PartI:WorksinTranslationReflectiveStatement

WorksinTranslation
IBCandidateNumber:TBD

Howwasyourunderstandingofculturalandcontextualconsiderationsofthework
developedthroughtheinteractiveoraldiscussion?
AfterlisteningintothesecondinteractiveoralpresentationIlearnagreatdealofhow
thecultureandtimeperiodhasanimpactonKafkaswriting.Whatstoodouttomewashow
alienatedhewasintheCzechRepublicduetothelanguagebarriersandhisreligion.Not
onlydidhefeelalienated,buthealsofeltguiltduetothefactthathewasnotallowedtojoin
themilitaryduetohealthissues.Theseeventsinhislifearereflectedinhisbooks,sometimes
directlysuchashimbeingwelloffin
TheMetamorphosis
andsometimesindirectlysuchas
whenhebrieflymentionshisarmybackgroundin,again,
TheMetamorphosis
.
AcommonthemeinKafkasnovelsinvolveisolation,andbeingmisunderstood.The
CzechpopulationintheareaKafkahadlivedingreatlyoutnumberedtheGermanpopulation
makinghimanoutcast.DuetothepoorrelationshipsbetweentheGermansandCzech
judgmentwouldcomequickly.AsKafkagrewolderhispositionandfavoritismforhiskind
leftcolleaguesandpeersjealousleadingtomoreisolation.Notonlydidtheoutsideworld
judgehimandmisunderstandhim,butKafkasfamilyalsodidnotsupporthisambitionasa
writer.Suchnearlycompleteisolationwhilestillbeingsurroundedbypeopleistranslated
intohisbooks.Gregorissurroundedbyfamily,butnooneunderstandshimandwhathe
feels.
BylisteningtothisIOIhavegainmuchinsightintothecontextinwhichKafkawrote
hisbooksin.Byunderstandingwherehegrewupandhowhewastreatedby,notonly,bythe
peoplearoundhimbutalsobyhisfamily,itgivesmoreinsightintothemindofKafka.This
givesmeagreaterunderstandingofthenovel
TheMetamorphosis

andopensmoreavenues
intothedeepermeaningbehindthenovel.
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WrittenAssignment
WorksinTranslation
IBCandidateNumber:TBD

