TheKingOfIlliterature

I think you're right about Gregor's sister, Julia, the way she changes seems significant. Without Gregor the family dynamic changes and that final line seems to suggest that she's trying to take on a new role within it, more confident and serious. It's also interesting that her maturity is inverse to Gregor's demise - maybe Kafka wants to show that Gregor, despite his best efforts (before the metamorphosis he was finacially supporting the whole family), was always more hinderence than help in their eyes and that they, ultimately, took what happened to him as a blessing. Poor guy.

Another thing about that scene, Julia, is that part of the reason Gregor comes out of his room when he hears his sister playing is that she had been starting to neglect him, to not care as much as she had before about his condition. And what makes this even more sad is that it's understandable, because although it isn't Gregor's fault - or at least Gregor doesn't think it is (the difference there might be significant) - he only makes his family's lives more and more difficult and, as far as they can tell, seems to be doing so either wilfully or uncaringly. The arc of the story is increasingly sad but also makes complete sense, so that the ending is sort of inevitable. That's one reason it's beautiful, I think.

That's ok Wordsgood, it isn't even my thread. How about starting with this, it's a one paragraph story called 'A Little Fable': "Alas," said the mouse, "the whole world is growing smaller every day. At the beginning it was so big that I was afraid, I kept running and running, and I was glad when I saw walls far away to the right and left, but these long walls have narrowed so quickly that I am in the last chamber already, and there in the corner stands the trap that I must run into." "You only need to change your direction," said the cat, and ate it up. Good eh? And I agree with Kylie, the Metamorphosis and The Trial are both brilliant.

Hi everyone. Nabokov's thing about Gregor having wings he never discovered is a clever idea, although I reckon it's more of a poetic and abstract idea than Kafka would have been interested in. I think the poignancy of making Gregor a bug is in the sentences - how hard he finds it to manoeuvre, how he can't control his lots of little legs, how he can't hide properly under the couch, how he starts to enjoy climbing around his walls and ceiling, how he looks repulsive to everyone and collects dirt he can't clean off. Can I ask, Julia, which parts in particular gave you the biggest sense of loneliness and pathos?