Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Metamorposis Prompt

In The Metamorphosis, Franz Kafka studies the these of a persons metamorphosis with the characters Gregor and Grete. Gregor wakes up one morning to find that he has has changed into a bug, and because of the stress this puts on his parents, his sister Grete takes it upon herself to take care of him and therefore changes herself. Kafka uses these changes to contribute to the meaning of the work; one persons bad change can lead to another persons good change.

Gregor's metamorphosis is, on the surface, from man to bug. While his form, behaviors, and instincts are more insect like, Gregor still thinks like a human. At the begining of the novella Gregor views himself as a good person who is trreated unfairly, views others as is they are purposfuly treating him badly, and views the world as an awful place place that he can't do anything to fix. By the end he views himself as the bad person, and others as the victims. He still finds the world a horrible unfair place.

Grete's metamorphosis is from child to adult. Her change is brought out by Gregor's. After he transforms into a bug Grete is the only one who will take care of him, leading to her getting a higher place in the family. At first Grete views others and the world as good and fair, like a child would, and views herself as mature and wants her family to treat her as such. By the middle of the book the family has realized that she is an adult and Grete herself realizes that the world is not always fair and she comes to view people as good and bad like an adult would.

Both Gregor and Grete have some kind sort of metamorphosis. Gregor's is one of realization and Grete's is one of maturity. Kafka uses both of these changes to help explain his overall meaning of the work; that one persons bad change can lead to another persons good change.

Monday, September 22, 2008

Writing Prompt 2 9/19

In 1984 George Orwell demonstrates the human desire for power. In the novel the government leaders called the party control everything. The protaganist, Winston Smith, knows there is something wrong with the Party and seeks to escape from its power. Orwell uses this power struggle to enhance the meaning of the novel.

Winston Smith is a 39 year old party member who rewrites newspapers, books, and other documented works so that the party leader Bog Brother can keep his control over the people. Winston has grown tired of the Party liying to everyone and he tries to free himself from their power by rebeling. In the end, however, he is caught and forced to comform, bringing to light Orwell's meaning in the book, that someone who tries to fight those in power will ultamitely get caught and, if the power doesn't kill them, they will be like everyone else, beleving everything that the leaders say.

Winston begins his struggle by starting a diary. In this diary he writes the phrase DOWN WITH BIG BROTHER over and over again. He hopes that someone will find it in the future and change things. Soon after he meets a girl named Julia and they begin a love affiar. In the novel, The Party has done everything they can to destroy attachment between men and women so that they would be more loyal to the Party, and love affiars could get you killed Winston also trys to join a rebel group called the Brotherhood to try and take down the Party leaders.

Orwell uses the power struggle to enhance the meaning of the work by having Winston do all of the work he did trying to get out from under the power of the Party but in the end he is taken under the Partys spell. He is tortued into believing that the Party is wonderful and that they will take care of him. He is brainwashed into believing that he loves Big Brother.

In 1984, George Orwell uses a power struggle to help explain his meaning in the book. Winston Smith's desperation to escape from under power is a strong human desire. Orwell wonderfully describes this desire and how how he believes that rebeling is impossible.