Connections

There seems to be a theme of leaving things behind in Great Expectations as well as Kafka's "The Judgement" and "Metamorphosis."  We see in Great Expectations towards the end of chapter 28, Pip is leaving his past behind in the coach.  While the convicts discuss the favor Pip did, giving another convict money, Pip decides to leave it in the past and get off the coach as soon as possible.  In "The Judgement" we see a harsher version of leaving things behind when Georg commits suicide.  And finally, in "Metamorphosis," after Gregor dies, the family leaves him behind, and perhaps the memory of him behind, as they move into another house.

Connections

Chapters 27 and 28 in Great Expectations connects to both "The Judgement" and the "The Metamorphosis". First off,  these two chapters as well as the rest of the book of Great Expectations relates to "The Metamorphosis"  because in the short story Gregor remains isolated in his bedroom and doesn't really have any contact with his family when he is turned into a bug. This idea connects to Pip because in London, Pip is isolated from all his family back at home until Joe comes to give him a visit.  Also, Great Expectations connects to "The Judgement" by both figures Georg and Pip having father figures looking over them. For Pip its Joe, who isn't his real father, and Georg's its his real father whom is really demanding. Even though Pip doesn't live with his father figure like Georg, he goes to visit Joe and his family and Joe comes to visit him.

Connections

A similarity that I found between The Metamorphosis and Great Expectations is the fact that Pip has transformed, if not quite to the extent that Gregor did. He has become more and more a "gentleman", of the sort that he was not when he first came to London. Also, the fact that he was not altogether pleased to hear that Joe was coming indicates a change that he has gone through; previously, he and Joe had been extremely close.

A similarity between "The Judgement" and Great Expectations is the fact that Georg lives with his father, and Pip is now returning to where he used to live in order to be with Joe, who is as much of a father figure as anybody to Pip. Also, the amount of fear that Pip is filled with upon seeing the convicts is similar to the fear that Georg feels when his father stands up and condemns him.

Secrets

Secrets

Within these three stories a common theme is the idea of keeping secretes -which the characters believe will help them- that come back and hurt them in the end. In the example of Pip he has kept the secret of his meeting with the convict and the entire scary scene. Instead of expressing his fear to Joe-a person that Pip should trust- he keeps it all to himself. This fear is then reignited in two separate instances- in the pub, and on the train coming home- that are enough to make Pip experience his initial terror all over again.
Secrets are also kept in Metamorphosis, as Gregor's goal is to get out of his home which is something he never truly spoke out towards his parents. When he finally is turned into the bug and in his last few moments of having the ability to speak, Gregor tries to hide the truth of hi being a bug from his employer and his family in the hopes that he himself can overcome it. Sadly this is not the case, and as his condition deteriorates he is no longer even considered saying anything to his parents.

Finally, in the Judgment secretes are kept by the son in an attempt to keep his father in the dark. By not telling his father the full truth, the son is caught in a lie by the one person he never thought would out him- his father- making him suddenly become overwhelmed with shock and despair. The keeping of secrets leads to this eventual confrontation and in this extreme case the son ultimately takes his own life.

Connections

The connections I can make between The Metamorphosis, “The Judgment,” and Great Expectations are the character’s surroundings shaping who they are and the characters not looking up to their father figure. In “The Judgment” Georg is a grown man who is living with his father who still commands him around and condemns him for his choices. Georg lets this part of his surroundings shape him because he still cowards when his dad yells at him, and even goes so far as to kill himself when his father commands it. Although Georg does as his father commands and wishes that his father liked him more, Georg recognizes his father’s insanity and has no desire to be similar in any sense. In The Metamorphosis Gregor let’s his job of being a salesman who no one likes, physically transform him into a beetle. Gregor doesn’t look up to his father in this story because when he turns into a beetle his father is not sympathetic at all and wants him gone. In Great Expectations, Pip lets his surrounds of gentlemen (and women) transform him into a gentleman who no longer feels any connection to his roots. Pip also no longer looks up to Joe as he did earlier in the book, and now just sees Joe as an unmannered blacksmith. 

