Book review:
The Metamorphosis makes us question our identity, our very existence—what it takes to be human—about how we try to behave in a manner pleasing to others, perhaps underscoring the bad faith of Sartre. The disturbing aspect of the story is how Gregor Samsa surrenders himself to the frivolity of his family members; how he is stripped of the experience he has carved for himself is rather unsettling and speaks about the irrationality of life and the horrors and dangers of our metamorphosis.
One fine morning, Gregor Samsa wakes in his bed and finds himself metamorphosized into a mammoth bug—the vermin; as expected, he struggles to comprehend what really has transpired, for the reality may be stranger than fiction, but what has happened is out of proportions.
He checks out his little room, and though everything looks ordinary to him anyway, it gets a peculiar inclination; it may not be so. He attempts to turn over and return to bed so that he may do away with the unease of his newly found existence and requests to disregard what has occurred, but the state of strange and recently transformed back limits his mobility to just side to side, as if his degrees of movements have been limited in sync with his existence.
It is intriguing to read about his efforts made to communicate with his family and try something changes so that he could help his family. The change in characters and how they face this scenario brings tears to their eyes but their bonding is praiseworthy.
Kafka tells us that the conventions of normal society are twisted because of our incompetence to look past the surface to the individual inside. In a simple and accessible language, with a good touch of irony, this story opens several doors of reflection on Kafkaesque themes such as dependence, work, a ruthless world, social relationships, family, and the meaning of life.
Highly recommended!
Purchase: The Metamorphosis
No comments:
Post a Comment
For any query, do message me. I will surely try to resolve at my earliest.