Subconscious Rebellion in the Novel The Metamorphosis Essay

The Metamorphosis, a novella by Franz Kafka, is about a man who has been transformed into a giant beetle overnight. This transformation is a form of rebellion that turns out to be a punishment for that rebellion. The Metamorphosis is a story of subconscious rebellion and isolation to avoid ones responsibilities. The story begins, When Gregor Samsa woke up one morning from unsettling dreams, he found himself changed in his bed into a monstrous vermin. (Kafka, 3) This is quite surprising. Most people would be extremely shocked and frightened to wake up as a giant beetle, but this matter-of-fact tone Kafka uses makes it seem as if Gregor is not shocked at all. It sounds like this is completely normal. In fact,†¦show more content†¦He planned on sending his sister, Grete, to the conservatory ...precisely from the parents opposed wish... (Kaiser, 150) Gregor knows that ...[his] parents would have opposed it. There was a faint sign of rebellion hidden behind this idea... (Politzer, 76-77) All of these rebellious thoughts and wishes built up to the metamorphosis. When, it occurs he becomes free of his wishes. Gregors new identity as a giant beetle doesnt allow him to go to work, hereby setting him free from his intolerable job. Walter Sokel writes that ...the metamorphosis is a rejection of all responsibility... and that The immediate function of the metamorphosis, then, is to prevent an imminent rebellion of the son... (Sokel, 170) But instead of preventing a rebellion, the metamorphosis acts as one. It accomplishes the goal of his longed-for rebellion, and it relieves him from any kind of responsibility he once had. When Gregors office manager shows up at his house to find out whats wrong it becomes known that Gregor may have been in some trouble at work. His office manager says that [Gregors] performance of late has been very unsatisfactory. (Kafka,12) This helps to confirm that Gregor underwent this metamorphosis to avoid all of his responsibilities. At first, it may not seem like this is what Gregor wanted. He does try very hard to convince the manager that he can still come into work. He says Im in a tight spot, but IllShow MoreRelatedHow to Read Lit Like a Prof Notes3608 Words   |  15 Pagesc., coded sex avoided censorship ii. Can function on multiple levels iii. Can be more intense than literal descriptions 17. †¦Except Sex. When authors write directly about sex, they’re writing about something else, such as sacrifice, submission, rebellion, supplication, domination, enlightenment, etc. 18. If She Comes Up, It’s Baptism a. Baptism is symbolic death and rebirth as a new individual b. Drowning is symbolic baptism, IF the character comes back up, symbolically reborn. But drowning on purposeRead MoreStephen P. Robbins Timothy A. Judge (2011) Organizational Behaviour 15th Edition New Jersey: Prentice Hall393164 Words   |  1573 PagesBusiness School, Greenberg founded Rebellion Research Technologies with two other recent Amherst College graduates (Alexander Fleiss and Jonathan Sturges) and another partner (Jeremy Newton) who was still in college. Greenberg and his compatriots are, of course, very young to be leading a New York investment firm. What is even more interesting is the way they’re doing it. All investment bankers and hedge fund managers are comfortable with analytics. What makes Rebellion unusual is the degree to which