Monday, January 7, 2008
Style
Russian author Vladimir Nabokov once commented that the straightforward stle of The Metamorphosis is in "striking contrast to the nightmare of the tale." Look back at Kafka's writing style and, with Nabokov's statement in mind, explain how the style enhances the nightmarish quality of the work.
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Kafka writes in a very streight forward, blunt way that seems as though he is unaffected by the everyday encounters the character Gregor faces. I belive this enhances the nightmarish quality of the story by arrousing the reader to believe he is even more crazy for not vigorisly reacting to each change Gregor undergoes. Kafka's way of using words, arranging the parts of a sentence, and putting the sentences together are so literal that the audience has the ability to take the blunt wording and create their own views and interpretaions.
The style enhances the writing very much so. Because of the blunt straight-forward manner, readers are often shocked and surprised, augmenting the horror of it all, when they learn that Gregor isn't freaking out. Gregor takes the events very well. He does not seem to care that much. This is surprising to most people because it is the opposite of what one would expect. This surprise enhances the horror a lot.
Well observed! Kafka's work choice also aides to the straight-forward, matter-of-fact nature of the story.
Kafka's writing style seems to be reminiscent of Woody Allen. Both Kafka and Allen use comical word choice, so as to almost make fun of their characters, their situations, and themselves. Also, his long paragraphs seem to put the reader under the impression that his style is smooth, while in reality, his style is quite quirky.
What enhanced the nightmarish qualities that hit Gregor was the way it was all phrased. The Word choices and sentence structure helped a lot, but what struck me the most was how Kafka kept it blunt, with the reactions even blunter, Gregor could almost care less about his living nightmare, and Kafka enhances this by reiterating the same ideas over and over. The prime example of this is when Gregor thinks of nothing but going to work, despite his new condition.
Kafka's writing style is very matter-of-fact about all of the bizarre events taking place within Metamorphosis. While the story is extremely strange and outlandish, the way Gregor speaks so rationally about everything makes the story more believeable and less disgusting or grotesque.
The nightmarish quality of The Metamorphosis is enhanced by Kafka's blunt writing style. Gregor's attitude to realizing he is suddenly a bug is blase and nonchalance. Gregor, the main character's, reaction to his change is what stands out. This causes the reader to freak out even more than their initial reaction to the opening and have the attitude,"Why isn't he freaking out?!" This highlights the horror of the situation and engages the reader in a unique way.
Kafka writes this story in a bland, simple fashion. He does not use long, drawn out descriptions, but instead strong, powerful words. Although it truely is a nightmare Gregor is trapped in, Kafka is more stating the story then telling it. His writing style allows readers to interpet the story in many different ways. One point of view is that Kafka is using his writing almost symbollically for Gregor's life. The writing is bland because Gregor's life is as such. Another example is how the style inhances the stoy's nightmarish quality.
Kafka's direct, realistic style of writing seems a complete opposite to the way many people would act in a similar situation. This allows the reader to see more clearly the finer details of what is happening to Gregor, which lets us understand more fully how awful this experience must be for him. If the character's viewpoint of the story was clouded with fear and doubt, we might see the situation as overexaggerated. We might then feel less sympathy for the afflicted person. However, Kafka's crystal clear diction and sane viewpoint allow the reader to fully comprehend the nightmarish time Gregor is going through.
The Metamorphosis definitely has a very nightmarish feel. Kafka’s writing style makes the story seem like some kind of weird dream. He incorporates a supernatural element into a completely normal setting. In addition to mixing one single bizarre element of fantasy into the book, the characters in Kafka’s story are barley affected. Kafka’s monotonous word choice and lack of strong description reveal Gregor’s uncanny acceptance of the fact that he is a bug. However, his distant writing style forces you to think a little deeper and also exposes the more symbolic idea of Metamorphosis.
Kafka's style would seem not to work well with the story, when it does. It is almost the opposite, this then gives contrast to the book. Like previous posters stated, his writing is blunt. The story is a nightmare. When one thinks how a person would normally act, doesn't work with the writing style. Gregor is calm and relaxed at the fact that he is a bug. Hard armor and many legs in all. He doesn't freak out at the idea and the style helps to communicate it.
Kafka's style is very blunt and straight forward. This enhances the nightmarish quality of the work by presenting the horror of the situation in a very nonchalant and casual manner. While other authors may describe their main character turning into a giant bug in a much more intense fashion, but Kafka merely states that he woke up as a bug. This makes the story feel even more creepy and nightmarish by making the reader scared and worried about the situation while Gregor does not seem to be too surprised in any way. A man unexplanably turning into a bug is not a very common situation. The way Kafka portrays Gregor, keeping him very calm throughout the transformation, makes the reader get the impression that is nightmarish. I think Kafka's characterization and word choice are the two aspects of his style that make the story have a nightmare-like feel.
I think that the biggest contrast is the fact that a human is trapped in a bugs body, and when he writes he makes it sound so normal. This is a true nightmear, and the style seems to strike me as almost a mono-toned book. I think if someone did turn into a bug, the person would freek out a bit more than just describing what he/she looked like.
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