Interviews with Franz Kafka

Started by KyriakosCH, Tue 07/07/2020 12:49:54

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KyriakosCH

With the help of the Golem of Prague, our crew managed to secure an interview with the famous author.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDwSNl8Xwko
This is the Way - A dark allegory. My Twitter!  My Youtube!

milkanannan

KyriakosCh, what does The Metamorphosis mean to you?

KyriakosCH

Quote from: milkanannan on Wed 08/07/2020 03:45:38
KyriakosCh, what does The Metamorphosis mean to you?

:D

You can read my analysis of it here: (obviously free to read article - my Patreon mostly has open to the public stuff)

https://www.patreon.com/posts/27097588
This is the Way - A dark allegory. My Twitter!  My Youtube!

milkanannan

Thanks, that was an interesting article. Yeah, it is important to take Kafka's personal situation into account when analysing this text. I appreciate you also connecting the book to significant historical markers of the period it was written in.

I read The Metamorphosis for the first time about four years ago. I was reading it literally until I got about halfway through and someone suggested to me that Gregor is actually experiencing deep depression and is not in fact an insect. This shift in perspective completely changed my appreciation for the story and its contribution to literature. When I was an adolescent, a very good friend of mine went from being an outgoing, fun-loving guy to a clinically depressed individual completely unable to get out of bed, a change that occurred slowly over the course of about 12 months. At his worst, he would just lay in bed with the covers over his head and just not want to see anyone or be seen by anyone. He would read or listen to music sometimes, but often he would just lay there unable to improve his situation. The only thing he would eat is yogurt, so he lost a bunch of weight and just looked very very unwell. This was our senior year of high school, and he essentially had to stop attending classes and deal full-time with his new way of being.

I have never myself experienced depression of this sort, but I found many of the themes and characters that run through The Metamorphosis paralleled with what my friend went through. For example, some people were like Gregor's father with the angry 'just snap out of it!' attitude. Some were like the sister and wanted to understand and be helpful as best they could (i.e. noticing Gregor prefers garbage to sweetened milk; giving Gregor a compassionate look despite his revolting appearance). Some were like the mother and just didn't want to see it but lovingly wanted it to be over.

Also, descriptions of Gregor trying to figure out how to carry on as normal were true to my friend's experience, too. The unanticipated and unprovoked nature of the entire ordeal (i.e. just waking up one day and feeling as repulsive as an insect). The descriptions of the strangers that come to live with the family and how Gregor is unable to interact with them or even face them (all of the shameful emotions these experiences stir up). The apple his father lodged in Gregor's back might be a symbol for the very hurtful things that family members and friends say to those suffering deep depression.

Sorry, much longer than I thought starting out. I really enjoyed this book when I read it from a less literal perspective. It took many years, but my friend found a medicated solution that works for him. He is back to his old self and finished a graduate degree. Now he has a partner and successful career, but he says he will forever describe this depressive episode as the greatest challenge in his life.

KyriakosCH

Great that your friend got out of it :)

Can't say the same for myself, sadly  :-\
This is the Way - A dark allegory. My Twitter!  My Youtube!

milkanannan

Cesar Gray about to drop a spam nuke any minute...

KyriakosCH

Quote from: milkanannan on Tue 18/08/2020 19:10:14
Cesar Gray about to drop a spam nuke any minute...

Great when one's work generates discussion  := :=
This is the Way - A dark allegory. My Twitter!  My Youtube!

Slasher

Kafka was a genius who escaped his rich, tyrannical father....Metamorphosis was used as a metaphor regarding his sudden realization. He family hated his views and accused him of betrayal..

If you study his life you will see that he knew about the Bureaucratic society, termed as Kafkaesque...... He was ahead of his time..... Sad end for a great man..

Everyone should read Metamorphosis and his other books.




Snarky

Quote from: milkanannan on Tue 18/08/2020 19:10:14
Cesar Gray about to drop a spam nuke any minute...

Hey, please do flag these posts and users when you see spam or suspect spammers. I've just been going through deleting a bunch of his posts that have been edited to add spam.

milkanannan

Quote from: Snarky on Tue 10/11/2020 08:12:23
Quote from: milkanannan on Tue 18/08/2020 19:10:14
Cesar Gray about to drop a spam nuke any minute...

Hey, please do flag these posts and users when you see spam or suspect spammers. I've just been going through deleting a bunch of his posts that have been edited to add spam.

Sorry, will do next time.

Behis1995

I first got acquainted with the work of Kafka at school - then I was attracted by unusual, in places gloomy literature. Unfortunately, no one then understood my passion and love for this writer, while I literally devoured his works one by one. He was a genius man, it is a pity that he had such a fate

KyriakosCH

Quote from: Behis1995 on Fri 17/09/2021 12:59:44
I first got acquainted with the work of Kafka at school - then I was attracted by unusual, in places gloomy literature. Unfortunately, no one then understood my passion and love for this writer, while I literally devoured his works one by one. He was a genius man, it is a pity that he had such a fate

I felt that way too. But if you become so addicted to Kafka, it can be dangerous (after all, he sort of self-destructed, despite having numerous great cards dealt to him) :)
This is the Way - A dark allegory. My Twitter!  My Youtube!

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