The Metamorphosis - Franz Kafka - Episode #1- I'm a bug!
08/01/20 • 49 min
The Metamorphosis - Franz Kafka - Episode #1
Hi, I’m Christy Shriver.
And I’m Garry Shriver, and this is the how to love lit Podcast. We’re glad you’re listening- thank you. We hope you enjoy exploring great writing with us, and I want to remind you- if you enjoy our work please forward an episode to a friend. Obviously, it’s by sharing that we all grow and build- which, as the last series on American documents informs us- building is always the goal. Today, however, we are leaving the Americas, and entering the beautiful and historically rich Bohemian city of Prague where we will meet one of its notable native sons, Franz Kafka- in order to look at his famous novella “Metamorphosis”.
Of all the writers we’ve done so far, I have to admit, Kafka intimidates me the most. And it’s not just because he’s one of the most analyzed writers on earth after Shakespeare and the writers of the Bible- although that’s a factor. But kafka gets in people’s heads in a way that is different than other people- the world he creates is a world that we all live in, but at the same time we’re all terrified of- to some degree. Everyone can find themselves in Kafka, and yet- who wants to admit to it- his world feels like a nightmare- in fact, some people call it surreal or dreamlike, except it isn’t.
Which takes us to the term that carries his name kafka-esque- Even if you haven’t heard of Kafka or read his work, you may have heard of or even used the term ‘kafka-esque”- a term usually meant to express an experience that is absurd, ridiculous, nightmarish yet terrible.
Yes- it does mean that- but in some ways- it means more than that- and it embodies something all of who live in the modern world understand. What Kafka tries to show in all of his works is how the modern world is both absurd, frustrating, cruel but ridiculous to the point of funny. He also wants to show us that we are in part responsible for the messes we make in this world. For example, I remember when I was kid in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, we were at the mall (which unlike in the US is a really nice place to go) and I wanted to purchase a hamburger. I went to the counter and asked for the hamburger, the lady said- you have to go over there and buy a ticket at that other counter, then you come back here with your ticket. So, I went to the other side of the store to the cashier and asked for a hamburger- the cashier said they didn’t have hamburgers only cheeseburgers. I asked if I could have a cheeseburger with no cheese. She said she didn’t know, she was just the cashier. I’d have to talk to the manager. So, I went to the manager, waited in a third line, to ask to purchase the cheeseburger He gave me permission, but wrote me a note that I took to cashier. I bought the cheeseburger, but then had to go back to the first lady who then made my burger- she had to conference back with the manager- I waited quite some time, but somehow it had cheese on it and I had to take it off myself- that situation is kafka-esque- frustrating, angering, nonsensical- pointless- but it was all about the bureaucracy of modern living- the thing thst’s supposed to make things easier. But, it’s also funny if you think about it- so much so that I remember it.
I think everyone has a story like that. I remember when I left my job at Shelby County Schools to go to a private school, I then decided to take a part time job from Shelby County Schools at their Virtual Academy. When I went to fill out the application, they asked for a letter of confirmation of employment from my previous employer- and I told them- but YOU are my previous employer. They said, that didn’t matter, I would have to go to downtown office and get the letter regardless. Kafka-esque- a expression of a system that is a tyranny without a tyrant and serves no one but itself to paraphrase the great German-American political theorist Hannah Arendt.
The machine is in charge. And the machine isn’t a person- it’s a frustrating. Nothing.
The legacy of the term kafka-esque describes what has evolved from this unusual man- he knows how to express the frustrations and discouragments of modern life metaphorically in the most vivid and horrifying ways. There’s so many different directions we could take in exploring Kafka, and we’ll do our best to highlights the big ones. The real scholars- which is not us-btw- will tell you all of his works kind of piece themselves together like a sodoku game and if you read all of them they somewhat fit together to create a unified vision of the world- and I, obviously agree with that assessment, although I’ll admit I havent’ read all his works- although honestly, there aren’t THAT many full length works- most of his writings are letters, but even his fiction consists of a lot of short stories. But the novella Metamorphosis is the most well-known.
I want to add- if you’re not up for an entire novella, or even a short story- there is one...
