ENG / TR
AUTHOR/YAZAR: Ceyhun Emre Öztürk
TYPE OF THE ARTICLE/ YAZI TÜRÜ: Term Project / Dönem Projesi
DATE OF COMPLETION/ TAMAMLANMA TARİHİ: May 2018 / Mayıs 2018
LANGUAGE/DİLLE: English / İngilizce
NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR/ YAZARIN NOTU: This paper was prepared for the HUM-112 course of Bilkent University. Please do not forget to check the URL given at the end of the post./ Bu makale Bilkent Üniversitesi'nin HUM-112 dersi için hazırlanmıştır. Gönderinin sonundaki linke göz atmayı ihmal etmeyiniz.
There
are many possibly perspectives to choose while reading Kafka’s Metamorphosis.
In this discussion, I am going to treat the book as it is a critique of
capitalism. This perspective towards the book was used also by the famous Kafka
scholar Walter H. Sokel in his article which is called “From Marx to Myth: The Structure and Function of
Self-Alienation in Kafka's Metamorphosis.” Also, Sokel asserts in his article
that Kafka uses themes from some myths of Judeo-Christian beliefs in the plot
of the Metamorphosis. I am going to summarize Sokel’s thoughts about reading
Metamorphosis as a critique of capitalism and then I am going to show examples
for in which ways Metamorphosis can be read as a critique of capitalism. Metamorphosis
is a critique of capitalism for Gregor Samsa’s self-alienation -which was
caused by his repugnance against his job-, Gregor’s alienation from his family
-for losing the ability to gain money-, and the changes of the relationships
between the other members of Samsa family after Gregor’s metamorphosis.
The
main points of Sokel’s article are that Kafka shows in his novella the
consequences of capitalism which are analogous to Karl Marx’s understanding of
capitalism. Gregor symbolizes the workers exploited by employers. Marx uses
some myths of Judaeo-Christian beliefs in his definitions whereas Kafka creates
and uses such versions for the same myths that the good people of the myths get
punished at the end. Marx criticizes capitalism by asserting that the worker
loses his humanity wherever his work does not involve his creativity and desires
(Sokel 2). Gregor’s father does not work anymore and takes for himself some of
the money that Gregor earned. Thus, Sokel thinks that the relationship between
Gregor and his father is identical to the relationship between the worker and
his capitalist employer (3). Sokel reports that Gregor’s motivation in
sacrificing himself by getting a job at the firm of his father’s creditor was his
desire to become the head of his family; and according to Sokel, that is how he
overshadowed his relatives and got alienated from them (5). Marx asserts that
because of capitalism, the determining element of human relationships became
money instead of blood kinship. Sokel says that three lodgers that join the
household in Metamorphosis is an example for Marx’s assertion (7-8). The first
Judeo-Christian myth Sokel mentions is Genesis. According to Genesis, children
of Adam and Eve have to pay for the guilt of Adam and Eve by the sweat of their
countenances. Similarly, in Metamorphosis, Gregor’s father fails his business
and Gregor has to work for his father’s creditor to pay his father’s debt. He
does not like his job but he has no choice about it (Sokel 4). The original
word which Kafka used for “debt” was “Schuld” which also means guilt. According
to Sokel, Kafka used that word intentionally (5). When the father fails, he
becomes guilty for making his son a slave of capitalism. The second myth which
was mentioned is the sacrifice made by Christ. According to Marx, the
proletariat suffers for the sake of the society –just like Christ. We know that
Christians believe that Christ’s sacrifice is only temporary. In the same
manner, Marx believes that liberation of workers will liberate the whole
society (Sokel 8-9). However, Sokel asserts that Kafka uses in Metamorphosis a
myth which he derived from the myth of Christ by changing the fate of the hero.
After becoming a vermin, Gregor becomes the misfortune of the family, and he
has to die to liberate his family ( Sokel 9). In summary, Sokel reads Kafka’s
Metamorphosis from the perspective of Marx’s opinions. I agree with Sokel that
self-alienation of Gregor, alienation of
Gregor from his family and changes of the relationships between the other
members of Samsa family after Gregor’s metamorphosis are caused by capitalism,
however I do not think that the relationship between Gregor and his father is
similar to the relationship between the worker and his capitalist employer. Also,
I do not think that Kafka made use of the myth of Christ in Metamorphosis.
The
next example is about the fact that Gregor’s self-alienation is caused by
capitalism. In Metamorphosis, the capitalist employer of the plot is the
director of Gregor’s firm. He has never provided health insurance for Gregor (Kafka
77) and he sent his chief clerk to Gregor’s house when Gregor missed his train
for the first time. Gregor admitted that he hates his job and his control-freak
director (Kafka 80-81). Gregor loses his humanity because his work does not
include his desires.
The
second example from the novella is about the fact that Gregor’s alienation from
his family is a consequence of capitalism. Samsa family lost its interest in
him after three lodgers moved to the house (Kafka 114) because Gregor lived
like a parasite animal whereas the lodgers were a source of money for the
family.
The
last example to show is about the fact that the changes of the relationships
between the other members of Samsa family after Gregor’s metamorphosis are
caused by capitalism. At the end of the book, Gregor’s parents think it is time
for Gregor’s sister to marry (Kafka 125-126). Their thoughts show that they see
their daughter as a source of money.
The
last facts to mention are that the relationship between Gregor and his father
is not similar to the relationship between the worker and his capitalist
employer and Kafka did not make use of the myth of Christ in Metamorphosis. Gregor’s
father is a family member instead of an employer because Gregor thinks back on
his family with fidelity and love even when he is dying (Kafka 122). Kafka has
nothing to do with the myth of Christ since he is Jewish (Biography of Franz
Kafka).
Metamorphosis
is a critique of capitalism for Gregor Samsa’s self-alienation -which was
caused by his repugnance against his job-, Gregor’s alienation from his family
-for losing the ability to gain money-, and the changes of the relationships
between the other members of Samsa family after Gregor’s metamorphosis. Also,
despite Walter H.
Sokel’s claims, the relationship
between Gregor and his father is not similar to the relationship between the
worker and his capitalist employer and Kafka did not make use of the myth of
Christ in Metamorphosis.
Works Cited:
Kafka, Franz. Metamorphosis and Other Stories.
Translated by Michael Hoffman, Penguin Classics, 2015.
Sokel, Walter H. “From Marx to Myth: The Structure and
Function of Self-Alienation in Kafka's Metamorphosis.” Fairleigh Dickinson
University.*
*You can access Sokel's article from the following URL for free: http://learning.hccs.edu/faculty/david.brenner/engl2333/course-materials-required-reading/copy_of_argument-research-termpaper-essay/suggested-sources-stage-2-for-research-papers/source-kafka-and-alienation
Hiç yorum yok:
Yorum Gönder