctor and the locksmith..." (19)
In this passage, Gregor hopes that perhaps the doctor/locksmith can save him. I think this was the first time that Gregor allowed himself to rely on others--before he refused to leave his room and was determined to solve his problem on his own. Similarly, we learn that Gregor is responsible for supporting his family, and I think this burden makes him independent from his family in another sense. As his transformation is a physical distancing from his family/humanity, what is Kafka suggesting about Gregor's independence/situation?
@Ellery: I do think he's selfless (secret dream of sending sister to conservatory), but I also think that the responsibilty forced upon him has led him to become distanced from his family. @ Alice: Perhaps his independence (negative) is the reason why he resists change outside of his control?
Maybe I'm reading this wrong and Gregor isn't independent in the way I think he is?
Hey, everyone! I only just found the link to this post. :(
"Unfortunately, however, his sister was of a different opinion; not without some justification, true, she had grown accustomed to play herself up to her parents as a special expert whenever matters of affecting Gregor were discussed; and so now, too, the mother's advice was cause enough for the sister to insist on the removal...But perhaps a further element was the romantic spirit of girls of her age, which seeks for satisfaction on every occasion, and by which Grete now let herself be tempted to make Gregor's situation even more frightful, so that she could do even more for him than hitherto..." (34).
"He hadn't really pictured his father the way he now stood there...And yet, and yet, was this still his father? The same man who would lie wearily, buried in his bed, when Gregor used to "move out smartly" on a business trip...who hadn't been fully capable of standing up, and had merely raised his arms as a sign of joy...who, during their rare family strolls on a few Sundays of the year and on major holidays, would walk between Gregor and his mother, who walked slowly even on their own, but would always be a little slower yet...Now, however, he was perfectly erect, dressed in a tight blue uniform with gold buttons, like those worn by messengers in banking houses. Above the high, stiff collar of the jacket his pronounced double chin unfurled; below his bushy eyebrows the gaze of his dark eyes shone brightly and observantly; his usually tousled white hair was combed down flat and gleaming, with a painfully exact part" (37).
I chose these two passages because I share Cora's feelings of wanting to make sense of Gregor's relationship to his family. In part, I think Gregor shares his metamorphosis with his family; as he changes, so do they. Before he became a bug, the Samsa parents saw his sister as a "good-for-nothing girl" (32). Now, as we see in my first quotation, Gregor's new bug-hood has given her a very clear purpose in life, braving what her parents wish not to face and coming through for her family in their time of need. Likewise, their father was bedridden and weak before Gregor's transformation; now, he has regained strength and is "standing up" for his family. Essentially, they have assumed leadership roles that Gregor once occupied--he was really the sole breadwinner for years. Gruelling as this is for them, Grete and Gregor's mother cannot stand to look at him, and his father severely injures him on two occasions; this is how they treat the man who acted on their behalf for so long.
So my question is....Can anyone help me understand what I just said? :) I know this metamorphosis is supposed to be an important experience for Gregor (I don't think we would be reading about it if it meant nothing at all!)--this might even be some sort of life experience in which he is "supposed" to evaluate his life, which is clearly still unfulfilled by his constant hard-work. But how should we feel about the effect on the Samsa family as a whole? Can we view it as ultimately positive, even, despite their very negative and hurtful actions toward Gregor, given their own transformations? What is the significance of their clear mistreatment of him, particularly in relation to the seemingly-healing effect it has had on the family in other respects?
To respond to Alice and Helen-responding-to-Alice, I also really want to understand Kafka's views on change. Part of me does think that, negative as this is for Gregor, this metamorphosis was necessary for him to "wake up" to the unfortunate life he had been living. I agree, Helen, that on some level he is independent--but not in a good way. He did not receive support from his family, yet they continually took from him. I don't think he's fully made that realization yet, but I think he may end up there.
“Although Gregor told himself over and over that nothing unusual was going on, just a few pieces of furniture being moved around, he soon had to admit to himself that this walking to and fro by the women, their brief calls to each other and the scraping of the furniture on the floor affected him like a tremendous uproar, sustained on all sides…” (pg. 35).
I chose this passage because I found it interesting that this change, which is relatively small when compared to being transformed into a bug, seems to affect Gregor much more than his own metamorphosis. Is it because this change is more believable? Or is it because this change makes the other change feel real?
