"One morning, when Gregor Samsa woke from troubled dreams, he found himself transformed in his bed into a horrible vermin. He lay on his armour-like back, and if he lifted his head a little he could see his brown belly, slightly domed and divided by arches into stiff sections. The bedding was hardly able to cover it and seemed ready to slide off any moment. His many legs, pitifully thin compared with the size of the rest of him, wave about hopelessly as he looked. "What's happened to me?" he thought. It wasn't a dream. His room, a proper human room although a little too small, lay peacefully between its four familiar walls. Above the table, on which an unpacked collection of sample cloth goods was spread out—Samsa was a travelling salesman—above it hung the picture which he had cut out of an illustrated magazine a little while ago and set in a pretty gilt frame. It was a picture of a woman with a fur hat and a fur boa. She sat erect there, lifting up in the direction of the viewer a solid fur muff into which her entire forearm had disappeared. Gregor’s glance then turned to the window. The dreary weather—the rain drops were falling audibly down on the metal window ledge—made him quite melancholy. “Why don’t I keep sleeping for a little while longer and forget all this foolishness,” he thought. But this was entirely impractical, for he was used to sleeping on his right side, but in his present state he could not get himself into this position. No matter how hard he threw himself onto his right side, he always rolled onto his back again. He must have tried it a hundred times, closing his eyes so that he would not have to see the wriggling legs, and gave up only when he began to feel a light, dull pain in his side which he had never felt before."
SAY: Gregor Samsa wakes in his bed and discovers he has transformed into a giant bug. Wondering what has happened, he looks around his small room, where everything appears normal. He sees the fabric samples that he uses in his job as a traveling salesman, a picture of a woman in furs that he tore out of a magazine and framed, and the rain dripping down outside his window. He tries to roll over and go back to sleep in order to forget about what has happened, but because of the shape of his back, he can only rock from side to side.
SHOW: The opening line of The Metamorphosis, which reports Gregor’s discovery that he has become a giant insect, sets the tone for the rest of the story. The line recounts the bizarre event of Gregor’s transformation in a sober, straightforward manner, and this contrast between an extraordinary situation and the ordinary terms used to describe it creates the sense that the narrator expects the world in the story to be absurd and chaotic, rather than rational and orderly. Gregor embodies this absurdist tone from the very beginning. When he first recognizes his transformation, he doesn’t appear significantly bothered by it, and treats it almost like any ordinary disturbance to his sleep, as if it were not entirely out of the ordinary. As the story progresses, he remains focused on largely ordinary concerns, such as losing his job, his physical comfort, and his family’s financial situation, thus maintaining the story’s absurdist overtone throughout.
MEAN: As Gregor realizes that he is now a vermin, it shows that he has been so caught up with his work and not about his own life that he had become isolated from society. He has been isolated so much that he has actually turned into a real vermin. The transformation was straightforward, much like Gregor's personality. Instead of using a less severe word, Kafka uses the word "vermin". He decides to use vermin because it describes Gregor's overall personality. A specific definition of a vermin are the mammals, birds, insects that are believed to be harmful to the surroundings. Gregor starts to wonder if he is still in his room. He looks around and he sees his ordinary room that he knows very well. Everything was still in it's place so why does he feel so different? By Gregor examining his room, he is trying to reassure himself that he is still a human and that he is going to be late for work. By Gregor stressing out about getting to work on time, it portrays what kind of person he was. It shows that as a human, he was a workaholic and cared more for providing for his family then the situation he puts himself in. "The dreary weather" suggests that Gregor's life is full of gloom and is sad. As it states, the weather makes him feels more melancholy. He sees normally, everything around him is normal, but the only thing is that he felt different. Gregor tries to reassure himself that this is just a dream and that if he would sleep a little longer he would wake up and return to his bleak life. He even does it repeatedly because he does not let himself believe that he really transformed into a bug. The only reason as to why he stops trying is when he feels a pain in a place where he had never felt pain.
“With kind of stubbornness, Gregor’s father refused to take his uniform off even at home; while his nightgown hung unused on its peg Gregor’s father would slumber where he was, fully dressed, as if always ready to serve and expecting to hear the voice of his superior even here. The uniform had not been new to start with, but as a result of hits it slowly became even shabbier despite the efforts of Gregor’s mother and sister to look after it. Gregor would often spend the whole evening looking at all the stains on this coat, with its gold buttons always kept polished and shiny, while the old man in it would sleep, highly uncomfortable but peaceful. “
SAY: Gregor’s father wears his daily uniform to work and in home. He will not take it off even when he sleeps. He would sleep with it on in his chair and be alert to anything. The uniform has gained stains but the buttons look like they are still new, although the uniform has been worn many times. Gregor would watch his father sleep in his chair peacefully.
SHOW: Gregor’s father wearing the uniform shows that determined to keep his job and is alert to work even at night. This also shows that the father likes to work and bring income to the family, although he is back at home by nighttime. Gregor’s father wears his uniform to show that he is ready to go to work in the morning right away. The uniform shows that it is a sign of his independence and a sign that even at his old age, he is still able to work. The uniform is shown to be dirty with stains with polished gold buttons which is a sign that Mr. Samsa has finally found himself doing something he actually enjoys.
MEAN: Kafka is driving to the fact that Gregor, who has been turned into a vermin, has led the family to become more independent and work for a living. The idea reveals Gregor’s father’s uniform as something that should always be worn with pride. The words “refused” connects to the fact that Mr. Samsa likes to work and will not take the uniform off while the word “serve” means he is always ready to work and will never rest. The connenction of words in this passage links to the fact that Gregor’s father is proud to work and he will continue to work even though he is of old age.
"One morning, when Gregor Samsa woke from troubled dreams, he found himself transformed in his bed into a horrible vermin. He lay on his armour-like back, and if he lifted his head a little he could see his brown belly, slightly domed and divided by arches into stiff sections. The bedding was hardly able to cover it and seemed ready to slide off any moment. His many legs, pitifully thin compared with the size of the rest of him, wave about hopelessly as he looked. "What's happened to me?" he thought. It wasn't a dream. His room, a proper human room although a little too small, lay peacefully between its four familiar walls. Above the table, on which an unpacked collection of sample cloth goods was spread out—Samsa was a travelling salesman—above it hung the picture which he had cut out of an illustrated magazine a little while ago and set in a pretty gilt frame. It was a picture of a woman with a fur hat and a fur boa. She sat erect there, lifting up in the direction of the viewer a solid fur muff into which her entire forearm had disappeared. Gregor’s glance then turned to the window. The dreary weather—the rain drops were falling audibly down on the metal window ledge—made him quite melancholy. “Why don’t I keep sleeping for a little while longer and forget all this foolishness,” he thought. But this was entirely impractical, for he was used to sleeping on his right side, but in his present state he could not get himself into this position. No matter how hard he threw himself onto his right side, he always rolled onto his back again. He must have tried it a hundred times, closing his eyes so that he would not have to see the wriggling legs, and gave up only when he began to feel a light, dull pain in his side which he had never felt before."
Say: Gregor Samsa wakes up from troubling dreams from the night before and finds that he has turned into a disgusting and unwanted creature. He sees his body which seems to be described as brown, domed, divided into sections, and unable to be covered by his bedding, along with many skinny legs in contrast with his bigger body. Samsa was a travelling salesman who lived in a normal room. He had hung a magazine cut out of a woman with fur clothing on, framed in a gilt frame. Gregor then looks out and sees that outside, its raining. He tries to forget about his transformation by trying to go back to sleep. Trying many times to get into the right position, Gregor struggles to position himself with the new body he has grown into. In doing so, he sees his new legs moving everywhere and hurts himself a little in the process of trying to move.
Show: So in the beginning of the story after Samsa realizes what kind of a creature he has turned into, he thinks to himself, “What’s happened to me?”. This thought shows that Gregor has just turned into this creature and is questioning and wondering why he has transformed into such a creature. This also shows the readers that Gregor never expected this change and the change most likely occurred overnight. After inspecting his body he suggests to himself, “Why don’t I keep sleeping for a little while longer and forget all this foolishness”. This idea shows that he would rather not really freak out about it and would much rather try and forget about it by sleeping some more. This shows that Samsa just doesn’t want to deal with this really strange problem that has just recently come up. It shows that he thinks it would be easier to try and just forget it all happened. Then after this thought is made, he tries many times to position himself so that he can go back to sleep but cant because of his new body that he transformed into. He isn’t used to using such a creature’s type of body as his own, and hes struggling to do a simple physical move of the body which lastly shows that his transformation is a little more real that he thought it was and that this transformation is a huge change that he cant just forget about and has to deal with sooner or later.
Mean: In the opening of the story, Kafka is portraying Gregor in a way that tells the readers that Gregor has waken up into a disgusting creature by surprise. After describing to the reader what Gregor looks like and what kind of a creature he has turned into, Kafka talks about Samsa’s reaction to it all which is showed by the though of “What’s happened to me?” and then later “Why don’t I keep sleeping for a little while longer and forget all this foolishness”. As a reader, this reaction seems a little under dramatic and strangely subtle and calm, which I think Kafka meant to portray Gregor as. The beginning paragraph also states that Gregor is a salesman which later links to why hes probably so calm about his transformation. After Gregor has thoughts of just forgetting about it and sleeping it all off, Kafka then describes how Gregor struggles to find the right position for sleeping which makes the readers kind of feel like the transformation is real or actually happening and that the change will obviously affect Gregor in many many ways since he cant function or move his body in the same way as he used to move it as a human. Little details and words shown by the character can say a lot of things about them.
Wow, I'm literally speechless right now. Your perspective on the beginning excerpt of the book was kind of similar to mines as well. Great job Ashley, you are true inspiration.
Say: The passage I have chosen is the opening one of the book, in which Gregor Samsa awakens to find that he has transformed into a massive insect. He observes his arms fluttering above him and feels his hard back under him. The author then briefly describes Gregor's room, with the woman in furs and the table covered in cloth samples.
-Brigid Nunan
Show: This passage introduces the story's protagonist and offers a compact exhibition of Gregor's essence. We see that he is lonely and overworked, a supposedly young man on the road to nowhere.
Mean: We are introduced to the concept that Gregor is a vermin in more than one way. His room suggests isolationism, the woman in the gilded frame standing in for any loving human contact he might have felt had he gone down another path. His profession is that of a parasite, earning his bread by irritating other people. The passage in and of itself is a glimpse into the surreal profundity of Gregor's illness.
Excerpt: “We have to try and get rid of it,” said Gregor’s sister, now speaking only to her father, as her mother was too occupied with coughing to listen, “it’ll be the death of both of you, I can see it coming. We can’t work as hard as we have to and then come home to be tortured like this, we can’t endure it. I can’t endure it any more.” And she broke out so heavily in tears that they flowed down the face of her mother, and she wiped them away with mechanical hand movements.
Say: In this passage, Gregor’s sister Grete advises her father the family must find a way to get rid of Gregor. She proceeds to inform her father that caring for Gregor in his current state will be the death of family. Grete continues to plead to her father about the fact that Gregor’s existence is only hindering the family. Grete starts to cry in frustration and grief. Her tears are profuse; they sprinkle her mother and she wipes them away.
Show: It has been a few months since Gregor’s transformation into a vermin. After Gregor metamorphosed, his sister Grete took specific care of him. Grete made it her responsibility to feed Gregor as well as clean his room. Gregor’s parents did not play a very big role in helping to care for Gregor. Recently, each family member took up various jobs to maintain a steady income of money since Gregor can no longer work. Because of this, Grete was now responsible for going to work in addition to school, and caring for Gregor. As of late, Grete had not been caring for Gregor like she used to. This excerpt, shows Grete’s breaking point. She had once enthusiastically cared for Gregor. Now she realizes the family can no longer live like this.
Mean: Because “Metamorphosis” is a surrealist tale, revealing deeper, underlying truths about the human condition. Before Gregor’s transformation, Grete had always been seen as the useless child. She did not work or contribute much to the family. However, after Gregor became a vermin, she took on a new role in her family. She became Gregor’s caretaker, began working, and continuing her education. Her parent’s realized that she was beginning to blossom as a young woman. It is in this excerpt, Grete attempts to take control of her destiny so that her and her family do not suffer the same fate as Gregor. Before Gregor turned into a cockroach, he was not truly living. He had lost creativity and social skills. All Gregor did was work, but not for himself, for his family. Gregor was living a meaningless existence, which is why he was turned into a vermin. In the passage, Grete comes to terms with the fact that Gregor’s meaningless existence was hindering herself and her family from living a life worthwhile. Grete cries because she and her family must now let go of the idea that the vermin is Gregor. By letting go of this thought they can then move on and give their lives meaning.
Good job! Though we had different excerpts, we shared many of the same ideas. Speaking of how Grete blossomed into someone she wasn't before explained much about her actions in this portion of the story. Also, I liked how you explained that the family was able to move forward and give their lives more meaning through the metamorphosis of Gregor.
Excerpt: He was hardly inside his room before the door was hurriedly shut, bolted and locked. The sudden noise behind Gregor so startled him that his little legs collapsed under him. It was his sister who had been in so much of a rush. She had been standing there waiting and sprung forward lightly, Gregor had not heard her coming at all, and as she turned the key in the she said loudly to her parents “At last!”.
Say: In this passage, Gregor was slowly making his way back into his room. Grete was in such a rush to get him back into the room that she just stood there impatiently waiting for him to get in. Once he got in, she quickly shut the door and locked it. The noise was such a shock to Gregor that it startled him. He had heard his sister say “At last!” when she locked him into his room.
Show: Since Gregor had become this vermin; the family had kept him in his room for the months he has been this way. At the beginning of his transformation, Grete was the one that cared for Gregor but now that it has been months that he’s been this way she is tired of looking after him and feeding him. She was at the point that she doesn't believe that this vermin could possible be her brother anymore. In this excerpt, Grete shows that she is basically frustrated with seeing this vermin daily that they should keep it locked up in the room so that it doesn't come out anymore.
Mean: Through Metamorphosis, Kafka is showing us that Gregor starts to feel that isolation from his family just as Kafka himself was feeling the isolation from his father. His family all don’t feel as if this vermin is Gregor anymore. Grete really couldn't stand it any longer to look at him just like Kafka’s father did.
Excerpt: “What’s happened to me?” he thought. It wasn’t a dream. His room, a proper human room although a little too small, lay peacefully between its four familiar walls. A collection of textile samples lay spread out on the table – Samsa was a travelling salesman – and above it there hung a picture that he had recently cut out of an illustrated magazine and housed in a nice gilded frame. It showed a lady fitted out with a fur hat and fur boa who sat upright, raising a heavy fur muff that covered the whole of her lower arm towards the viewer. Say: Gregor Samsa wakes up in his room very confused but comes to a realization that he is not in a dream. He vaguely describes his room as a small and familiar room. Samsa is also said to be a salesman and states that he sells textiles which is placed on the table. There is also a hung picture in the room which is of a lady that is wearing fur from an illustrated magazine. She has on a fur hat, boa, and muff. She is facing the audience to model the fur. Show: When Gregor thinks to himself “What’s happened to me?” he is deeply confused of what has happened. Not only about the obvious reasons of why he cannot move but why he can’t get up, or why does he suddenly feel different. His too small of a room for “a human” shows the setting which he will be contained in as a “nonhuman”. The description of his job is the explanation of pretty much his life because he was not able to separate home time from work time. He worked at home and thought about work every day of his life. The hanging of the of the picture shows the last of his morality. Gregor working all the time was not living for himself but for others and the cutting of the picture he likes was a sense the last thing he did as a human being. Mean: Gregor all in all never did have a life. He lived in a small room with four walls that he barely even saw. He continuously works even at home on his down time. He is always stressing about how and when his next pay check will be. The picture which represents the last action of his morality is rather sad and not anything special. A simple picture on the wall is all he has done for himself in a long time and never had down time from work which eventually consumes him.
Like: "Gregor...never did have a life." Dislike: "the last action of his morality" (?) Clipping out a magazine picture is neither a moral nor immoral act.
Excerpt: …now they threatened to remove the writing desk with its place clearly worn into the floor, the desk where he had done his homework as a business trainee, at high school, even while infant school – he really could not wait any longer to see whether the two women’s intentions were good… He hurried up onto the picture and pressed himself against its glass. This picture at least, now totally covered by Gregor, would certainly be taken away by no-one.
Say: Gregor’s mother and sister are removing the furniture in his room. The desk, which has been with Gregor since his elementary years is now being threatened with removal. Gregor painstakingly watches as the two women push the desk inch by inch, closer to the door. He becomes frightened and quickly scurries up a picture on the wall to prohibit removal.
Show: Gregor’s mother and sister empty out his room of furniture piece by piece. This shows they take into consideration that Gregor needs space to run about, even if they lack the strength to carry and move the furniture effortlessly. It is displayed here that Gregor’s mother still carries her motherly instinct to care for her child and provide him all that he needs. However, Gregor becomes nervous, and somewhat frightened, as the two women attempt to remove his precious desk. In a rebellion, Gregor crawls onto a picture, another dear object to prevent its removal. This shows that he does not care about the extra space, but he wants the dear memories of when he was still human.
Mean: Gregor becomes nervous, and panicky if you will, when his mother and sister remove his dear desk. Though the two women’s actions are in the utmost consideration of Gregor, they fail to understand how Gregor is feeling. Gregor’s effort to stop the women gives the sign that he has not given up. The desk that has been worn with dear memories and the picture which is so precious to him remind of when he was still human, and that he has not given up hope of becoming human again. The symbolic meaning of the sister and mother removing the furniture is that they have given up all hope of Gregor’s recovery. Kafka seems to suggest that though the family does not believe in Gregor’s recovery, Gregor himself still believes but he cannot speak up for himself. Kafka seems to suggest in this scene that Gregor is doomed to live a solitary and quiet life, unable to do anything for himself.
I like the connections you made and the way that you elaborate further in each section. I think it's really cool that you found a deeper meaning in the actions that might seem inconsequential! Good job!
Good job pointing out the contrast between what the mom and sister think Gregor wants and what Gregor actually wants. They thinks he wants to be a bug now; Gregor actually wants desperately to cling to his humanity.
Excerpt: "One morning, when Gregor Samsa woke from troubled dreams, he found himself transformed in his bed into a horrible vermin. He lay on his armour-like back, and if he lifted his head a little he could see his brown belly, slightly domed and divided by arches into stiff sections. The bedding was hardly able to cover it and seemed ready to slide off any moment. His many legs, pitifully thin compared with the size of the rest of him, wave about hopelessly as he looked. "What's happened to me?" he thought. It wasn't a dream. His room, a proper human room although a little too small, lay peacefully between its four familiar walls. Above the table, on which an unpacked collection of sample cloth goods was spread out—Samsa was a travelling salesman—above it hung the picture which he had cut out of an illustrated magazine a little while ago and set in a pretty gilt frame. It was a picture of a woman with a fur hat and a fur boa. She sat erect there, lifting up in the direction of the viewer a solid fur muff into which her entire forearm had disappeared. Gregor’s glance then turned to the window. The dreary weather—the rain drops were falling audibly down on the metal window ledge—made him quite melancholy. “Why don’t I keep sleeping for a little while longer and forget all this foolishness,” he thought. But this was entirely impractical, for he was used to sleeping on his right side, but in his present state he could not get himself into this position. No matter how hard he threw himself onto his right side, he always rolled onto his back again. He must have tried it a hundred times, closing his eyes so that he would not have to see the wriggling legs, and gave up only when he began to feel a light, dull pain in his side which he had never felt before."
Say: In this opening passage, Gregor Samsa awakes from his sleep only to be transformed into a vermin or bug-like creature. Examining himself, he finds that his body is nothing normal to what he used to be. He had all the creatures of a bug with a brown, domed, and divided belly. However he seems peaceful with his realization, pondering over his thoughts in the small room he’s always been living in. Samsa who is a traveling salesmen had a picture of a women covered in fur hanging over his table. It is raining outside from the looks of his window so Gregor decides to go back to sleep and try to forget all of the foolishness that he had witnessed but as he tries to put himself into a side position countless number of times, he is unable to.
Show: Gregor Samsa’s situation is nothing close to normal. The story begins with Samsa waking up only to discover that he had turned into an abnormal creature and not his normal human-self. However, the calmness of Samsa’s reaction is not normal and he seemed to be only shocked for a little moment but treats it insignificantly to see himself in that form. Kaftka the author probably wanted to portray the bizarreness of the situations to come in the first line of the story in order for the readers to get a sense of what to expect in later events to come. Then the setting to which the entire plot unfolds occurs in Samsa’s room, which is a bit abnormal due to the gilt frame of a women dressed in fur above his desk. The unusualness of the opening scene to “The Metamorphosis” allows readers to grasp how absurd Samsa’s situation may be, even though he himself does not oppose it be anything strange.
