World Lit Paper Structure:

·      What do I want to write about?

o   A Pastiche

§  The unique writing style of Camus interests me. Moreover, it gives me the opportunity to write in a different way than I have been accustomed to.

§  Fill in a scene that I believed was missing or would’ve been interesting

·      A cross examination of one of the characters

·      Or a scene with the protagonist and Marie

·      Necessary steps to be able to write a good Pastiche

o   Re-read the entire book once more (makes it a total of two times

§  Highlight important passages that illustrate Camus’ writing

§  Analyze the difference between his writing in the first part as oppose to the second one.

·      Decided which one suits me best

o   Read secondary sources

§  Might help me further understand why the author writes the way he does

·      Research

o   This may be the most important part of the process upon which my World Lit paper will be written

§  I need to know the author’s life inside out, understand what pushed him to write the book the way he did

§  Or even why he chose this topic

·      Read autobiographies as well as secondary sources that analyze Camus’s character.

o   Also, if given the time I will read the book in French. Fortunately, the language in which the text is originally written is one I know.

§  This will help see the ‘exact’ structure and method Camus wrote the book. Often vital information is lost in translation, and I will merely make sure of the fact that I didn’t miss anything important.

o   Recognizing the history of the time period in which this book was written may be of great importance

§  Comprehend the history of France during the time at which the book takes place as well as when it was written

·      The Specific Structure of the World Lit Paper

o   Make a vivid outline in bullet points (very similar to this one) where all the ideas are clearly explained.

§  The evidence should be good and so should the writing, the only thing missing should be the transition between the ideas and paragraphs

o   Come up with a thesis statement.

§  Once that my examples are laid out and I know what my main points will be, I will construct my thesis statement

·      It should clearly state what my paper will be about and should relate to all my main ideas

o   I’ll keep on polishing the thesis statement until it fulfills the requirements provided above

o   Put the bullet point form into ‘essay form’

§  Figure out in which orders the ideas should be

§  Include the transition between ideas

o   Read my essay over and over

§  Need to be sure that my essay demonstrates EXACTLY what I want to say

§  Make corrections as they are deemed necessary

o   Write the conclusion

§  Once I’ve made sure that my essay articulates exactly what I want it to, I’ll write the conclusion

o   Read my highlights in the book again

§  This is to make sure that the evidence that is used in my paper was the best choice

o   Read, read, and read…

§  Every sentence should flow well

§  Read the paper multiple times out-loud

·      To make sure everything makes sense, no words are missing, and the necessary pauses are there

·      Give yourself a break

o   Take some time off the paper and then go back to it

§  Edit as much as possible until you are left with a smile on your face and are proud of your paper!

What is Kafkaesque?

          According to Dictionary.com Kafkaesque is: pertaining to, characteristic of, or resembling the literary work of Franz Kafka. It is also defined as: marked by a senseless, disorienting, often menacing complexity. Like my History teacher once told me, don’t trust dictionaries for it is written by men smoking cigars and pondering upon what sentence would sound the ‘smartest’. So, I decided to get an accurate definition through someone who has done an in-depth analysis on Kafka’s life. “Frederick R. Karl, author of an exhaustive critical biography of Franz Kafka, believe that the word is as misused as it is used?... ‘What's Kafkaesque,’ he said in an interview in his Manhattan apartment, "is when you enter a surreal world in which all your control patterns, all your plans, the whole way in which you have configured your own behaviour, begins to fall to pieces, when you find yourself against a force that does not lend itself to the way you perceive the world.” (http://www.nytimes.com/1991/12/29/nyregion/the-essence-of-kafkaesque.html) Upon being enlightened by Frederick R. Karl I can immediately appreciate how Kafkaesque relates to Kafka (the movie) and The Metamorphosis.