My other question is about the use of the phrase “the women” in this section. When describing the moving of the furniture, Gregor uses the phrase “the women” multiple times. Maybe I’m reading too much into this, but I wondered why he chose to call them “the women” so many times, identifying them only by their gender, rather than by their names or their relationship to Gregor or one another.
"Only his sister had still remained close to Gregor all the same, and it was his secret plan--because, unlike Gregor, she dearly loved music and could play the violin soulfully--to send her to the conservatory the following year, regardless of the great expenses which that had to entail, and which would have to be made up for in some other way. Often during Gregor's brief sojourns in the city the conservatory was referred to in his conversations with his sister, but always merely as a lovely dream, which couldn't possibly come true, and their parents disliked hearing even those innocent references; but Gregor was planning it most resolutely and intended to make a formal announcement on Christmas Eve." (29)
I chose this passage because it goes to show how completely selfless Gregor is. Even when his family shuns him, he is very appreciative of his sister who is the only one of the family who has chosen to be connected to him after his transformation into an insect. Most of the money that he earns as a traveling salesman goes to the family and only a small portion of his salary is kept for himself. Even so, he had planned to save up in order to be able to put his sister into a conservatory. In addition, Gregor is the only one of the family who sincerely takes the time to understand his sister. While his parents detest the thought of his sister attending a conservatory, he knows it is his sister's dream.
@Ellery- I think part of the reason why Gregor was turned into a large insect has to do with the fact that insects are at the bottom of the food chain. Although they might pose some kind of danger to humans they are inevitably vulnerable and looked upon with disgust. Therefore, by being turned into an insect we are able to see who out of his family stays loyal to him and loves him despite his transformation. Unfortunately, although his sister does make efforts to help her brother, every one of his family members are disgusted by his appearance.
Q:Why wasn't Gregor more surprised or horrified when he woke up and discovered he had turned into an insect?
I think the part about Gregor’s family member’s “assuming leadership roles” is really important, and I really like the way Tori phrased it. My interpretation of what you (Tori) have said is that the effects of Gregor’s transformation on himself are negative—his family distances themselves from him and his father goes so far as to hurt him physically. Meanwhile, the effects on his family are quite positive—his father and sister instantly “step up” and loose their passivity. The situation is kind of tragic. Though he had worked so hard for his family in the past, that seems to be forgotten. Even his sister, whom we take to be the most understanding of Gregor’s condition, jumps back at the sight of him at the window. His mother, surprisingly, is the one that still has hope that he will return to normal (she won’t let Grete move the furniture). I don’t think we’re supposed to think the family is disgustingly insensitive, but I think their response is as realistic as we can imagine.
Pg. 12, when Gregor is concerned about what will happen to him when he arrives at work late: “He was a creature of the boss’s, spineless and stupid.”
This (super short) quotation kind of answers Ellery’s question and was important to me because before I read all these comments, I was also really confused (and still am, though not as much) about why Kafka chose to turn Gregor into a giant bug. The words “creature” and “spineless” relate strongly to Gregor’s current state and so helped me better understand his metamorphosis. Gregor’s complete acceptance/conformity to his job (when he discovers he has turned into a beetle, his first worry is not about himself but about how he will get to work on time without angering his boss!) and to his role in the family (making all their money) has turned him into this spineless creature – he IS a bug. So that partially explains Kafka’s choice to turn him into a beetle.
But my question: Is Gregor “stupid”? He didn’t really seem so to me – although he did appear a little pathetic. Is this Kafka’s opinion of Gregor, or Gregor’s opinion of himself? What are we, as readers, supposed to think of him?
I noticed the part that Delphine just mentioned also, with "creature" and "spineless." I think though, that we are supposed to have a positive opinion of Gregor because he is so selfless.
My biggest question is, though, what is literally happening? And also, what is Kafka trying to say?
I think that there are most likely many dimensions to this situation rather than one right answer. One of these dimensions must be of symbolism. I like what Andrea said about his life as a salesman and hiding in the shadows making him seem sort of bug-like anyway, and he eventually assumed the form of his actions. I also think that it is interesting that his family always lived off of him, like parasites, but then he turned into an actual bug and the roles switched.
When I started reading this story, I had it in the back of my mind that the whole bug thing was not literal, and that there must be something else going on. It is very hard to keep to that idea, however, because of the extremely literal writing style. Still, though, I think it would be interesting to consider other possibilities, like that the whole thing is in his head. He is mentally deteriorating in some ways--losing his mobility (because of something lodged in his back, think spinal cord?), losing his eyesight, losing his speech. It makes me think of the effects of having a stroke--the idea of losing the manner of expressing yourself or taking care of yourself, but still understanding everything going on around you.