Mean: In this section we begin to learn the slightest details in Gregor Samsa’s life; who he is, what his occupation may be, where he lives, and other information. The fact that the beginning situation turns out to be Gregor transformed into a horrible vermin suggests that it may be as a result to relation in his life. Kaftka described Samsa’s state as being a vermin, which means to be a harmful and unwanted pest. Maybe this would be a relation towards his family life, his job as being a traveling salesman, and who Samsa was in his human form. It seems like Gregor has always been isolated with society. Also his reaction seemed to be very subtle, calm and hadn’t shown any form of surprise or shock. With the four walls enclosed around him and the doors always locked, as well as the framed magazine cutout of a woman in fur, as well as the under dramatic reaction, we can realize that Gregor is not a normal person to say the least. Gregor’s life of always being secluded with the world could be one of the many reasons as to why Gregor was had turned into this bug-like creature. Assessing over his own state, Gregor tries to reassure himself that the fact that he was feeling a little different may be because he wasn’t feeling very well that day and tries to put himself at peace by going back to sleep but after trying countless times, Gregor is unsuccessful in shifting himself to a comfortable position. This shows the unevenness of the situation and how Gregor’s life is never going to be the same anymore, he is not a human and will from then on, remain a vermin, an abnormal thought to grasp.
Passage: “One morning, when Gregor Samsa woke from troubled dreams, he found himself transformed in his bed into a horrible vermin. He lay on his armour-like-back, and if he lifted his head a little he could see his brown belly, slightly domed and divided by arches into stiff sections. The bedding was hardly able to cover it and seemed ready to slide off any moment. His many legs, pitifully thin compared with the size of the rest of him, waved about helplessly as he looked.”
Say: Gregor Samsa awakes from bad dreams in his bedroom and finds himself transformed into a vermin. Then, he examines his body with all its new features. Gregor has a brown belly that is divided by arches into firm sections. Gregor realizes that his bedding can barely cover his body, due to his body being so large. Gregor’s legs are thin and wave helplessly. Throughout this paragraph Gregor is laying in his bed, examining his new body.
Show: The event of Gregor Samsa transforming into a vermin has a much deeper meaning. The details from the plot of “The Metamorphosis” reveal that Gregor is an annoyance or hinder to his family. When Gregor is transformed into a vermin, it shows the feelings of annoyance that his family feels towards him. This transformation is a main event that drives as the plot of the book.
Mean: The author is emphasizing Gregor’s relationship with his family, and in particular his father. Before Gregor transformed into a vermin, he was a workaholic. Gregor’s family at first appreciated him supporting the whole family, but soon became lazy and a bit ungrateful. The abstract idea is that Gregor transforms into a vermin. In real life, this would not be possible. This event has the deeper meaning that Gregor is an annoyance to his family. Each event throughout he story connects to another. For example, after Gregor finds that he transformed into a vermin, this event triggers his family members to start improving their own lives. Gregor’s father, mother, and sister start working and supporting themselves. The event of Gregor’s transformation connects to the event of his family having a better work ethic.
Passage: "It is true that his entire body was aching, but the pain seemed to be slowly getting weaker and weaker and would finally disappear altogether. He could hardly feel the decayed apple in his back or the inflamed area around it, which was entirely covered in white dust. He thought back of his family with emotion and love. If it was possible, he felt that he must go away even more strongly than his sister.He remained in this state of empty and peaceful rumination until he heard the clock tower strike three in the morning. He watched as it slowly began to get light everywhere outside the window too. Then, without his willing it, his head sank down completely, and his last breath flowed weakly from his nostrils."
Say: In this passage, Gregor has a peaceful revelation about his current situation as lies alone in the dark. Undisturbed and chiding to himself, Gregor is completely alone when he finally dies in a calm and serene state in the twilight of the early morning.
Show: Dying alone and in the dark seems terrifying for most, but Gregor is completely at ease. Whereas one would act with self-loathing and pity for themselves as they lay dying, Gregor seems almost tranquil with the outcome of his short lived life, including the unfortunate transformation which led him to this current state.
Mean: Gregor has come to terms with all the ill events that have happened to him. He accepts his situation, and knows that there is nothing else he can do but simply die and help his family move on with their own lives. He knows deep down that for the wellbeing of his family, he simply must die and be out of their lives for good. He holds no hatred for the unkind way they treated him in his last days, but rather understands where they are coming from. Gregor does not go kicking and screaming from this world into the next, but rather dies with a sense of self-discovery and tranquility.
The following passage is a scene from the book "The Metamorphosis" by Franz Kafka. The passage takes place when Mrs. Samsa and her daughter Grete are cleaning out Gregor's room.
Excerpt: "So, while the women were leant against the desk in the other room catching their breath, he sallied out, changed direction four times not knowing what he should save first before his attention was suddenly caught by the picture on the wall - which was already denuded of everything else that had been of it - of the lady dressed in copious fur. He hurried up onto the picture and pressed himself against its glass, it held him firmly and felt good on his hot belly. This picture at least, now totally covered by Gregor, would certainly be taken by no-one."
Say: Gregor's mother and sister are removing all of the furniture in his room. They are doing this so he can have more space to roam about. Gregor isn't happy about it and tries to salvage the last of his belongings, which is the picture of the lady in the fur coat. He does this by crawling up the wall and placing himself directly on the glass frame.
Show: Grete has been caring for Gregor after his transformation took place. She has been very diligent in making sure that he has food, water, and a clean environment to live in. She has become protective of Gregor, prohibiting anyone from taking over her job. After seeing Gregor crawl on the walls and ceiling, Grete concludes that they should clean out his room so he can have more space. Grete's actions show that she loves her brother and wants the best for him. Kafka makes it a point to show that his family still cares about him even as a vermin. However, Gregor's jumping on the picture portrays that while he appreciates their act of kindness, he would much rather they leave some of his furniture as it is.
Mean: Mrs. Samsa and Grete have lost hope in the thought of Gregor returning back to human. He has lived as a vermin for a while, and after seeing that he has still not transformed, they believe that this is how it will remain. They want him to live the rest of his life to the fullest, so they try to expand his crawl space so he can live comfortably. To let her mother help her clean has shown to be a sign of acceptance into a world that Grete has created. She sees Gregor as her responsibility, something she can control and care for. Something that is separate from the realm of reality. Removing the furniture from his room, thus leaving it empty, represent Gregor losing his human nature and growing into a more secluded life as a cockroach. By attempting to save the picture, Gregor is sending a message that he has not lost hope. He believes that he still has a chance and is struggling to hold on to the last bit of humanity he has left.
Excerpt: "One morning, when Gregor Samsa woke from troubled dreams, he found himself transformed in his bed into a horrible vermin. He lay on his armour-like back, and if he lifted his head a little he could see his brown belly, slightly domed and divided by arches into stiff sections. The bedding was hardly able to cover it and seemed ready to slide off any moment. His many legs, pitifully thin compared with the size of the rest of him, wave about hopelessly as he looked. "What's happened to me?" he thought. It wasn't a dream. His room, a proper human room although a little too small, lay peacefully between its four familiar walls. Above the table, on which an unpacked collection of sample cloth goods was spread out—Samsa was a travelling salesman—above it hung the picture which he had cut out of an illustrated magazine a little while ago and set in a pretty gilt frame. It was a picture of a woman with a fur hat and a fur boa. She sat erect there, lifting up in the direction of the viewer a solid fur muff into which her entire forearm had disappeared. Gregor’s glance then turned to the window. The dreary weather—the rain drops were falling audibly down on the metal window ledge—made him quite melancholy. “Why don’t I keep sleeping for a little while longer and forget all this foolishness,” he thought. But this was entirely impractical, for he was used to sleeping on his right side, but in his present state he could not get himself into this position. No matter how hard he threw himself onto his right side, he always rolled onto his back again. He must have tried it a hundred times, closing his eyes so that he would not have to see the wriggling legs, and gave up only when he began to feel a light, dull pain in his side which he had never felt before.
Say: In this passage, Gregor wakes up to find himself turned into a bug or a vermin. His whole body has been changed into a bug. He is a traveling salesman and as he looks around his room he see's that everything is how it normally is and he forgets about his transformation and tries to go back to sleep. He finds it difficult to move around because of his new body and stops when he feels pain on his side.
Show: In the beginning of the passage, Gregor wakes up totally transformed into a bug. This shows that he had no clue of what happened to his body or why it happened. His reaction to this transformation was very strange because he seemed very calm about the whole thing. He also tries to go back to sleep. This shows that Gregor is trying to forget about the situation and trying to go back to his normal routine of things, even thought what just happened is completely not normal.
Mean: This opening gives us an overall look on how the story and characters are in the book. Gregor is described to be a vermin. Vermin's are unwanted animals. This means that Gregor has transformed into something no one will want. The way Gregor reacts when he wakes up with just a simple "Whats happened to me?" and "Why dont I sleep a little longer?" means that Gregors character is very calm and under dramatic. It also means he could be in denial about the whole situation and just wants it to go away.
Passage: "Leant back comfortably on their seats, they discussed their prospects and found that on closer examination they were not at all bad - until then they had never asked each other about their work but all three had jobs which were very good and held particularly good promise for the future. The greatest improvement for the time being, of course, would be achieved quit easily by moving house; what they needed now was a flat that was smaller and cheaper than the current one."
Say: The family decided to take a trip out into the country as a way of relaxing. They talked with each other about their current situation, now that Gregor was dead. They discussed what they were going to do now. Before now, they had never really talked to each other. Each of them has a good job, to provide them with money for their future. The biggest improvement in their life, being them getting a smaller, more comfortable house for themselves.
Show: This passage is at the end of the book, so after Gregor died. The family are talking about their possibilities in life, and where they will live. They seem to have completely forgotten about Gregor. Throughout the book, the family never really talked to each other, but now they are talking to each other. The fact that the family is going out into the country is surprising, since they hardly ever got out, because Gregor would be the only one working. And he provided everything for them. But now that he is dead, they are getting out. Which gives the impression that he was keeping them lazy at home. It shows that Kafka thinks that he held them back from doing their own things by trying to take care of them all by himself.
Mean: After Gregor dies, the family goes through their own metamorphosis. They get out of the house for the first time through what seems like a long time. It seems that Gregor's dying, was the family's chance to live their own lives, and be independent. Gregor was the thing that was holding the family back from being themselves in the world. Kafka seems to suggest that he felt that he stood in his family's way, by trying to support them. Without him, his family could work jobs, and buy a new house that would comfortably fit all of them.
That was very good Maile, I like when you did the mean part because you connected the part where Gregor had a Metamorphosis and the family did as well, good connection. I think the family is very heartless because they didn't even care that their son died.
For this blog post, I like how you addressed the deeper meaning underlying the actions in this passage. I especially understood how the communication barrier was broken, and how it is portrayed. You went back and talked about previous happenings that may have led to certain events, thus affecting the meaning of this overall situation. Good Job!
~Fantabulous~ Maile, I liked the "mean" part because it shows that there was a deeper reason behind Kafka's writing of Gregor's death. Awesome You go, girl Good job :)
Passage: Gregor had almost entirely stopped eating. Only if he happened to find himself next to the food that had been prepared for him he might take some of it into his mouth to play with it, leave it there a few hours and then, more often than not, spit it out again. At first he thought it was distress at the state of his room that stopped him eating, but he had soon got used to the changes made there. They had got into the habit of putting things into this room that they had no room for anywhere else, and there were now many such things as one of the rooms in the flat had been rented out to three gentlemen. (…) All these things found their way into Gregor's room. The dustbins from the kitchen found their way in there too. The charwoman was always in a hurry, and anything she couldn't use in for the time being she would just chuck in there. He, fortunately, would usually see no more than the object and the hand that held it. The woman most likely meant to fetch things back out again when she had the time and the opportunity, or to throw everything out in one go, but what actually happened was that they were left where they landed when they had first been thrown unless Gregor made his way through the junk and had moved it somewhere else. At first he moved because, with no other room free where he could crawl about, he was forced to, but later on he came to enjoy it although moving about in the way left him sad and tired to death and he would remain immobile for hours afterwards.
SEE: Gregor is eating less and less, almost none at all. His room is distressful and dirty/gloomy, however he got used to this. There were three boarders staying in the Samsa house. Because of this, many things that the family had no room to keep was just thrown into Gregor's room then forgotten about. This clutter made Gregor's room crowded and he had no room to crawl about. However he began to enjoy moving around the clutter, even though he would be unable to move and extremely tired for hours afterwards.
SHOW: Gregor is slowly losing hope in living and slowly ceasing to exist. He eats less and less which shows that he cares less and less about staying alive and healthy. No one cleans his room and it becomes dirtier and gloomier but Gregor doesn't seem to mind. The three boarders that have moved into the Samsa house have consumed the family's time and energy and Gregor is neglected. This shows that the family is caring less and less for Gregor, especially by chucking unwanted furniture and junk into his room. "Left him sad and tired to death" shows that Gregor is turning more and more into a literal roach/vermin and is farther away from his human days.
MEAN: Gregor losing hope in living and slowly ceasing to exist shows that he realizes how little purpose that his life has and that his family doesn't need him anymore. The Samsa family also starts to realize that they don't need to depend on Gregor to make a living, and instead have 3 board men stay. To further show that they are forgetting about Gregor, they throw unwanted things in his room forgetting that it was once Gregor's room and workspace, but now they just see it as a room where a vermin lives and other junk can be put. Gregor being immobile for hours showed that he is approaching his death/the end of the story.
Noel Kenny, this is quite interesting. Your interpretation of this passage is very similar to what I was thinking while I read this passage in the book! Good job!
NOel's passage is very good and was well detailed. SHe did not need to write a whole lot but was able to capture the reader's interest in her say, show and mean
EXCERPT: “And he looked over at the alarm clock, ticking on the chest of drawers.”God in Heaven!" he thought. It was half past six and the hands were quietly moving forwards, it was even later than half past, more like quarter to seven. Had the alarm clock not rung? He could see from the bed that it had been set for four o'clock as it should have been; it certainly must have rung. Yes, but was it possible to quietly sleep through that furniture-rattling noise? True, he had not slept peacefully, but probably all the more deeply because of that. What should he do now? The next train went at seven; if he were to catch that he would have to rush like mad and the collection of samples was still not packed, and he did not at all feel particularly fresh and lively. And even if he did catch the train he would not avoid his boss's anger as the office assistant would have been there to see the five o'clock train go, he would have put in his report about Gregor's not being there a long time ago. The office assistant was the boss's man, spineless, and with no understanding. What about if he reported sick? But that would be extremely strained and suspicious as in fifteen years of service Gregor had never once yet been ill. His boss would certainly come round with the doctor from the medical insurance company, accuse his parents of having a lazy son, and accept the doctor's recommendation not to make any claim as the doctor believed that no-one was ever ill but that many were workshy. And what's more, would he have been entirely wrong in this case? Gregor did in fact, apart from excessive sleepiness after sleeping for so long, feel completely well and even felt much hungrier than usual.
SAY: Moments ago in his room, Gregor discovered that he transformed into a horrible vermin. He complained about how he could not stand up because of his back. He did not have enough sleep because of his job, as a traveling salesman. He bombarded himself with reasons on why his life remained boring and lonesome. After wondering about his life, he looked at the clock and noticed that he was late for work. Realizing that he no longer had time to get ready and catch the train by seven o’clock, he remained in bed. There he thought about the excuses he would say to explain his absence.
SHOW: Gregor definitely cares about his job especially since he is the only person who works in his family. His family depends on his income and without him, they would have to adjust their lives completely. While lying in bed all he could think about was his job. What would happen if he did not go to work? Would he be able to attend work in a small amount of time? While he worried about the fact that he was no longer able to attend work, he totally forgot the idea that he was transformed into a monstrous vermin. He had a job and an obligation to his family. Kafka points out that Gregor remains a workaholic. This sudden change to his body does not seem to stop him from getting to work. Gregor is just like any person despite the fact that he transformed. When he works hard, he becomes tired, and awaits the long hours of sleep. The words “Gregor had never once yet been ill” points out that Gregor is committed to his work no matter what.
MEAN: Gregor’s long hours of working has not stopped him from providing for his family. Clearly Gregor loves his family especially if he has to take the burden of working by himself without the help of the other members. His parents were in debt and needed some money. However, his father was too old, his mother had asthma, and his sister was too young to work. Gregor could have left his family and live somewhere else, but he stayed with his family to save money and help them out. Through Gregor’s actions, Kafka is similar to Gregor. Kafka loved his family but he too was a workaholic. He worked so much that he became distant from his family each day. Gregor as a pest is clearly Kafka. No longer having any connection with his family, he probably felt that he was a vermin to them. Kafka was stubborn when he was younger and because of his actions, he probably begun an irritable relationship with his family. Gregor, who stayed in his dark, gloomy room, symbolizes that he was somewhat secluded from the family. He was physically part of them but not emotionally.
It's interesting that you pointed out what was wrong with each family member:"his father was too old, his mother had asthma, and his sister was too young to work." very insightful! :)
Nice interpretation, Nicole. I enjoyed your blog and how detailed it was. I also like how you said "He was physically part of them but not emotionally." That's very true.
Excerpt: “Father, Mother”, said his sister, hitting the table with her hand as introduction, “we can’t carry on like this. Maybe you can’t see it, but I can. I don’t want to call this monster my brother, all I can say is: we have to try and get rid of it. We’ve done all that’s humanly possible to look after it and be patient, I don’t think anyone could accuse us of doing anything wrong.”
Say: In this passage, Gregor’s sister Grete is attempting to convince her parents into disposing Gregor. She believes that he is impairing the family; therefore they cannot continue to take care of Gregor in the state he is in. Grete does not think her parents realize how they are being affected and decides to speak to them. She sees him as a monster, and does not want to be associated with such a creature. They have taken care of him for a while, and believe it is time for him to go. All has been done to maintain the welfare of Gregor and they have done nothing wrong.
Show: Since the metamorphosis of Gregor, the family has taken care of him. By hitting the table with her hand, Grete expresses her frustration with the situation. She does not want to live this way, continually attending to Gregor’s needs, as she had done for quite some time. Grete no longer sees her brother as human, and has accepted the fact that he is a vermin. She calls him a monster, a terrible beast that must be dealt with immediately. By saying that they could not be accused of doing anything wrong, Grete is explaining that everything possible has been done and there can be no criticism against their actions. Her family can no longer live with Gregor around, and they must get rid of him.
Mean: Before Gregor’s transformation, Grete had lived in his shadow and was not an independent individual. When he was made into a bug, she took up a huge responsibility by taking care of Gregor. She also had to find work to compensate for the money not being earned through Gregor’s job. These experiences developed Grete as a woman, making her grow in confidence and poise. This eventually led her to taking a stand, speaking up for what she believed in. Grete now felt responsible for her parents, ensuring the best possible solution so they may benefit. She has also accepted that Gregor is not human, and is indeed a beast. Independently thinking, she has done the best she can, but does not wish to do any more. Grete believes her decision to get rid of Gregor is correct, and is in the best interest of her family. By making this choice, Grete is hoping to move on in life.
Good insight:"Independently thinking, she has done the best she can, but does not wish to do any more. Grete believes her decision to get rid of Gregor is correct, and is in the best interest of her family." I like the word- "indeed" :)hehe "She has also accepted that Gregor is not human, and is indeed a beast."
Good insights, Noelle! Especially the observation that the family cannot be accused of doing anything wrong with the rationale that he is no longer human. Also, the observation that Grete lived under Gregor's shadow before the transformation--her pounding her hands on the table dramatically contrast this.
EXCERPT: She walked to the side, caught sight of the enormous brown splotch on the flowered wallpaper, and, before she became truly aware that what she was looking at was Gregor, screamed out in a high pitched raw voice ‘Oh God, oh God’ and fell with outstretched arms, as if she was surrendering everything, down onto the couch and lay there motionless. ‘Gregor, you...,’ cried out his sister with a raised fist and an urgent glare. Since his transformation those were the first words which she had directed right at him. The father had arrived. ‘What’s happened,’ were his first words. Grete’s appearance had told him everything. Grete replied with a dull voice; evidently she was pressing her face into her father’s chest: ‘Mother fainted, but she’s getting better now. Gregor has broken loose.’ ‘Yes, I have expected that,’ said his father, ‘I always told you that, but you women don’t want to listen.’From the fruit bowl on the sideboard his father had filled his pockets, and now, without for the moment taking accurate aim, was throwing apple after apple. These small red apples rolled as if electrified around on the floor and collided with each other. A weakly thrown apple grazed Gregor’s back but skidded off harmlessly. However another thrown immediately after that one drove into Gregor’s back really hard. Gregor wanted to drag himself off, as if the unexpected and incredible pain would go away if he changed his position. But he felt as if he was nailed in place and lay stretched out completely confused in all his senses. Only with his final glance did he notice how the door of his room was pulled open and how, right in front of his sister (who was yelling), his mother ran out in her undergarments, for his sister had undressed her in order to give her some freedom to breathe in her fainting spell, and how his mother then ran up to his father, on the way her tied up skirts one after the other slipped toward the floor, and how, tripping over her skirts, she hurled herself onto his father and, throwing her arms around him, in complete union with him—but at this moment Gregor’s powers of sight gave way—as her hands reached to the back of his father’s head and she begged him to spare Gregor’s life. SAY: Mrs. Samsa and Grete, his sister, were moving all the furniture out of Gregor's room, to make more space for him to crawl. Gregor didn't like it because he liked everything where it was. So, he decides to protest and go lay on the picture of the lady, to show them he doesn't like what they are doing and wants to keep it in the room. Unfortunately, he hears his mother coming instead of who he thought was going to be first, which was Grete, and he rushes back to hide, but his mother catches a glimpes of him. Of course, she freaks out and now Grete is really mad at him. Then the Father comes home and hears about what happened is furious, he grabs apples or whatever he can find and starts bombarding them at Gregor. Gregor tries to avoid he throws, but sadly he gets hit in the back. Just as his father was going to throw another apple, Mrs. Samsa runs for her life and stops the father and ask him to spare his life.
