Susanna Domosi:
I believe that there is a stark contrast between “The Allegory of the Cave” by Plato and the ending of “The Metamorphosis” by Franz Kafka. In the allegory, the fhuman exists the cave to learn the truth about the world. He gains knowledge by seeing beyond the images of shadows in and when returning to the other humans still in the cave, he is not understood. The experience of the human exiting the cave and learning about the world can be seen as a transformation, which then can be argued is a similarity because Gregor in ‘The Metamorphosis” also goes through a transformation into a bug. The difference between the two is that Gregor does not gain knowledge or insight about the world, but is rather negatively affected by his transformation and end up dying. The human gains expanded knowledge because of his transformation, yet Gregor is made a more primitive creature because of his transformation.
Jiwoo Han:
I want to compare the graphic text “Kaspar” with the ending of “The Metamorphosis”. I think that there is a pretty big difference between the two. In the Kaspar, a man comes up to him and tell him what to do. The man teach him how to write and read, and even make him stand up and walk. But he does not have intention of learning anything at all and what he likes to do is to lie down and fall asleep. At the end of the story, “I stay standing where I am”. When the man leaves him, he does not sure what to do and know what is going on. On the other hand, in the Metamorphosis, Gregor is aware of how things going on. “His good intentions seemed to have been acknowledged; it had just been a momentary fright he had given them” (Franz 238). This statement shows Gregor comes to know the meaning of his presence to his family, and then he ends up dead.
5 responses so far ↓
j.azcue // Apr 7th 2017 at 9:25 am
Commenting on Susanna’s analysis I completely understand and agree upon her statements. “The human gains expanded knowledge because of his transformation, yet Gregor is made a more primitive creature because of his transformation.” I believe this last sentence resumes both endings in a very clear way. Even though I did compare both endings I never though about it in this manner. Regardless, one could say that Gregor’s transformation was only physical because besides not being able to going to work his lifestyle did not change much. What changed and apparently for good was he’s families. He’s father started looking more polish and standing straighter, her sister pursue her violin career and they realized they had enough money saved.
sh125650 // Apr 7th 2017 at 11:12 am
I agree with Jiwoo’s compare with “Kaspar” and “The Metamorphosis”, this two is quite different. In Kaspar, “I stay standing where i am”, the man in black seems to give Kaspar a sense of purpose, in the end, he is left standing in place as if he is lost or does not know what to do with himself. For the Metamorphosis, it is a happy ending that has undercurrents of sadness. Gregor dies in his room, his family is now free of the specter of Gregor. Without him, they are free to once again to continue living. Believing that life is good and the future is bright.
m.santos4 // Apr 7th 2017 at 11:45 am
Although I did argue that The Metamorphosis and Kaspar have their similarities, I do agree with the differences Jiwoo Han mentions. Hes states, “In the Kaspar, a man comes up to him and tell him what to do. The man teach him how to write and read, and even make him stand up and walk. But he does not have intention of learning anything at all..” I agree with this because all Kaspar does in the short story is wake up, eat, lay down, and sleep. On the other hand, Jiwoo mentions how Gregor is aware of how things going on where I also agree. He is aware that he is the one who brings in family’s income but he can no longer do so since his transformation. In Kaspar, he learns to adapt at the end but Gregor ends up dead.
k.stojanovic // Apr 7th 2017 at 11:47 am
Susanna I agree with your post. While talking about The Allegory of the Cave I liked how you said the others didn’t understand the human that exited the cave. I also agree with your comparison “The difference between the two is that Gregor does not gain knowledge or insight about the world, but is rather negatively affected by his transformation and end up dying. The human gains expanded knowledge because of his transformation, yet Gregor is made a more primitive creature because of his transformation”. When comparing to my post I talked about escaping reality and refusal of reality. So how you said the humans didn’t understand the human that escape the cave was a refusal of reality, and Gregor dealing with his transformation and then dying was a escape of reality.
j.guzman3 // Apr 7th 2017 at 12:01 pm
Susanna, i too agree that the prisoner that escaped the cave can now be considered enlightened but i also do believe Greger has too. His new life as a bug has confirmed a side of his family that he always questioned. “The human gains expanded knowledge because of his transformation, yet Gregor is made a more primitive creature because of his transformation.” Gregor has been caught by the reader often smiling at his family’s action almost in amused way. But to be amused is to laugh at the mediocrity of something taking place, therefore he now know, and he is better for it in a way.
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