The Metamorphosis and Gregor’s Alienation Essay

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Andres Rabellino 3/27/2013
Honors Modern World Lit. Kafka

Reflection on Project

Watching classmates’ presentations made me aware of other important ideas in the story The Metamorphosis. Also, I saw different interpretations of the story through different artistic expressions. Vahag’s presentation in particular was unique because of the art form, which was the most creative of all the presentations. He used several elements from the story to construct Gregor as a beetle and to symbolize how he was. The elements he used were the cane, the suitcase, the lampshade, and the apple. Vahag mused that all these individual elements represent aspects of Gregor’s overall alienation. The suitcase, for example, represents Gregor’s alienation before the metamorphosis and his past role in the family. I thought that Vahag’s use of symbolism to explain Gregor’s alienation was enlightening because it showed me how Kafka intentionally chose objects to convey specific motifs. Another very thoughtful presentation was that of Betty, who made a wire sculpture of Gregor and his bed. One reason I liked her presentation was because she used metal, an abstract, gray texture that compliments the gloomy mood of the story. The metallic appearance of Gregor in her structure can be associated with Gregor’s dehumanization. Gregor in some ways became like metal. His family began to see him as an inanimate object that had no human emotions. Ambrose’s presentation was also

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