Group #1

Group 1: The Three Boarders

What similarities do these characters in the “trinity” share? How are they connected? 

They are all sitting in the house. 




How do the characters interact with Gregor? Are their interactions similar or different?

Gregor spies on the boarders. He is curious about them but stays away because he doesn’t want them to see him.
The boarders are more entertained and amused by Gregor than his sister playing the violin.

There is one leader and two followers (The Boarders)




How do the characters influence Gregor and his ultimate demise? Are they similar or different in the way they affect Gregor?

Gregor being spotted by the boarders when the sister is playing her violin, makes his sister not want to look after him anymore/ want to kick him out. She refers to him as “it”.




How does Gregor's transformation and ultimate demise influence the characters? Are they similar or different in the way Gregor influences them?

They all moved on and now are focusing on the daughter. 

Does this grouping of three have any symbolic significance (religious significance), or is Kafka ironically grouping the characters into a trinity for a larger purpose?

 not sure




Come up with a clear, focused thesis statement that asserts something interesting and arguable about your assigned trinity and its purpose in the novel. Feel free to draw on any or all of the evidence you've gathered.

   The 3rd chapter can be seen as a religious reference as a result to the story of Abraham when he family finally gives up gregor because he is discovered by the 3 boarders 

Group 2

Group 2

What similarities do these characters in the “trinity” share? How are they connected?

-they are all women.

-at some point they all care about Gregor.

How do the characters interact with Gregor? Are their interactions similar or different?

- Mom: She ignores him and then tries to care for him but doesn’t know how to anymore and decided to ignore him.

-Grete: She tries to care for him but neglects him because she realizes he is a bug and thinks her brother is gone (pg. 180). However she refuses to have anyone else care for him because she almost feels guilty knowing he is so miserable.

-Charwoman: She is very curious about Gregor and tries to communicate with him and like is trying to almost get to know him. At first she is sad about Gregor’s death but then realizes it was best for him to die.

How do the characters influence Gregor and his ultimate demise? Are they similar or different in the way they affect Gregor?

-He overhears their conversation in which they talk about how much of a burden he is (pg. 181-182) and he takes that to mean he should be dead which is what ultimately happens to him. They all think he is a burden however the charwoman is more interested in him like a project. In a twisted way it is more depressing for Gregor to know that a person who is not in a family cares more about Gregor than his own family.

Thesis: The woman in the household all have the same basic opinion of Gregor - which is that he as a person and brother and son is gone- which ultimately leads Gregor to his demise under the impression that he is no longer wanted in his home.

Group 4

Gregor in Metamorphosis is a metaphor for jesus as he demonstrates characteristics of a religious martyr and also is surrounded by religious symbolism.

Samsa Family Questions

Group 3: The three family members (Grete, mother, father)

What similarities do these characters in the “trinity” share? How are they connected?

All related to Gregor, all live in the same house, all try to get him back in the room, at some point, all of their opinions of Gregor change  at some point.

How do the characters interact with Gregor? Are their interactions similar or different?

Different. Grete goes in and feeds him, mother is kind of afraid/disguseted at him, father is angry at him and is most physical towards him.  

How do the characters influence Gregor and his ultimate demise? Are they similar or different in the way they affect Gregor?

Influence him by showing that they don’t really want him around. Similar, at first sister seems like she is really trying to help him but by the end she doesn’t care. None of them want him or care about him at the end.

How does Gregor's transformation and ultimate demise influence the characters? Are they similar or different in the way Gregor influences them?

They are happy and they feel like they can finally move to their house and on with their lives. They are all similar.

Does this grouping of three have any symbolic significance (religious significance), or is Kafka ironically grouping the characters into a trinity for a larger purpose?

Ironic trinity because they all show the different ways that people could react to Gregor’s transformation into a beetle. Grete is kind and never thinks he will return to human form and brings him food, father is just angry at him, and mother is sad and doesn’t know how to react, yet thinks that he will return to human form.

