Character and relationships are important to any IB exam answer.
An understanding of how characters interrelate, how their relationships develop and ultimately what they represent will improve any exam answer.
So...
Write a brief account, including reference to action (but not necessarily quotation), of the relationship between Gregor and Grete.
Make reference to how the character's actions show this relationship.
Make a brief comment on what you think the relationship represents when considering a symbolic reading of the text.
The characters of Gregor and Grete can be seen to be a direct comparison to Kafka and his sister Ottla.
ReplyDeleteThe relationship between the two characters show how close a bond the pair have, although Gregor is working so hard to pay the debt off he doesn't take any regret towards Grete. Also when he tries to send her to the musical school therefore making him have to work a lot harder but he doesn’t mind he just wants the best for his sister. Referring back to his sister Ottla it has been said that he would do anything for his sister and it has been questioned if there was a relationship which occurred between them.
The character of Grete seems to adore her older brother as all she wants to do is please him at the start and make sure he’s ok, even once he’d changed into a bug she still felt affectionate towards him.
Was Grete based on a real life person,
“Franz was, after all, virtually incapable of a "normal" sexual affair with a "nice girl" like Grete, owing to his rather neurotic attitude towards sex. Unfortunately, we can't ask Grete more about it, since she was beaten to death by the Nazis in 1944.”
In metamorphosis, Gregor and Grete have a mutual love for eachother this can be seen throughout the novella. A specific scene that shows this is when Gregor has turned into a vermin but his sister, Grete agrees to look after him despise his transformation in comparison to his parents.
ReplyDeleteThis tone of endearment is reflected continuously, another example of this is when Grete tries to find which food Gregor would like.
Gregor works to pay off the families debt but while doing so stashes some of his earnings towards a tuition fee so Grete can attend the conservatory where she can prosper in mastering the violen rather then spending it on himself or paying the bill.
I think it could convey Kafka's personal life and the relationships he has had with his family, especially his most loved sister Ottla.
It could be said that Kafka see's himself as Gregor - a vermin, and the family portrayed is a mimic of his own family.
While personally i think we cant choose who our parents are and we must love them no matter what they do, while the admiration for our siblings can be ignored.
A relationship represents a mutal love for one another.Neverthless a family relationship is one of the closet bonds,this is evident in the novella between Gregor and Greta.
ReplyDeleteAlthough words are never exchanged in the novella between them,both understand each others needs and passions. In 'Methamorphosis'Greta is thoughtful sister,who is determined to protect her brother even though he dramtically transforms. Greta shows an intelligence to attempt to keep the image of the brother she once knew in her mind. Furthermore Greta's actions shows that she is prepared to help her brother. By using the symbolism of food,Kafka is able to create the need for reliance from Gregor to Greta.
Although the relationship is a small part of the novella,the signfance of the bond they share relates to Kafka's own life with his sister Otta. Neverthless I feel Kafka portrays to the audience,that relationships are meant to be
treasured so keep the close.Also that many people have relationship that is important for Gregor and Kafka this was the relationship they shared with their sister.
Nicole Hall
In the novella, Gregor and Grete obviously share a strong bond with each other. This is shown right from the beginning when the family come to see why Gregor is still in the house. His parents only consider this as slightly odd and seem most concerned with Gregor breaking from his routine, whereas Grete seems to be genuinely concerned for Gregor's health.
ReplyDeleteThroughout the novella, we also see Gregor's feelings towards his sister, he always talks fondly of her and had been saving to send her to the conservatorium even though he was already working off the family's debt and he acknowledges Grete's feelings towards him when she brings him what used to be his favourite drink. This shows how close they were. Also, the fact that Grete becomes the sole caretaker of Gregor could suggest that she feels that she owes him for all the things he's done for her in the past.
When looking at the symbolic meaning of this relationship, the parallels with Kafka's own life become apparent, specifically the relationship he had with his own sister, Ottla. Franz Kafka had a close relationship with his sister and she was one of the few people he would confide in.
Also, Ottla, supported him greatly after he was diagnosed with tuberculosis much in the same way Grete cared for Gregor.