            Karl says Kafkaesque is when you enter a surreal world in which you have no control and understanding; this is literally what happens in both the film and the novel. In The Metamorphosis the protagonist wakes up one day and realizes that he has transformed into a bug. Everything is altered: how high he can see, the speed at which he can walk, his method of communicating, his weight, and even his vision. All of a sudden the protagonist wakes up in a different world and has to adapt to a lifestyle he doesn’t comprehend or want. Even though Gregor may see the world in the same fashion as before, the rest of world will change their perception of him instantly. Unfortunately for him, he cannot make his family understand what happened for he himself doesn’t understand it. His life has fallen to pieces and he has no means to repair it. This new world he lives in is absurd and beyond his understanding. Furthermore, one can further appreciate Karl’s definition of Kafkaesque upon watching Kafka. In the movie, Kafka learns that there are a group of scientist that alter brain activity and thoughts of people in order to keep them from protesting. Again, this world that he has unveiled is bizarre and relatively complex. Upon encountering crazy people, side effects due to the experiments, he recognizes the fact that not only are the experiments wrong but they are also harmful to the public. Kafka wants to stop the experiments but he finds himself in a world that he doesn’t fully understand and has no control over. The current situation isn’t parallel with Kafka’s perception of the world so he decides to fight back on his own. Miraculously, he is successful and destroys all the instruments that were allowing the scientists to brainwash the people. After this accomplishment Kafka recognizes that he is part of this world and will no longer fight it. However, that is when he coughs blood and the audience realizes that he is dying; he finds himself against a force that does not lend itself in the way he perceives the world.

            Thanks to Frederick R. Karl I was better able to understand what Kafkaesque is and how it relates to Kafa’s life as well as his writing. One can also perceive the numerous similarities between Kafka’s life and his characters. Having said that, to me Kafka still remains a bit of a mystery; it turns out to the rest of the world as well. “ ‘It's impossible to pin Kafka down,’ he said. ‘The only way to approach him is by surrounding him with everything he was surrounded with in his lifetime. He played one role to his family, another to his friends, another role in his insurance office.’ ” (http://www.nytimes.com/1991/12/29/nyregion/the-essence-of-kafkaesque.html?pagewanted=5&src=pm)

Analysis and Interpretation of an Excerpt

In this excerpt Grete and her mother are taking all of Gregor’s furniture out of his room. This excerpt presents a great deal of irony as we see how the characters feelings have changed after Gregor’s transformation. Gregor states, “They were clearing his room out; taking away everything he loved;” It’s ironic that Gregor spent a great deal of his time working at a job that he utterly despises so that his family could afford food and in return they repay him by taking away all the stuff that he loves. “…he had to confess that he would not be able to stand it much longer.” This really shows how much Greogor’s family cares about him. When he was transformed into a cockroach he could no longer do his job, and as a result became useless to his family. Moreover, Gregor’s feelings towards his family also change; he begins to despise them. This is illustrated when he says, “… he had no more time to waste in weighing the good intentions of the two women, whose existence he had by now almost forgotten.” Gregor no longer acknowledges the other characters as family, he doesn’t even call them by their names; he recognizes them as, ‘the two women’. Even Grete, who he was thankful to and wanted to give his savings to, now he hated. Gregor says, “… she wanted to get her mother to safety and then drive him down from the wall. Well, let her just try it! He clung to his picture and would not give it up. He would rather fly in Grete’s face.” Quite ironic is it not? The sister that he wanted to give his savings to and the mother that he spent his adult life earning money for, had now enforced him to hate them.

Part 2:

