As we talked about in English class, Gregor has not metamorphosed into a roach. Sure, we’ve gathered that he has become some kind of insect, but is he really even a dung beetle? I was wondering why Kafka wasn’t more clear. Or was it a translation problem? Nope, it was Kafka’s call.
Kafka uses the noun “ungeziefer” to refer to Gregor, which in Middle High German means “an unclean animal unfit for sacrifice.” As Translator Susan Bernofsky puts it, “‘Kafka wanted us to see Gregor’s new body and condition with the same hazy focus with which Gregor himself discovers them.’”
As my title alludes to, Kafka intentionally blurs the lines, so to speak. In fact, “in a letter to his publisher he stipulated, ‘the insect is not to be drawn. It is not even to be seen from a distance.’”
The original novella cover is actually an illustration of a man in anguish.
I think Kafka’s choice is pretty clever for a couple of reasons. For one, his ambiguity lets the our imaginations whir. Also, like Kafka mentioned, we should look at Gregor’s situation from Gregor’s eyes. Because he is dazed and confused, we shouldn’t be able to see him clearly. He’s completely lost (in mind, body, and spirit), so it’s only fair that the reader sees him in this light as well. What are y’all’s thoughts?
(Despite Kafka’s declaration that he didn’t want the “insect” version of Gregor drawn, his wishes weren’t respected.)
Source: http://www.openculture.com/2015/10/franz-kafka-says-the-insect-in-the-metamorphosis-should-never-be-drawn.html
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2 comments:
Wow, I didn't realize that, Jessie. Thanks for enlightening me! Although the exact type of bug (if any) that Gregor transforms into may at first seem insignificant to the story as a whole, Kafka's choice to render this aspect of the story so ambiguous allows for broader interpretations and more imaginative thinking. If Kafka would have specified the exact bug Gregor transforms into, readers and critics alike would have tried to compare Gregor to that bug much too closely; for example, if Kafka had had Gregor change into a specific type of beetle, our analysis of Gregor's situation and overall psychological state would be limited by the habits, features, and behaviors of that beetle. Simply categorizing Gregor as "an unclean animal unfit for sacrifice" leaves interpretations and analysis of Gregor much more open to the imaginations of readers! Great choice, Kafka!
This is a really cool blog post, Jessie! I just read Farah’s post and seeing those perspectives vs what Kafka actually intended is really interesting. I also think it’s cool how Kafka has a very specific description of Gregors state, yet still shrouds it in ambiguity in his word choice.
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