Greetings from this side dear K , for this “Franz Kafka Letter” I thought a lot. And, I have been intending to write to the characters of The Trial, Poseidon, and The Hungry Artist. But here, I am opting to write to you about Metamorphosis. Instead of talking about, K, Poseidon or The Artist, I aspire to talk about Gregor.
You see as per Franz Kafka’s metamorphosis, Gregor Samsa is stuck in the loop of his life. Gregor, cannot bring himself to the adjustment to his achieved reality.
His family utilizes him as a means to an end, leveraging his role as the sole earner. They treat him based on his capacity to provide. In his insect-like existence, he lives as an unthinking and laboring drone. His physical form now mirrors his mental state, causing him distress as he struggles to come to terms with this new reality. However, his thoughts remain intact, and his worries remain unaffected.
His family is paying obligation just by keeping him fed. But he doesn’t like human food anymore, his transformed body has different needs and having that food will symbolize his acceptance. His struggle to live in a morphed body explains his efforts to fit inside the schedule of his office, even when his manager declares that his productivity has been unsatisfactory.
“As Gregor Samsa awoke one morning from uneasy dreams he found himself transformed in his bed into a gigantic insect.”- Franz Kafka, Metamorphosis
The Idea of Absurdity
Gregor gave me an idea of absurdity. Awakening me to a more centralized idea of being stuck into a spiral, of how we have become prisoners, to not just only our thoughts but the life we keep on leading.
This brings me to the idea of how if instead of Gregor, I was turned into a Giant vermin in 2021. I even counted the occurrences that would have affected my metamorphosis. Looking at this creature who appeared overnight in Franz Kafka Letter, with enough shock and acceptance the biggest worry of my parents will be to marry their daughter- for if this horrible creature is the future embodiment of their daughter, as an insect of (such) horrible aesthetics, narrowing down all options of the happy life, unlike Gregor, who was worried about reaching his office on time.
Either kids from my neighbour or my brother will post about this big insect/beetle online and create a Facebook page of how this insect looks and eat and disgusts- all at the same time. Either I will become a huge sensation or there will be some consequences.
The Authorization
In the letter to Franz Kafka, I expressed my concern that the government would assert ownership over “my authorization.” This apprehension stemmed from the likelihood of videos circulating on the internet, potentially fueled by the dissemination of sped-up footage. As a consequence, discussions would arise on Twitter, initially fueled by debates and subsequently giving way to biased opinions. Eventually, people would meticulously describe and shed light on every aspect of the video.
Lastly, people will likely initiate online petitions urging the authorities, specifically the government, to assume responsibility for my care. It’s amusing because, in the past, my parents held great respect for authority, and now that same reverence is extended to the government. Thus, there won’t be any significant alterations in that regard. However, instead of being confined by the locks on my room and the restrictive ideologies of a patriarchal society, I will become the subject of experiments. The only notable difference will be the transformation of my physical form into something else, rendering me akin to a deceased human being. Consequently, no one will inquire about my progression into this new state.
The Assertion
Alienation in this world is much accommodated. So much that real-world- people will call it, the ‘work of alien’, and then will start treating me so. All blame is on the acquired form of an insect. You have talked about alienation, disillusionment and existentialism at the same time. Aren’t we all suffering through all of it uniformly and consistently? Everyone is Kafka at some point in their life.
The assertion of all of this is, there is a need for fine-tuning our attention to the absurd. You reflected our shortcomings to ourselves. Because in the end, the world we live in, is the one we create and have the power to change for the better.
For me, refusing to venture into the outside world from the outset is a direct rejection of accepting myself as I am intended to be. I constantly ponder more absurd scenarios of how the world might perceive and treat me. I consciously dismiss the notion of embracing my true form. It’s rather amusing, isn’t it?
Here are a few lines, I wrote when I first read your book, and I can relate to this more than ever
“If only I was allowed,
to spread my wings
in this war of monetization
I could have been to stars,
Forgetting
That I forge my own universe”
These are fewer and more thoughts, and I am grateful for such a perspective.
Regards,
S