The Metamorphosis
The Metamorphosis. I recently re-read this story and it always makes me reflect. I first read Metamorphosis in my sophomore English Honors class in high school. I was really fascinated by its surrealism, grim humor, and quiet desperation. I also honestly think its important to read literature written by fellow mentally ill people.
First, a note about the translation from German into English. The most common translation of the first sentence of the novella uses the term 'insect' as shown below. (include quote). I think its worth pointing out that the actual words in German are a lot more vague about what exactly Gregor has transformed into. A more direct translation from the German would be "Quote in german w/direct translation." Kafka clearly did not want Gregor's new form to be easily identifiable- even going so far as to state that he did not want Gregor to be shown pictorically as an insect on the cover. Synopsis: Translation Note. Brief Synopsis]