The Metamorphosis - Franz Kafka - Episode #1
Hi, I’m Christy Shriver.
And I’m Garry Shriver, and this is the how to love lit Podcast. We’re glad you’re listening- thank you. We hope you enjoy exploring great writing with us, and I want to remind you- if you enjoy our work please forward an episode to a friend. Obviously, it’s by sharing that we all grow and build- which, as the last series on American documents informs us- building is always the goal. Today, however, we are leaving the Americas, and entering the beautiful and historically rich Bohemian city of Prague where we will meet one of its notable native sons, Franz Kafka- in order to look at his famous novella “Metamorphosis”.
Of all the writers we’ve done so far, I have to admit, Kafka intimidates me the most. And it’s not just because he’s one of the most analyzed writers on earth after Shakespeare and the writers of the Bible- although that’s a factor. But kafka gets in people’s heads in a way that is different than other people- the world he creates is a world that we all live in, but at the same time we’re all terrified of- to some degree. Everyone can find themselves in Kafka, and yet- who wants to admit to it- his world feels like a nightmare- in fact, some people call it surreal or dreamlike, except it isn’t.
Which takes us to the term that carries his name kafka-esque- Even if you haven’t heard of Kafka or read his work, you may have heard of or even used the term ‘kafka-esque”- a term usually meant to express an experience that is absurd, ridiculous, nightmarish yet terrible.
Yes- it does mean that- but in some ways- it means more than that- and it embodies something all of who live in the modern world understand. What Kafka tries to show in all of his works is how the modern world is both absurd, frustrating, cruel but ridiculous to the point of funny. He also wants to show us that we are in part responsible for the messes we make in this world. For example, I remember when I was kid in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, we were at the mall (which unlike in the US is a really nice place to go) and I wanted to purchase a hamburger. I went to the counter and asked for the hamburger, the lady said- you have to go over there and buy a ticket at that other counter, then you come back here with your ticket. So, I went to the other side of the store to the cashier and asked for a hamburger- the cashier said they didn’t have hamburgers only cheeseburgers. I asked if I could have a cheeseburger with no cheese. She said she didn’t know, she was just the cashier. I’d have to talk to the manager. So, I went to the manager, waited in a third line, to ask to purchase the cheeseburger He gave me permission, but wrote me a note that I took to cashier. I bought the cheeseburger, but then had to go back to the first lady who then made my burger- she had to conference back with the manager- I waited quite some time, but somehow it had cheese on it and I had to take it off myself- that situation is kafka-esque- frustrating, angering, nonsensical- pointless- but it was all about the bureaucracy of modern living- the thing thst’s supposed to make things easier. But, it’s also funny if you think about it- so much so that I remember it.
I think everyone has a story like that. I remember when I left my job at Shelby County Schools to go to a private school, I then decided to take a part time job from Shelby County Schools at their Virtual Academy. When I went to fill out the application, they asked for a letter of confirmation of employment from my previous employer- and I told them- but YOU are my previous employer. They said, that didn’t matter, I would have to go to downtown office and get the letter regardless. Kafka-esque- a expression of a system that is a tyranny without a tyrant and serves no one but itself to paraphrase the great German-American political theorist Hannah Arendt.
The machine is in charge. And the machine isn’t a person- it’s a frustrating. Nothing.
The legacy of the term kafka-esque describes what has evolved from this unusual man- he knows how to express the frustrations and discouragments of modern life metaphorically in the most vivid and horrifying ways. There’s so many different directions we could take in exploring Kafka, and we’ll do our best to highlights the big ones. The real scholars- which is not us-btw- will tell you all of his works kind of piece themselves together like a sodoku game and if you read all of them they somewhat fit together to create a unified vision of the world- and I, obviously agree with that assessment, although I’ll admit I havent’ read all his works- although honestly, there aren’t THAT many full length works- most of his writings are letters, but even his fiction consists of a lot of short stories. But the novella Metamorphosis is the most well-known.
I want to add- if you’re not up for an entire novella, or even a short story- there is one...