AnEscapefromRealityintoFranzKafkas
TheMetamorphosis

FranzKafkaoncewrote,Butweneedbooksthataffectuslikeadisaster,thatgrieveus
deeply,likethedeathofsomeonewelovedmorethanourselves,likebeingbanishedintoforests
farfromeveryone,likeasuicide.Abookmustbetheaxeforthefrozenseawithinus.Thatismy
belief(FranzKafka).Neverarehiswordsmoretruethaninhisownnovella,The
Metamorphosis.Inthisbook,theprotagonistslifeturnsupsidedownwhenhewakesupasa
bug.Hemuststrugglewithacceptinghimselfwhilehisfamilyislosesacceptanceofhim.
Kafkasnovellaimpliesthatwritingandreadingcanbeawaytoescapereality.Heisableto
implythispurposebyforgingaconnectionbetweenthereaderandGregor.
Withinpartoneofthenovella,KafkaestablishesaconnectionbetweenthereaderandGregor
becausereadersonlyhearhisinnermostthoughtsabouthisjob.Gregorstartsoffhisrantwith,
OhGod,hethought,whatagruelingjobIvepicked!(Kafka3),andproceedstodivulge
whathehatesabouthisjobandhiswishestostanduptohismanagerandleave.Kafkaprojects
Gregorsthoughtstowardsthereader.AsympatheticbondformsbetweenthereaderandGregor.
Usingathirdpersonpointofview,thereader'sattentionfocusesonGregor'sthoughts.This
keepsthereaderfromsympathizingwithGregor'sfamilyandtheirfeelings,becausethereisno
directlink.
ReadersidentifythroughGregorsexperiencebychallengingthereadersviewonGregor's
family.Thelimitedthirdpersonpointofviewkeepsthereaderfromknowingmuchmorethan
Gregorrevealsinhisthoughts.ThefirstactsofviolencetowardsGregorafterheescapesthe
confinesofhisroomarebyhisfather.Afatherfigureshouldbeseenasaprotectorandamentor,
yetGregorseeshisfatheraspitiless,Pitilesslyhisfathercameon,hissinglikeawildman,
(Kafka15).ThroughthedescriptionofGregorsfather,howeverhumblyhemightturnhis
head,hisfathermerelystampedhisfeetmoreforcefully(Kafka14).Thereaderseesthefather
asacrueltyranttoweringoverGregorasheforceshimintohisroom,whichultimatelygets
Gregorhurt.TheironyisGregorsfather,whoshouldhavebeenaprotectivefiguretowardshim,
insteadendsuphurtingGregor.
Throughoutthesecondpartofthenovella,thereaderisasisolatedandasmuchofa
prisonerasGregor.Thelimitedviewkeepsthereaderfromknowinghowthefamilythinksand
actsbeyondthedoorsofGregorsroom.ThereadermustwatchasGregorstruggleswithhis
physicalinjuries,Hisleftsidefeltlikeonesinglelong,unpleasantlytauteningscar(Kafka16),
andhisemotionalinjuries,hefeltveryproudthathehadbeenabletoprovidesuchalifein
soniceanapartmentforhisparentsandhissisterButweretocometoahorribleend?In
ordernottogetinvolvedinsuchthoughts,Gregordecidedtokeepmoving(Kafka16).
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Gregorsfearofhisfamilynotbeingabletoliveincomfortbecauseofhimdominateshismind,
forcinghimtokeepmovingtonotfocusonsuchthoughts.Thereaderisnotabletodoanything,
butreadon.GretetakesuptheroleofGregorswardeneventhoughheseesherashiscaring
sister.GretesroleasthewardenisdisplayedthroughherscheduledfeedingsofGregor,
controllingwhenandwhatheeats,evengoingasfaraslockingthedoorbehindherself.Gregor
seesthisasherlettinghimknowthat,hemightmakehimselfascomfortableashewanted
(Kafka18),whenitcouldhavebeenfearofGregortryingtoleavehisroom.Asthechapter
progresseshisfamilychangesoutsideofhisroom.Hisparentsandsisterallgetjobs,while
Gregorbecomesmoreanimalisticashepassesthedayslockedaway.Kafkaconnectsthereader
moretoGregorwhenGreteandhermotherdecidetomoveallthefurniture,exceptthecouch,
outoftheroom.TheironyisthereaderknowstheiractionsaretheoppositeofwhatGregor
wants,Nothingshouldberemovedeverythinghadtostayhecouldnotdowithoutthe
beneficialinfluenceofthefurnitureonhisstateofmind(Kafka25).Thedramaticironyshows
howlittleGreteactuallyknowsaboutwhatGregorwants.WhenGregorsfathercomeshome
Gretetellshimthat,Gregorsbrokenout(Kafka27),whichcementstheideathatGregorisa
prisoner.
Inthefinalpartofthenovella,Gregorsdeclininghealthisusedtoinstillpityinthe
readerforGregorandformcontemptagainsthisfamily.Gregorscarebyhissistergreatly
declines,andheissoonneglected.WhentheSamsa'sgettenantsandfurniturepilesinto
Gregorsroom,theprisonturnsintoastorageroomwherethingsareforgotten.Gretedoesnot
cleantheroomandGregordoesnoteatanymore,butshemusthaveseenthedirtasclearly
ashedidAtthesametimeshemadesurethatthecleaningofGregorsroomremainher
province(Kafka32).TheabuseleavesthereadertowonderwhyGregorisallowinghimselfto
wasteawayandwhyhisfamilyislettinghimdie.ThesituationshouldhavehadGregorgrowto
hateGrete.Ironically,Gregorfindstemporarypeaceinthepast,bylisteningtohissisterplaythe
violin,givingthereaderinsightonhowcloseGreteandGregorusedtobe.Thereaderfloods
withpitytowardsGregorandhowhissisterhaslostherloveforhim.Intheend,Gregors
demisefinallycomeswhenGreteconfirmsthattheyhadgivenuphopeinhiminthewords,It
hastogo(Kafka38).AsGregorcollapsesinhisroom,herevealsthat,Hisconvictionthathe
wouldhavetodisappearwas,ifpossible,evenfirmerthanhissisters(Kafka39).Thisdeath
sceneshowsthathehadstoppedbelievingthathisfamilywouldaccepthim,andhestopped
acceptinghimself.Gregorsdrawnoutdeathendswith,everythingwasbeginningtogrowlight.
Then,withouthisconsent,hisheadsankdowntothefloor,andfromhisnostrilsstreamedhis
lastweakbreath(Kafka39).ItisinterestingthatKafkagivesGregorapeacefuldeathafterall
thepain,chaosandisolation,bringingGregorandthereaderrelief.Yetintheend,Kafkadiverts
fromtheconsistentpointofview.RatherthanstoppingattheendofGregorslifeandendingthe
novella,KafkashiftshisattentiontoGrete,andherparentsfinishingthenovellawithher,
stretchedheryoungbody(Kafka42).Readersendthebookwithmorequestionsthananswers,
abookthat,affectsuslikeadisaster,(Kafka).
KafkaforgesaconnectionbetweenthereaderandGregortoheightenGregorsdeathby
finallyacceptingthathisfamilyhaslosthopeinhimto,grieveusdeeply(Kafka).By
immersingthereaderinthenovella,throughaccesstoGregorsthoughts,thereadershavea
temporaryescapefromtheirrealityintoGregors.Byinterweavingdifferenttypesofirony
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throughthenovella,thereaderissurprisedbyeachturnofevents.Thebiggestimpactcomes
afterGregordiesandthenovellacontinuesbecauseitkeepsreadersponderingdifferent
meaningsandmotivesbehindhisfamilysactionsandwhyKafkachosetoenditonGreteand
notGregor.TheimpactoftheendofGregorandthestartofGreteis,theaxeforthefrozensea
withinus(Kafka).Itstirssomethingwithinthereadertotryandcomeupwithasingle
conclusionwhichcannotisnotachievedwiththeopenending.
WordCount:
1294

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WorksCited
Kafka,Franz.
TheMetamorphosis.
Trans.StanleyCorngold.NewYork:W.W.Norton&Co.,
1996.Print.
Kafka,Franz."AQuotebyFranzKafka."
Goodreads
.Web.23Oct.2015.

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