As many of people have noted, even before his metamorphosis, Gregor was seemingly already part-bug. He worked for the leader of the colony (the father and boss), never missing a day or stepping out of his routine. He was never able to communicate his true feelings about his work before his transformation, and after, since he eventually developed a bug voice, he couldn’t even if he tried. But what is it about the being a cockroach that makes Gregor so unapproachable and terrifying? I mean, if he was already part bug before on the inside, his outside was, I guess, bound to match it eventually...
I suppose it’s because we haven’t taken the time to understand cockroaches. For example, what if Gregor had turned into a puppy? He would definitely be cuter and more approachable because we are used to dealing with puppies. (I mean, 70-80 million households in America own dogs, so they aren’t an uncommon household pet). A puppies necessities are basically common knowledge: what they eat, drink, where they sleep, what they like to do, etc. I think the Samsas would definitely treat Gregor better if he were a puppy, because a puppy wouldn’t scare away visitors or eat strange things. They wouldn’t hurt Gregor because, I mean, he’s a puppy.
(How could one hurt such a thing???) Most people are trained not to hurt puppies because it’s animal cruelty. Is hurting a cockroach the same thing? I mean, I’ve witnessed numerous people hit, kick, and step on cockroaches, and none of them were reported to the ASPCA. The most logical explanation I can come up with is that it’s because of how they look. (But that just seems like such a judgemental explaination). Cockroaches definitely have a “disgusting” nature to them; they way they crawl around, lurking in the shadows.
You cannot say that those look like fun pets to play around with. (Or maybe you can. Props to you then).
But, I suppose, Gregor’s monstrous form worked in his favor. (Until the end...). If he were a puppy, the family would still be unable to support him, and so he might have been sold and given away or put down. Being a cockroach, he was able to stay at home, in his own room, with his own family until his last breaths. It would be hard to transport a giant cockroach anywhere, so the Samsas were forced to stay in the house until they thought of a solid plan. So, although Gregor’s last days weren’t the best, they could have been way worse. I think, if he was going to die, let it be in his own room with his homemade picture frame cutout...but he did miss out on the cuteness factor. Just sayin.
I disagree that it's best for Gregor to die at his home, or to stay there for so long (assuming that it would have been possible for him to leave). Kind of as Grete said, it could have been better for everyone if Gregor had left at the beginning, and they could remember him as he was before. At least in the beginning he was hardworking, versus at the end where his family views him as a burden. That has GOT to hurt Gregor, who always wanted to do the best for his family. And even if there was an uncomfortable tearful goodbye, at least there were tears and not "thank god it's dead took you long enough." Also, I feel that being isolated in the woods would be less painful than being isolated while surrounded by his family. We all know the pain of being in a room full of socializing people and feeling completely alone. I can't speak for everyone, but I would rather just be on my own than try to awkwardly fit in, and perhaps for Gregor it would be the same. At home he keeps trying to socialize and fail. In the woods, there's no one to meet, and 'nothing to lose,' a passive mentality that I feel Gregor would easily fall into. After all, his idea of being polite is to efface himself as much as possible.
ReplyDeleteWe talked about this at length in our section last friday, how there is absolutely nothing "redeemable" about cockroaches. Knowing Kafka meant vermin when he wrote the book in german I think really sheds some light on what he was going for; his intent was for Gregor to be as monstrous as possible. That aside, I still think things would be better for Gregor if he had been a puppy. If he was a mammal, or a creature with the same number of limbs at least, he could have some control of his body, which he can't even move as an insect.
ReplyDeleteI understand your point that because Gregor was a cockroach, the family was unable to garner the motivation to move him, and thus Gregor was left in solitude in his room until his death. However, I also see merit in the argument that if Gregor were a puppy, or something of that sort, he would have ended up better after all. It is because we as humans interact and form strong, emotional ties with puppies, as opposed to cockroaches, on a daily basis that leads to our fondness and love for them. We do not exhibit these feelings towards cockroaches, as we consider them to be pests that we have no emotional connection with. In this regard, if Gregor were turned into a puppy instead, he might have turned out all right, as the family would have most certainly tried to accommodate for Gregor and adapt accordingly. Essentially, Gregor would be more approachable and place less stress on the family as a whole if he were a more amicable puppy, leading to the belief that both he and the family would have enjoyed an overall less stressful life.
ReplyDeleteThe translator of the edition of "The Metamorphosis" I used to use made a point of using the word "vermin" instead of "insect" in the first line. An insect is clearly implied by the description of Gregor's body, but the German word corresponds to "vermin" and thus implies something completely noxious to human society, something completely other and repulsive and to be eliminated. There's no sense in which Gregor becomes a "pet" to the family--which could be dehumanizing in different ways. But it's crucial that the family be *repulsed* by him. He has no place in human life.
ReplyDelete