Readers of Kafka’s Metamorphosis have many views with regards to various aspects of the novella. Many different meanings have been attached to Gregor’s transformation into some type of vermin. Some suggest that he is a sexual deviant in some way and the transformation was simply metaphorical. Another interpretation is that he literally changes into another creature because he embodies an overworked slave to industry. While these are warranted arguments that are important to the story, the argument over what type of creature he becomes is unnecessary and pointless.
It was no accident that Kafka ignored details such as what creature Gregor became. It is without any purpose that many scholars argue whether Gregor is a centipede or a rat or a cockroach. The point is that he is repulsive and disgusting and there is no need to guess the details of the author’s intentional general statements. If Kafka had found it important to his central theme or to the story that the audience knew what the actual creature is, the first sentence would have been more descriptive, something like:
“As Gregor Samsa awoke one morning from uneasy dreams he found himself transformed in his bed into a gigantic centipede, about six feet in length and roughly three feet in width…”
Kafka gives hints as to the creatures appearance only to advance the story, not to help the audience understand just what Gregor looks like. For Kafka writes, “His sister noticed immediately the new amusement which Gregor had found for himself—for as he crept around he left behind here and there traces of his sticky stuff.” This passage is not meant to make the reader ponder what creature would leave behind “sticking stuff.” It’s only purpose is to show that Gregor has been all around the room. However, some people read it like a clue to a mystery, only the mystery is never meant to be solved.
What should in fact be argued is what relevance the story held in Kafka’s age and what relevance it holds now. Kafka is obviously trying to give his novella meaning beyond a certain period in time. As time changes so will our conception of what is disgusting and disturbing. As Kafka designed it to, the story will adapt and take on different meanings. Therefore, although it may be interesting what Kafka had envisioned while writing this it really holds no literary significance.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
I agree that the specific type of bug has no concrete important meaning the the overall theme of the story, and find it a bit of a stretch and quite gross that Gregor is deemed a sexual deviant. I find your analysis interesting that Kafka's purpose will change in the story as time passes, and he intends this to happen. Why do we incorporate what age the author comes from then in analysis to determine what is meant? I think it holds some importance, though now we might interpret it differently than he intended or it was at the time it was written. It goes with some theme of the era, and that holds literary significance.
Post a Comment