Early on in the story, when the chief clerk comes to Gregor’s house: “Gregor tried to imagine whether the chief clerk might not some day have an experience similar to his of today” (16). This passage really makes me question what this “experience” actually is. Is Kafka saying that every person experiences some dramatic moment of change in his life? That is definitely a reasonable thing to consider. I don’t think Gregor is asking here whether the clerk will also turn into a bug one day. I think the story goes much deeper than what happens on the surface.
Thank you all for the beetle explanations -- makes more sense now.
In response to Delphine, Gregor didn't seem stupid to me. He seems a bit too selfless and overenthusiastic about going to work -- like he doesn't have his priorities straight. Also, how stupid could he have been if he was supporting his family for so long and if he had been promoted to a traveling salesman so quickly? So I think "stupid" is his opinion of himself.
@Delphine: I wouldn't call Gregor "stupid" outright but he definitely seems"spineless" to me. Much of what Gregor does is centered around work and being useful. As a reader, Gregor did not seem particularly interesting, independent, or - frankly - likeable. (Though I suppose that his sense of duty to his family could be perceived positively.)
This relates to my quotation...
"Moreover, his wounds must have completely healed by this time; he felt no more hindrance. He was amazed at that, remembering how, more than a month earlier, he had cut his finger slightly with a knife and how that cut had still hurt him considerably even the day before yesterday. 'Am I less sensitive now?' he thought..." (27)
I thought this was interesting symbolism for the strength Gregor may or may not be experiencing as he undergoes his transformation. He once was so "spineless" that a simple injury hurts him for weeks, yet now he is able to overcome those circumstances more easily. Is this a result of the hardships Gregor faces as an insect, the structure/personality of an insect, or simply not being his normal self? Are humans simply weak, sensitive, and incapable of overcoming pain of any sort? What do you all think?
p 45: "It was now abundantly evident that they (the lodgers) were disappointed in their assumption that they were going to hear some pretty or entertaining violin music; they were clearly tired of the whole performance and were permitting their peace and quiet to be disturbed merely out of courtesy...And yet the sister was playing beautifully...Gregor crawled a little bit further forward, keeping his head close to the floor in hopes of making eye contact with her. Was he an animal if music stirred him that way? He felt as if he were being shown the way to the unknown nourishment he longed for. He was resolved to push his way right up to his sister and tug at her skirt, as an indication to her to come into his room with her violin, because nobody here was repaying her for her playing the way he would repay her...his siter would remain with him not under compulsion but voluntarily; she was to sit next to him on the couch and incline her ear toward him, and he would then confide to her that he had had the firm intention of sending her to the conservatory, and that, if misfortune hadn't intervened, he would have told everyone so last Christmas."
This passage is so sad! It makes me want to cry. It is obvious in this passage that Gregor is still very human and still loves his family, especially his sister, deeply. He is very near his death now, yet he is still not an "it" as his family calls him. Ultimately, Gregor is a good guy with a good heart, but he is also the problem because perhaps he is TOO good for his family, for the society he lives in. He does not realize that the people in his family are perhaps selfish, greedy, and lazy people who will take advantage of his will to work and support them; he does not realize that his work ethic and resulting exhaustion is actually preventing his family from becoming independent. So, in the end, the removal of Gregor is actually a positive change for the family because his devotion was really the crux of the family's problems. Even though he had the best intentions, and perhaps the best heart of anybody in the novella, he was also the biggest problem.
Questions: If what I said above was Kafka's intention, then what is he trying to say about society and family in general?
Is this story a social commentary?
What does the indifference of the lodgers to the violin music signify? In comparison to Gregor's emotional response?
15 comments:
p. 25, 1st full paragraph (towards the end)
"he felt very proud of himself for having been able to provide his parents and sister with a life like that, in such a beautiful apartment. But what if now all the peace, the prosperity, all the contentment were to come to a fearful end?"
At this point, Gregor has been transformed for a full day, and yet still thinks of his family before himself. He worries that he will no longer be able to provide for his family, but it is not until later that he addresses his own well-being (and that is brief).
His thinking parallels his lifestyle, for as a traveling salesman, he is rarely at home to enjoy the fruits of his labor. He works for his family -- not himself.
Questions.