SHOW:Gregor's family is still trying to accept the fact or wrap their minds around the fact that their son/brother has been transformed into a vermin. They don't really pay attention to him much or at least his parents don't. He is more like Grete's responsibility. His father is very angry and sees Gregor as a pest, disgusting and trouble. When Mrs. Samsa was against removing all the furniture from Gregor's room, but Grete insist. His mother didn't like it because it was like she was accepting the fact that Gregor may never transform back to a human. Also his father reacting the way he did was like he was fed up and mad at gregor and he just wanted him dead. His father reacting the way he did with the apples, shows that he just thinks its best if Gregor wasn't here and everything would go back to normal. MEAN: Before Gregor transformed, his family respected him and depended on him a lot. But after his transformation everything changed for the better it seems. Not everything was for the better though, his family stopped seeing him or at least his parents did, Grete took care of him. The family found jobs and became more independent and started to neglect Gregor because their was no need for him. Gregor started to slowly realize that he is losing his humanity and thats why he jumped on the picture to hang on to something to remind him that he is still human. The apples being thrown symbols the relationship between Kafka and his father. Kafka feared his father very much. Kafka was in fact the very opposite of what his father wanted his son to be. Just like Gregor, Gregor wasn't like his father. Gregor loved his family very much and would do anything for them. Which is ironic because turns out that Gregor finds out that his family wouldn't do the same thing for him because he is a bug. But Kafka feared his father principally because he felt annihilated by his very existence. His fear added up over the years and experiences. Majority of metamorphosis is expressing the relationship between his family and his feelings over all the years.
Great Job Christina! I totally agree with your MEAN. His family only needed him for the money and nothing else because he was an irritation to them. Good insight!
Excerpt: “Had he really wanted to transform his room into a cave, a warm room fitted out with the nice furniture he had inherited? That would have let him crawl around unimpeded in any direction, but it would also have let him quickly forget his past when he had still been human. He had come very close to forgetting, and it had only been the voice of his mother, unheard for so long, that had shaken him out of it. Nothing should be removed; everything had to stay; he could not do without the good influence the furniture had on his condition; and if the furniture made it difficult for him to crawl about mindlessly that was not a loss but a great advantage.”
Say: Gregor is thinking to himself about the furniture being removed from his room. He is considering how the room would feel without his furniture occupying the space. He thinks about the room being a warm, cave, in which he would be able to move about easily. However, his room reminds of when he was a human. He does not wish for the furniture to be removed from his room.
Show: This excerpt shows that Gregor is still fond of the memories of when he was human and wants the furniture in his room. He did not want his furniture to be removed because that was the only thing that reminded him of his humanity in the past. If the furniture were to be removed, Gregor would act more like the vermin he is since he would be living in an environment similar to a warm cave. He would be able to move about his room easily without the furniture, which also would make him feel more a vermin. He would have accepted the fact that his mother and sister wished to remove the furniture in his room for his advantage, but his mother’s voice reminded him of when he was still a human. He did not want to lose those memories of his human life. The furniture did hinder his ability to move around in the room, but that was a great advantage for him since he felt less like the vermin he was transformed into. Therefore, he yearned for the furniture to remain within his room.
Mean: The meaning of the excerpt is about Gregor wanting to remember that he is still human and not a vermin. Even though he may have transformed into a vermin, he does not wish to truly become one himself. He wants to remember his past of his human life, before he was transformed into a hideous, disgusting vermin. The furniture also helps him remember that he is still human because he does not live like a vermin. The furniture impedes on his crawling space, which is to him, an advantage. He does not feel like a vermin that simply crawls around dark places that resembles a cave mindlessly. His mother’s voice also reminds him that he is still human. Since he did not hear his mother’s voice in such a long time, he is suddenly shaken out of his thinking that he was not human. Gregor was ready to accept the fact that he had become a vermin, but fond memories of his past flow back to him immediately. He wants to remember that he is human, and to do so, he wants the furniture to stay in his room to help him.
That's exactly what I thought when I read that passage. I agree that Gregor was slowly slipping into his vermin state, but the furniture and his mother's voice pulls him back into reality and reminds him that he is still a human on the inside. Good job Sara!
I like the cave part...pretty cool :) Good, detailed, words: "The furniture impedes on his crawling space, which is to him, an advantage. He does not feel like a vermin that simply crawls around dark places that resembles a cave mindlessly." heh
Passage: “One morning, when Gregor Samsa woke from troubled dreams, he found himself transformed in his bed into a horrible vermin. He lay on his armour-like-back, and if he lifted his head a little he could see his brown belly, slightly domed and divided by arches into stiff sections. The bedding was hardly able to cover it and seemed ready to slide off any moment. His many legs, pitifully thin compared with the size of the rest of him, waved about helplessly as he looked.”
Say: Gregor Samsa woke up from bad dreams in his bedroom and finds himself as a vermin. Gregor has a brown stomach that is divided by arches into firm sections. He realizes that his bedding can barely cover his body, because his body is too big and is legs are thin.
Show: The event of Gregor transforming into a vermin has a much deeper meaning. The details show that Gregor is an annoyance to his family. When he is transform into a vermin, it shows that his family does think he’s annoying and they have no care for him or emotion to his change of physical state.
Mean: The author is emphasizing Gregor’s relationship with his family, in particular with his dad. Before the transformation, he would always be working or worrying about work. Gregor’s family at first appreciated him supporting them and working to pay off the debt, but soon they all were ungrateful. Each event throughout the story connects to another. For example, after Gregor finds that he was a vermin, his family to start improving their lives, like Greta learning French and they all get jobs, the father dresses nicely and is clean.
Awesome! I like the connections you made! You talk about it emphasizing Gregor's bad relationship with his dad, but that isn't really clear if you only read this passage - we get more info later on. Good interpretation!
This passage below concludes the ending of Chapter 2. This intense and action-packed ending occurs as the father comes home to news that his wife has fainted because she has seen her transformed son. Gregor is blamed for the fainting spell and the father’s anger is taken out on Gregor through the throwing of apples.
“ …. Then, right beside him, lightly tossed, something flew down and rolled in front of him. It was an apple; then another one immediately flew at him; Gregor froze in shock; there was no longer any point in running as his father had decided to bombard him. He had filled his pockets with fruit from the bowl on the sideboard and now, without even taking the time for careful aim, threw on apple after another. These little, red apples rolled about on the floor, knocking into each other as if they had electric motors. An apple thrown without much force glanced against Gregor’s back and slid off without doing any harm. Another one however, immediately following it, hit squarely and lodged in his back; Gregor wanted to drag himself away, as if he could remove the surprising, the incredible pain by changing his position; but he felt as if nailed to the spot and spread himself out, all his senses in confusion. The last thing he saw was the door of his room being pulled open, his sister was screaming, his mother ran out in front of her in her blouse. She ran to his father…. her hands behind his father’s head begging him to spare Gregor’s life.
SAY: Gregor’s father discovers his wife in a panic and shock-like state after coming home one day. His wife had suddenly fainted after seeing her son transformed into a vermin. Taking out all of the anger and frustration that had been building up, Gregor’s father grabs the nearest thing that he can finds and begins to throw them at Gregor. Taking apples, Gregor’s father aims them towards his son and lodges one painfully into his back. Gregor is shocked and the house is full of chaos as his father continues to beat apples in his direction. His sister screams at the scene and despite being weak from the fainting spell earlier, Gregor’s mother runs desperately to stop her husband from killing her own son.
SHOW: The scene is chaotic and filled with action. Father comes home and immediately begins to pelt his son with hard apples, one of which is lodged into Gregor’s back. The words “without even taking the time for careful aim, threw one apple after another” express how Gregor’s father did not think about his actions and in the spur of the moment, grabbed whatever was nearest to him and began to hurt his son. Many apples were thrown at Gregor, but one of them “hit squarely and lodged in his back” which caused an immense amount of pain for him. Similarly, the last few paragraphs of chapter 1 showed the father “hurting” his son by yelling and pushing him back with a stick into his room. Leading up to this point in the book, the family had secluded their son from their lives and began to forget his existence. His reveal to his mother caused her to faint in shock because of his appearance and sadly, Gregor was taken the blame for this. The fact that Gregor was “[confused]” with the apples hitting him shows that he was not expecting his father to be upset at him. At the end of this passage, while his sister continues screaming, Gregor’s mother runs to stop her husband from hurting her son anymore. Her actions show that despite his appearance, his mother still loves him and does not want to see him hurt.
MEAN: This dramatic way to end chapter two leaves readers feeling anxious to see what will happen in the concluding chapter. With anger and frustration building up between the family members, Gregor’s father finally releases his anger by pelting his son with apples. Reacting to this, his sister cries for her brother’s sake and the chaos that is happening in her household. The family members have seemed to secluded Gregor and been unsupportive of his transformation. Instead he is forgotten and the family continues to live their lives without his presence. The author, Franz Kafka seems to be telling readers that a previous life with Gregor in their lives has seem to be something in the past. A major point in this passage is when an apple is lodged into Gregor’s back, which shoots an incredible amount of pain throughout his body. His injury is soon forgotten and his father continues to throw more apples in his direction. The fact that the family ignores his injury is a reference that they are already adjusted to a life without him in their lives. Sadly, this is made a reality when Gregor dies in the end of the story with the family “celebrating” his death. However in the end of chapter two, his mother fights with her husband to spare Gregor’s life. Despite the family trying to forget his sudden transformation, his mother seems to be the only member of the Samsa family who fights for her son’s life. This represents a mother’s love to their child no matter his or her circumstance. Though this chapter ends in a dramatic way, it marks the beginning to Gregor’s decline in health and his presence in the family.
I really like the connections you made, especially the way you detail that the events before this lead up to it, resulting in a climax of all the emotions of the family. Good job - super thorough!
I can tell that you thought this through very well. I find it interesting that you connected this scene with a mother's love, and the fact that his presence is declining along with his health.
Excerpt: “It’s got to go”, shouted his sister, “that’s the only way, Father. You’ve got to get rid of the idea that that’s Gregor. We’ve only harmed ourselves by believing it for so long. “ (Page 66.)
Say: Grete is telling her father that getting rid of Gregor is the only way that they can survive. The boarders have decided to leave because Gregor unintentionally revealed himself to them. Grete tells her father and mother that they must not believe that the vermin is Gregor and that the family has caused harm only to themselves by believing the fact that Gregor transformed into a vermin overnight.
Show: Grete finally realizes that getting rid of Gregor is the only way to stop the harm that is being done to their family. She tries to persuade her parents that it is time to get rid of Gregor and that their hope of Gregor transforming back into a human is hopeless. There is a defining moment in the family’s view of Gregor’s humanity and the amount of sympathy they feel for him. Up to this point, Gregor’s family shows that they struggle to determine how much of Gregor’s humanity remains. Physically, Gregor has changed into a completely different body. The fact that he cannot communicate with his family makes it hard for them to know if his mind is still Gregor’s mind. The mother holds on the belief that Gregor’s transformation is only temporarily and that he will one day transform back into his old self. The father shows uncertainty towards getting rid of Gregor. He feels a little pity for attacking Gregor earlier and questions if Gregor will understand them. Overtime, Grete has lost faith in Gregor and no longer thinks of him as Gregor.
Mean: Gregor’s lasting transformation has left his family unsure of themselves and their actions. The Samson family has lost sympathy for Gregor and has become less certain that anything of Gregor remains and as the bug has only instilled a greater burden upon their family. Because Gregor inadvertently revealed himself to the boarders, his family will no longer receive rent from them. Gregor has burdened his family to work for themselves as well. While Grete sympathized and took care of Gregor immediately after his transformation, even attempting to take his feelings into account by trying to figure out what foods he likes, she has stopped caring for him entirely. Grete has clearly gotten over the fact that the vermin is her brother. She insists that no aspects of humanity remain in the vermin at all. Kafka seems to be instilling within the audience that Gregor is no longer part of the Samson family. Gregor should be forgotten about and the family should simply move on without him. Living with the bug will only cause the three more harm to themselves.
I find your interpretation of the story interesting. I never thought that Grete would be the one to turn against Gregor due to the fact that they were such close siblings. However, this excerpt tells me otherwise, and I suddenly realized that when I read it in the bok.
"One morning, when Gregor Samsa woke from troubled dreams, he found himself transformed in his bed into a horrible vermin. He lay on his armour-like back, and if he lifted his head a little he could see his brown belly, slightly domed and divided by arches into stiff sections. The bedding was hardly able to cover it and seemed ready to slide off any moment. His many legs, pitifully thin compared with the size of the rest of him, wave about hopelessly as he looked. "What's happened to me?" he thought. It wasn't a dream. His room, a proper human room although a little too small, lay peacefully between its four familiar walls. Above the table, on which an unpacked collection of sample cloth goods was spread out—Samsa was a travelling salesman—above it hung the picture which he had cut out of an illustrated magazine a little while ago and set in a pretty gilt frame. It was a picture of a woman with a fur hat and a fur boa. She sat erect there, lifting up in the direction of the viewer a solid fur muff into which her entire forearm had disappeared. Gregor’s glance then turned to the window. The dreary weather—the rain drops were falling audibly down on the metal window ledge—made him quite melancholy. “Why don’t I keep sleeping for a little while longer and forget all this foolishness,” he thought. But this was entirely impractical, for he was used to sleeping on his right side, but in his present state he could not get himself into this position. No matter how hard he threw himself onto his right side, he always rolled onto his back again. He must have tried it a hundred times, closing his eyes so that he would not have to see the wriggling legs, and gave up only when he began to feel a light, dull pain in his side which he had never felt before."
SAY: Gregor Samsa wakes up from a nightmare and realizes he's a vermin. He examines his body, which gives off the characteristics of an insect, with a large body and small but a numerous amount of little legs. The story gives us a background on Gregor and we discover that he is a traveling salesman who financially supports his family. He ignores the fact that he's transformed into a disturbing creature and tries to go back to sleep. He tries to get out of bed with many attempts, but resulting in physical pain for his new body.
Show: When Gregor realizes that he's turned into a bizarre creature, he thinks to himself "What's happened to me?". This is very shocking to the readers and they wonder why he transformed. Gregor examines himself and thinks "Why don't I keep sleeping for a little while longer and forget all this foolishness". This shows that Gregor is more content with his transformation, rather than freaking out and panicing. He shows that he'd rather forget about it by sleeping and not wanting to care about the cause of this situation. He tries to sit up and get out of his bed, but he hasn't adjusted to his new body so he has some trouble trying to find a way to get up. This shows that his transformation was real and that it was a bigger problem than he realized. This struggle was a huge change in his life and it turned his life upside down because he had to deal with it somehow.
Mean: In the beginning of the story, Kafka is showing Gregor in a way that shows the readers that he was taken by surprise when he was transformed into a vermin. After given detail about his physical being, Kafka reveals Gregor's reaction to his transformation through his thoughts. His reactions are very subtle and insignificant in this situation. This was an interesting reaction because it's not very realistic. Kafka also reveals that Gregor is a salesman, which later in the story shows why he is so calm. Gregor tries to get up out of bed but has trouble with adjusting to his new body and how to control himself. This gives the readers more assurance that this is real. The surrealism in this story has much more deeper meaning than how it is literally written.
Excerpt: Gregor ate hardly anything any more. Only when he chanced to move past the food which had been prepared did he, as a game, take a bit into his mouth, hold it there for hours, and generally spit it out again. At first he thought it might be his sadness over the condition of his room which kept him from eating, but he very soon became reconciled to the alterations in his room. People had grown accustomed to put into storage in his room things which they couldn’t put anywhere else, and at this point there were many such things, now that they had rented one room of the apartment to three lodgers. Say: In this passage in chapter 3, Gregor is not eating. He basically thinks that its because of the condition of his room. His family is stuffing unwanted items into his room due to the three lodgers that were currently staying there. Gregor soon gets used to the fact that his family is using his room as storage because they couldn't put it anywhere else. Show: This passage shows that Gregor has come to terms with his fate as a vermin. Gregor starves himself thinking its because of all the clutter in his room when in reality it isnt. The passage shows us that Gregor has accepted the fact his family is doing this to his room and also accepted that they are treating him as if he was a piece of storage too. Mean: The meaning behind this passage is that Gregor is giving up. He has given up on his room, the one thing that reminded him of his human life and that kept him a human inside. He has given up on his human life when he just lets his family treat his room as storage. He can't help but believe that he feels like a piece of storage as well, something hidden away so that his family could TRY to forget about him. He lets them treat him as the vermin that he physically is, and not the human person that he once was.
I like the fact that you say that he lets them. I agree in some ways because he never did really do anything to show his anger and his just hid from them
The passage below contains the sentences of when the charwoman finds Gregor dead in “The Metamorphosis.” This passage occur when the charwoman goes to bother Gregor and tells the Samsa family about his death. The Samsa family are thankful for his death.
“”Dead?”, asked Mrs. Samsa, looking at the charwoman enquiringly, even though she could have checked for herself and could have known it even without checking. “That’s what I said”, replied the cleaner, and to prove it she gave Gregor’s body another shove with the broom, sending it sideways across the floor. Mrs. Samsa made a movement as if she wanted to hold back the broom, but did not complete it. “Now then”, said Mr. Samsa, “let’s give thanks to God for that”.”
SAY: Even though Mrs. Samsa could have checked Gregor’s death for herself, she inquired the charwoman about his death. The charwoman verifies his death by giving Gregor’s body another shove with the broom, making it slide sideways across the floor. Mrs. Samsa tried but did not completely hold back the broom from the charwoman. Mr. Samsa spoke for the entire family and is thankful for the death of Gregor. He gives thanks to God.
SHOW: This passage is really direct. Mrs. Samsa inquiries Gregor’s death to charwoman. She could have walked into Gregor’s room and check for herself, but she couldn’t bring herself to it. The brave charwoman compared Gregor to a piece of trash. This is indicated by her shoving Gregor’s dead body with the broom. With her mother instincts, she slightly moved to take the broom away from the charwoman. But, Mrs. Samsa remembered that Gregor is now a vermin and that he is not the same as before. Mrs. Samsa felt like the vermin Gregor is not her true son, therefore she did not feel fully bad about Gregor’s dead body being shoved across the floor. Mr. Samsa gives thanks to God. Showing that he rather has the dead vermin than the alive Gregor.
MEAN: The author is moving towards the revelation of the death of Gregor Samsa. In the beginning of this passage, Mrs. Samsa questions his death. She seems quite shocked, but still appreciative to the charwoman. The charwoman is sure of his death and seems proud to be the person to find him dead. Awkwardly, the entire Samsa family is thankful for Gregor’s death. As readers, many thought that his family would be sympathetic about his death, but their reactions were the exact opposite.
The message does appear to be direct, yet I have never thought about it that way. You found some interesting insight about what characters were thinking about at this time.
Good Job Melissa! I also agree that they were happy about Gregor's death. Through it, their lives became problem free and they couldn't wait for their lives to change. Great insight!
Good insights in the Show section withe observation that the family themselves have distanced themselves so much from Gregor, they're not the ones who find his dead body. For the Mean section, however, you should elaborate on what this separation means.
“‘Father, Mother’, said his sister, hitting the table with her hand as introduction, ‘we can’t carry on like this. Maybe you can’t see it, but I can. I don’t want to call this monster my brother, all I can say is: we have to try and get rid of it. We’ve done all that’s humanly possible to look after it and be patient. I don’t think anyone could accuse us of doing anything wrong.’” (Page 64)
SAY: Gregor has just come out of his room to hear his sister play the violin for the family’s tenants. Of course, Gregor’s appearance intrigues the guests and makes them want to know who/what Gregor is. Mr. Samsa panics and tries to direct the tenants back to their room. They are upset and give their notice to leave. When all the chaos is over, Grete, Gregor’s sister, comes to the living room with her family. Mrs. Samsa is sitting on the couch, Mr. Samsa is sitting in his chair, and Gregor is on the floor. Grete tells her parents that she can no longer stand the sight of Gregor and she wants to get rid of him. She says the family tried to help Gregor and deal with the fact that he is a vermin, but she has lost hope. Grete also claims that no one would look down on the Samsa family for getting rid of Gregor.
