Change. People laugh about it, people cry about it. They look back on old times and wonder how things did it, how time did it in them in good and bad ways. It’s appropriate, therefore, that between The Metamorphosis, Magic Island, and Rivers and Tides, messages get mixed.
People might argue that the stories all portray change as a bad thing. They might claim that the immigrants from Magic Island are regretting coming to the island since they cannot seem to see past the past. They might claim that Rivers and Tides shows that change is bad because it takes the art away from the artist. The text, though, says otherwise. People might also insist that all of the stories describe change as being good. They might say that Gregor simply needs an attitude adjustment and that if he thinks about it, becoming a cockroach could benefit him in some way. Perhaps he could get time off work because of his condition. They might say that the Magic Island family are completely happy. In that case, cheers to them for their optimism. …show more content…
Everyone can relate to how something – perhaps in their control, perhaps not – changed their lives in a way that they end up disliking. It could be anything from that hideous green they painted the kitchen to the way that person moved on without them. Gregor Samsa, the main character in The Metamorphosis, can certainly identify. The Metamorphosis begins with the words “One morning, when Gregor Samsa woke from troubled dreams, he found himself transformed…” (The Metamorphosis 1-2). This transformation was into a man-sized bug, from description, a cockroach. Not anyone’s idea of a good change, especially when the man was working to pay off his parents’ debt (The Metamorphosis 55-56). This change inhibited his movement and his ability to work and the way his parents and sister saw him (The Metamorphosis 23-27, 127-147, 403-416). Change is not portrayed well in this
People might argue that the stories all portray change as a bad thing. They might claim that the immigrants from Magic Island are regretting coming to the island since they cannot seem to see past the past. They might claim that Rivers and Tides shows that change is bad because it takes the art away from the artist. The text, though, says otherwise. People might also insist that all of the stories describe change as being good. They might say that Gregor simply needs an attitude adjustment and that if he thinks about it, becoming a cockroach could benefit him in some way. Perhaps he could get time off work because of his condition. They might say that the Magic Island family are completely happy. In that case, cheers to them for their optimism. …show more content…
Everyone can relate to how something – perhaps in their control, perhaps not – changed their lives in a way that they end up disliking. It could be anything from that hideous green they painted the kitchen to the way that person moved on without them. Gregor Samsa, the main character in The Metamorphosis, can certainly identify. The Metamorphosis begins with the words “One morning, when Gregor Samsa woke from troubled dreams, he found himself transformed…” (The Metamorphosis 1-2). This transformation was into a man-sized bug, from description, a cockroach. Not anyone’s idea of a good change, especially when the man was working to pay off his parents’ debt (The Metamorphosis 55-56). This change inhibited his movement and his ability to work and the way his parents and sister saw him (The Metamorphosis 23-27, 127-147, 403-416). Change is not portrayed well in this