Hung, R. (2013). Caring about strangers: A lingisian reading of Kafka’s Metamorphosis. Educational Philosophy and Theory, 45(4), 436–447.
Hung’s work titled “Caring about strangers: A Lingisian reading of Kafka’s ‘Metamorphosis’” touches on the topic of relationships between people and their implementation in the novel under review. In her work, the author wonders to what extent individuals are willing to take care of strangers.
In this context, she draws attention to how the Enlightenment and subsequent modern movements view individuals and their interactions to achieve similarity with others. In this context, a person should represent the everyday discourse of rational culture. Therefore, contact with the same people confirms individuals’ membership in society.
This source can be effectively used to analyze Kafka’s “Metamorphosis” draws attention to how the relationship between the main character, Gregor Samsa’s family members has changed after his transformation into a beetle. She asks the question “can we- as ordinary people- tolerate and include the eccentric and the unintelligible people, who could be our beloved family, relatives or friends, in our lifeworld and rational community?” (Hung, 2013, p. 438).
According to the author, the writing gives a negative answer, emphasizing how gradually Gregor’s mother, father, and sister abandon him and fail to see him as a human being who deserves care and respect. This article can be effectively used in my work to provide arguments about the relationships between people in Franz Kafka’s work. This is because it provides unique insight into the family and people’s ability to tolerate others, especially those considered strangers. The credibility of this work is expressed in the use of academic sources to maintain claims.
Patoine, P.-L. (2022). The role of empathy in literary reading: From Einfühlung to the neuroscience of embodied cognition, with the example of Kafka’s The Metamorphosis. Seminar: A Journal of Germanic Studies (Toronto), 58(1), 11–37.
Franz Kafka’s work “Metamorphosis” is one of the most famous works of existentialist literature. Despite its brevity, it touches on many serious topics that are profound and thought-provoking. In addition to existentialism, the novel raises an equally important topic of human relationships. In other words, the author raises the topics of caring and empathy, and how changes in individuals’ lives affect their environments.
The article by Patoine provides excellent insight into this topic. It touches on the theme of empathy and its foundations, and provides an understanding of how it is used in literature to convey feelings beyond standard human sensorimotor forms (Patoine, 2022). The source says that the notion of empathy originated from the concept of Einfühlung, developed by Robert Vischer.
Moreover, it draws attention to how readers can resonate with the main character at the mental and sensorimotor levels. Although this article emphasizes a more biological perspective on empathy, it can still help explore the highlighted research topic. This is because it explains the concepts of empathy and sympathy and how they can offer a better understanding of the main character’s experience during his transformation into an insect. It shows what feelings Gregor is going through and how his family members are gradually losing empathy and a positive attitude towards him. The use of various scientific papers and a substantial theoretical base provides grounds for identifying this source as credible.
Mukhopadhyay, S. (2019). Human connection in the light of the writings of Karl Marx and Amartya Sen: An investigation using Franz Kafka’s Metamorphosis and Manik Bandyopadhyay’s Ekannoborti. International Journal of Social Quality, 9(2), 35–57.
The article by Mukhopadhyay explores alienation and antagonism as tools for understanding human connections. At the outset, the author examines the relationship between individuals as a form of transcendence of self-interest. Within the framework of this reflection, it is based on theoretical works, which gives it an exceptionally high level of credibility.
The paper provides information on the concepts of alienation and antagonism and what role they play in forming connections between individuals. In addition, Kafka’s personal and social backgrounds are provided, which contribute to a more complete understanding of the thoughts conveyed by the author. Of particular value to the study is the analysis of alienation in interpersonal relationships.
It is stated that the “text provides clear hints at the loss of human connection in Gregor’s workplace and refers to ‘temporary and constantly changing human relationships which never come from the heart” (Mukhopadhyay, 2019, p. 45). In addition, this feature is viewed in the context of the main character’s family, whom he loves very much but who often show little reciprocation, and who gradually lose all compassion for him. Therefore, this academic work provides an opportunity to gain a fuller understanding of how Gregor’s relationships with others developed and how they affected him.
Farahmandian, H., & Haonong, P. (2018). Existential failure in Franz Kafka’s The Metamorphosis. Forum for World Literature Studies, 10(2), 334-341.
The research work by Mukhopadhyay provides a unique insight into the analyzed work of Franz Kafka. This aspect stems from the work’s exploration of issues such as absurdity, ethical decline, and existential angst. First, the authors describe the absurdity and how it is revealed in the writer’s work. They pay attention to how gradually the main character surrenders to the circumstances that form around him and what effect they eventually have on him (Farahmandian & Haonong, 2018). Existential angst is seen as “internal conflict experienced by every conscious individual because the world is not a rational place and existence can be maintained only by constant struggle” (Farahmandian & Haonong, 2018, p. 336).
It is valuable because it provides a deeper understanding of the main protagonist, Gregor’s, feelings. This work can make a valuable contribution to the study of ethics in the relationship between the novel’s main character and his family members. The primary role in this topic is played by the concept that “you should do to others as you would have them do to you” (p. 339). Thus, initially, Gregor’s relatives treated him not as a bug but as a family member: his sister cleaned his room and brought him food. However, over time, there was a significant decline in this relationship, characterized by the young man’s family beginning to see him as an insect, leading to an inappropriate attitude toward him. Thus, there was an ethical decline, in which people changed their position, treating the bug the same way they once treated a person.
The special credibility of this article is given by the fact that it is based on information from the works of such philosophers and writers as Nietzsche, Camus, and Wilfred. In addition, it refers to other essential works in the field of literary criticism, which adds greater credibility and reliability.