SHOW: Gregor’s family no longer wants him around. Grete is the first person to talk about getting rid of Gregor, and Mr. Samsa agrees immediately. Grete also seems very angry when she “hit[s] the table with her hand as introduction” and she seems to be almost yelling at her parents about how she feels. She also seems very hostile towards Gregor, Grete refers to her brother as a “monster” and she no longer cares about whether he eats or not; Grete leaves food out for Gregor in the morning and sweeps it up at night, even if it’s not eaten. Lastly, Grete tries to justify the family’s future actions by saying “I don’t think anyone could accuse us of doing anything wrong.” She is claiming that kicking out a family member because they have a disability is the right thing to do. Grete believes that other families would do the same thing. Grete’s entire statement and Mr. Samsa’s approval show how unappreciative and selfish the family is towards Gregor. Gregor worked hard to provide for his family and he didn’t even have to; his father, mother, and sister could have easily gone out and gotten jobs. Most of the money he made went to his family’s house, food, and clothing, and they never did anything in return. Grete’s and Mr. Samsa’s actions show that the family is only thinking about themselves and the “burden” of having Gregor in the house. They aren’t thinking of the burden they placed on Gregor by making him work or how much Gregor has done for them since he got his job. This passage shows how clueless Gregor’s family really is.
MEAN: This passage proves that no one appreciates Gregor. Gregor’s family takes his money and doesn’t offer him anything in return, especially when he needs them. When Gregor transforms, no one thinks about what he did for the family or how they can help him. They just ignore him and plot ways of getting rid of him. They treat him like nothing when he gave up his life to support them. Gregor’s family betrays him in the end of the story. Franz Kafka is trying to relate this story to his own life. Kafka’s father detested him and didn’t approve of his writing. The words “monster”, “it”, and “get rid of” that Grete uses are examples of how Kafka’s father felt towards him. Kafka’s father also emotionally abused him just like Gregor’s family does. Gregor can still think, hear, and function like a human; only his appearances are different. He hears his family talking about him and subconsciously, they are abusing him, too. The Samsas abandon Gregor and treat him as an outcast just how Kafka’s father did to his son.
Good insight: "Kafka’s father also emotionally abused him just like Gregor’s family does. Gregor can still think, hear, and function like a human; only his appearances are different." I also like your use of brackets--> hit[s]. Applying what we learned is pretty cool :)hehe
EXCERPT: "It now seemed only too obvious that they were disappointed in their expectation of hearing beautiful or entertaining violin-playing, had had enough of the whole performance and continued to let their peace be disturbed only out of politeness. Especially the way they all blew the cigar smoke out of their nose and mouth toward the ceiling suggested great nervousness. And yet his sister was playing so beautifully. Her face was inclined to one side, sadly and probingly her eyes followed the lines of music. Gregor crawled forward a little farther, holding his head close to the floor so that it might be possible to catch her eye. Was he an animal, that music could move him so? He felt as if the way to the unknown nourishment he longed for were coming to light" (Metamorphosis 48-49).
SAY: As they listen to Grete play the violin, the Samsa family's roomers quickly grow bored. They tactfully continue to listen to her playing, but as more and more time passes, they become somewhat nervous. Gregor, on the other hand, is mesmerized by Grete's music and crawls out of his room to get closer to her and listen. Forgetting himself, he allows the music to move and nourish his soul.
SHOW: The boarders, though at first eager to hear Grete play violin, quickly grow tired of her music. Their indifferent attitudes show that these roomers, portrayed as 'gentlemen,' are hard to please and lack sophistication. In fact, Grete's music makes them uncomfortable and nervous. In her presence they feel out of place. Gregor, however, finds great comfort in Grete's playing - displayed in the fact that he is so enchanted by her music that he crawls toward her unthinkingly. In this interaction, we see the strong bond that still remains between Gregor and Grete. *Her* emotion stirs him and draws him to her. In her presence, Gregor is no longer afraid, but finds the nourishment he yearns for.
MEAN: The contrast between Gregor's reaction to music and that of the boarders is very striking. Gregor, in spite of his verminous form, is still more cultured and refined than the three human boarders. He himself questions how he could truly be an animal if music moves him so strongly. In spite of the fact that he did not care for it before, now music is the key to draw him out of darkness and carry him beyond his fear and discomfort. In this way, Gregor clings to his humanity regardless of the way that his family treats him. In essence, this passage reveals the strength of his character in the way that he refuses to doubt himself throughout his family's process of rejection.
The passage below is from the book, “The Metamorphosis.” It occurs right after the three boarders have discovered Gregor. The boarders give their notice that they are leaving and will not be paying rent.
“’Father, Mother’, said his sister, hitting the table with her hand as introduction, ‘we can’t carry on like this. Maybe you can’t see it, but I can. I don’t want to call this monster my brother, all I can say is: we have to try and get rid of it. We’ve done all that’s humanly possible to look after it and be patient, I don’t think anyone could accuse us of doing anything wrong.’”
SAY: Grete is playing the violin for her parents and the boarders. Gregor is attracted to Grete’s violin playing and did not realize that he was moving out of his room. He follows the sound of music and stops. He is visible but Grete’s audience is oblivious towards him. The boarders notice Gregor and alert the Samsas. They give their notice and refuse to pay rent. Grete realizes that they need to get rid of Gregor.
SHOW: Gregor’s family now comes to the realization that they need to get rid of Gregor. The family is tired of having this burden on them. Grete does not consider Gregor her brother anymore because if he were, then he would understand their situation and do something useful for the family like not revealing himself “publicly.” She feels sad and angry. Gregor has been causing them much trouble and now he has chased away their money. Grete has lost hope that Gregor is still Gregor and believes that he has lost his humanity. She has also no sympathy anymore for him.
MEAN: In the beginning of Gregor’s transformation, Grete took care of Gregor by feeding him and cleaning his room, hoping that he would return to his old self. As the story progresses, the family members all find jobs and, therefore, Grete loses interest in her brother and stops taking care of him. The family decides to use his room as a storage area proving that they care less about Gregor now. Another piece of evidence further supporting this idea can be found within the words Grete uses to describe Gregor within the passage. She first refers to him as her “brother,” but quickly changes her attitude towards Gregor by calling him “it” instead, therefore showing her lack of concern for him. Finally, the family agrees that they need to rid themselves of this burden so they can live a good life.
Good job! You interpretation of the story reveals the deeper meaning and truth beneath Kafka's writing. I liked how you were able to make connections and understand the deeper meaning behind the text. :D
Excerpt: Had he really wanted to transform his room into a cave, a warm room fitted out with the nice furniture he had inherited? That would have let him crawl around unimpeded in any direction, but it would also have let him quickly forget about his past when he had still been human. He had come very close to forgetting, and it had only been the voice of his mother, unheard for so long, that had shaken him out of it. Nothing should be removed; everything had to stay; he could not do without the good influence the furniture had on his condition; and if the furniture made it difficult for him to crawl about mindlessly that was not a loss but a great advantage.
Say: Gregor realizes that he does not want his mother and Grete to move all of the furniture out of his room just because he wants to climb on the ceiling. He fears that the furniture is the only thing that is keeping him from forgetting what he was like as a human. It would be better for him if he kept the furniture.
Show: Gregor is becoming accustomed to his condition, and is starting to not only look like, but act and think more like a bug. Even though Gregor wants to be more comfortable, he is not willing to let himself give in to his change. He states that he has not heard his mother’s voice in a very long time. This shows that it is very easy to forget something when it has been absent for a long time. If his furniture is taken out, he may eventually forget about his time as a human. Had his mother not reminded him of that, he may have let his bug-like urges take over him completely.
Mean: Gregor has become a bug not only in appearance, but in thought and behavior. Because of this, he is also being harder on his family. As his condition worsens, so does his family’s.Him being more bug like makes him more of a vermin and a pest to his family than ever. The part of him that is human still wants to stay alive and help his family instead of being a vermin to them. By keeping the furniture, he is keeping his humanity and hope of helping his family.
“We have to try to get rid of it”, said Gregor’s sister, now speaking only to her father, as her mother was too occupied with coughing to listen, “it’ll be the death of both of you, I can see it coming. We can’t all work as hard as we have to and then come home to be tortured like this, we can’t endure it. I can’t endure it anymore.” And she broke out so heavily in tears that they flowed down the face of her mother, and she wiped them away with mechanical hand movements. SAY: Gregor’s sister tells her parents that they need to get rid of her brother, now a vermin. She says that keeping him around will be the end of not just the parents but her too. She can’t handle taking care of him anymore, seeing him, and can’t handle her parents having this “burden” on them either. SHOW: Since Gregor has metamorphasized into this creature it is the sister’s duty to feed him every day. She has to walk in there and see everything. She feels that he is hurting the family, and feels that they need to somehow get rid of him. Grete doesn’t see her brother as a human anymore, she sees him as a pest, which is in the way. MEAN: When Gregor was human he was the one to take care of the entire family. But since his transformation the family had to take care of themselves. He had to learn how to work hard for what they get. With Grete having the burden of taking care of her brother she ends up being tired of it. She sees him as a pest now and wants nothing to do with him. She now wants to persuade her parents into getting rid of him to, because in some way he is breaking the family.
Excerpt: “Did he really want the warm room, so cozily appointed with heirlooms, transformed into a lair, where he might, of course, be able to creep, unimpeded, in any direction, though forgetting his human past swiftly and totally?”
Say: Gregor begins to find crawling on the walls and ceilings amusing, so Grete suggests that taking out the furniture would make the room more open and easier to move around in. As her and her mom are removing the furniture, Gregor freaks out and desperately tries to save the picture of the woman on his wall.
Show: In the beginning of his transformation, Gregor still had human thoughts and feelings, even though his body and physical attributes changed. However, we begin to see that Gregor’s mentality is also becoming more and more animal like. The fact that he enjoys small cramped spaces like under the sofa and likes to crawl on walls proves that his mentality is being altered to fit his physical body’s needs.
Mean: Even though Gregor’s state of mind is becoming more like an insect, he still has the memories and desires from when he was human. Because of this, he has an internal conflict of whether he wants to be human, or bug. An open room would satisfy his needs as an insect, but his furniture and personal posessions are reminders of when he was human. This conflict comes to a climax when his sister and mother take out the furniture, and Gregor is forced to choose between his human life and his insect life. In the end Gregor chooses his human life by clinging to the picture of the woman on the wall.
This is really good! I like how your show relates goes into a deeper meaning with the conflicts in Gregor's thoughts on being a human and being a vermin. Your mean is really good since it states what he needs to be satisfied. Great job Christine!
EXCERPT: “He thought back of his family with emotion and love. If it was possible, he felt that he must go away even more strongly than his sister. He remained in this state of empty and peaceful rumination until he heard the clock tower strike three in the morning. He watched as it slowly began to get light everywhere outside the window too. Then, without his willing it, his head sank down completely, and his last breath flowed weakly from his nostrils…..”Now then”, said Mr. Samsa, “let’s give thanks to God for that.”
SAY: After a recent dispute within the Samson family, Gregor is seen as trash that needs to be taken out. In other words, his family finally came to the realization that Gregor has to go. The Samsons can no longer withstand this burden, even though it once was Gregor, the son that provided them with everything they every wanted. Realizing how much of a headache he is, Gregor’s thoughts go the same road as his family’s, he wants to disappear as much as they want him to. However, although they show much disinterest and distaste in Gregor, he still thinks about them with much love and emotion. Gregor feels that the best thing to do for his family is to disappear quickly so that they wouldn’t have to suffer as much. Soon enough, Gregor takes his last breath and his family gets their wish granted.
SHOW: Now that Gregor has passed, the Samsons are now at peace. Mr. Samsa was actually quite thankful that his son, Gregor had finally passed on. This just shows how much of a burden Mr. Samsa really saw Gregor as in the family. The burden, has been lifted from their shoulders. They no longer have to deal with the shame, burden and stress of taking care of Gregor. It’s as if the Samson’s have been released from the grasp of this horrible curse, and are now able to live a good life. For the first time in a while, the Samson’s are able to breathe.The Samsons finally got their wish, which was the disappearance of Gregor.
MEAN: Although Gregor had a horrible fate, and his so called “family” strongly wanted him to disappear, he fondly remembered them with love and emotion. Despite all the horrible things that Gregor endured, he still looked at his family with compassion and sympathy, and humbly accepted his fate for the benefit of his family. Kafka has given Gregor the same fate as Jesus Christ. Before Gregor transformed into a horrible vermin, he was a hardworking middle aged man that was depended on heavily from his family. He worked extremely hard to give his family the best life possible. Even though he could have done well off alone, Gregor puts his own desires aside so that he can help his family. Then when he transforms, Gregor is no longer seen as this amazing man, but instead he is seen as a nuisance. Over this time, Gregor’s transformation has helped the family to work together and begin a new chapter in their lives. Then when Gregor passes on, they are relieved and are able to live their lives without any restraint. Although Gregor suffered quite a lot, like Jesus Christ, he was able to give his family a better life even after his passing.
Wow... this is really good! I didn't think that Gregor felt that way. I liked how you put insight on how that dad was given relief in your show. And you mean was really good comparing Gregor with Jesus. Great job Nicole!
Great Job Nicole! I totally agree with Gregor's emotion. Although he was treated with disrespect, he still loved his family no matter what. Great insight!
Nicole, Nice job, especially on the Mean section, but don't forget to go back to the specific evocative phrases in the passage such as "his head sank down completely" and "his last breath flowed weakly from his nostrils". These are pretty vivid! What do they show? The sinking of his head again paints him as a Christ figure. Does the last breath show him as human more than vermin?
“…In his present mood, it obviously did not occur to his father to open the other of the double doors so that Gregor would have enough space to get through. He was merely fixed on the idea that Gregor should be got back into his room as quickly as possible. Nor would he ever have allowed Gregor the time to get himself upright as preparation for getting through the doorway. What he did, making more noise than ever, was to drive Gregor forwards all the harder as if there had been nothing in the way; it sounded to Gregor as if there was now more than one father behind him; it was not a pleasant experience, and Gregor pushed himself into the doorway without regard for what might happen. One side of his body lifted itself, he lay at an angle in the doorway, one flank scraped on the white door and was painfully injured, leaving vile brown flecks on it, soon he was stuck fast and would not have been able to move at all by himself, the little legs along one side hung quivering in the air while those on the other side were pressed painfully against the ground. Then his father gave him a hefty shove from behind which released him from where he was held and sent him flying, and heavily bleeding, deep into his room. The door was slammed shut with the stick, then, finally, all was quiet.”
SAY: Gregor’s father is shoving him into his room through a too-narrow doorway. His father does not find the common sense to open the other of the double doors and is intent on getting Gregor in this room as soon as possible. Gregor is physically getting hurt and his father is preventing him from even trying to get in comfortably, all the while making a hissing sound. He ends up finally being pushed into the room, heavily injured, and the door to it is slammed shut.
SHOW: How the father is fixed on forcing Gregor back into his room shows the detachment he has from his son. He does not care for anything but to put him back in the room, losing even his common sense to open the other door. He would not let Gregor get into the room himself, and relied on force to push him in there as soon as possible. Kafka describes in detail how brutally treated Gregor was by his father.
MEAN: Maybe the brutal treatment by Gregor’s father had something do reflect on Kafka’s relationship with his father. Gregor’s transformation seems to have made his entire family think him a vermin, which he is, but only physically. They forget all he has done for him in the past, especially the father, because he is the one who treats him the worst. This first attack towards Gregor holds the beginnings of the large separation between Gregor and his family.
It's funny that authors like to put themselves into their own stories. You did a good job pointing out Kafka's relationship with his father through Gregor.
Passage: “One morning, when Gregor Samsa woke from troubled dreams, he found himself transformed in his bed into a horrible vermin. He lay on his armour-like-back, and if he lifted his head a little he could see his brown belly, slightly domed and divided by arches into stiff sections. The bedding was hardly able to cover it and seemed ready to slide off any moment. His many legs, pitifully thin compared with the size of the rest of him, waved about helplessly as he looked.'What's happened to me?' he thought. It wasn't a dream.” Say: Gregor Samsa woke up from bad dreams in his bedroom and finds himself transformed into a vermin. Gregor has a brown stomach that is divided by arches into firm sections and an armour-like-back. He realizes that his bedding can barely cover his body, because his body is too big and is legs are thin compare to the rest of his body. He realizes that it is also not a dream. Show: The event of Gregor transforming into a vermin has a much deeper meaning. The details show that Gregor is an annoyance to his family. When he transformed into a vermin, it shows that his family thinks he’s annoying and they have no care for him or emotion to his change of physical state after the realize that Gregor is not going to change back. Mean: The author is emphasizing Gregor’s relationship with his family, in particular with his dad. Before the transformation, he would always be working or worrying about work. Gregor’s family at first appreciated him supporting them and working to pay off the debt, but soon they all were ungrateful because they became so dependent on him. Each event throughout the story is connected. For example, after Gregor finds that he was a vermin, his family to start improving their lives, like they all get jobs, and the father is in better physical state.
You had very good insight! Your passage made me think of the passage in a different way. I agree with what you are saying and I think that your "mean" part was written very well. Good job, Calera!!
“One morning, when Gregor Samsa woke from troubled dreams, he found himself transformed in his bed into a horrible vermin. He lay on his armour-like-back, and if he lifted his head a little he could see his brown belly, slightly domed and divided by arches into stiff sections. The bedding was hardly able to cover it and seemed ready to slide off any moment. His many legs, pitifully thin compared with the size of the rest of him, waved about helplessly as he looked.'What's happened to me?' he thought. It wasn't a dream.”
Say: Gregor woke up because he was having bad dreams. When he awoke, he found that he had transformed into a vermin (bug, etc.). He analyzes the state he is in. He wonders what happened to him and he comes to a conclusion that he isn’t in a dream and his transformation is a real thing.
Show: The transformation of Gregor shows a deeper meaning. There are many possibilities that could explain why he transformed into a vermin. He could have been giving up on his life or he could have always felt like a vermin (low, unwanted) and his feelings were so strong that he ended up turning into an actually vermin. When you read more of the book you can see that Gregor is like the “black sheep” of the family meaning that he is an outcast and people consider him a bother and don’t want him around.
Mean: The author to trying to tell us the feelings that Gregor had before the transformation and his relationship with his family. Gregor had a poor relationship with his family, especially his father. The father could have possibly made Gregor feel like a vermin by insulting him and not appreciating all the Gregor did for them when he was a human.
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ReplyDelete"One morning, when Gregor Samsa woke from troubled dreams, he found himself transformed in his bed into a horrible vermin. He lay on his armour-like back, and if he lifted his head a little he could see his brown belly, slightly domed and divided by arches into stiff sections. The bedding was hardly able to cover it and seemed ready to slide off any moment. His many legs, pitifully thin compared with the size of the rest of him, wave about hopelessly as he looked. "What's happened to me?" he thought. It wasn't a dream. His room, a proper human room although a little too small, lay peacefully between its four familiar walls. Above the table, on which an unpacked collection of sample cloth goods was spread out—Samsa was a travelling salesman—above it hung the picture which he had cut out of an illustrated magazine a little while ago and set in a pretty gilt frame. It was a picture of a woman with a fur hat and a fur boa. She sat erect there, lifting up in the direction of the viewer a solid fur muff into which her entire forearm had disappeared. Gregor’s glance then turned to the window. The dreary weather—the rain drops were falling audibly down on the metal window ledge—made him quite melancholy. “Why don’t I keep sleeping for a little while longer and forget all this foolishness,” he thought. But this was entirely impractical, for he was used to sleeping on his right side, but in his present state he could not get himself into this position. No matter how hard he threw himself onto his right side, he always rolled onto his back again. He must have tried it a hundred times, closing his eyes so that he would not have to see the wriggling legs, and gave up only when he began to feel a light, dull pain in his side which he had never felt before."
ReplyDeleteSAY: Gregor Samsa wakes in his bed and discovers he has transformed into a giant bug. Wondering what has happened, he looks around his small room, where everything appears normal. He sees the fabric samples that he uses in his job as a traveling salesman, a picture of a woman in furs that he tore out of a magazine and framed, and the rain dripping down outside his window. He tries to roll over and go back to sleep in order to forget about what has happened, but because of the shape of his back, he can only rock from side to side.
SHOW: The opening line of The Metamorphosis, which reports Gregor’s discovery that he has become a giant insect, sets the tone for the rest of the story. The line recounts the bizarre event of Gregor’s transformation in a sober, straightforward manner, and this contrast between an extraordinary situation and the ordinary terms used to describe it creates the sense that the narrator expects the world in the story to be absurd and chaotic, rather than rational and orderly. Gregor embodies this absurdist tone from the very beginning. When he first recognizes his transformation, he doesn’t appear significantly bothered by it, and treats it almost like any ordinary disturbance to his sleep, as if it were not entirely out of the ordinary. As the story progresses, he remains focused on largely ordinary concerns, such as losing his job, his physical comfort, and his family’s financial situation, thus maintaining the story’s absurdist overtone throughout.
ReplyDeleteMEAN: As Gregor realizes that he is now a vermin, it shows that he has been so caught up with his work and not about his own life that he had become isolated from society. He has been isolated so much that he has actually turned into a real vermin. The transformation was straightforward, much like Gregor's personality. Instead of using a less severe word, Kafka uses the word "vermin". He decides to use vermin because it describes Gregor's overall personality. A specific definition of a vermin are the mammals, birds, insects that are believed to be harmful to the surroundings. Gregor starts to wonder if he is still in his room. He looks around and he sees his ordinary room that he knows very well. Everything was still in it's place so why does he feel so different? By Gregor examining his room, he is trying to reassure himself that he is still a human and that he is going to be late for work. By Gregor stressing out about getting to work on time, it portrays what kind of person he was. It shows that as a human, he was a workaholic and cared more for providing for his family then the situation he puts himself in. "The dreary weather" suggests that Gregor's life is full of gloom and is sad. As it states, the weather makes him feels more melancholy. He sees normally, everything around him is normal, but the only thing is that he felt different. Gregor tries to reassure himself that this is just a dream and that if he would sleep a little longer he would wake up and return to his bleak life. He even does it repeatedly because he does not let himself believe that he really transformed into a bug. The only reason as to why he stops trying is when he feels a pain in a place where he had never felt pain.
great job jackie!
