Metamorphosis-- Crimes of Gregor Samsa
Gregor Samsa's crimes originate from his intense devotion to his family and his work, which in turn makes him intently devout to the conformist society that creates his world. Although Gregor's crimes are not that of what one might consider to be normal and the arousal of his motivations instigate from values different from what would be perceived as normal, his crimes are still, in fact, crimes. Within the text of Franz Kafka's The Metamorphosis, Gregor becomes the victim of an odd punishment, the transformation into a despicable and horrid bug, that indirectly benefits all of Gregor's previously mentioned motivations. Gregor's transformation is due to his crimes, which include stealing the position of head of his house from his father, alienating as well as losing himself in his work, and becoming a conformist in a society that needs deviation to define and justify its conformity. Gregor's punishment of transformation gives him the ability to repent for all the crimes for which he has been convicted of by himself and society and make right all of his aforementioned wrongs. Gregor becomes pressed into service due to a debt his father brings upon himself and his family as a result of previous busine
Gregor possesses a stereotypical set of values that place family and work, regardless of how useless ones family remains or how distasteful one finds one's "choice" of occupation, far in front of everything else, including one's self. Only because of the new role he takes after his metamorphosis can Gregor's family begin to change itself into the evolved form of themselves and reach their newfound heights of workmanship, self-discipline and genuine worth to the society Gregor helps to create. Although Gregor's most unfortunate transformation could never hope to come to pass in reality, one should take heed of the warnings offered within this novel so that they my never have to suffer the losses of Gregor. After Gregor's metamorphosis the family becomes totally dependent upon itself again; the father takes a job as a deliveryman for a local bank, the mother becomes a seamstress, and the sister evolves into a good, strong woman suitable for a marriage partner. Following the metamorphosis, the roles of father and son are once again reversed. Gregor's father has become lazy and all but useless to everyone in his family due to Gregor's switching in responsibilities. One may find it difficult to comprehend Gregor's crimes as anything truly worthy of the definition of crime, but one must consider the fact that Gregor receives punishment not for his crimes against others, even in the scenario regarding Gregor's theft of his father's household position. The people that comprise Gregor's family are totally and entirely useless prior to Gregor's transformation. The father accepts this switch, apparently enjoying his time relaxing as oppose to making himself a useful and productive member of the family. The sacrifice for the advancement of his family is the place where Gregor commits his second crime, that of becoming alienated and losing himself in his work. "Gregor's family is his parasites, exploiting him, eating him out from the inside" (Nabokov 1). Now that he is unable to work, Gregor's family is obliged to work, with the father reclaiming his place as head of the house. Gregor only takes the job he held prior to his metamorphosis in order to pay off his parent's debt, and once his father's business collapses entirely into the realm of bankruptcy, Gregor holds no option other than to put himself toward his work with a redoubled zeal. Within new values opposing those of the family, the employer and society at large, Gregor emerges as a social deviant" (McNeil 1).
Common topics in this essay:
Thusly Gregor's,
Unfortunately Gregor,
Metamorphosis Gregor,
Gregor's Gregor's,
Gregor Samsa's,
gregor's family,
head house,
gregor's transformation,
gregor's crimes,
set values,
family gregor,
crimes crimes,
takes job,
gregor's father,
metamorphosis gregor,
|
Acceptance Essays