Come up with a  clear, focused thesis statement that asserts something interesting and arguable about your assigned trinity and its purpose in the novel. Feel free to draw on any or all of the evidence you've gathered.

Although the family members are all initially influenced by Gregor’s transformation in different ways, by the time that Gregor dies all of the family is brought together.

The Metamorphosis and The Judgment

I think a common theme between The Metamorphosis and The Judgment is fear of disappointment.  In The Judgment, the son is afraid of the father judging him, so he jumps off a bridge due to his inability to cope with his fathers beliefs.  In The Metamorphosis, Gregor is afraid to get out of bed because obviously his whole body has transformed.  He insists that everything is okay, but it isn't.  His behavior and bodily features have changed.  I think that both stories express the reactions of people that aren't accepted by anyone to a certain extent,  regardless of if its getting out of bed in the morning, or jumping off of a bridge.




-English J tbh.

Common Themes

In class the other day, we discussed how the father in The Judgment was literally judging the son and the son feared this. I found this theme of judgement and fear again in chapter one of The Metamorphosis. Gregor does not want to get out if bed that day to go to work, but knows that at some point he will have to. Gregor was contemplating his options after he missed the fist train and said that "even if he did catch the train, there would be no avoiding the boss's fulminations"(120). Gregor knows that the boss will be upset with him and judge him is he is late and Gregor does not want to go through that. Later in the story Gregor again supports the theme of judging and not wanting to be judged when the office manager comes to his house. Gregor is nervous and asks "why was [he] condemned to working for a company where the slightest tardiness aroused the murkiest suspicions?"(125).

Kafka Seems Frosty

Tone: Kafka seems to tackle very intense topics (suicide etc...) that create a very dark feeling to his work. Similar to Frost's tone (very serious/intense), Kafka writes with a sense of depression and loss almost. Although starting very dark, he take a drastic turn and either incorporates a joyful character and/or event that completely changes the tone. His word choice leads to his intense tone. Frost centered his work around grand word choice, over exaggerating the overall theme (just like Kafka). Hopefuly this is a valid comparison, but Frost was the first author that came to mind when thinking about Kafka's voice!
-Matt

Kafka's Imagery in Metamorphosis

One detail that is so unique to Franz Kafka that I have noticed while reading the first chapter of "The Metamorphosis" is how Kafka expresses such a unique and vivid imagery throughout the chapter.  Between explaining the monster that Gregory has turned into or the confusion caused between the office manager and Gregory's parents, Kafka paints a picture that makes his work so easy to read and imagine.  It felt as if I was in the same room as Greg as he was struggling to get out of the bed and open the door.  Kafka also brings the reader into the chase of the office manager out of the house when his family finally sees the monster that Gregory has somehow turned into.  I am very eager to keep reading this wonderfully detailed story by Franz Kafka.

The Judgement Interpretation

Crumb's depiction of Kafka's work "The Judgement" is not as accurate as I would hope it to be.  As I was reading said work, I saw the story as being much more graphic than it was depicted in Crumb's comic.  Kafka's work is much creepier than the comic in my personal opinion.  However, the comic does depict certain aspects that can be overlooked by the reader like the man's father being a "Godlike" figure.  Nonetheless, every other detail is very similar to the text in Crumb's comic depiction of "The Judgement."

Conversations with the Worshiper Imagery

Throughout "Conversations with the Worshiper", Kafka has some very interesting patterns in his imagery. The type of imagery that I noticed in "Conversations with the Worshiper" was the dark, and black patterns. The first time that this type of Kafka's imagery comes up is when the narrator describes the girl who he went to church to see and her "black dress with the diaphanous lace on her shoulders" (4). Another time that this type of dark imagery comes up is the worshipper continuously insisting the narrator to move to a darker place to talk. This imagery shows the darker side of Kafka's otherwise no too dark story.