DeleteGreat detail and interpretation! Nice and organized.
DeleteGreat Jackie Medrano you did really well and I could understand your perspective very well. I can really relate. Fantastic !
Delete“With kind of stubbornness, Gregor’s father refused to take his uniform off even at home; while his nightgown hung unused on its peg Gregor’s father would slumber where he was, fully dressed, as if always ready to serve and expecting to hear the voice of his superior even here. The uniform had not been new to start with, but as a result of hits it slowly became even shabbier despite the efforts of Gregor’s mother and sister to look after it. Gregor would often spend the whole evening looking at all the stains on this coat, with its gold buttons always kept polished and shiny, while the old man in it would sleep, highly uncomfortable but peaceful. “
ReplyDeleteSAY: Gregor’s father wears his daily uniform to work and in home. He will not take it off even when he sleeps. He would sleep with it on in his chair and be alert to anything. The uniform has gained stains but the buttons look like they are still new, although the uniform has been worn many times. Gregor would watch his father sleep in his chair peacefully.
SHOW: Gregor’s father wearing the uniform shows that determined to keep his job and is alert to work even at night. This also shows that the father likes to work and bring income to the family, although he is back at home by nighttime. Gregor’s father wears his uniform to show that he is ready to go to work in the morning right away. The uniform shows that it is a sign of his independence and a sign that even at his old age, he is still able to work. The uniform is shown to be dirty with stains with polished gold buttons which is a sign that Mr. Samsa has finally found himself doing something he actually enjoys.
MEAN: Kafka is driving to the fact that Gregor, who has been turned into a vermin, has led the family to become more independent and work for a living. The idea reveals Gregor’s father’s uniform as something that should always be worn with pride. The words “refused” connects to the fact that Mr. Samsa likes to work and will not take the uniform off while the word “serve” means he is always ready to work and will never rest. The connenction of words in this passage links to the fact that Gregor’s father is proud to work and he will continue to work even though he is of old age.
Good Job Innika, great connection with the mean and the passage.
Deletei like your topic. it was unique and i don't think anyone else wrote about his uniform. kudos for finding meaning in something unexpected :)
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ReplyDelete"One morning, when Gregor Samsa woke from troubled dreams, he found himself transformed in his bed into a horrible vermin. He lay on his armour-like back, and if he lifted his head a little he could see his brown belly, slightly domed and divided by arches into stiff sections. The bedding was hardly able to cover it and seemed ready to slide off any moment. His many legs, pitifully thin compared with the size of the rest of him, wave about hopelessly as he looked. "What's happened to me?" he thought. It wasn't a dream. His room, a proper human room although a little too small, lay peacefully between its four familiar walls. Above the table, on which an unpacked collection of sample cloth goods was spread out—Samsa was a travelling salesman—above it hung the picture which he had cut out of an illustrated magazine a little while ago and set in a pretty gilt frame. It was a picture of a woman with a fur hat and a fur boa. She sat erect there, lifting up in the direction of the viewer a solid fur muff into which her entire forearm had disappeared. Gregor’s glance then turned to the window. The dreary weather—the rain drops were falling audibly down on the metal window ledge—made him quite melancholy. “Why don’t I keep sleeping for a little while longer and forget all this foolishness,” he thought. But this was entirely impractical, for he was used to sleeping on his right side, but in his present state he could not get himself into this position. No matter how hard he threw himself onto his right side, he always rolled onto his back again. He must have tried it a hundred times, closing his eyes so that he would not have to see the wriggling legs, and gave up only when he began to feel a light, dull pain in his side which he had never felt before."
ReplyDeleteSay: Gregor Samsa wakes up from troubling dreams from the night before and finds that he has turned into a disgusting and unwanted creature. He sees his body which seems to be described as brown, domed, divided into sections, and unable to be covered by his bedding, along with many skinny legs in contrast with his bigger body. Samsa was a travelling salesman who lived in a normal room. He had hung a magazine cut out of a woman with fur clothing on, framed in a gilt frame. Gregor then looks out and sees that outside, its raining. He tries to forget about his transformation by trying to go back to sleep. Trying many times to get into the right position, Gregor struggles to position himself with the new body he has grown into. In doing so, he sees his new legs moving everywhere and hurts himself a little in the process of trying to move.
Show: So in the beginning of the story after Samsa realizes what kind of a creature he has turned into, he thinks to himself, “What’s happened to me?”. This thought shows that Gregor has just turned into this creature and is questioning and wondering why he has transformed into such a creature. This also shows the readers that Gregor never expected this change and the change most likely occurred overnight. After inspecting his body he suggests to himself, “Why don’t I keep sleeping for a little while longer and forget all this foolishness”. This idea shows that he would rather not really freak out about it and would much rather try and forget about it by sleeping some more. This shows that Samsa just doesn’t want to deal with this really strange problem that has just recently come up. It shows that he thinks it would be easier to try and just forget it all happened. Then after this thought is made, he tries many times to position himself so that he can go back to sleep but cant because of his new body that he transformed into. He isn’t used to using such a creature’s type of body as his own, and hes struggling to do a simple physical move of the body which lastly shows that his transformation is a little more real that he thought it was and that this transformation is a huge change that he cant just forget about and has to deal with sooner or later.
ReplyDeleteMean: In the opening of the story, Kafka is portraying Gregor in a way that tells the readers that Gregor has waken up into a disgusting creature by surprise. After describing to the reader what Gregor looks like and what kind of a creature he has turned into, Kafka talks about Samsa’s reaction to it all which is showed by the though of “What’s happened to me?” and then later “Why don’t I keep sleeping for a little while longer and forget all this foolishness”. As a reader, this reaction seems a little under dramatic and strangely subtle and calm, which I think Kafka meant to portray Gregor as. The beginning paragraph also states that Gregor is a salesman which later links to why hes probably so calm about his transformation. After Gregor has thoughts of just forgetting about it and sleeping it all off, Kafka then describes how Gregor struggles to find the right position for sleeping which makes the readers kind of feel like the transformation is real or actually happening and that the change will obviously affect Gregor in many many ways since he cant function or move his body in the same way as he used to move it as a human. Little details and words shown by the character can say a lot of things about them.
Great job Ash! I liked how it's detailed and you have a unique perspective!
Deletegreat job Ash!!! i like your show and mean c:
DeleteWow, I'm literally speechless right now. Your perspective on the beginning excerpt of the book was kind of similar to mines as well. Great job Ashley, you are true inspiration.
DeleteSay: The passage I have chosen is the opening one of the book, in which Gregor Samsa awakens to find that he has transformed into a massive insect. He observes his arms fluttering above him and feels his hard back under him. The author then briefly describes Gregor's room, with the woman in furs and the table covered in cloth samples.
ReplyDelete-Brigid Nunan
Show: This passage introduces the story's protagonist and offers a compact exhibition of Gregor's essence. We see that he is lonely and overworked, a supposedly young man on the road to nowhere.
Mean: We are introduced to the concept that Gregor is a vermin in more than one way. His room suggests isolationism, the woman in the gilded frame standing in for any loving human contact he might have felt had he gone down another path. His profession is that of a parasite, earning his bread by irritating other people. The passage in and of itself is a glimpse into the surreal profundity of Gregor's illness.
Good job! and happy birthday :D
DeleteEasily understood, straight and to the point.
DeleteGood job. I think it's great that you can get your message across in a few detailed sentences.
DeleteExcerpt: “We have to try and get rid of it,” said Gregor’s sister, now speaking only to her father, as her mother was too occupied with coughing to listen, “it’ll be the death of both of you, I can see it coming. We can’t work as hard as we have to and then come home to be tortured like this, we can’t endure it. I can’t endure it any more.” And she broke out so heavily in tears that they flowed down the face of her mother, and she wiped them away with mechanical hand movements.
ReplyDeleteSay: In this passage, Gregor’s sister Grete advises her father the family must find a way to get rid of Gregor. She proceeds to inform her father that caring for Gregor in his current state will be the death of family. Grete continues to plead to her father about the fact that Gregor’s existence is only hindering the family. Grete starts to cry in frustration and grief. Her tears are profuse; they sprinkle her mother and she wipes them away.
Show: It has been a few months since Gregor’s transformation into a vermin. After Gregor metamorphosed, his sister Grete took specific care of him. Grete made it her responsibility to feed Gregor as well as clean his room. Gregor’s parents did not play a very big role in helping to care for Gregor. Recently, each family member took up various jobs to maintain a steady income of money since Gregor can no longer work. Because of this, Grete was now responsible for going to work in addition to school, and caring for Gregor. As of late, Grete had not been caring for Gregor like she used to. This excerpt, shows Grete’s breaking point. She had once enthusiastically cared for Gregor. Now she realizes the family can no longer live like this.
Mean: Because “Metamorphosis” is a surrealist tale, revealing deeper, underlying truths about the human condition. Before Gregor’s transformation, Grete had always been seen as the useless child. She did not work or contribute much to the family. However, after Gregor became a vermin, she took on a new role in her family. She became Gregor’s caretaker, began working, and continuing her education. Her parent’s realized that she was beginning to blossom as a young woman. It is in this excerpt, Grete attempts to take control of her destiny so that her and her family do not suffer the same fate as Gregor. Before Gregor turned into a cockroach, he was not truly living. He had lost creativity and social skills. All Gregor did was work, but not for himself, for his family. Gregor was living a meaningless existence, which is why he was turned into a vermin. In the passage, Grete comes to terms with the fact that Gregor’s meaningless existence was hindering herself and her family from living a life worthwhile. Grete cries because she and her family must now let go of the idea that the vermin is Gregor. By letting go of this thought they can then move on and give their lives meaning.
Good job! Though we had different excerpts, we shared many of the same ideas. Speaking of how Grete blossomed into someone she wasn't before explained much about her actions in this portion of the story. Also, I liked how you explained that the family was able to move forward and give their lives more meaning through the metamorphosis of Gregor.
DeleteGreat job! I enjoyed seeing how detailed your paper was. There was good insight on the feelings of Grete and the families life.
DeleteExcerpt: He was hardly inside his room before the door was hurriedly shut, bolted and locked. The sudden noise behind Gregor so startled him that his little legs collapsed under him. It was his sister who had been in so much of a rush. She had been standing there waiting and sprung forward lightly, Gregor had not heard her coming at all, and as she turned the key in the she said loudly to her parents “At last!”.
ReplyDeleteSay: In this passage, Gregor was slowly making his way back into his room. Grete was in such a rush to get him back into the room that she just stood there impatiently waiting for him to get in. Once he got in, she quickly shut the door and locked it. The noise was such a shock to Gregor that it startled him. He had heard his sister say “At last!” when she locked him into his room.
Show: Since Gregor had become this vermin; the family had kept him in his room for the months he has been this way. At the beginning of his transformation, Grete was the one that cared for Gregor but now that it has been months that he’s been this way she is tired of looking after him and feeding him. She was at the point that she doesn't believe that this vermin could possible be her brother anymore. In this excerpt, Grete shows that she is basically frustrated with seeing this vermin daily that they should keep it locked up in the room so that it doesn't come out anymore.
Mean: Through Metamorphosis, Kafka is showing us that Gregor starts to feel that isolation from his family just as Kafka himself was feeling the isolation from his father. His family all don’t feel as if this vermin is Gregor anymore. Grete really couldn't stand it any longer to look at him just like Kafka’s father did.
nice job! I like your Show and Mean :D
DeleteVery good passage to choose. it was well described. Every detail is mentioned and is a good overall post.
DeleteGood job! You made good connections between Kafka and Gregor. Good details.
DeleteExcerpt: “What’s happened to me?” he thought. It wasn’t a dream. His room, a proper human room although a little too small, lay peacefully between its four familiar walls. A collection of textile samples lay spread out on the table – Samsa was a travelling salesman – and above it there hung a picture that he had recently cut out of an illustrated magazine and housed in a nice gilded frame. It showed a lady fitted out with a fur hat and fur boa who sat upright, raising a heavy fur muff that covered the whole of her lower arm towards the viewer.
ReplyDeleteSay: Gregor Samsa wakes up in his room very confused but comes to a realization that he is not in a dream. He vaguely describes his room as a small and familiar room. Samsa is also said to be a salesman and states that he sells textiles which is placed on the table. There is also a hung picture in the room which is of a lady that is wearing fur from an illustrated magazine. She has on a fur hat, boa, and muff. She is facing the audience to model the fur.
Show: When Gregor thinks to himself “What’s happened to me?” he is deeply confused of what has happened. Not only about the obvious reasons of why he cannot move but why he can’t get up, or why does he suddenly feel different. His too small of a room for “a human” shows the setting which he will be contained in as a “nonhuman”. The description of his job is the explanation of pretty much his life because he was not able to separate home time from work time. He worked at home and thought about work every day of his life. The hanging of the of the picture shows the last of his morality. Gregor working all the time was not living for himself but for others and the cutting of the picture he likes was a sense the last thing he did as a human being.
Mean: Gregor all in all never did have a life. He lived in a small room with four walls that he barely even saw. He continuously works even at home on his down time. He is always stressing about how and when his next pay check will be. The picture which represents the last action of his morality is rather sad and not anything special. A simple picture on the wall is all he has done for himself in a long time and never had down time from work which eventually consumes him.
This was a very wonderful interpretation. I enjoyed reading your perspective on this excerpt of the book. Good job, Sydney.
DeleteLike: "Gregor...never did have a life."
DeleteDislike: "the last action of his morality" (?) Clipping out a magazine picture is neither a moral nor immoral act.
Katie Lee
ReplyDeleteExcerpt: …now they threatened to remove the writing desk with its place clearly worn into the floor, the desk where he had done his homework as a business trainee, at high school, even while infant school – he really could not wait any longer to see whether the two women’s intentions were good… He hurried up onto the picture and pressed himself against its glass. This picture at least, now totally covered by Gregor, would certainly be taken away by no-one.
Say: Gregor’s mother and sister are removing the furniture in his room. The desk, which has been with Gregor since his elementary years is now being threatened with removal. Gregor painstakingly watches as the two women push the desk inch by inch, closer to the door. He becomes frightened and quickly scurries up a picture on the wall to prohibit removal.
Show: Gregor’s mother and sister empty out his room of furniture piece by piece. This shows they take into consideration that Gregor needs space to run about, even if they lack the strength to carry and move the furniture effortlessly. It is displayed here that Gregor’s mother still carries her motherly instinct to care for her child and provide him all that he needs. However, Gregor becomes nervous, and somewhat frightened, as the two women attempt to remove his precious desk. In a rebellion, Gregor crawls onto a picture, another dear object to prevent its removal. This shows that he does not care about the extra space, but he wants the dear memories of when he was still human.
Mean: Gregor becomes nervous, and panicky if you will, when his mother and sister remove his dear desk. Though the two women’s actions are in the utmost consideration of Gregor, they fail to understand how Gregor is feeling. Gregor’s effort to stop the women gives the sign that he has not given up. The desk that has been worn with dear memories and the picture which is so precious to him remind of when he was still human, and that he has not given up hope of becoming human again. The symbolic meaning of the sister and mother removing the furniture is that they have given up all hope of Gregor’s recovery. Kafka seems to suggest that though the family does not believe in Gregor’s recovery, Gregor himself still believes but he cannot speak up for himself. Kafka seems to suggest in this scene that Gregor is doomed to live a solitary and quiet life, unable to do anything for himself.
I chose a different quote, but the meanings are similar. I find it interesting how the interpretations of these different quotes are very similar.
DeleteI like the connections you made and the way that you elaborate further in each section. I think it's really cool that you found a deeper meaning in the actions that might seem inconsequential! Good job!
DeleteGood job pointing out the contrast between what the mom and sister think Gregor wants and what Gregor actually wants. They thinks he wants to be a bug now; Gregor actually wants desperately to cling to his humanity.
DeleteExcerpt: "One morning, when Gregor Samsa woke from troubled dreams, he found himself transformed in his bed into a horrible vermin. He lay on his armour-like back, and if he lifted his head a little he could see his brown belly, slightly domed and divided by arches into stiff sections. The bedding was hardly able to cover it and seemed ready to slide off any moment. His many legs, pitifully thin compared with the size of the rest of him, wave about hopelessly as he looked. "What's happened to me?" he thought. It wasn't a dream. His room, a proper human room although a little too small, lay peacefully between its four familiar walls. Above the table, on which an unpacked collection of sample cloth goods was spread out—Samsa was a travelling salesman—above it hung the picture which he had cut out of an illustrated magazine a little while ago and set in a pretty gilt frame. It was a picture of a woman with a fur hat and a fur boa. She sat erect there, lifting up in the direction of the viewer a solid fur muff into which her entire forearm had disappeared. Gregor’s glance then turned to the window. The dreary weather—the rain drops were falling audibly down on the metal window ledge—made him quite melancholy. “Why don’t I keep sleeping for a little while longer and forget all this foolishness,” he thought. But this was entirely impractical, for he was used to sleeping on his right side, but in his present state he could not get himself into this position. No matter how hard he threw himself onto his right side, he always rolled onto his back again. He must have tried it a hundred times, closing his eyes so that he would not have to see the wriggling legs, and gave up only when he began to feel a light, dull pain in his side which he had never felt before."
ReplyDeleteSay: In this opening passage, Gregor Samsa awakes from his sleep only to be transformed into a vermin or bug-like creature. Examining himself, he finds that his body is nothing normal to what he used to be. He had all the creatures of a bug with a brown, domed, and divided belly. However he seems peaceful with his realization, pondering over his thoughts in the small room he’s always been living in. Samsa who is a traveling salesmen had a picture of a women covered in fur hanging over his table. It is raining outside from the looks of his window so Gregor decides to go back to sleep and try to forget all of the foolishness that he had witnessed but as he tries to put himself into a side position countless number of times, he is unable to.
Show: Gregor Samsa’s situation is nothing close to normal. The story begins with Samsa waking up only to discover that he had turned into an abnormal creature and not his normal human-self. However, the calmness of Samsa’s reaction is not normal and he seemed to be only shocked for a little moment but treats it insignificantly to see himself in that form. Kaftka the author probably wanted to portray the bizarreness of the situations to come in the first line of the story in order for the readers to get a sense of what to expect in later events to come. Then the setting to which the entire plot unfolds occurs in Samsa’s room, which is a bit abnormal due to the gilt frame of a women dressed in fur above his desk. The unusualness of the opening scene to “The Metamorphosis” allows readers to grasp how absurd Samsa’s situation may be, even though he himself does not oppose it be anything strange.
ReplyDeleteMean: In this section we begin to learn the slightest details in Gregor Samsa’s life; who he is, what his occupation may be, where he lives, and other information. The fact that the beginning situation turns out to be Gregor transformed into a horrible vermin suggests that it may be as a result to relation in his life. Kaftka described Samsa’s state as being a vermin, which means to be a harmful and unwanted pest. Maybe this would be a relation towards his family life, his job as being a traveling salesman, and who Samsa was in his human form. It seems like Gregor has always been isolated with society. Also his reaction seemed to be very subtle, calm and hadn’t shown any form of surprise or shock. With the four walls enclosed around him and the doors always locked, as well as the framed magazine cutout of a woman in fur, as well as the under dramatic reaction, we can realize that Gregor is not a normal person to say the least. Gregor’s life of always being secluded with the world could be one of the many reasons as to why Gregor was had turned into this bug-like creature. Assessing over his own state, Gregor tries to reassure himself that the fact that he was feeling a little different may be because he wasn’t feeling very well that day and tries to put himself at peace by going back to sleep but after trying countless times, Gregor is unsuccessful in shifting himself to a comfortable position. This shows the unevenness of the situation and how Gregor’s life is never going to be the same anymore, he is not a human and will from then on, remain a vermin, an abnormal thought to grasp.
Tagata- Mindo this is really well organized and your thoughts seem to flow together and I understand what youre explaining. Great job !
DeleteGreat job! I completely agree with what you have written, especially your last sentence.
DeletePassage:
ReplyDelete“One morning, when Gregor Samsa woke from troubled dreams, he found himself transformed in his bed into a horrible vermin. He lay on his armour-like-back, and if he lifted his head a little he could see his brown belly, slightly domed and divided by arches into stiff sections. The bedding was hardly able to cover it and seemed ready to slide off any moment. His many legs, pitifully thin compared with the size of the rest of him, waved about helplessly as he looked.”
Say:
Gregor Samsa awakes from bad dreams in his bedroom and finds himself transformed into a vermin. Then, he examines his body with all its new features. Gregor has a brown belly that is divided by arches into firm sections. Gregor realizes that his bedding can barely cover his body, due to his body being so large. Gregor’s legs are thin and wave helplessly. Throughout this paragraph Gregor is laying in his bed, examining his new body.