Why is he so selfless? Is he truly selfless -- or has this responsiblity been forced upon him?
Why does he say "what if" this way of life will end? (How has he retained any hope for returning to normal?)
and...
Why a giant insect?
"And so, at that time he had begun to work with extreme enthusiasm and almost overnight had changed from a junior clerk into a traveling salesman... Those had been good times and had never been repeated later, at least not so gloriously" (29, top).
"Did he really want to have the warm room, comfortably furnished with heirloom pieces, transformed into a cave, in which he would, of course, be able to crawl about freely in all directions, but at the cost of simultaneously forgetting his human past, quickly and totally? ...Nothing must be removed, everything must stay" (34, top).
I chose these passages because of their pertinence to the idea that Ellery touched on, of metamorphosis. I found it interesting that there is a seemingly parallel overnight change in Gregor Samsa, from a dependent to the family's primary breadwinner, but it is a glory that was never relived. In fact, even in light of Gregor's second and more shocking metamorphosis, he clings desperately to the status quo, rather undesirable though it may be; he rejects the idea of change because he fears that it will trigger an integral and irreversible change in him. I feel like this is a vague and not entirely satisfactory answer to one of Ellery's questions--Gregor seems inherently predisposed to maintaining the status quo, even if it is not ideal. Rather than risk greater discomfort, he likes things to stay just the way they are, and undergoes transformations only in the greatest necessity (as with the job) or unwillingly (as with the bug).
So my question/s:
- What is Kafka saying about change?
- Is Gregor's attitude towards it necessarily the one that we're meant to have?
- What exactly is Gregor's attitude towards metamorphosis? Not just the cockroach change, but to change in general. Do we know?
p. 29 middle of the page
"Gregor subsequently earned so much money that he was enabled to shoulder the expenses of the entire family, and did so. They had grown used to it, the family as well as Gregor; they accepted the money gratefully, he handed it over gladly, but no particularly warm feelings were generated any longer. Only his sister had still remained close to Gregor all the same..."
The attitudes of Gregor's father and mother are reflected through how they treat him after he turns into a bug: they do not feed him or care for him in any way. Moreover, his father even throws fruit at him when Gregor angers him. Gregor's sister is the only one that truly cares for him, bringing him food and cleaning his room.
Clearly, Gregor's metamorphosis is not an easy one for the family, or for Gregor, himself.
Questions:
Why do Gregor's parents take him for granted when he has done so much for them?
Why does Gregor's sister still care for him even when his parents do not?
@Ellery: I think Gregor is genuinely selfless. As you stated, Gregor hasn't wavered in his dedication to his family. Even in his state, where he cannot work or communicate with his parents and sister, he still worries about his family's well-being and how they will survive without sufficient income. I do not think that responsibility has been forced upon him, although he does feel pressure to provide for his family.
p. 22. a sentence into the new paragraph:
"His parents didn't understand things like that so well: in all those long years they had gained the conviction that Gregor was set up for life in this firm, and, besides, they were now so preoccupied by the troubles of the moment that they had lost track of all foresight. But Gregor possessed that foresight."
I chose this passage because it shows how Gregor is different from the rest of his family in that he has "foresight." He knows how to please the chief clerk, and he knows how to act in order to keep his job. He is the only one providing for his family at the moment, and like Ellery said, he is worried that he won't be able to do that anymore now that he is a bug...
Q: I was just wondering why he isn't more confused and worried about the fact that he is a bug than the fact that he won't be able to provide for his family?
Alice- I really like what you said about glory and Gregor's attitude towards his metamorphosis. I just find it so odd that he is more stressed about being late to work (or not being able to work for that matter) than about being transformed into a bug.
...and Ellery, I have no idea why Kafka chose a giant insect... maybe it has something to do with Gregor's inner attitude or self image. Maybe he was so much like a bug before (because he never really went out, and kind of seemed to stay in the shadows) so he actually turned into one.
pg 37, top
"...Gregor fully intended to return to his room at once, and that it was unnecessary [for his father] to chase him back; instead, all they needed to do was to open the door, and he would disappear right away.
"But his father was in no mood to observe such niceties; as soon as he walked in, he yelled 'Ah!' in a tone that suggested he was both furious and happy at the same time."