In this excerpt of The Metamorphosis Grete and her mother are taking all of Gregor’s furniture out of his room. This excerpt presents a great deal of irony as we see how the characters feelings have changed after Gregor’s transformation. Gregor works at a job that he utterly despises for the sole purpose that it pays off his parents debt, and he’s treated so appallingly that he ends up with abhorrence towards his family: “… and the scrapping of furniture along the floor had the effect on him of some vast disturbance coming from all sides at once, and however much he tucked in his head and legs and pressed his body to the floor, he had to confess that he would not be able to stand it much longer. They were clearing his room out; taking away everything he loved;” (Kafka, 86). This clearly demonstrates the extent of Greogor’s family’s affection.  This quote is only two whole sentences as the anguish, hatred, and despair overtook Gregor and he could no longer stop expressing the illustrious hatred that he felt towards the women, they were purposely ‘taking away everything he loved’ after all that he had scarified. When he was transformed into a cockroach he could no longer do his job, and as a result became useless to his family. Moreover, Gregor’s feelings towards his family changed drastically; he begins to despise them. This is illustrated when he says, “… he had no more time to waste in weighing the good intentions of the two women, whose existence he had by now almost forgotten.” (Kafka, 86). Gregor no longer acknowledges the other characters as family, he doesn’t even call them by their names; he recognizes them as, ‘the two women’. Even Grete, whom he was thankful to and wanted to give his savings to, now he detested. Gregor says, “… she wanted to get her mother to safety and then drive him down from the wall. Well, let her just try it! He clung to his picture and would not give it up. He would rather fly in Grete’s face.” (Kafka, 87). Quite ironic is it not? The sister that he wanted to give his savings to and the mother that he spent his adult life earning money for had now enforced him to hate them. 

What A Depressing Life He Leads...

Irony plays a vital role in part I of The Metamorphosis, this allows the author to better illustrate Gregor’s life. Throughout the book we see the agony that Gregor lives in, and the use of irony helps us paint a more vivid picture of how pathetic his life is. It also permits us to perceive the reaction of the rest of the family about this injustice present in Gregor’s life.

            Firstly, The author can portray how depressing Gregor’s life is by showing his relationship with his work. He is forced to work as a traveling salesman; a job that he utterly despises. He says, “Oh God, he thought, what an exhausting job I’ve picked out for myself. On the road day in, day out.” In this sentence alone there are multiple examples of irony. One can assume that Gregor hates this job; however, the truth is he needs it. Even though he hates the job, he will never quit because he is helping his family by working off the debt that they owe. At the end of the day, when he comes home and his family is able to feed themselves solely because of his doing, he must feel good. Moreover, he states in the quote, “What an exhausting job I’ve picked out for myself.” It’s ironic because he didn’t even get to pick the job! One may believe that the reason he says this is to simply make himself feel better and feel as though he has some type of control over his life; which he doesn’t. Also, he ends the quote by saying, “On the road day in, day out.” One may regard this as an example irony because his job is to travel frequently, yet he is trapped by his family’s decisions.

            Secondly, Gregor’s family demonstrate a great deal of irony through their decisions and thoughts. Gregor states, “The breakfast dishes were set out on the table in great number, for breakfast was the most important meal of the day for Greogor’s father, who stretched it out for hours over various newspapers.” Usually, we are accustomed to associating the Father/Husband as the primary earner in the house. In this case, not only is the father not the primary earner, he doesn’t earn anything at all. While his son his at work paying for his father’s debt, the father just stays home enjoying breakfast for hours. This really articulates the fact that Gregor’s family doesn’t really love him. Furthermore, even though his mom claims to love him one can perceive that as a lie as she doesn’t object to her husband not working while her son is out living no life of his own. If she truly loved him, she would figure out a way to let him live his own life and persuade her husband to pay off the debt himself.

            Lastly, the book begins by showing the reader that Gregor has become a cockroach, but as we learn more about the character it feels as though it wasn’t that big of a change. Of course, he has become uglier, but other than that not much has changed. He was never rightfully treated and that fact stays the same when he becomes a cockroach. In fact, it might help him show the truth; when he becomes a cockroach he can no longer work and pay off the debt and therefore becomes useless to his family. Instead of trying to figure out a solution and helping him his family just ignores him. This very well communicates to the reader and Gregor that his family only cared for him because he was there main source of income.

            Irony plays an imperative role in this book as it allows the author to demonstrate how horrible Gregor’s life is. He’s trapped in a job he absolutely hates, his parents don’t really care for him, and becoming a cockroach didn’t make his life that much worse. It must be utterly atrocious to be Gregor!