Show:
The event of Gregor Samsa transforming into a vermin has a much deeper meaning. The details from the plot of “The Metamorphosis” reveal that Gregor is an annoyance or hinder to his family. When Gregor is transformed into a vermin, it shows the feelings of annoyance that his family feels towards him. This transformation is a main event that drives as the plot of the book.
Mean:
The author is emphasizing Gregor’s relationship with his family, and in particular his father. Before Gregor transformed into a vermin, he was a workaholic. Gregor’s family at first appreciated him supporting the whole family, but soon became lazy and a bit ungrateful. The abstract idea is that Gregor transforms into a vermin. In real life, this would not be possible. This event has the deeper meaning that Gregor is an annoyance to his family. Each event throughout he story connects to another. For example, after Gregor finds that he transformed into a vermin, this event triggers his family members to start improving their own lives. Gregor’s father, mother, and sister start working and supporting themselves. The event of Gregor’s transformation connects to the event of his family having a better work ethic.
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DeleteYou had very good detail in the "Say" part and your "Mean" part was pretty deep. Great job!
DeleteThis was very insightful. I agree with your statements. I thought that you "say" and "mean" parts were deep and well written. Good job Justine!
DeleteGood job on elaborating on Gregor's transformation in the say section. I enjoyed seeing the deeper meaning on this.
DeleteThe Show and Mean section of this post discuss some issues that are outside the passage quoted here. The family is not mentioned in this passage.
DeletePassage: "It is true that his entire body was aching, but the pain seemed to be slowly getting weaker and weaker and would finally disappear altogether. He could hardly feel the decayed apple in his back or the inflamed area around it, which was entirely covered in white dust. He thought back of his family with emotion and love. If it was possible, he felt that he must go away even more strongly than his sister.He remained in this state of empty and peaceful rumination until he heard the clock tower strike three in the morning. He watched as it slowly began to get light everywhere outside the window too. Then, without his willing it, his head sank down completely, and his last breath flowed weakly from his nostrils."
ReplyDeleteSay: In this passage, Gregor has a peaceful revelation about his current situation as lies alone in the dark. Undisturbed and chiding to himself, Gregor is completely alone when he finally dies in a calm and serene state in the twilight of the early morning.
Show: Dying alone and in the dark seems terrifying for most, but Gregor is completely at ease. Whereas one would act with self-loathing and pity for themselves as they lay dying, Gregor seems almost tranquil with the outcome of his short lived life, including the unfortunate transformation which led him to this current state.
Mean: Gregor has come to terms with all the ill events that have happened to him. He accepts his situation, and knows that there is nothing else he can do but simply die and help his family move on with their own lives. He knows deep down that for the wellbeing of his family, he simply must die and be out of their lives for good. He holds no hatred for the unkind way they treated him in his last days, but rather understands where they are coming from. Gregor does not go kicking and screaming from this world into the next, but rather dies with a sense of self-discovery and tranquility.
Very insightful. Even though this event was particularly sad, this is a nice way to accept Gregor's death and its outcome.
DeleteThis was very good. The information was organized and the interpretations were very straight-forward.
DeleteThis is very well written. You did a remarkable job at painting the picture and getting your point across.
DeleteGood job Danielle! This is such a depressing passage, but you have such a great interpretation of it. Awesome!! :DD
DeleteGood job Danielle! You were brief, but really thorough and concise!
DeleteGood Job! Nice interpretations!
DeleteGreat job Ho! I enjoyed seeing your insight in the "mean" section.
DeleteI agree that Gregor does not go kicking and screaming. What does this mean for the story? For the meaning of Gregor's life?
DeleteThe following passage is a scene from the book "The Metamorphosis" by Franz Kafka. The passage takes place when Mrs. Samsa and her daughter Grete are cleaning out Gregor's room.
ReplyDeleteExcerpt: "So, while the women were leant against the desk in the other room catching their breath, he sallied out, changed direction four times not knowing what he should save first before his attention was suddenly caught by the picture on the wall - which was already denuded of everything else that had been of it - of the lady dressed in copious fur. He hurried up onto the picture and pressed himself against its glass, it held him firmly and felt good on his hot belly. This picture at least, now totally covered by Gregor, would certainly be taken by no-one."
Say: Gregor's mother and sister are removing all of the furniture in his room. They are doing this so he can have more space to roam about. Gregor isn't happy about it and tries to salvage the last of his belongings, which is the picture of the lady in the fur coat. He does this by crawling up the wall and placing himself directly on the glass frame.
Show: Grete has been caring for Gregor after his transformation took place. She has been very diligent in making sure that he has food, water, and a clean environment to live in. She has become protective of Gregor, prohibiting anyone from taking over her job. After seeing Gregor crawl on the walls and ceiling, Grete concludes that they should clean out his room so he can have more space. Grete's actions show that she loves her brother and wants the best for him. Kafka makes it a point to show that his family still cares about him even as a vermin. However, Gregor's jumping on the picture portrays that while he appreciates their act of kindness, he would much rather they leave some of his furniture as it is.
Mean: Mrs. Samsa and Grete have lost hope in the thought of Gregor returning back to human. He has lived as a vermin for a while, and after seeing that he has still not transformed, they believe that this is how it will remain. They want him to live the rest of his life to the fullest, so they try to expand his crawl space so he can live comfortably. To let her mother help her clean has shown to be a sign of acceptance into a world that Grete has created. She sees Gregor as her responsibility, something she can control and care for. Something that is separate from the realm of reality. Removing the furniture from his room, thus leaving it empty, represent Gregor losing his human nature and growing into a more secluded life as a cockroach. By attempting to save the picture, Gregor is sending a message that he has not lost hope. He believes that he still has a chance and is struggling to hold on to the last bit of humanity he has left.
Good Job very incitement :)
DeleteFantastic! Magnificent! Beautifully done! The good work of a smarticle asian! Asian pride! Great job! :D
DeleteExcerpt: "One morning, when Gregor Samsa woke from troubled dreams, he found himself transformed in his bed into a horrible vermin. He lay on his armour-like back, and if he lifted his head a little he could see his brown belly, slightly domed and divided by arches into stiff sections. The bedding was hardly able to cover it and seemed ready to slide off any moment. His many legs, pitifully thin compared with the size of the rest of him, wave about hopelessly as he looked. "What's happened to me?" he thought. It wasn't a dream. His room, a proper human room although a little too small, lay peacefully between its four familiar walls. Above the table, on which an unpacked collection of sample cloth goods was spread out—Samsa was a travelling salesman—above it hung the picture which he had cut out of an illustrated magazine a little while ago and set in a pretty gilt frame. It was a picture of a woman with a fur hat and a fur boa. She sat erect there, lifting up in the direction of the viewer a solid fur muff into which her entire forearm had disappeared. Gregor’s glance then turned to the window. The dreary weather—the rain drops were falling audibly down on the metal window ledge—made him quite melancholy. “Why don’t I keep sleeping for a little while longer and forget all this foolishness,” he thought. But this was entirely impractical, for he was used to sleeping on his right side, but in his present state he could not get himself into this position. No matter how hard he threw himself onto his right side, he always rolled onto his back again. He must have tried it a hundred times, closing his eyes so that he would not have to see the wriggling legs, and gave up only when he began to feel a light, dull pain in his side which he had never felt before.
ReplyDeleteSay: In this passage, Gregor wakes up to find himself turned into a bug or a vermin. His whole body has been changed into a bug. He is a traveling salesman and as he looks around his room he see's that everything is how it normally is and he forgets about his transformation and tries to go back to sleep. He finds it difficult to move around because of his new body and stops when he feels pain on his side.
Show: In the beginning of the passage, Gregor wakes up totally transformed into a bug. This shows that he had no clue of what happened to his body or why it happened. His reaction to this transformation was very strange because he seemed very calm about the whole thing. He also tries to go back to sleep. This shows that Gregor is trying to forget about the situation and trying to go back to his normal routine of things, even thought what just happened is completely not normal.
Mean: This opening gives us an overall look on how the story and characters are in the book. Gregor is described to be a vermin. Vermin's are unwanted animals. This means that Gregor has transformed into something no one will want. The way Gregor reacts when he wakes up with just a simple "Whats happened to me?" and "Why dont I sleep a little longer?" means that Gregors character is very calm and under dramatic. It also means he could be in denial about the whole situation and just wants it to go away.
You presented your information in a very organized manner. I was able to connect with your perspective of this passage! Well done Eliz!
DeleteGreat job Eliz! I feel like I can really connect with this interpretation. :---------------------)
DeletePassage: "Leant back comfortably on their seats, they discussed their prospects and found that on closer examination they were not at all bad - until then they had never asked each other about their work but all three had jobs which were very good and held particularly good promise for the future. The greatest improvement for the time being, of course, would be achieved quit easily by moving house; what they needed now was a flat that was smaller and cheaper than the current one."
ReplyDeleteSay: The family decided to take a trip out into the country as a way of relaxing. They talked with each other about their current situation, now that Gregor was dead. They discussed what they were going to do now. Before now, they had never really talked to each other. Each of them has a good job, to provide them with money for their future. The biggest improvement in their life, being them getting a smaller, more comfortable house for themselves.
Show: This passage is at the end of the book, so after Gregor died. The family are talking about their possibilities in life, and where they will live. They seem to have completely forgotten about Gregor. Throughout the book, the family never really talked to each other, but now they are talking to each other. The fact that the family is going out into the country is surprising, since they hardly ever got out, because Gregor would be the only one working. And he provided everything for them. But now that he is dead, they are getting out. Which gives the impression that he was keeping them lazy at home. It shows that Kafka thinks that he held them back from doing their own things by trying to take care of them all by himself.
Mean: After Gregor dies, the family goes through their own metamorphosis. They get out of the house for the first time through what seems like a long time. It seems that Gregor's dying, was the family's chance to live their own lives, and be independent. Gregor was the thing that was holding the family back from being themselves in the world. Kafka seems to suggest that he felt that he stood in his family's way, by trying to support them. Without him, his family could work jobs, and buy a new house that would comfortably fit all of them.
That was very good Maile, I like when you did the mean part because you connected the part where Gregor had a Metamorphosis and the family did as well, good connection. I think the family is very heartless because they didn't even care that their son died.
DeleteVery good! Although short it was very detailed and did not miss a thing. I thought that the excerpt was very original.
DeleteFor this blog post, I like how you addressed the deeper meaning underlying the actions in this passage. I especially understood how the communication barrier was broken, and how it is portrayed. You went back and talked about previous happenings that may have led to certain events, thus affecting the meaning of this overall situation. Good Job!
Delete~Fantabulous~ Maile, I liked the "mean" part because it shows that there was a deeper reason behind Kafka's writing of Gregor's death.
DeleteAwesome
You go, girl
Good job
:)
Passage: Gregor had almost entirely stopped eating. Only if he happened to find himself next to the food that had been prepared for him he might take some of it into his mouth to play with it, leave it there a few hours and then, more often than not, spit it out again. At first he thought it was distress at the state of his room that stopped him eating, but he had soon got used to the changes made there. They had got into the habit of putting things into this room that they had no room for anywhere else, and there were now many such things as one of the rooms in the flat had been rented out to three gentlemen. (…) All these things found their way into Gregor's room. The dustbins from the kitchen found
ReplyDeletetheir way in there too. The charwoman was always in a hurry, and anything she couldn't
use in for the time being she would just chuck in there. He, fortunately, would usually see no more than the object and the hand that held it. The woman most likely meant to fetch things back out again when she had the time and the opportunity, or to throw everything out in one go, but what actually happened was that they were left where they landed when they had first been thrown unless Gregor made his way through the junk and had moved it somewhere else. At first he moved because, with no other room free where he could crawl about, he was forced to,
but later on he came to enjoy it although moving about in the way left him sad and tired to death and he would remain immobile for hours afterwards.
SEE: Gregor is eating less and less, almost none at all. His room is distressful and dirty/gloomy, however he got used to this. There were three boarders staying in the Samsa house. Because of this, many things that the family had no room to keep was just thrown into Gregor's room then forgotten about. This clutter made Gregor's room crowded and he had no room to crawl about. However he began to enjoy moving around the clutter, even though he would be unable to move and extremely tired for hours afterwards.
SHOW: Gregor is slowly losing hope in living and slowly ceasing to exist. He eats less and less which shows that he cares less and less about staying alive and healthy. No one cleans his room and it becomes dirtier and gloomier but Gregor doesn't seem to mind. The three boarders that have moved into the Samsa house have consumed the family's time and energy and Gregor is neglected. This shows that the family is caring less and less for Gregor, especially by chucking unwanted furniture and junk into his room. "Left him sad and tired to death" shows that Gregor is
turning more and more into a literal roach/vermin and is farther away from his human days.
MEAN: Gregor losing hope in living and slowly ceasing to exist shows that he realizes how little purpose that his life has and that his family doesn't need him anymore. The Samsa family also starts to realize that they don't need to depend on Gregor to make a living, and instead have 3 board men stay. To further show that they are forgetting about Gregor, they throw unwanted things in his room forgetting that it was once Gregor's room and workspace, but now they just see it as a room where a vermin lives and other junk can be put. Gregor being immobile for hours showed that he is approaching his death/the end of the story.
Great interpretation Noel Kenny! c:
DeleteNoel Kenny, this is quite interesting. Your interpretation of this passage is very similar to what I was thinking while I read this passage in the book! Good job!
DeleteNOel's passage is very good and was well detailed. SHe did not need to write a whole lot but was able to capture the reader's interest in her say, show and mean
DeleteNoel Kenny, I really understand what your'e talking about and I can really relate to it. Good job it really makes sense to me ! c:
DeleteFantastic job, Noel! We have the same interpretation of the book!(:
DeleteEXCERPT:
ReplyDelete“And he looked over at the alarm clock, ticking on the chest of drawers.”God in Heaven!" he thought. It was half past six and the hands were quietly moving forwards, it was even later than half past, more like quarter to seven. Had the alarm clock not rung? He could see from the bed that it had been set for four o'clock as it should have been; it certainly must have rung. Yes, but was it possible to quietly sleep through that furniture-rattling noise? True, he had not slept peacefully, but probably all the more deeply because of that. What should he do now? The next train went at seven; if he were to catch that he would have to rush like mad and the collection of samples was still not packed, and he did not at all feel particularly fresh and lively. And even if he did catch the train he would not avoid his boss's anger as the office assistant would have been there to see the five o'clock train go, he would have put in his report about Gregor's not being there a long time ago. The office assistant was the boss's man, spineless, and with no understanding. What about if he reported sick? But that would be extremely strained and suspicious as in fifteen years of service Gregor had never once yet been ill. His boss would certainly come round with the doctor from the medical insurance company, accuse his parents of having a lazy son, and accept the doctor's recommendation not to make any claim as the doctor believed that no-one was ever ill but that many were workshy. And what's more, would he have been entirely wrong in this case? Gregor did in fact, apart from excessive sleepiness after sleeping for so long, feel completely well and even felt much hungrier than usual.
SAY: Moments ago in his room, Gregor discovered that he transformed into a horrible vermin. He complained about how he could not stand up because of his back. He did not have enough sleep because of his job, as a traveling salesman. He bombarded himself with reasons on why his life remained boring and lonesome. After wondering about his life, he looked at the clock and noticed that he was late for work. Realizing that he no longer had time to get ready and catch the train by seven o’clock, he remained in bed. There he thought about the excuses he would say to explain his absence.
good job! it is very clear :D
DeleteSHOW: Gregor definitely cares about his job especially since he is the only person who works in his family. His family depends on his income and without him, they would have to adjust their lives completely. While lying in bed all he could think about was his job. What would happen if he did not go to work? Would he be able to attend work in a small amount of time? While he worried about the fact that he was no longer able to attend work, he totally forgot the idea that he was transformed into a monstrous vermin. He had a job and an obligation to his family. Kafka points out that Gregor remains a workaholic. This sudden change to his body does not seem to stop him from getting to work. Gregor is just like any person despite the fact that he transformed. When he works hard, he becomes tired, and awaits the long hours of sleep. The words “Gregor had never once yet been ill” points out that Gregor is committed to his work no matter what.
ReplyDeleteMEAN: Gregor’s long hours of working has not stopped him from providing for his family. Clearly Gregor loves his family especially if he has to take the burden of working by himself without the help of the other members. His parents were in debt and needed some money. However, his father was too old, his mother had asthma, and his sister was too young to work. Gregor could have left his family and live somewhere else, but he stayed with his family to save money and help them out. Through Gregor’s actions, Kafka is similar to Gregor. Kafka loved his family but he too was a workaholic. He worked so much that he became distant from his family each day. Gregor as a pest is clearly Kafka. No longer having any connection with his family, he probably felt that he was a vermin to them. Kafka was stubborn when he was younger and because of his actions, he probably begun an irritable relationship with his family. Gregor, who stayed in his dark, gloomy room, symbolizes that he was somewhat secluded from the family. He was physically part of them but not emotionally.
Great interpretation, Nicole! I love how you went into depth of this passage. :)
DeleteIt's interesting that you pointed out what was wrong with each family member:"his father was too old, his mother had asthma, and his sister was too young to work." very insightful! :)
DeleteNice interpretation, Nicole. I enjoyed your blog and how detailed it was. I also like how you said "He was physically part of them but not emotionally." That's very true.
DeleteExcerpt: “Father, Mother”, said his sister, hitting the table with her hand as introduction, “we can’t carry on like this. Maybe you can’t see it, but I can. I don’t want to call this monster my brother, all I can say is: we have to try and get rid of it. We’ve done all that’s humanly possible to look after it and be patient, I don’t think anyone could accuse us of doing anything wrong.”
ReplyDeleteSay: In this passage, Gregor’s sister Grete is attempting to convince her parents into disposing Gregor. She believes that he is impairing the family; therefore they cannot continue to take care of Gregor in the state he is in. Grete does not think her parents realize how they are being affected and decides to speak to them. She sees him as a monster, and does not want to be associated with such a creature. They have taken care of him for a while, and believe it is time for him to go. All has been done to maintain the welfare of Gregor and they have done nothing wrong.
Show: Since the metamorphosis of Gregor, the family has taken care of him. By hitting the table with her hand, Grete expresses her frustration with the situation. She does not want to live this way, continually attending to Gregor’s needs, as she had done for quite some time. Grete no longer sees her brother as human, and has accepted the fact that he is a vermin. She calls him a monster, a terrible beast that must be dealt with immediately. By saying that they could not be accused of doing anything wrong, Grete is explaining that everything possible has been done and there can be no criticism against their actions. Her family can no longer live with Gregor around, and they must get rid of him.
Mean: Before Gregor’s transformation, Grete had lived in his shadow and was not an independent individual. When he was made into a bug, she took up a huge responsibility by taking care of Gregor. She also had to find work to compensate for the money not being earned through Gregor’s job. These experiences developed Grete as a woman, making her grow in confidence and poise. This eventually led her to taking a stand, speaking up for what she believed in. Grete now felt responsible for her parents, ensuring the best possible solution so they may benefit. She has also accepted that Gregor is not human, and is indeed a beast. Independently thinking, she has done the best she can, but does not wish to do any more. Grete believes her decision to get rid of Gregor is correct, and is in the best interest of her family. By making this choice, Grete is hoping to move on in life.
I like your reasoning Noelle!(: You made a good point saying that Grete became more independent in the process of Gregor's transformation.
DeleteGood insight:"Independently thinking, she has done the best she can, but does not wish to do any more. Grete believes her decision to get rid of Gregor is correct, and is in the best interest of her family."
DeleteI like the word- "indeed" :)hehe "She has also accepted that Gregor is not human, and is indeed a beast."
Great interpretation of the passage Noelle. This was well written & very insightful.
DeleteGood insights, Noelle! Especially the observation that the family cannot be accused of doing anything wrong with the rationale that he is no longer human. Also, the observation that Grete lived under Gregor's shadow before the transformation--her pounding her hands on the table dramatically contrast this.
DeleteEXCERPT:
ReplyDeleteShe walked to the side, caught sight of the enormous brown splotch on the flowered wallpaper, and, before she became truly aware that what she was looking at was Gregor, screamed out in a high pitched raw voice ‘Oh God, oh God’ and fell with outstretched arms, as if she was surrendering everything, down onto the couch and lay there motionless. ‘Gregor, you...,’ cried out his sister with a raised fist and an urgent glare. Since his transformation those were the first words which she had directed right at him. The father had arrived. ‘What’s happened,’ were his first words. Grete’s appearance had told him everything. Grete replied with a dull voice; evidently she was pressing her face into her father’s chest: ‘Mother fainted, but she’s getting better now. Gregor has broken loose.’ ‘Yes, I have expected that,’ said his father, ‘I always told you that, but you women don’t want to listen.’From the fruit bowl on the sideboard his father had filled his pockets, and now, without for the moment taking accurate aim, was throwing apple after apple. These small red apples rolled as if electrified around on the floor and collided with each other. A weakly thrown apple grazed Gregor’s back but skidded off harmlessly. However another thrown immediately after that one drove into Gregor’s back really hard. Gregor wanted to drag himself off, as if the unexpected and incredible pain would go away if he changed his position. But he felt as if he was nailed in place and lay stretched out completely confused in all his senses. Only with his final glance did he notice how the door of his room was pulled open and how, right in front of his sister (who was yelling), his mother ran out in her undergarments, for his sister had undressed her in order to give her some freedom to breathe in her fainting spell, and how his mother then ran up to his father, on the way her tied up skirts one after the other slipped toward the floor, and how, tripping over her skirts, she hurled herself onto his father and, throwing her arms around him, in complete union with him—but at this moment Gregor’s powers of sight gave way—as her hands reached to the back of his father’s head and she begged him to spare Gregor’s life.