I've been trying to understand Gregor's relationship to his family, and this passage especially confused me. I guess I'm confused about his family's view of him (as a giant bug... I actually asked myself how I would feel if my sister turned into a bug....). The intentional contradiction in this passage made me stop: he's furious while also happy; he doesn't want to "observe niceties," yet he's happy. Then Gregor launches into the whole thing about how his father is practically unrecognizable now that he has to work and doesn't sit in his robe all day....?
"But Gregor had become much calmer. To be sure, he now realized that his speech was no longer intelligible, even though it had seemed clear enough to him, clearer than before...the confidence and security with which the first measures had been taken, comforted him. He felt that he was once more drawn into the circle of humanity and hoped for magnificent and surprising achievements on the part of both, the doctor and the locksmith..." (19)
In this passage, Gregor hopes that perhaps the doctor/locksmith can save him. I think this was the first time that Gregor allowed himself to rely on others--before he refused to leave his room and was determined to solve his problem on his own. Similarly, we learn that Gregor is responsible for supporting his family, and I think this burden makes him independent from his family in another sense. As his transformation is a physical distancing from his family/humanity, what is Kafka suggesting about Gregor's independence/situation?
@Ellery: I do think he's selfless (secret dream of sending sister to conservatory), but I also think that the responsibilty forced upon him has led him to become distanced from his family.
@ Alice: Perhaps his independence (negative) is the reason why he resists change outside of his control?
Maybe I'm reading this wrong and Gregor isn't independent in the way I think he is?
Hey, everyone! I only just found the link to this post. :(
"Unfortunately, however, his sister was of a different opinion; not without some justification, true, she had grown accustomed to play herself up to her parents as a special expert whenever matters of affecting Gregor were discussed; and so now, too, the mother's advice was cause enough for the sister to insist on the removal...But perhaps a further element was the romantic spirit of girls of her age, which seeks for satisfaction on every occasion, and by which Grete now let herself be tempted to make Gregor's situation even more frightful, so that she could do even more for him than hitherto..." (34).
"He hadn't really pictured his father the way he now stood there...And yet, and yet, was this still his father? The same man who would lie wearily, buried in his bed, when Gregor used to "move out smartly" on a business trip...who hadn't been fully capable of standing up, and had merely raised his arms as a sign of joy...who, during their rare family strolls on a few Sundays of the year and on major holidays, would walk between Gregor and his mother, who walked slowly even on their own, but would always be a little slower yet...Now, however, he was perfectly erect, dressed in a tight blue uniform with gold buttons, like those worn by messengers in banking houses. Above the high, stiff collar of the jacket his pronounced double chin unfurled; below his bushy eyebrows the gaze of his dark eyes shone brightly and observantly; his usually tousled white hair was combed down flat and gleaming, with a painfully exact part" (37).
I chose these two passages because I share Cora's feelings of wanting to make sense of Gregor's relationship to his family. In part, I think Gregor shares his metamorphosis with his family; as he changes, so do they. Before he became a bug, the Samsa parents saw his sister as a "good-for-nothing girl" (32). Now, as we see in my first quotation, Gregor's new bug-hood has given her a very clear purpose in life, braving what her parents wish not to face and coming through for her family in their time of need. Likewise, their father was bedridden and weak before Gregor's transformation; now, he has regained strength and is "standing up" for his family. Essentially, they have assumed leadership roles that Gregor once occupied--he was really the sole breadwinner for years. Gruelling as this is for them, Grete and Gregor's mother cannot stand to look at him, and his father severely injures him on two occasions; this is how they treat the man who acted on their behalf for so long.
So my question is....Can anyone help me understand what I just said? :) I know this metamorphosis is supposed to be an important experience for Gregor (I don't think we would be reading about it if it meant nothing at all!)--this might even be some sort of life experience in which he is "supposed" to evaluate his life, which is clearly still unfulfilled by his constant hard-work. But how should we feel about the effect on the Samsa family as a whole? Can we view it as ultimately positive, even, despite their very negative and hurtful actions toward Gregor, given their own transformations? What is the significance of their clear mistreatment of him, particularly in relation to the seemingly-healing effect it has had on the family in other respects?
To respond to Alice and Helen-responding-to-Alice, I also really want to understand Kafka's views on change. Part of me does think that, negative as this is for Gregor, this metamorphosis was necessary for him to "wake up" to the unfortunate life he had been living. I agree, Helen, that on some level he is independent--but not in a good way. He did not receive support from his family, yet they continually took from him. I don't think he's fully made that realization yet, but I think he may end up there.
