Introducing Kafka

The Effects of Jewish Folklore on Gregor’s Metamorphosis Metamorphoses are a concept commonly used in literature to shows a character's profound change. The concept was used in The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka, which is about a man called Gregor, who wakes up one day to find out he has turned into a vermin. Following his discovery, he tries to go to work to support his family, which ends up revealing his change to his family. He ends up locked in his room and slowly loses his human side and…

In the story Rivethead: Tales From The Assembly Line Ben Hamper talks about his own personal experiences of working on the assembly line. Hamper wanted to do anything but work for the factory, but the tables turned and he needed the steady income. He was very unhappy with his job and began drinking all the time while he was there. Hamper does not hold back to explain every little detail about the conditions of working for the factory because he is no longer employed there. Ben Hamper was not a…

Throughout both Down These Mean Streets by, Piri Thomas and Looking for Work by, Gary Soto both have there similarities and differences when it comes to each one of there lives. Piri Thomas grew up in a bad neighborhood that he had to constantly watch his back just to survive. Gary Soto's issue in the story is that he wants his family to dress nice to dinner and his family does not care. Both the article and the story have personal narrators for their point of view as well as some external…

Humanity demonstrates how easy it is to get into a routine, because it is something simple and comfortable to do. In The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka, Gregor’s death was essential to the theme, because it demonstrated copious flaws of humans, such as vulnerability and selfishness. One morning, Gregory wakes up to find himself as a hideous vermin. From then on, he is taken care of by his sister until she betrays him, and she decides she would rather he die than have to live with him. Therefore,…

The Isolation of a Man Have you ever felt like an insect in a situation where, no matter what you say or do will be understood? The main character of the short story, “The Metamorphosis” by Franz Kafka, has. As the title suggests, “The Metamorphosis” discusses the changes within a family, in this case, the Samsa family. However, this transformation brings about the isolation of a man in three aspects, physical, mental, and societal. The beginning of the Samsa family’s transformation occurs much…

In both ‘Illuminations’ and ‘Book Ends’, Harrison presents his relationship with his family as distanced and fractured, which largely seems to be caused by his extensive education. Hailing from a working class background, Harrison's parents lack education and are described by him to be ‘inarticulate’ - a trait that has weakened their relationship through intellectual differences, and by extension, social differences as well. The relationship between Harrison and his father is particularly…

Beep beep beep sounds countless hospital machines chirping like birds in the morning sun. He opens his eyes to wires coming from his body like a robot. Brought to tears by pai in his abdomen finds out he has 3 broken ribs. Brought to tears by slapping a fly off his face finds out he has a broken cheekbone. Brought to tears wiping his runny nose found out he broke it. His time to go home has come he is leaving the hospital with countless injuries and a hefty receipt from his stay lying motionless…

existential crisis’ axle; the quintessential literary phenomenon that influenced generations to come; the godfather of Kafka’s The Metamorphosis. Known purely through reputation and influence, Franz Kafka, the Jewish Czech author, was born in 1883. Although formally educated in the constituents of law, Kafka dabbled in the art of prose. Kafka’s genius set the tone for the fanatical and the ludicrous which peppers the many novels of today’s time. His writing proved to be a colossal, so much so…

“Popular Mechanics” is a short story written by Raymond Carver. This story is about a couple getting broken apart. The man gets home and starts packing his things while the woman is yelling at him to leave and crying. As the man is packing up, the woman picks up the picture of the baby and he demands to have it. She won’t let him have it and then he demands that he wants the baby. She gets really upset and gets the baby. He gets angrier and then tries to take the baby out of her arms. They…

Throughout John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men, the reader sees the frequent and divisive theme of loneliness. In 1930s USA the Great Depression was underway, and this left many men unemployed. Many men left their friends and families in search of menial labour and travelled the USA on a solo search for a job. They’d work this job for a month or so, then collect their money and move on to the next job. These jobs would mostly be on ranches, and due to the inherently hierarchical structure of…