SAY: Mrs. Samsa and Grete, his sister, were moving all the furniture out of Gregor's room, to make more space for him to crawl. Gregor didn't like it because he liked everything where it was. So, he decides to protest and go lay on the picture of the lady, to show them he doesn't like what they are doing and wants to keep it in the room. Unfortunately, he hears his mother coming instead of who he thought was going to be first, which was Grete, and he rushes back to hide, but his mother catches a glimpes of him. Of course, she freaks out and now Grete is really mad at him. Then the Father comes home and hears about what happened is furious, he grabs apples or whatever he can find and starts bombarding them at Gregor. Gregor tries to avoid he throws, but sadly he gets hit in the back. Just as his father was going to throw another apple, Mrs. Samsa runs for her life and stops the father and ask him to spare his life.
SHOW:Gregor's family is still trying to accept the fact or wrap their minds around the fact that their son/brother has been transformed into a vermin. They don't really pay attention to him much or at least his parents don't. He is more like Grete's responsibility. His father is very angry and sees Gregor as a pest, disgusting and trouble. When Mrs. Samsa was against removing all the furniture from Gregor's room, but Grete insist. His mother didn't like it because it was like she was accepting the fact that Gregor may never transform back to a human. Also his father reacting the way he did was like he was fed up and mad at gregor and he just wanted him dead. His father reacting the way he did with the apples, shows that he just thinks its best if Gregor wasn't here and everything would go back to normal.
ReplyDeleteMEAN: Before Gregor transformed, his family respected him and depended on him a lot. But after his transformation everything changed for the better it seems. Not everything was for the better though, his family stopped seeing him or at least his parents did, Grete took care of him. The family found jobs and became more independent and started to neglect Gregor because their was no need for him. Gregor started to slowly realize that he is losing his humanity and thats why he jumped on the picture to hang on to something to remind him that he is still human. The apples being thrown symbols the relationship between Kafka and his father. Kafka feared his father very much. Kafka was in fact the very opposite of what his father wanted his son to be. Just like Gregor, Gregor wasn't like his father. Gregor loved his family very much and would do anything for them. Which is ironic because turns out that Gregor finds out that his family wouldn't do the same thing for him because he is a bug. But Kafka feared his father principally because he felt annihilated by his very existence. His fear added up over the years and experiences. Majority of metamorphosis is expressing the relationship between his family and his feelings over all the years.
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Deletenice! I like your Excerpt and Show :D
DeleteGreat Job Christina! I totally agree with your MEAN. His family only needed him for the money and nothing else because he was an irritation to them. Good insight!
DeleteExcerpt: “Had he really wanted to transform his room into a cave, a warm room fitted out with the nice furniture he had inherited? That would have let him crawl around unimpeded in any direction, but it would also have let him quickly forget his past when he had still been human. He had come very close to forgetting, and it had only been the voice of his mother, unheard for so long, that had shaken him out of it. Nothing should be removed; everything had to stay; he could not do without the good influence the furniture had on his condition; and if the furniture made it difficult for him to crawl about mindlessly that was not a loss but a great advantage.”
ReplyDeleteSay: Gregor is thinking to himself about the furniture being removed from his room. He is considering how the room would feel without his furniture occupying the space. He thinks about the room being a warm, cave, in which he would be able to move about easily. However, his room reminds of when he was a human. He does not wish for the furniture to be removed from his room.
Show: This excerpt shows that Gregor is still fond of the memories of when he was human and wants the furniture in his room. He did not want his furniture to be removed because that was the only thing that reminded him of his humanity in the past. If the furniture were to be removed, Gregor would act more like the vermin he is since he would be living in an environment similar to a warm cave. He would be able to move about his room easily without the furniture, which also would make him feel more a vermin. He would have accepted the fact that his mother and sister wished to remove the furniture in his room for his advantage, but his mother’s voice reminded him of when he was still a human. He did not want to lose those memories of his human life. The furniture did hinder his ability to move around in the room, but that was a great advantage for him since he felt less like the vermin he was transformed into. Therefore, he yearned for the furniture to remain within his room.
Mean: The meaning of the excerpt is about Gregor wanting to remember that he is still human and not a vermin. Even though he may have transformed into a vermin, he does not wish to truly become one himself. He wants to remember his past of his human life, before he was transformed into a hideous, disgusting vermin. The furniture also helps him remember that he is still human because he does not live like a vermin. The furniture impedes on his crawling space, which is to him, an advantage. He does not feel like a vermin that simply crawls around dark places that resembles a cave mindlessly. His mother’s voice also reminds him that he is still human. Since he did not hear his mother’s voice in such a long time, he is suddenly shaken out of his thinking that he was not human. Gregor was ready to accept the fact that he had become a vermin, but fond memories of his past flow back to him immediately. He wants to remember that he is human, and to do so, he wants the furniture to stay in his room to help him.
That's exactly what I thought when I read that passage. I agree that Gregor was slowly slipping into his vermin state, but the furniture and his mother's voice pulls him back into reality and reminds him that he is still a human on the inside. Good job Sara!
DeleteDeep :)
DeleteI like the cave part...pretty cool :) Good, detailed, words: "The furniture impedes on his crawling space, which is to him, an advantage. He does not feel like a vermin that simply crawls around dark places that resembles a cave mindlessly." heh
DeleteGreat understanding of the text. I agree with you.
DeletePassage:
ReplyDelete“One morning, when Gregor Samsa woke from troubled dreams, he found himself transformed in his bed into a horrible vermin. He lay on his armour-like-back, and if he lifted his head a little he could see his brown belly, slightly domed and divided by arches into stiff sections. The bedding was hardly able to cover it and seemed ready to slide off any moment. His many legs, pitifully thin compared with the size of the rest of him, waved about helplessly as he looked.”
Say:
Gregor Samsa woke up from bad dreams in his bedroom and finds himself as a vermin. Gregor has a brown stomach that is divided by arches into firm sections. He realizes that his bedding can barely cover his body, because his body is too big and is legs are thin.
Show:
The event of Gregor transforming into a vermin has a much deeper meaning. The details show that Gregor is an annoyance to his family. When he is transform into a vermin, it shows that his family does think he’s annoying and they have no care for him or emotion to his change of physical state.
Mean:
The author is emphasizing Gregor’s relationship with his family, in particular with his dad. Before the transformation, he would always be working or worrying about work. Gregor’s family at first appreciated him supporting them and working to pay off the debt, but soon they all were ungrateful. Each event throughout the story connects to another. For example, after Gregor finds that he was a vermin, his family to start improving their lives, like Greta learning French and they all get jobs, the father dresses nicely and is clean.
Enlightening! Good job! Loved it! Awesome! Needs no improvement! :D
DeleteAwesome! I like the connections you made! You talk about it emphasizing Gregor's bad relationship with his dad, but that isn't really clear if you only read this passage - we get more info later on.
DeleteGood interpretation!
This passage below concludes the ending of Chapter 2. This intense and action-packed ending occurs as the father comes home to news that his wife has fainted because she has seen her transformed son. Gregor is blamed for the fainting spell and the father’s anger is taken out on Gregor through the throwing of apples.
ReplyDelete“ …. Then, right beside him, lightly tossed, something flew down and rolled in front of him. It was an apple; then another one immediately flew at him; Gregor froze in shock; there was no longer any point in running as his father had decided to bombard him. He had filled his pockets with fruit from the bowl on the sideboard and now, without even taking the time for careful aim, threw on apple after another. These little, red apples rolled about on the floor, knocking into each other as if they had electric motors. An apple thrown without much force glanced against Gregor’s back and slid off without doing any harm. Another one however, immediately following it, hit squarely and lodged in his back; Gregor wanted to drag himself away, as if he could remove the surprising, the incredible pain by changing his position; but he felt as if nailed to the spot and spread himself out, all his senses in confusion. The last thing he saw was the door of his room being pulled open, his sister was screaming, his mother ran out in front of her in her blouse. She ran to his father…. her hands behind his father’s head begging him to spare Gregor’s life.
SAY: Gregor’s father discovers his wife in a panic and shock-like state after coming home one day. His wife had suddenly fainted after seeing her son transformed into a vermin. Taking out all of the anger and frustration that had been building up, Gregor’s father grabs the nearest thing that he can finds and begins to throw them at Gregor. Taking apples, Gregor’s father aims them towards his son and lodges one painfully into his back. Gregor is shocked and the house is full of chaos as his father continues to beat apples in his direction. His sister screams at the scene and despite being weak from the fainting spell earlier, Gregor’s mother runs desperately to stop her husband from killing her own son.
SHOW: The scene is chaotic and filled with action. Father comes home and immediately begins to pelt his son with hard apples, one of which is lodged into Gregor’s back. The words “without even taking the time for careful aim, threw one apple after another” express how Gregor’s father did not think about his actions and in the spur of the moment, grabbed whatever was nearest to him and began to hurt his son. Many apples were thrown at Gregor, but one of them “hit squarely and lodged in his back” which caused an immense amount of pain for him. Similarly, the last few paragraphs of chapter 1 showed the father “hurting” his son by yelling and pushing him back with a stick into his room. Leading up to this point in the book, the family had secluded their son from their lives and began to forget his existence. His reveal to his mother caused her to faint in shock because of his appearance and sadly, Gregor was taken the blame for this. The fact that Gregor was “[confused]” with the apples hitting him shows that he was not expecting his father to be upset at him. At the end of this passage, while his sister continues screaming, Gregor’s mother runs to stop her husband from hurting her son anymore. Her actions show that despite his appearance, his mother still loves him and does not want to see him hurt.
Your post was very detailed! I liked how you quoted specific lines from the passage and explained what each one meant/conveyed to you.
DeleteMEAN: This dramatic way to end chapter two leaves readers feeling anxious to see what will happen in the concluding chapter. With anger and frustration building up between the family members, Gregor’s father finally releases his anger by pelting his son with apples. Reacting to this, his sister cries for her brother’s sake and the chaos that is happening in her household. The family members have seemed to secluded Gregor and been unsupportive of his transformation. Instead he is forgotten and the family continues to live their lives without his presence. The author, Franz Kafka seems to be telling readers that a previous life with Gregor in their lives has seem to be something in the past. A major point in this passage is when an apple is lodged into Gregor’s back, which shoots an incredible amount of pain throughout his body. His injury is soon forgotten and his father continues to throw more apples in his direction. The fact that the family ignores his injury is a reference that they are already adjusted to a life without him in their lives. Sadly, this is made a reality when Gregor dies in the end of the story with the family “celebrating” his death. However in the end of chapter two, his mother fights with her husband to spare Gregor’s life. Despite the family trying to forget his sudden transformation, his mother seems to be the only member of the Samsa family who fights for her son’s life. This represents a mother’s love to their child no matter his or her circumstance. Though this chapter ends in a dramatic way, it marks the beginning to Gregor’s decline in health and his presence in the family.
ReplyDeleteI really like the connections you made, especially the way you detail that the events before this lead up to it, resulting in a climax of all the emotions of the family. Good job - super thorough!
DeleteI can tell that you thought this through very well. I find it interesting that you connected this scene with a mother's love, and the fact that his presence is declining along with his health.
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ReplyDeleteExcerpt: “It’s got to go”, shouted his sister, “that’s the only way, Father. You’ve got to get rid of the idea that that’s Gregor. We’ve only harmed ourselves by believing it for so long. “ (Page 66.)
ReplyDeleteSay: Grete is telling her father that getting rid of Gregor is the only way that they can survive. The boarders have decided to leave because Gregor unintentionally revealed himself to them. Grete tells her father and mother that they must not believe that the vermin is Gregor and that the family has caused harm only to themselves by believing the fact that Gregor transformed into a vermin overnight.
Show: Grete finally realizes that getting rid of Gregor is the only way to stop the harm that is being done to their family. She tries to persuade her parents that it is time to get rid of Gregor and that their hope of Gregor transforming back into a human is hopeless. There is a defining moment in the family’s view of Gregor’s humanity and the amount of sympathy they feel for him. Up to this point, Gregor’s family shows that they struggle to determine how much of Gregor’s humanity remains. Physically, Gregor has changed into a completely different body. The fact that he cannot communicate with his family makes it hard for them to know if his mind is still Gregor’s mind. The mother holds on the belief that Gregor’s transformation is only temporarily and that he will one day transform back into his old self. The father shows uncertainty towards getting rid of Gregor. He feels a little pity for attacking Gregor earlier and questions if Gregor will understand them. Overtime, Grete has lost faith in Gregor and no longer thinks of him as Gregor.
Mean: Gregor’s lasting transformation has left his family unsure of themselves and their actions. The Samson family has lost sympathy for Gregor and has become less certain that anything of Gregor remains and as the bug has only instilled a greater burden upon their family. Because Gregor inadvertently revealed himself to the boarders, his family will no longer receive rent from them. Gregor has burdened his family to work for themselves as well. While Grete sympathized and took care of Gregor immediately after his transformation, even attempting to take his feelings into account by trying to figure out what foods he likes, she has stopped caring for him entirely. Grete has clearly gotten over the fact that the vermin is her brother. She insists that no aspects of humanity remain in the vermin at all. Kafka seems to be instilling within the audience that Gregor is no longer part of the Samson family. Gregor should be forgotten about and the family should simply move on without him. Living with the bug will only cause the three more harm to themselves.
This was good! Very clear and detailed information.
DeleteI find your interpretation of the story interesting. I never thought that Grete would be the one to turn against Gregor due to the fact that they were such close siblings. However, this excerpt tells me otherwise, and I suddenly realized that when I read it in the bok.
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ReplyDelete"One morning, when Gregor Samsa woke from troubled dreams, he found himself transformed in his bed into a horrible vermin. He lay on his armour-like back, and if he lifted his head a little he could see his brown belly, slightly domed and divided by arches into stiff sections. The bedding was hardly able to cover it and seemed ready to slide off any moment. His many legs, pitifully thin compared with the size of the rest of him, wave about hopelessly as he looked. "What's happened to me?" he thought. It wasn't a dream. His room, a proper human room although a little too small, lay peacefully between its four familiar walls. Above the table, on which an unpacked collection of sample cloth goods was spread out—Samsa was a travelling salesman—above it hung the picture which he had cut out of an illustrated magazine a little while ago and set in a pretty gilt frame. It was a picture of a woman with a fur hat and a fur boa. She sat erect there, lifting up in the direction of the viewer a solid fur muff into which her entire forearm had disappeared. Gregor’s glance then turned to the window. The dreary weather—the rain drops were falling audibly down on the metal window ledge—made him quite melancholy. “Why don’t I keep sleeping for a little while longer and forget all this foolishness,” he thought. But this was entirely impractical, for he was used to sleeping on his right side, but in his present state he could not get himself into this position. No matter how hard he threw himself onto his right side, he always rolled onto his back again. He must have tried it a hundred times, closing his eyes so that he would not have to see the wriggling legs, and gave up only when he began to feel a light, dull pain in his side which he had never felt before."
ReplyDeleteSAY: Gregor Samsa wakes up from a nightmare and realizes he's a vermin. He examines his body, which gives off the characteristics of an insect, with a large body and small but a numerous amount of little legs. The story gives us a background on Gregor and we discover that he is a traveling salesman who financially supports his family. He ignores the fact that he's transformed into a disturbing creature and tries to go back to sleep. He tries to get out of bed with many attempts, but resulting in physical pain for his new body.
Show: When Gregor realizes that he's turned into a bizarre creature, he thinks to himself "What's happened to me?". This is very shocking to the readers and they wonder why he transformed. Gregor examines himself and thinks "Why don't I keep sleeping for a little while longer and forget all this foolishness". This shows that Gregor is more content with his transformation, rather than freaking out and panicing. He shows that he'd rather forget about it by sleeping and not wanting to care about the cause of this situation. He tries to sit up and get out of his bed, but he hasn't adjusted to his new body so he has some trouble trying to find a way to get up. This shows that his transformation was real and that it was a bigger problem than he realized. This struggle was a huge change in his life and it turned his life upside down because he had to deal with it somehow.
Mean: In the beginning of the story, Kafka is showing Gregor in a way that shows the readers that he was taken by surprise when he was transformed into a vermin. After given detail about his physical being, Kafka reveals Gregor's reaction to his transformation through his thoughts. His reactions are very subtle and insignificant in this situation. This was an interesting reaction because it's not very realistic. Kafka also reveals that Gregor is a salesman, which later in the story shows why he is so calm. Gregor tries to get up out of bed but has trouble with adjusting to his new body and how to control himself. This gives the readers more assurance that this is real. The surrealism in this story has much more deeper meaning than how it is literally written.
Good insight and info, I saw a deeper meaning.
DeleteVery detailed and deep.
DeleteExcerpt:
ReplyDeleteGregor ate hardly anything any more. Only when he chanced to move past the food which had been prepared did he, as a game, take a bit into his mouth, hold it there for hours, and generally spit it out again. At first he thought it might be his sadness over the condition of his room which kept him from eating, but he very soon became reconciled to the alterations in his room. People had grown accustomed to put into storage in his room things which they couldn’t put anywhere else, and at this point there were many such things, now that they had rented one room of the apartment to three lodgers.
Say:
In this passage in chapter 3, Gregor is not eating. He basically thinks that its because of the condition of his room. His family is stuffing unwanted items into his room due to the three lodgers that were currently staying there. Gregor soon gets used to the fact that his family is using his room as storage because they couldn't put it anywhere else.
Show:
This passage shows that Gregor has come to terms with his fate as a vermin. Gregor starves himself thinking its because of all the clutter in his room when in reality it isnt. The passage shows us that Gregor has accepted the fact his family is doing this to his room and also accepted that they are treating him as if he was a piece of storage too.
Mean:
The meaning behind this passage is that Gregor is giving up. He has given up on his room, the one thing that reminded him of his human life and that kept him a human inside. He has given up on his human life when he just lets his family treat his room as storage. He can't help but believe that he feels like a piece of storage as well, something hidden away so that his family could TRY to forget about him. He lets them treat him as the vermin that he physically is, and not the human person that he once was.
Good Job! Straight to the point and clear.
DeleteInteresting insight about how Gregor is giving up on life because he feels like a burden to his family. Very good(:
DeleteI like the fact that you say that he lets them. I agree in some ways because he never did really do anything to show his anger and his just hid from them
DeleteGood Job Giselle! I agree with the fact that Gregor has come to his senses and accept his fate as a vermin. Wonderful!
DeleteThe passage below contains the sentences of when the charwoman finds Gregor dead in “The Metamorphosis.” This passage occur when the charwoman goes to bother Gregor and tells the Samsa family about his death. The Samsa family are thankful for his death.
ReplyDelete“”Dead?”, asked Mrs. Samsa, looking at the charwoman enquiringly, even though she could have checked for herself and could have known it even without checking. “That’s what I said”, replied the cleaner, and to prove it she gave Gregor’s body another shove with the broom, sending it sideways across the floor. Mrs. Samsa made a movement as if she wanted to hold back the broom, but did not complete it. “Now then”, said Mr. Samsa, “let’s give thanks to God for that”.”
SAY: Even though Mrs. Samsa could have checked Gregor’s death for herself, she inquired the charwoman about his death. The charwoman verifies his death by giving Gregor’s body another shove with the broom, making it slide sideways across the floor. Mrs. Samsa tried but did not completely hold back the broom from the charwoman. Mr. Samsa spoke for the entire family and is thankful for the death of Gregor. He gives thanks to God.
SHOW: This passage is really direct. Mrs. Samsa inquiries Gregor’s death to charwoman. She could have walked into Gregor’s room and check for herself, but she couldn’t bring herself to it. The brave charwoman compared Gregor to a piece of trash. This is indicated by her shoving Gregor’s dead body with the broom. With her mother instincts, she slightly moved to take the broom away from the charwoman. But, Mrs. Samsa remembered that Gregor is now a vermin and that he is not the same as before. Mrs. Samsa felt like the vermin Gregor is not her true son, therefore she did not feel fully bad about Gregor’s dead body being shoved across the floor. Mr. Samsa gives thanks to God. Showing that he rather has the dead vermin than the alive Gregor.
MEAN: The author is moving towards the revelation of the death of Gregor Samsa. In the beginning of this passage, Mrs. Samsa questions his death. She seems quite shocked, but still appreciative to the charwoman. The charwoman is sure of his death and seems proud to be the person to find him dead. Awkwardly, the entire Samsa family is thankful for Gregor’s death. As readers, many thought that his family would be sympathetic about his death, but their reactions were the exact opposite.
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DeleteI agree with the fact that they were happy that he died. The way you describe the charwoman is interesting
DeleteThe message does appear to be direct, yet I have never thought about it that way. You found some interesting insight about what characters were thinking about at this time.