“Although Gregor told himself over and over that nothing unusual was going on, just a few pieces of furniture being moved around, he soon had to admit to himself that this walking to and fro by the women, their brief calls to each other and the scraping of the furniture on the floor affected him like a tremendous uproar, sustained on all sides…” (pg. 35).
I chose this passage because I found it interesting that this change, which is relatively small when compared to being transformed into a bug, seems to affect Gregor much more than his own metamorphosis. Is it because this change is more believable? Or is it because this change makes the other change feel real?
My other question is about the use of the phrase “the women” in this section. When describing the moving of the furniture, Gregor uses the phrase “the women” multiple times. Maybe I’m reading too much into this, but I wondered why he chose to call them “the women” so many times, identifying them only by their gender, rather than by their names or their relationship to Gregor or one another.
"Only his sister had still remained close to Gregor all the same, and it was his secret plan--because, unlike Gregor, she dearly loved music and could play the violin soulfully--to send her to the conservatory the following year, regardless of the great expenses which that had to entail, and which would have to be made up for in some other way. Often during Gregor's brief sojourns in the city the conservatory was referred to in his conversations with his sister, but always merely as a lovely dream, which couldn't possibly come true, and their parents disliked hearing even those innocent references; but Gregor was planning it most resolutely and intended to make a formal announcement on Christmas Eve." (29)
I chose this passage because it goes to show how completely selfless Gregor is. Even when his family shuns him, he is very appreciative of his sister who is the only one of the family who has chosen to be connected to him after his transformation into an insect. Most of the money that he earns as a traveling salesman goes to the family and only a small portion of his salary is kept for himself. Even so, he had planned to save up in order to be able to put his sister into a conservatory. In addition, Gregor is the only one of the family who sincerely takes the time to understand his sister. While his parents detest the thought of his sister attending a conservatory, he knows it is his sister's dream.
@Ellery- I think part of the reason why Gregor was turned into a large insect has to do with the fact that insects are at the bottom of the food chain. Although they might pose some kind of danger to humans they are inevitably vulnerable and looked upon with disgust. Therefore, by being turned into an insect we are able to see who out of his family stays loyal to him and loves him despite his transformation. Unfortunately, although his sister does make efforts to help her brother, every one of his family members are disgusted by his appearance.
Q:Why wasn't Gregor more surprised or horrified when he woke up and discovered he had turned into an insect?
In response to Tori:
I think the part about Gregor’s family member’s “assuming leadership roles” is really important, and I really like the way Tori phrased it. My interpretation of what you (Tori) have said is that the effects of Gregor’s transformation on himself are negative—his family distances themselves from him and his father goes so far as to hurt him physically. Meanwhile, the effects on his family are quite positive—his father and sister instantly “step up” and loose their passivity. The situation is kind of tragic. Though he had worked so hard for his family in the past, that seems to be forgotten. Even his sister, whom we take to be the most understanding of Gregor’s condition, jumps back at the sight of him at the window. His mother, surprisingly, is the one that still has hope that he will return to normal (she won’t let Grete move the furniture). I don’t think we’re supposed to think the family is disgustingly insensitive, but I think their response is as realistic as we can imagine.
Pg. 12, when Gregor is concerned about what will happen to him when he arrives at work late:
“He was a creature of the boss’s, spineless and stupid.”
This (super short) quotation kind of answers Ellery’s question and was important to me because before I read all these comments, I was also really confused (and still am, though not as much) about why Kafka chose to turn Gregor into a giant bug. The words “creature” and “spineless” relate strongly to Gregor’s current state and so helped me better understand his metamorphosis. Gregor’s complete acceptance/conformity to his job (when he discovers he has turned into a beetle, his first worry is not about himself but about how he will get to work on time without angering his boss!) and to his role in the family (making all their money) has turned him into this spineless creature – he IS a bug. So that partially explains Kafka’s choice to turn him into a beetle.
But my question: Is Gregor “stupid”? He didn’t really seem so to me – although he did appear a little pathetic. Is this Kafka’s opinion of Gregor, or Gregor’s opinion of himself? What are we, as readers, supposed to think of him?
I noticed the part that Delphine just mentioned also, with "creature" and "spineless." I think though, that we are supposed to have a positive opinion of Gregor because he is so selfless.
My biggest question is, though, what is literally happening? And also, what is Kafka trying to say?
