According to Aristotle (and who wants to try and argue with him),Plot is the “first principle,” the most important feature of tragedy. Aristotle defines plot as “the arrangement of the incidents”: i.e., not the story itself but the way the incidents are presented to the audience, the structure of the play. According to Aristotle, tragedies where the outcome depends on a tightly constructed cause-and-effect chain of actions are superior to those that depend primarily on the character and personality of the protagonist.
How does the story open? Does it open with a cause or effect (at least on a literal or surface reading)? After section I, would you argue whether this story is more plot or character focused? Why? Evaluate the passages you marked. Choose one that seems especially significant. What might this passage reveal about plot, character, theme?
It opens kind of like an effect, maybe a result from his life and job of a traveling business man. It's more character focused from there on out after the plot pans out. The sister and mother characters are more fully developed and new characters are entered in through the boarders. However, you could say there is a great deal of new plot formation as well, what with the whole moving of stuff into and out of the room and such.
ReplyDeleteConflict is an important aspect of both plot and character. What are some of both the external and internal conflicts? What textual evidence suggests his job caused this?
DeleteThe story begins with the inner monologue of Gregor, as he realizes that he is an insect and worries about his job. One could say that Gegor's buggy situation is the effect of a stimulus, however it is also possible that his present state effects his life. In other words, Gregor's situation could either be the cause or effect of another. Thus far, I believe that the story is more charachter focussed. The title is "Metamorphosis", which leads me to believe that a change will develope among the characters, rather than just with Gregor's physical state.
ReplyDeleteOn page 309, in the second paragraph, Gregor is defending himself to his household spectators. Though they cannot understand him, Gregor explains that though his is now a bug, he would still diligently do his job and his personality has remained intact. This is vital to his charachter and reveals that Gregor will struggle infinitely in the process of regaining his life to match his intellect.
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ReplyDeleteWhy might Kafka begin with Gregor awakening as the bug? What might we predict the rest of the story to develop?
DeleteThe plot is very important in this tragedy so far in particular, because it has gone relatively unchanged prior to this story for years. It is only on this one day that Gregor does not get up for work, but instead is turned into a huge bug. The link to him being a traveling salesmen and becoming a giant bug are yet to be reveled. After waking up to find his new form, he says, "what an exhausting job I've chosen!" This passage demonstrates how important his job is to him, when he is able to focus on that and not the fact that he is now a bug. However, the cause, him becoming a bug, leads to the effects he has on his family and his job, but this is only day one and we will have to find out what is yet to come with his predicament.
ReplyDeleteThe long short story of "The Metamorphosis" begins with the effects of the cause, and the cause has not yet been given. As the story goes on we begin to slowly learn the causes, but not much information is given. Gregor turning into an insect can also be a cause to the other incidents of the story, like his family fearing him, and his missing work, which shows a strong character development. We learn that Gregor mainly focuses on work, and not much else, and everyone uses that to their advantage. As soon as he wakes up and realizes he is a bug, one of the first things he worries about is his job, and not the fact he is a ginormous insect, nor the effects this will have on his life. "My God," he thought, "what an exhausting job I have chose! Always on the go,day in and day out. There are far more worries on the road than at the office, what with constant travel, the nuisance of making your train connections, the wretched meals at odd hours, and the casual acquaintances you meet only in passing, never to see again, never to become intimate friends. To hell with it all!" This is basically a retelling of his entire life, and can be compared to that of any sort of bug that lives its life working for the masses; take an ant for example.They are born and bred for a certain purpose, just like he was to pay off his parents debt, and they are expected to live out their entire life, solely performing that duty. He is expected to perform certain tasks, and not much else, so his life is that of any insect.
ReplyDeleteThe story opens with the main character figuring out that he turned into a bug while asleep. So the story opens with an effect because the reader has no idea how or why he became a bug but knew he was human at some point so there must have been a reason, cause, that turned him into a bug. I think the story is more plot focused because we haven't gotten to know the main character too well except for the fact he doesn't like his job but he still did the best work he could for his family. But we do jump right into the events that take place after he turns into a bug. "'My God,' he thought, 'what an exhausting job I've chosen! Always on the go, day in and day out...." This quote shows how the main character seems to deceive himself because he didn't choose his job he has his current job because of his parents debt which may show that the main character doesn't want to boast about doing this somewhat noble thing for his parents.
ReplyDeleteOur story opens with an average salesman who wakes up one morning and discovers that he has transformed into a monstrous insect on his bed. On the surface this transformation registers as an affect, with a seemingly unknown cause. But as the story progresses, it becomes the cause of a lot Gregor's troubles. Right now the story is plot driven simply because the characters are still relatively unknown. Right now the thrill is coming from Gregor struggling as a bug, his boss showing up, and the turmoil that ensues as the family learns Gregor's condition. One passage in the book shows that Gregor's family seems to care more about what Gregor can provide, rather than Gregor himself. "But why didn't his sister go and join the others? Probably because she had just gotten out of bed and hadn't even begun to dress yet. Then why was she crying" It definitely reveals some truths about Gregors family and their motivations and goals, and their concern about Gregor's job, and not gregor.
ReplyDeleteThe metamorphosis starts immediately with an effect, his turning into a bug, and the cause will probably be more open to interpretation as the plot develops rather than the author saying "he turned into a bug to sympbolize that travelling salesmen are viewed and bottom feeders and pests". His metamorphosis is also a cause for the chaos that ensues after his family discovers he is a bug and his coworker arrives at his house. Since the story starts off so fast and strongly I lean more towards it starting with an effect, but as we get further in the story.
ReplyDeleteIn the section when his father seems to be guiding him with seemingly good intentions but then struck him with the cane was interesting. It seemed like there might be contempt in their relationship if he is that manipulative and is willing to coerce him and turn on him so easily.