A Comparison of Kafka and Tolstoy
Ontological and existential considerations
Son # 1 has to read books for Zoom school. I’m terrible at math, so Tracy helps him with that, and I have to get involved with the reading and history classes because I know a bunch of trivia and because I am a famous writer myself.
I thought as long as I have to read these books, I could help a few of you parents out there, too, by providing a sort of expert literary analysis.
“The Metamorphosis,” by Franz Kafka
A young guy, Gregor, provides for his family. His father is a drunk bum, mother is like on anti-depressants, and his younger sister is kind of a selfish brat. Gregor pays money for her to go to a fancy dance school or something like that (I read this a few weeks ago).
Gregor brings home all his money and gives it to the family, never even buying himself anything cool.
One day he wakes up, and he’s a giant cockroach. The book chronicles what happens next. His sister treats him nice for awhile, bringing him food in his room and then realizing it’s better to mash it up in a paste for him to eat.
The mother is too afraid of Gregor to even go in the room and see him. The father is pissed that he has to go get a job now because Gregor…