I think that there are most likely many dimensions to this situation rather than one right answer. One of these dimensions must be of symbolism. I like what Andrea said about his life as a salesman and hiding in the shadows making him seem sort of bug-like anyway, and he eventually assumed the form of his actions. I also think that it is interesting that his family always lived off of him, like parasites, but then he turned into an actual bug and the roles switched.
When I started reading this story, I had it in the back of my mind that the whole bug thing was not literal, and that there must be something else going on. It is very hard to keep to that idea, however, because of the extremely literal writing style. Still, though, I think it would be interesting to consider other possibilities, like that the whole thing is in his head. He is mentally deteriorating in some ways--losing his mobility (because of something lodged in his back, think spinal cord?), losing his eyesight, losing his speech. It makes me think of the effects of having a stroke--the idea of losing the manner of expressing yourself or taking care of yourself, but still understanding everything going on around you.
Early on in the story, when the chief clerk comes to Gregor’s house: “Gregor tried to imagine whether the chief clerk might not some day have an experience similar to his of today” (16). This passage really makes me question what this “experience” actually is. Is Kafka saying that every person experiences some dramatic moment of change in his life? That is definitely a reasonable thing to consider. I don’t think Gregor is asking here whether the clerk will also turn into a bug one day. I think the story goes much deeper than what happens on the surface.
Thank you all for the beetle explanations -- makes more sense now.
In response to Delphine,
Gregor didn't seem stupid to me. He seems a bit too selfless and overenthusiastic about going to work -- like he doesn't have his priorities straight. Also, how stupid could he have been if he was supporting his family for so long and if he had been promoted to a traveling salesman so quickly?
So I think "stupid" is his opinion of himself.
@Delphine: I wouldn't call Gregor "stupid" outright but he definitely seems"spineless" to me. Much of what Gregor does is centered around work and being useful. As a reader, Gregor did not seem particularly interesting, independent, or - frankly - likeable. (Though I suppose that his sense of duty to his family could be perceived positively.)
This relates to my quotation...
"Moreover, his wounds must have completely healed by this time; he felt no more hindrance. He was amazed at that, remembering how, more than a month earlier, he had cut his finger slightly with a knife and how that cut had still hurt him considerably even the day before yesterday. 'Am I less sensitive now?' he thought..." (27)
I thought this was interesting symbolism for the strength Gregor may or may not be experiencing as he undergoes his transformation. He once was so "spineless" that a simple injury hurts him for weeks, yet now he is able to overcome those circumstances more easily. Is this a result of the hardships Gregor faces as an insect, the structure/personality of an insect, or simply not being his normal self? Are humans simply weak, sensitive, and incapable of overcoming pain of any sort? What do you all think?
p 45: "It was now abundantly evident that they (the lodgers) were disappointed in their assumption that they were going to hear some pretty or entertaining violin music; they were clearly tired of the whole performance and were permitting their peace and quiet to be disturbed merely out of courtesy...And yet the sister was playing beautifully...Gregor crawled a little bit further forward, keeping his head close to the floor in hopes of making eye contact with her. Was he an animal if music stirred him that way? He felt as if he were being shown the way to the unknown nourishment he longed for. He was resolved to push his way right up to his sister and tug at her skirt, as an indication to her to come into his room with her violin, because nobody here was repaying her for her playing the way he would repay her...his siter would remain with him not under compulsion but voluntarily; she was to sit next to him on the couch and incline her ear toward him, and he would then confide to her that he had had the firm intention of sending her to the conservatory, and that, if misfortune hadn't intervened, he would have told everyone so last Christmas."
This passage is so sad! It makes me want to cry. It is obvious in this passage that Gregor is still very human and still loves his family, especially his sister, deeply. He is very near his death now, yet he is still not an "it" as his family calls him. Ultimately, Gregor is a good guy with a good heart, but he is also the problem because perhaps he is TOO good for his family, for the society he lives in. He does not realize that the people in his family are perhaps selfish, greedy, and lazy people who will take advantage of his will to work and support them; he does not realize that his work ethic and resulting exhaustion is actually preventing his family from becoming independent. So, in the end, the removal of Gregor is actually a positive change for the family because his devotion was really the crux of the family's problems. Even though he had the best intentions, and perhaps the best heart of anybody in the novella, he was also the biggest problem.
Questions:
If what I said above was Kafka's intention, then what is he trying to say about society and family in general?
Is this story a social commentary?
What does the indifference of the lodgers to the violin music signify? In comparison to Gregor's emotional response?
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