There was a lot of symbolism going on. For one thing, the actual metamorphosis that transpires is like how his family and the rest of the world view him. He is a worker ant doing his job for the queen (his father). It was also discussed that since the story starts off when Gregor awakens, it is like he is awakening to a higher awareness, or a different way of looking at things. And it’s absurdism to wake up as an insect. The apple in his back represents him being trapped in his room. As his confinement continues, he rots away, like the fruit. The apple can also be tied in in a biblical way. Since Kafka was Jewish, the apple could be from the tree of good and evil. When Gregor is ‘bitten’ by it and his father, he is further rejected and faces a more pronounced ostracization. It could have been commentary on Catholicism as well. The family did the sign of the cross after Gregor dies. Kafka certainly doesn’t paint the family in a kind light, so it could be like he’s making a statement on that since he was Jewish.
There was irony in the fact that Grete was Gregor’s favorite, and his caregiver, yet she was the first one to say he needed to go. The family was more of a group of parasitic insects than Gregor. They were siphoning off of his money and work, and then the situation did a complete 180.
As far as the relation to current times, people are still alienated. Gregor could have been anyone, really. In a world so large, he feels like a miniscule bug. People still wonder what they’re doing and how they fit in. They can be trapped in a room or a job or another unfortunate life situation, and sometimes they can feel as though nothing can be changed. People also sacrifice themselves for their family and loved ones. A parent that works three jobs just to pay for the house and put food on the table is sacrificing their time and physical endurance. They could be working him or her closer to the grave. It’s also like a person dependent (like terminally ill or disabled) on others, not wanting to be a burden anymore, so they think they’re better off dead.
I like your comments about relating the apple to the Bible. It's like the throwing of the apple is a manifestation of how Kafka's Judaism is rejected in his society. Also, it could be reinterpreted as a revisioning of the Adam and Eve scene from the Bible, only this time the father punishes the son. I also like your last paragraph where you're relating the novel to larger issues in society, especially the larger sacrifices that people make for their families.
ReplyDelete