ALEVEL ENGLISH LITERATURE A* EXEMPLAR NEA (25/25) - On To what extent does capitalism in Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka alienate the worker from himself. Using Marxist and Feminist Lens.
Superficial summary of metamorphosis novel of Kafka
The Metamorphosis - Department of Psychology by F Kafka, Franz. (Translator: Ian Johnston). Published: 1912. Categories(s): Fiction, Horror, Short Stories. Source: Feed books.
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One of the predominant themes in our course was the distinction between the Marvelous and the
Fantastic according to Todorov. Pick one of the works from the list above and determine whether the
work can be listed under the category of the Fantastic or the Marvelous. How is uncertainty handled in
the work? How are objective and subjective realities represented and depicted? What are the unusual
elements and how do they contribute to or undermine the representation of reality in the story? Make
sure you have a thesis statement and come up with concrete evidence from the work through close
reading 3.
Animal-to-human transformation, punishment or reward relationship.
Identity and losing consciousness by transformation
Human or non-human concepts, what makes us human and alienation
Kafkaesque: characteristic or reminiscent of the oppressive or nightmarish qualities of
Franz Kafka's fictional world.
Labyrinth, bureaucracy and accuracy
Problematic relation with his father
Another novel trial
Story starts with body awareness, difficulties of the body.
Using ambiguous words to define himself to create ambiguity and mystery
Imagination of the readers to call the worst creature
First sentence is very important because it talks about uneasy dreams, dreaming now,
description of body, extreme concern about the body.
Second sentence starts with claustrophobia, details of the rule rather than his body. Lady
on the picture is zoomed. The lady is the only reminder of the outside of the world.
Body and his legs are described realistically. Going back to sleep but he cant.
Reactions are strange, weird signalling Kafka’s absurdity.
The distinction between fantastic and marvelous.
Three interpretations are: first psychological, second existential, three political.
The beginning of the story doesn’t progress that we expect. He emphasizes the human
being’s room.
Transformation could be a normal thing that happened before in his life.
Difficult to classify but it could be allegory. Metaphors makes a story allegory.
Grotesque features, transformation, the earth, the bus, details about vermin body,
enjoyable movements of the bug.
Money as a monster, the power relationship Samsa and Father, cleaning lady sees him
like a toy.
In sacrifice himself for his sister, tenants and cleaning lady see him normal.
He is a shame for the family.
Development of the sister from child to woman.
She lives to establish her family so family institution really will remain.
Back to normal at the end
Marvelous vs Fantastic: In the Fantastic, the supernatural events are a kind of distraction
of regular state of affairs. Nobody understands what is happening that is why throughout
, the story we are not sure what we see is true or not. Maybe there is a natural explanation
or not so there is uncertainty in the fantastic because everyday life is disrupted. In
marvelous, events happening in the story are normal for everyone. For example dragons
being normal in game of thrones.
The modernist writer identifies what is necessarily a subjective experience with reality so
they give us a distorted picture of reality.
George Lucas thinks that Kafka is a nihilist.
Kafka creates an absurdity.
In modernism, there is a subjective reality.
According to Lucas, Kafka doesn’t use modernism because he reflects reality.
The meaning of the metamorphosis is about meaningless. The story is not about the
meaning of the life.
In real life, Kafka has issues with his father, too.
He feels guilty about his family.
The family was strictly saving money.
Samsa fells guilty because of superego.
Samsa doesn’t like fresh fruits.
Apple is the religious symbol.
The father changes and becomes an authority in the family.
Complex and long sentences.
He works in the capitalist economy. He is not happy in his job.
Alienation of the working class.
Advantages of being a bug.
Human identity and memories
Waking up as a vermin and feeling disconnected are not regular starts for the story telling.
Describing a man in a regular family structure from a very unusual perspective has impressed me
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