Today in class, Mr. Mitchell mentioned that The Metamorphosis will have a very bright and happy ending. But to be honest, up to the reading for today, I have been getting more and more sure of how heart-wrenching this book will end up being. Everything seems to be going downhill for everyone. Gregor's family is tossed into a new way of life where they actually have to do something in their lives. His sister starts to realize how it is not really fun to take care of a gigantic maybe-this-is-Gregor cockroach. Gregor himself has become more short tempered and impulsive than how we see him in the beginning of the book. Everyone is starting to realize that things are not what they seem.
Lets start with the family. Initially, the mother and father are really bewildered by the appearance of a huge cockroach in their son's room. Their initial reactions are lined with disbelief. Before they see what has happened to Gregor, the father and mother had an attitude of almost annoyance as they thought that their son was pulling their legs in some way or another. But even after they see him in his new appearance, there is that sense of, "this isn't real, this can't be!" in their reactions. It is almost as if they want to tell him to cut it out, but they are just so shocked, they can't seem to do so. As the story develops, we see that the family makes attempts to try to accept Gregor in his new form by leaving the door open at dinner time, etc. But still, the father or the mother do their best to avoid any contact with Gregor. They do not enter his room, they do not talk to him. There is complete rejection, and then later, negligence on their behalf. At the end of today's reading, we just got to the part where the tenants are just about to notice Gregor at any moment. As I was reading the prelimanary passages of how Gregor creeps farther and farther into the living room, and everyone is just waiting there oblivious, but about to notice him in any moment, I felt that weird feeling of fear for Gregor, and more importantly, a foreboding feeling of all chaos breaking out under that roof as both the family and the tenants freak out at the sight of a giant cockroach standing half way in a completely dark room, staring at them. There is no way I can see this ending happily!
Then, there is Greta and her behavior in respect to Gregor. At first, she seems very compassionate and caring, but we see this through Gregor's eyes. But lets suppose that she really is compassionate. She cleans Gregor's room, brings him food, notices his habits and tries to help him with giving him more access to the walls and ceiling. But after months, her care becomes minimal. She has lost her sense of responsibility, and Gregor, having nothing to reward her with for her diligence, is downgraded to literally the level of a bug. In her mind, he is isolated from the family, and is something that just scuttles around. This cockroach isn't even involved with the family in any way! Why should she put up with him? Why should she pretend like she cares?
Who needs this care? A cockroach doesn't know how to appreciate. That's something that only humans can do. Her irritation with him is becoming more and more apparent through the lessening quality of care that she is giving him day by day.
Finally, Gregor himself is becoming more distant from his original self. He is anger more easily than before, and he has become more assertive in his behavior. His personality is becoming more bug-like as he does what he wants without really thinking it through. Greta's music lures him out into the open where he knows he should not be. Although he remembers human things, he still goes on the walls and makes himself comfortable in the insect-way-of-life. Inside him, more anger builds as he hears his family discussing their matters about moving and finance and he realizes that he used to be everything for the family, and now, he is still alive but completely at their mercy in a way. They just feed him for the sake of feeding him, and there is nothing more. What makes all this building up of anger potentially dangerous is that Gregor can't release his anger anywhere. He cannot yell at someone, or talk to anyone, or just get his thoughts across. So as the reader, I am just sitting here waiting for him to reach some breaking point and go and rampage and destroy everything in sight. This is just what everything seems to be coming to; total chaos.
Yet, there is still another large section left in the story, and everything can change and resolve. It is just at this particular part of the book that I feel like things could not get better, that this story is on its way to some sort of horrendous ending where Gregor completely embraces his power as a huge bug and goes off in anger terrorizing and attacking people. Of course, we cannot expect something that predictable from Kafka, yet still I am pushed to think that this is how everything will end. But there is still much more to read, and we will see how this so seemingly doomed plot can reverse its direction and leave us on a bright and cheery note.
No comments:
Post a Comment