Kafka’s Metamorphosis helped solidify a conviction I recently gained from living in the city. I see how small the individual is. Millions take the train everyday, some wealthier than others, but almost all do the same thing. Work aimlessly. A lucky few do what they love while most succumb to the pressures of the world. There is always something, an outside factor pushing us a certain way. The metamorphosis of Gregor with his lack of emotion throughout shows that exact monotony. Changing into a cockroach, the universally known disgusting insect, was not enough for Gregor to really care. No questioning period, no second thoughts as to why.
I do not want to come off as the depressed kid expressing what he thinks causes sorrow in the world, but oh well. Kafka actually made me sad reading his short story, so I guess he succeeds in evoking emotion. Being a business major does not help to my idea of conformity by force, not by choice. I will soon wear the suits and ties same to what the thousands of other yuppies wear. Strangely though I do not mind. The thought of joining the work force, the world of uniformity does not scare or worry me. In a sense my indifference makes me similar to Gregor.
Nah its actually okay haha.
I really enjoyed reading your mood diary as well as your thoughts on Metamorphosis. I never thought about the book the way that you described it, and I have to say that while I agree with what you said in regards to Gregor and his lifestyle, I personally do not feel the same way about myself. I think that you are definitely correct with your assessment of Gregor being a dull character who works aimlessly at job that he doesn’t even enjoy. However, I don’t think that I would ever be able to behave like that. If I’m going to spend the rest of my life working, I may as well spend it doing something I enjoy, instead of having the same-old suit and tie job like everyone else.
I completely agree with the thoughts you have from now living in the city. I too feel that each individual is so small. We all inhabit the train for roughly a half hour coming from whatever bland, uneventful day we may have had except for the lucky few who actually do love what they are doing. Unfortunately according to Kafka, in the grand scheme of things everybody is a Gregor. Everybody seems to be going to a monotonous job to provide for a family at home and conform to society’s standards of being an active citizen. I hope that we do not succumb to society’s pressures and that instead, we do enjoy whatever different job we are doing even though we will look the same as everyone else. As a business major as well I am not scared of my eventual conformed outfits to the rest of the corporate world. However, I will not let myself be okay with becoming a cockroach. Maybe I will look like everyone else in my business attire but I won’t feel like they do. Unlike Gregor, I will not just merely accept miserableness which I guess, makes me not indifferent like Gregor at all.