DeleteGood Job Melissa! I also agree that they were happy about Gregor's death. Through it, their lives became problem free and they couldn't wait for their lives to change. Great insight!
DeleteGood insights in the Show section withe observation that the family themselves have distanced themselves so much from Gregor, they're not the ones who find his dead body. For the Mean section, however, you should elaborate on what this separation means.
Delete“‘Father, Mother’, said his sister, hitting the table with her hand as introduction, ‘we can’t carry on like this. Maybe you can’t see it, but I can. I don’t want to call this monster my brother, all I can say is: we have to try and get rid of it. We’ve done all that’s humanly possible to look after it and be patient. I don’t think anyone could accuse us of doing anything wrong.’” (Page 64)
ReplyDeleteSAY: Gregor has just come out of his room to hear his sister play the violin for the family’s tenants. Of course, Gregor’s appearance intrigues the guests and makes them want to know who/what Gregor is. Mr. Samsa panics and tries to direct the tenants back to their room. They are upset and give their notice to leave. When all the chaos is over, Grete, Gregor’s sister, comes to the living room with her family. Mrs. Samsa is sitting on the couch, Mr. Samsa is sitting in his chair, and Gregor is on the floor. Grete tells her parents that she can no longer stand the sight of Gregor and she wants to get rid of him. She says the family tried to help Gregor and deal with the fact that he is a vermin, but she has lost hope. Grete also claims that no one would look down on the Samsa family for getting rid of Gregor.
SHOW: Gregor’s family no longer wants him around. Grete is the first person to talk about getting rid of Gregor, and Mr. Samsa agrees immediately. Grete also seems very angry when she “hit[s] the table with her hand as introduction” and she seems to be almost yelling at her parents about how she feels. She also seems very hostile towards Gregor, Grete refers to her brother as a “monster” and she no longer cares about whether he eats or not; Grete leaves food out for Gregor in the morning and sweeps it up at night, even if it’s not eaten. Lastly, Grete tries to justify the family’s future actions by saying “I don’t think anyone could accuse us of doing anything wrong.” She is claiming that kicking out a family member because they have a disability is the right thing to do. Grete believes that other families would do the same thing.
Grete’s entire statement and Mr. Samsa’s approval show how unappreciative and selfish the family is towards Gregor. Gregor worked hard to provide for his family and he didn’t even have to; his father, mother, and sister could have easily gone out and gotten jobs. Most of the money he made went to his family’s house, food, and clothing, and they never did anything in return. Grete’s and Mr. Samsa’s actions show that the family is only thinking about themselves and the “burden” of having Gregor in the house. They aren’t thinking of the burden they placed on Gregor by making him work or how much Gregor has done for them since he got his job. This passage shows how clueless Gregor’s family really is.
MEAN: This passage proves that no one appreciates Gregor. Gregor’s family takes his money and doesn’t offer him anything in return, especially when he needs them. When Gregor transforms, no one thinks about what he did for the family or how they can help him. They just ignore him and plot ways of getting rid of him. They treat him like nothing when he gave up his life to support them. Gregor’s family betrays him in the end of the story.
Franz Kafka is trying to relate this story to his own life. Kafka’s father detested him and didn’t approve of his writing. The words “monster”, “it”, and “get rid of” that Grete uses are examples of how Kafka’s father felt towards him. Kafka’s father also emotionally abused him just like Gregor’s family does. Gregor can still think, hear, and function like a human; only his appearances are different. He hears his family talking about him and subconsciously, they are abusing him, too. The Samsas abandon Gregor and treat him as an outcast just how Kafka’s father did to his son.
Very detailed! Your explanation was clear and concise. I like how you made the connection between Samsa's life and Kafka's life.
DeleteGood insight: "Kafka’s father also emotionally abused him just like Gregor’s family does. Gregor can still think, hear, and function like a human; only his appearances are different." I also like your use of brackets--> hit[s]. Applying what we learned is pretty cool :)hehe
DeleteGood insight! The connections between Samsa's life and Kafka's was very detailed.
DeleteGood insights in the last few sentences of your Mean section: Gregor still thinks like a human; only his appearance his changed.
DeleteEXCERPT: "It now seemed only too obvious that they were disappointed in their expectation of hearing beautiful or entertaining violin-playing, had had enough of the whole performance and continued to let their peace be disturbed only out of politeness. Especially the way they all blew the cigar smoke out of their nose and mouth toward the ceiling suggested great nervousness. And yet his sister was playing so beautifully. Her face was inclined to one side, sadly and probingly her eyes followed the lines of music. Gregor crawled forward a little farther, holding his head close to the floor so that it might be possible to catch her eye. Was he an animal, that music could move him so? He felt as if the way to the unknown nourishment he longed for were coming to light" (Metamorphosis 48-49).
ReplyDeleteSAY: As they listen to Grete play the violin, the Samsa family's roomers quickly grow bored. They tactfully continue to listen to her playing, but as more and more time passes, they become somewhat nervous. Gregor, on the other hand, is mesmerized by Grete's music and crawls out of his room to get closer to her and listen. Forgetting himself, he allows the music to move and nourish his soul.
SHOW: The boarders, though at first eager to hear Grete play violin, quickly grow tired of her music. Their indifferent attitudes show that these roomers, portrayed as 'gentlemen,' are hard to please and lack sophistication. In fact, Grete's music makes them uncomfortable and nervous. In her presence they feel out of place. Gregor, however, finds great comfort in Grete's playing - displayed in the fact that he is so enchanted by her music that he crawls toward her unthinkingly. In this interaction, we see the strong bond that still remains between Gregor and Grete. *Her* emotion stirs him and draws him to her. In her presence, Gregor is no longer afraid, but finds the nourishment he yearns for.
MEAN: The contrast between Gregor's reaction to music and that of the boarders is very striking. Gregor, in spite of his verminous form, is still more cultured and refined than the three human boarders. He himself questions how he could truly be an animal if music moves him so strongly. In spite of the fact that he did not care for it before, now music is the key to draw him out of darkness and carry him beyond his fear and discomfort. In this way, Gregor clings to his humanity regardless of the way that his family treats him. In essence, this passage reveals the strength of his character in the way that he refuses to doubt himself throughout his family's process of rejection.
I like how it really is divided into "say, show, mean". Each point made was clear.
DeleteI could see in a way how Gregor was more human than the boarders, amazing job! As always, you have a wonderful way of interpreting things.
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ReplyDeleteThe passage below is from the book, “The Metamorphosis.” It occurs right after the three boarders have discovered Gregor. The boarders give their notice that they are leaving and will not be paying rent.
ReplyDelete“’Father, Mother’, said his sister, hitting the table with her hand as introduction, ‘we can’t carry on like this. Maybe you can’t see it, but I can. I don’t want to call this monster my brother, all I can say is: we have to try and get rid of it. We’ve done all that’s humanly possible to look after it and be patient, I don’t think anyone could accuse us of doing anything wrong.’”
SAY: Grete is playing the violin for her parents and the boarders. Gregor is attracted to Grete’s violin playing and did not realize that he was moving out of his room. He follows the sound of music and stops. He is visible but Grete’s audience is oblivious towards him. The boarders notice Gregor and alert the Samsas. They give their notice and refuse to pay rent. Grete realizes that they need to get rid of Gregor.
SHOW: Gregor’s family now comes to the realization that they need to get rid of Gregor. The family is tired of having this burden on them. Grete does not consider Gregor her brother anymore because if he were, then he would understand their situation and do something useful for the family like not revealing himself “publicly.” She feels sad and angry. Gregor has been causing them much trouble and now he has chased away their money. Grete has lost hope that Gregor is still Gregor and believes that he has lost his humanity. She has also no sympathy anymore for him.
MEAN: In the beginning of Gregor’s transformation, Grete took care of Gregor by feeding him and cleaning his room, hoping that he would return to his old self. As the story progresses, the family members all find jobs and, therefore, Grete loses interest in her brother and stops taking care of him. The family decides to use his room as a storage area proving that they care less about Gregor now. Another piece of evidence further supporting this idea can be found within the words Grete uses to describe Gregor within the passage. She first refers to him as her “brother,” but quickly changes her attitude towards Gregor by calling him “it” instead, therefore showing her lack of concern for him. Finally, the family agrees that they need to rid themselves of this burden so they can live a good life.
Good job! You interpretation of the story reveals the deeper meaning and truth beneath Kafka's writing. I liked how you were able to make connections and understand the deeper meaning behind the text. :D
DeleteExcerpt: Had he really wanted to transform his room into a cave, a warm room fitted out with the nice furniture he had inherited? That would have let him crawl around unimpeded in any direction, but it would also have let him quickly forget about his past when he had still been human. He had come very close to forgetting, and it had only been the voice of his mother, unheard for so long, that had shaken him out of it. Nothing should be removed; everything had to stay; he could not do without the good influence the furniture had on his condition; and if the furniture made it difficult for him to crawl about mindlessly that was not a loss but a great advantage.
ReplyDeleteSay: Gregor realizes that he does not want his mother and Grete to move all of the furniture out of his room just because he wants to climb on the ceiling. He fears that the furniture is the only thing that is keeping him from forgetting what he was like as a human. It would be better for him if he kept the furniture.
Show: Gregor is becoming accustomed to his condition, and is starting to not only look like, but act and think more like a bug. Even though Gregor wants to be more comfortable, he is not willing to let himself give in to his change. He states that he has not heard his mother’s voice in a very long time. This shows that it is very easy to forget something when it has been absent for a long time. If his furniture is taken out, he may eventually forget about his time as a human. Had his mother not reminded him of that, he may have let his bug-like urges take over him completely.
Mean: Gregor has become a bug not only in appearance, but in thought and behavior. Because of this, he is also being harder on his family. As his condition worsens, so does his family’s.Him being more bug like makes him more of a vermin and a pest to his family than ever. The part of him that is human still wants to stay alive and help his family instead of being a vermin to them. By keeping the furniture, he is keeping his humanity and hope of helping his family.
Your Say,Show,Mean was understandable and has show deep thought.
Deletegood work. :) i came up with something similar in my post.
Delete“We have to try to get rid of it”, said Gregor’s sister, now speaking only to her father, as her mother was too occupied with coughing to listen, “it’ll be the death of both of you, I can see it coming. We can’t all work as hard as we have to and then come home to be tortured like this, we can’t endure it. I can’t endure it anymore.” And she broke out so heavily in tears that they flowed down the face of her mother, and she wiped them away with mechanical hand movements.
ReplyDeleteSAY: Gregor’s sister tells her parents that they need to get rid of her brother, now a vermin. She says that keeping him around will be the end of not just the parents but her too. She can’t handle taking care of him anymore, seeing him, and can’t handle her parents having this “burden” on them either.
SHOW: Since Gregor has metamorphasized into this creature it is the sister’s duty to feed him every day. She has to walk in there and see everything. She feels that he is hurting the family, and feels that they need to somehow get rid of him. Grete doesn’t see her brother as a human anymore, she sees him as a pest, which is in the way.
MEAN: When Gregor was human he was the one to take care of the entire family. But since his transformation the family had to take care of themselves. He had to learn how to work hard for what they get. With Grete having the burden of taking care of her brother she ends up being tired of it. She sees him as a pest now and wants nothing to do with him. She now wants to persuade her parents into getting rid of him to, because in some way he is breaking the family.
I liked your choice of words. It helped convey your point that Grete wants to get rid of Gregor.
DeleteExcerpt: “Did he really want the warm room, so cozily appointed with heirlooms, transformed into a lair, where he might, of course, be able to creep, unimpeded, in any direction, though forgetting his human past swiftly and totally?”
ReplyDeleteSay: Gregor begins to find crawling on the walls and ceilings amusing, so Grete suggests that taking out the furniture would make the room more open and easier to move around in. As her and her mom are removing the furniture, Gregor freaks out and desperately tries to save the picture of the woman on his wall.
Show: In the beginning of his transformation, Gregor still had human thoughts and feelings, even though his body and physical attributes changed. However, we begin to see that Gregor’s mentality is also becoming more and more animal like. The fact that he enjoys small cramped spaces like under the sofa and likes to crawl on walls proves that his mentality is being altered to fit his physical body’s needs.
Mean: Even though Gregor’s state of mind is becoming more like an insect, he still has the memories and desires from when he was human. Because of this, he has an internal conflict of whether he wants to be human, or bug. An open room would satisfy his needs as an insect, but his furniture and personal posessions are reminders of when he was human. This conflict comes to a climax when his sister and mother take out the furniture, and Gregor is forced to choose between his human life and his insect life. In the end Gregor chooses his human life by clinging to the picture of the woman on the wall.
This is really good! I like how your show relates goes into a deeper meaning with the conflicts in Gregor's thoughts on being a human and being a vermin. Your mean is really good since it states what he needs to be satisfied. Great job Christine!
DeleteNice work! You found some good connections. I agree that this scene shows Gregor's human and insect life conflicting with each other.
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DeleteEXCERPT:
ReplyDelete“He thought back of his family with emotion and love. If it was possible, he felt that he must go away even more strongly than his sister. He remained in this state of empty and peaceful rumination until he heard the clock tower strike three in the morning. He watched as it slowly began to get light everywhere outside the window too. Then, without his willing it, his head sank down completely, and his last breath flowed weakly from his nostrils…..”Now then”, said Mr. Samsa, “let’s give thanks to God for that.”
SAY:
After a recent dispute within the Samson family, Gregor is seen as trash that needs to be taken out. In other words, his family finally came to the realization that Gregor has to go. The Samsons can no longer withstand this burden, even though it once was Gregor, the son that provided them with everything they every wanted. Realizing how much of a headache he is, Gregor’s thoughts go the same road as his family’s, he wants to disappear as much as they want him to. However, although they show much disinterest and distaste in Gregor, he still thinks about them with much love and emotion. Gregor feels that the best thing to do for his family is to disappear quickly so that they wouldn’t have to suffer as much. Soon enough, Gregor takes his last breath and his family gets their wish granted.
SHOW:
Now that Gregor has passed, the Samsons are now at peace. Mr. Samsa was actually quite thankful that his son, Gregor had finally passed on. This just shows how much of a burden Mr. Samsa really saw Gregor as in the family. The burden, has been lifted from their shoulders. They no longer have to deal with the shame, burden and stress of taking care of Gregor. It’s as if the Samson’s have been released from the grasp of this horrible curse, and are now able to live a good life. For the first time in a while, the Samson’s are able to breathe.The Samsons finally got their wish, which was the disappearance of Gregor.
MEAN:
Although Gregor had a horrible fate, and his so called “family” strongly wanted him to disappear, he fondly remembered them with love and emotion. Despite all the horrible things that Gregor endured, he still looked at his family with compassion and sympathy, and humbly accepted his fate for the benefit of his family. Kafka has given Gregor the same fate as Jesus Christ. Before Gregor transformed into a horrible vermin, he was a hardworking middle aged man that was depended on heavily from his family. He worked extremely hard to give his family the best life possible. Even though he could have done well off alone, Gregor puts his own desires aside so that he can help his family. Then when he transforms, Gregor is no longer seen as this amazing man, but instead he is seen as a nuisance. Over this time, Gregor’s transformation has helped the family to work together and begin a new chapter in their lives. Then when Gregor passes on, they are relieved and are able to live their lives without any restraint. Although Gregor suffered quite a lot, like Jesus Christ, he was able to give his family a better life even after his passing.
Good job! I like your interpretation, there was a lot of emotion that Gregor and his family felt throughout the story.
DeleteWow... this is really good! I didn't think that Gregor felt that way. I liked how you put insight on how that dad was given relief in your show. And you mean was really good comparing Gregor with Jesus. Great job Nicole!
DeleteGreat Job Nicole! I totally agree with Gregor's emotion. Although he was treated with disrespect, he still loved his family no matter what. Great insight!
DeleteNicole, Nice job, especially on the Mean section, but don't forget to go back to the specific evocative phrases in the passage such as "his head sank down completely" and "his last breath flowed weakly from his nostrils". These are pretty vivid! What do they show? The sinking of his head again paints him as a Christ figure. Does the last breath show him as human more than vermin?
Delete“…In his present mood, it obviously did not occur to his father to open the other of the double doors so that Gregor would have enough space to get through. He was merely fixed on the idea that Gregor should be got back into his room as quickly as possible. Nor would he ever have allowed Gregor the time to get himself upright as preparation for getting through the doorway. What he did, making more noise than ever, was to drive Gregor forwards all the harder as if there had been nothing in the way; it sounded to Gregor as if there was now more than one father behind him; it was not a pleasant experience, and Gregor pushed himself into the doorway without regard for what might happen. One side of his body lifted itself, he lay at an angle in the doorway, one flank scraped on the white door and was painfully injured, leaving vile brown flecks on it, soon he was stuck fast and would not have been able to move at all by himself, the little legs along one side hung quivering in the air while those on the other side were pressed painfully against the ground. Then his father gave him a hefty shove from behind which released him from where he was held and sent him flying, and heavily bleeding, deep into his room. The door was slammed shut with the stick, then, finally, all was quiet.”
ReplyDeleteSAY: Gregor’s father is shoving him into his room through a too-narrow doorway. His father does not find the common sense to open the other of the double doors and is intent on getting Gregor in this room as soon as possible. Gregor is physically getting hurt and his father is preventing him from even trying to get in comfortably, all the while making a hissing sound. He ends up finally being pushed into the room, heavily injured, and the door to it is slammed shut.
SHOW: How the father is fixed on forcing Gregor back into his room shows the detachment he has from his son. He does not care for anything but to put him back in the room, losing even his common sense to open the other door. He would not let Gregor get into the room himself, and relied on force to push him in there as soon as possible. Kafka describes in detail how brutally treated Gregor was by his father.
MEAN: Maybe the brutal treatment by Gregor’s father had something do reflect on Kafka’s relationship with his father. Gregor’s transformation seems to have made his entire family think him a vermin, which he is, but only physically. They forget all he has done for him in the past, especially the father, because he is the one who treats him the worst. This first attack towards Gregor holds the beginnings of the large separation between Gregor and his family.
It's funny that authors like to put themselves into their own stories. You did a good job pointing out Kafka's relationship with his father through Gregor.
DeletePassage: “One morning, when Gregor Samsa woke from troubled dreams, he found himself transformed in his bed into a horrible vermin. He lay on his armour-like-back, and if he lifted his head a little he could see his brown belly, slightly domed and divided by arches into stiff sections. The bedding was hardly able to cover it and seemed ready to slide off any moment. His many legs, pitifully thin compared with the size of the rest of him, waved about helplessly as he looked.'What's happened to me?' he thought. It wasn't a dream.”
ReplyDeleteSay: Gregor Samsa woke up from bad dreams in his bedroom and finds himself transformed into a vermin. Gregor has a brown stomach that is divided by arches into firm sections and an armour-like-back. He realizes that his bedding can barely cover his body, because his body is too big and is legs are thin compare to the rest of his body. He realizes that it is also not a dream.
Show: The event of Gregor transforming into a vermin has a much deeper meaning. The details show that Gregor is an annoyance to his family. When he transformed into a vermin, it shows that his family thinks he’s annoying and they have no care for him or emotion to his change of physical state after the realize that Gregor is not going to change back.
Mean: The author is emphasizing Gregor’s relationship with his family, in particular with his dad. Before the transformation, he would always be working or worrying about work. Gregor’s family at first appreciated him supporting them and working to pay off the debt, but soon they all were ungrateful because they became so dependent on him. Each event throughout the story is connected. For example, after Gregor finds that he was a vermin, his family to start improving their lives, like they all get jobs, and the father is in better physical state.
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DeleteYou had very good insight! Your passage made me think of the passage in a different way. I agree with what you are saying and I think that your "mean" part was written very well. Good job, Calera!!
Delete“One morning, when Gregor Samsa woke from troubled dreams, he found himself transformed in his bed into a horrible vermin. He lay on his armour-like-back, and if he lifted his head a little he could see his brown belly, slightly domed and divided by arches into stiff sections. The bedding was hardly able to cover it and seemed ready to slide off any moment. His many legs, pitifully thin compared with the size of the rest of him, waved about helplessly as he looked.'What's happened to me?' he thought. It wasn't a dream.”
ReplyDeleteSay: Gregor woke up because he was having bad dreams. When he awoke, he found that he had transformed into a vermin (bug, etc.). He analyzes the state he is in. He wonders what happened to him and he comes to a conclusion that he isn’t in a dream and his transformation is a real thing.
Show: The transformation of Gregor shows a deeper meaning. There are many possibilities that could explain why he transformed into a vermin. He could have been giving up on his life or he could have always felt like a vermin (low, unwanted) and his feelings were so strong that he ended up turning into an actually vermin. When you read more of the book you can see that Gregor is like the “black sheep” of the family meaning that he is an outcast and people consider him a bother and don’t want him around.
Mean: The author to trying to tell us the feelings that Gregor had before the transformation and his relationship with his family. Gregor had a poor relationship with his family, especially his father. The father could have possibly made Gregor feel like a vermin by insulting him and not appreciating all the Gregor did for them when he was a human.
Nice insight and I agree with what you think.
DeleteNicely done Hulali! :D I liked how you were able to make connections between Kafka and Gregor.
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