Free Essay Gregor Samsa

SKeo · Uploaded by **SKeo** on Oct 31, 2004

Society was created to help and protect the people living in the society. It created rules and regulations in which to live by. These rules are meant to help the individuals living in society, and promote growth and prosperity. But these rules also have a negative affect. They constrain the individual of his or her uniqueness, and force him or her to follow the rules of society or risk being an outcast. This constringent of the true self causes the individual to have problems within the family unit. Franz Kafka shows how Gregor Samsa, and average son and brother, tries to follow society view of the perfect son, and attains this goal, but in the process cuts himself from his family in Metamorphosis. In the Sound and the Fury, Caddy totally goes against the rules of society and ends up being shunned from it and her family. Society�s suppression of the true individual causes the breakdown of the family structure, and leads the individual to doom.

In Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka, Gregor Samsa, the main character, undergoes a change from a human being to �gigantic insect� or �vermin.� This transformation of physical form by the main character served two purposes. It was to help Gregor realize the true purposes of his life and also help his family finally disconnect themselves from Gregor.

Gregor�s transformation into a gigantic insect was just the outer representation of Gregor�s true self. Gregor was also a bug, the daily routine of his life, would mimic that of a drone, thus this transformation showed him what he had truly become. But, this transformation gave Gregor time to think and reflect upon his life, and what its true purpose was. Gregor finally realized that all he longed for was love and acceptance by his family. When he was a bug, he was �cut off from his mother, who was perhaps dying,� Gregor longed to be near his mom and care for her, before the transformation, he did not have time to �care.� Gregor did not consider his role in the family as a caretaker anymore, it was no longer his duty to provide for them, all he could give them now was love, and that was all he ever wanted in return.

To his family, Gregor became a source of income and only a source of income. They �never recurred, at least not with the same sense of glory�� when he gave them the money after the first time. Gregor relationship with his family changed at that instance, he was no longer the child, but the parent, and like all parent/child relationships, and sooner or later the child would have to leave. The family no longer needed him once he couldn�t provide, monetarily, for them anymore, thus they cut him off from the family completely, and he was left in his isolation.

Gregor�s death was bound to happen. He realized that all he ever wanted from his family was love and acceptance, but his family could no longer give that to him. He has isolated himself from the family for too long, and then the family no longer needed him. Once they found another source for income, the sister and the boarding people, they no longer cared for him. He was left to die alone and forgotten because he couldn�t offer anything else to anyone.

In the Sound and the Fury, Candace (Caddy), the second child of Jason III Compson and Caroline Compson, was always a strong individual since childhood. She went against any rules that governed her; she muddied her drawers while playing with her brothers. Also, when she was older, she went out with boys and had premarital sex with Herbert Head. This was not the act of a young lady; scoeity could not condone such actions. She was too strong to be held by society�s image of a young lady, and thus broke away.

When she had premarital sex, leading to the birth of a child, it leads to a breakdown of the family that she loved. Her relationship between each of her brothers and her mother dissolves because they cannot condone what she has done, for they are also part of society and thus they believe in society�s view of the world.

Quentin Compson, Caddy�s older brother, had always precieved himself to be the protector of Caddy�s pureness. When she lost her virginity, he found no reason to continue living and he dwelled in the past. He couldn�t continue lving in the present and this he committed suicide.

Jason IV hated his sister for losing her virginity. He had beenprmoised a job with Caddy�s new husband, but lost it when the husband found out of the affair Cnadace had before. He blames Cnadace for the lose of his job, and cannot conitnue with his life. He lives in the past, dreaming of what could have happened, rather than making his dreams come true by his own means. Caroline Compson would not allow the hosue to speak of Candace Compson any further. She hated her daughter for bringing about the destruction of the family.

Both of these inviduals, Gregor and Caddy, shows how scoeity leads to the breakdown of the family structure. Greagor Samsa tried to follow society�s view of the perfect child, and toiled long and many hours to provide for his family. He became the child that soceity wanted, but his relationship with his family was the sacrifice. He was no longer a part of the family, and when he needed them, they were no longer there to care and help him. Caddy Compson offers the other side of the story. She was too strong of an individual to be bound by society. She broke all the rules that society had placed upon her, and forged her own path in life. Yet, thus path to inner truth, lead to a disintegration of her relationship between her family and the downfall of her family. This rebellion of society proved to be fatal for the Compson family, but yet the conformity of society by Gregor also leads to his demise.

It just shows that one must regulate between what is right and what is wrong. One cannot rebel against all the rules of society because one will just cause more harm than good. But also, one cannot follows the rules of society because it leads to a dull life and no inner self. The individual must choose which rules to follow and which rules to break for the betterment of society.