Nicholas Prowse
IBO Language A1
LIterary Essay
1 February 2016
The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka is a complicated piece of of literature with many ambiguous themes to be interpreted. There is an incredible amount of emotional and psychological turmoil presented in this novella that there a surplus of possible themes. However, there is one theme that stands out the most. Throughout The Metamorphosis, Franz Kafka makes the theme of disharmony between body and mind evident through Gregor’s drastically altered physical state, but unaltered psyche.
Gregor’s disconnect between mind and body is first made clear when Gregor attempts to get out of bed after waking up from a supposed dream. Gregor’s mind does not realize Gregor’s transformation right …show more content…
However, it is crucial to add that the distinction between Gregor 's human personality and creature body starts to fade as Gregor spends more and more time as a cockroach. Gregor’s humanity despite being a bug never completely disappears. For instance, in the beginning of the novella, Gregor is adamant about the fact that he will continue to work as a salesman in an attempt to keep his family out of the sizable debt they 've accrued. It is also his humanic reasoning that tells him that he can obviously no longer work as a salesman in his current bug form. Gregor never really gives up his quality of selflessness, even when his family vows to get rid of him because he no longer has any use to them. As the novella progresses, we can see Gregor’s views on what takes precedence, his mind or his body? Gregor first starts off in his bug form with refusing to come out from under the sheets to save his family from having to look at him. Gregor, despite being a bug, still loves and cares for his family and continues to be utterly selfless in his care of them. Gregor even refuses to leave his room, saving his family from himself, he maintains the notion over mind over matter where his intellectual thoughts override his overall physical needs, temptations and desires. However, as the novella progresses and Gregor spends more and more time as bug, he begins to relapse and slowly but surely begins listening to his body as opposed to his mind. This is evident when Gregor decides he wants to move all of his furniture out of his room to acquire more crawling space. His body is telling him that the newly formed furniture free room would better suit his needs as a bug. But, Gregor question his decision and begins to have great self-conflict about what 's best for him. His body is telling him, “ yes move the furniture out of the room to have more crawling space which will a
IBO Language A1
LIterary Essay
1 February 2016
The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka is a complicated piece of of literature with many ambiguous themes to be interpreted. There is an incredible amount of emotional and psychological turmoil presented in this novella that there a surplus of possible themes. However, there is one theme that stands out the most. Throughout The Metamorphosis, Franz Kafka makes the theme of disharmony between body and mind evident through Gregor’s drastically altered physical state, but unaltered psyche.
Gregor’s disconnect between mind and body is first made clear when Gregor attempts to get out of bed after waking up from a supposed dream. Gregor’s mind does not realize Gregor’s transformation right …show more content…
However, it is crucial to add that the distinction between Gregor 's human personality and creature body starts to fade as Gregor spends more and more time as a cockroach. Gregor’s humanity despite being a bug never completely disappears. For instance, in the beginning of the novella, Gregor is adamant about the fact that he will continue to work as a salesman in an attempt to keep his family out of the sizable debt they 've accrued. It is also his humanic reasoning that tells him that he can obviously no longer work as a salesman in his current bug form. Gregor never really gives up his quality of selflessness, even when his family vows to get rid of him because he no longer has any use to them. As the novella progresses, we can see Gregor’s views on what takes precedence, his mind or his body? Gregor first starts off in his bug form with refusing to come out from under the sheets to save his family from having to look at him. Gregor, despite being a bug, still loves and cares for his family and continues to be utterly selfless in his care of them. Gregor even refuses to leave his room, saving his family from himself, he maintains the notion over mind over matter where his intellectual thoughts override his overall physical needs, temptations and desires. However, as the novella progresses and Gregor spends more and more time as bug, he begins to relapse and slowly but surely begins listening to his body as opposed to his mind. This is evident when Gregor decides he wants to move all of his furniture out of his room to acquire more crawling space. His body is telling him that the newly formed furniture free room would better suit his needs as a bug. But, Gregor question his decision and begins to have great self-conflict about what 's best for him. His body is telling him, “ yes move the furniture out of the room to have more crawling space which will a