Saturday, April 17, 2010

Step 4: Set the Timer, and Step Back

“He thought of his family with tenderness and love. In this state of vacant and peaceful meditation he remained…” (Kafka 393).

Kafka’s The Metamorphosis is a controversial piece, each scholar offering a different interpretation. A metaphor is taken to the extreme as Kafka makes a point. Yet, what is this point he makes? What is he trying to plead, inform, ask of his readers?

Which is more powerful, fear or love? In such a mysterious piece, it’s difficult to find the trail of fear and love, as they intermingle, sometimes seeming to be one.

Taking a step back from the story, and looking at the bigger picture, one element seems emphasized to me: Kafka’s motif of transformation. Shocking his reader with the physical transformation in the opening sentence of his story, Kafka does not stop there. As the reader walks through Gregor’s eyes, we watch his family become forced to take on bigger roles, holding their fate upon their shoulders instead of their previous constant reliance on Gregor as financial supporter. Although at first they seem frustrated by the insect on their hands, Gregor’s family ultimately becomes stronger through their endurance. Yet, in the end, they seem to be devoid of love for Gregor, pushing him to his death.

But Gregor’s death is not a sad ending! Quite opposite, in fact, as he dies, his family becomes liberated and Gregor himself is freed from the burden of failing his family and constantly being oppressed. He encounters death with a quiet acceptance, dying in peace.

Conclusively, this is a love at the end. Maybe fear ruled his life, but the ultimate transformation was of Gregor’s fear into love, until he becomes so fulfilled that is life seems complete.

Theme: Fear empties our being, but love satisfies, forever.

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