There were a lot of things discussed during our chat. It really helped me understand the novel a bit better after getting a feel from some of my classmates. In the 'Lecture' room we discussed a number of things about how the the lecture we watched helped with understanding the novel. Some did not get the same feeling I did in that the lecture really helped me make sense of the novel. It made me feel like there was a true connection between Kafka and the main character, Gregor Samsa. I felt Kafka's life in a way mirrored Gregor's aside from the whole bug thing. They both had a rough relationship with their father, both were told to go to work and support their families, and the close relationship with their sisters. An ironic part about Gregor Samsa's relationship with his sister, Grete, and Kafka's relationship with a woman named Grete were a little similar. Both may have started out well but they certainly did not end that way.
In the 'Potpourri' room I really got a good feeling for how people felt about this novel. Some liked it, some loved it, and some hated it. One of my classmates described this novel as intense, and I happen to agree. It deals with a ton of emotions for me, at first mostly confusion but in the end it started to make sense. After watching the lecture it helped even more. There were some questions that came up during the chat that made it pretty fun to take part in. I, along with some classmates, was curious as to why the family chose to stay in the apartment. I still don't feel like I got a good enough explanation on this so any help would be appreciated. I think getting a general feeling about this novel from other people really made me enjoy it much more. I don't disagree with the views of anybody about this novel; I just choose to see it differently.
I feel the same way that you did about the lecture. I think relating this story to Kafka’s life, really helped me enjoy the story more and I really wish that I had listened to the lecture prior to reading the book.
ReplyDeleteOn a side note, after the chat was over, I found the part in the book where it discussed the family being in the apartment…”for there was always at least two family members at home, since no one really wanted to remain in the house alone and people could not under any circumstances leave the apartment completely empty” (Kafka 38). I know this doesn’t really explain it, but it appears they were frightened to leave him alone in the house.
The lecture had a lot of things in it that compared Kafka and Gregor and it was real easy to see comparisons like his battle with TB and the rough life he had as a kid as well as his relationship with Grete. I wish i watched the lecture before i read the book and it would have been easier to make the connections.
ReplyDeleteI sort of agree with Amanda. I think the family was afraid to leave the apartment due to Gregor's grotesque nature. If his appearance was inexplicable, who knows what he could do? Remember, they didn't even want him to leave his room...
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