Friday, January 8, 2016

The Metamorphosis and other stories


  

“Shall I tell you what I think are the two qualities of a work of art? First, it must be the indescribable and second, it must be inimitable.” Renoir

 This quote puts into words what I felt when I read “The Metamorphosis” and other stories by Franz Kafka.  I will only discuss his most famous story here: “The Metamorphosis”.
 I will refrain from writing about the other tales in this collection. Suffice it to say that there are situations and experiences in life that cannot be explained. Yet they find a way to be expressed in Kafka’s tales.

 The Metamorphosis is the comical account of a man who transforms into an insect.

 “When Gregor Samsa awoke one morning from troubled dreams he found himself transformed in his bed into a monstrous insect.”

Even his voice changed:
 "It was unmistakably his own voice as of old, but mixed in with it, as if from below, was an irrepressible painful squeaking and this only left the sound of the words clear for a moment, before distorting them so much that one could not tell if one had heard them properly.”

 Interestingly, Gregor was not concerned about the changes he’d undergone but about the fact that he had to get ready to go to work. He knew that if he did not take the train on time he would be in trouble.  He was right.  The chief clerk came to his house to admonish him.
 The possibility of losing his job waylaid his future even though he had not missed a day at work for five years.
 The lack of trust in him surfaces and he reflects on it:
Why on earth was Gregor condemned to work for a firm where the slightest lapse immediately gave rise to the gravest suspicion? Were all the employees, then, scoundrels to a man; was there not one loyal, dedicated worker among them, when the mere failure to devote an hour or two to the firm one morning was enough to drive crazy with remorse,-- so much so that he was actually incapable of getting out of bed? Would it really not have been enough to send an apprentice round to inquire—assuming all this chasing up to be necessary at all? Did the chief clerk really have to come in person, so demonstrating to the whole innocent family that the investigation of this suspicious affair could be entrusted to his wisdom alone?"

  The chief clerk was not in the least worried about Gregor’s medical condition but about the fulfillment of his duties:
“ Her Samsa,” the chief clerk now called out, raising his voice, “what’s the matter with you? Here you are barricading yourself in your room, giving only yes or no for an answer, causing your parents a great deal of unnecessary anxiety, and besides -- I merely mention this in passing – neglecting your duties towards the firm in a positively outrageous manner.”

    The interactions with his family and his surroundings are carefully carved. They are rich in nuances about Gregor’s new existence.
Gregor was worried about his family responsibilities, but not about his identity. Although he had to endure the consequences of being an insect I could not find a single line stating that he was willing to return to his previous condition. He even began to enjoy it:
In particular he enjoyed hanging from the ceiling; it was quite different from lying on the floor; one could breathe more freely, one felt a faint pulsation through the whole of one’s body, and in Gregor’s state of almost contended distraction up there it could happen to his own surprise that he let himself go and fell smack on the floor. But now, of course, he had his body under much better control than before and even when falling from such a height he did himself no damage.”


What is Franz Kafka telling us in “The Metamorphosis”?

  I believe “The Metamorphosis” is a clever allegory. This humorous tale portrays the experience of being an independent thinker.
  Changes are transformative.  “The Metamorphosis” symbolizes those changes that somebody who is open to learning is expected to accept. However, independent thinkers are often vilified, derided, ridiculed, belittled, misunderstood and even ignored.

 If you are drawn to surreal literature and allegories you may want to read “The Tent”, a collection of stories by Margaret Atwood. 


Sunday, January 3, 2016

Stone Mattress


 Margaret Atwood’s writing cast a spell on me again.
 These stories have the satirical wit of Kurt Vonnegut, the enchanting stream of consciousness of James Joyce, the insightful ingenuity and visionary power of George Orwell and Aldous Huxley. Her prose exudes the deep understanding of the human soul that writers like Grazia Deledda and Kate Chopin had, but the tales in "Stone Mattress" are fresh. They are enmeshed in the problems that assail humanity today.

  There is something unique about her style and the details she displays to portray her characters. She makes you believe you’ve met them in person, and there are comments on matters that are ignored by the modern writers of the establishment. 

  The stories in this collection take place in Canada and the United States of America. The same characters are followed over time through a succession of tales. In doing this, she exposes the changes of the society in which they live. Some of the situations made me drown in laughter.

  Whether you like her main characters or not is not important because she kindles our empathy. There are many twists that render the read agile and adventurous.

 I will share Ursula Le Guin’s surreal description of “Stone Mattress”:
“Dances of the dark swamps of Horror on the wings of satirical wit… Look at these tales… as eight icily refreshing arsenic Popsicles followed by a baked Alaska laced with anthrax, all served with impeccable style and aplomb. Enjoy!”


Saturday, January 2, 2016

“I” and My Mouth and Their Irresistible Life in Language


It is refreshing to read Susan Parenti’s poetry collection in this era of oppressive shallowness. Her poetry pokes fun at our ego-driven society and unfurls the layers of social hypocrisy and discrimination while it incites us to rejoice in the spirit of friendship and the glorious moments of everyday life. 
 She bolsters our confidence to speak up through the arts.
 Her verses are the voice of a free spirit who is not afraid of questioning the rigidity of social conventions. She asks questions and exposes the absurd side of reality, impelling us to revisit it from new perspectives and acknowledging that personal experience is our best teacher.
I will take the liberty to share one of her poems:

You think your luck will come in the form of a grant or award,
with successful prestigious people doing what they can do: confer prestige;
that your luck will wear the face of cameras, or dollar amounts, your name
on the door: Professor______ , your name in the newspapers, on people’s lips.
You think your luck will look these ways.

Thus you look around for your luck, and, not seeing the form you think it will take,
say, I have No Luck.

The picture, Der Niesen, by Klee, 1915, blue mountain and colored trees,
stands on the wall.

But your luck has taken other forms:
friends, parks in your neighborhood given to you as a legacy from
far-thinking predecessors, ideas, a group spirit, the ability to feel so
glad at reading a playful sentence, a talent at love.


Your luck sits in the room with you; you don’t notice.
Goes with you each day; you don’t recognize it.

Friday, January 1, 2016

Happy New Year






  Walt Whitman's poem "Song of Myself" was censored in the 1800s. I cannot help but wonder about the rigid mindset that banned this inspiring poem. It is now considered the ethos of the United States of America. “Song of Myself” is a celebration of diversity, equality, joy and life. In other words it is about love.

“I celebrate myself and sing myself, and what I assume you shall assume,
For every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you…

You can read the full poem here.