Humanity and Literature

Paper Summary:

The paper analyzes and compares the unusual social and human perspectives of these three works and particularly how they depart from typical, normally accepted artistic (and other) representations of humanity. In particular, it explores and analyzes the types of assumptions about humanity, about humanity within society, social mores and standards. The fore mentioned are what Kafka, Chekhov, and Lang, respectively, implicitly encourage one to reevaluate within each of these three works.

From the Paper:

"In Franz Kafka's short story "The Metamorphosis," we must first of all suspend our disbelief incredibly (which we, somehow, manage to do, a testament to Kafka's unique genius) in order to accept the idea that Gregor Samsa, a resigned and dutiful office worker, the supporter of his able-bodied yet indolent family, has turned into a big black beetle and can no longer work, or even get out of bed and dress for work. Certainly, this subverts, right away, our assumptions of what is likely and humanly possible. Later, Gregor's enraged father violently illustrates the old social maxim that appearances really do matter, by pelting his stubbornly-metamorphosed son with apples in a fury one day. Soon afterward, Gregor dies. In most cases, human beings are saddened when a son or brother dies, but in this case, the remaining Samsa family members, with the possible exception of little sister Grete, are actually relieved. Gregor's metamorphosis and subsequent death forces upon each of them a metamorphosis of his or her own: ironically, Gregor's physical metamorphosis forces each of them back into life, like butterflies finally emerging from especially stubborn cocoons."

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