Previous Episode
Phillis Wheatley - Poet of the Revolutionary Era - "His Excellency General Washington"
Phillis Wheatley - Poet of the Revolutionary Era - "His Excellency General Washington"
Hi, I’m Christy Shriver.
And I’m Garry Shriver, and this is the how to love lit Podcast. Today we conclude our series on the Foundational Documents of the United States by giving homage to one of America’s earliest poetic voices- the notable Phyliss Wheatley Peters. The second woman on the American continent to publish a work of literature, and the first African American woman to do so.
She truly is a remarkable woman, not just for her incredible intellect, which we’ll describe in just a moment, but for her ability to express a voice, in spite of all odds, in an era, where a voice like hers should never be heard. I was reminded of this last night when we were watching a PBS reality show called Manor House- it’s an interesting social experiment set in Britain where volunteers recreate the lifestyles of the stratified society of Edwardian London in an old Manor house that has been restored to its former glory. One of many things that struck me in watching these characters relate was how lower servants were NEVER to be seen by the ladies and gentleman of the house, and if by some horrible accident a lady walked when while a servant was cleaning, the servant was to retreat to a corner and immediately turn around standing frozen pretending not to exist until the lady walked out. We watched that happen and how demeaning it was for the maidservant (even though she knew she was playing a part- and she really wasn’t actually lower than the “lady’) and how uncomfortable it made the lady feel (who in reality was a middle class modern woman herself). The “lady’s’s comment was, I’m just glad I’m near-sighed and when I walk around the house without my glasses, I don’t actually see this happening a lot.
And that is an interesting metaphor and really great psychological point to make- she preferred to walk around near-sighted, not actually seeing what was happening because it made her feel uncomfortable, guilty or maybe even ashamed of what was happening. Well, today, we want to put on our own literary and historical glasses and shine a spot light on a remarkable American woman, celebrate her work, and give her voice the respect it deserves.
Exactly, extract her from the hidden corner of the room (to go back to our metaphor), and make the argument that this woman established herself as one of the earliest icons in the American canon- well ahead of her time and in spite of the most incredible odds.
So, the beginning- Phyliss Wheatley was born, we think, around 1753 in Gambia, Africa and captured by slave traders and brought to American in 1761. She said almost nothing herself about this period of her life. After arriving, She was sold immediately to the Wheatley family in Boston.
Of course, that’s already a sad sad start. She is seven maybe eight years old. What can you tell us about how this could have happened.
Well, there is no doubt this is a dark story. Gambia at this time is not an official colony of England, although it will become one during Wheatley’s life. The British had actually already abolished the slave trade in 1807 all over the British Empire, but obviously it was still going on. It is traditionally accepted that over 3 million Gambians were stolen. They were stolen, mostly by neighboring tribes, they were sold to African traders on the continent, who sold many to each other- for slavery was practiced all over the African continent, but the majority were sold to be sent the Americas. The most lucrative and simplest way to monetize a person you stole from a different tribe was to sell them to the Europeans for work in the Americas, both North and South. This accounts for, by far, the largest number of slaves. They were captured and taken across what is called the Middle Passage.
Of course, the earliest and best depiction of how this felt was written by another important name in African Literautre or perhaps Western literature- I think both groups of people could claim him- Olaudah Equiano. Originally a Nigerian who published his story in 1789 in England. He really was instrumental in bringing public awareness to this horrible reality. His book was extremely popular both in England and in the United States. It’s a difficult read; I had my kids do it one year over the summer, and that was a real struggle. Anyway, the reason I bring it up is because he describes his experience of being captive which I speculate would have been very similar to Phyliss’ experience. Let me read you a small excert from his account-
My father, besides many slaves, had a numerous family, of which seven lived to grow up, including myself and a sister, who was the only daughter. As I was the youngest of the sons, I became, of course, th...
Next Episode
The Metamorphosis - Franz Kafka - Episode #2 - Take a trip down existential lane!
The Metamorphosis - Franz Kafka - Episode #2
Hi, I’m Christy Shriver.
I’m Garry Shriver and welcome to the How to Love Lit Podcast. This is our second episode in our series on Franz Kafka and his great work “Metamorphosis.” And before I forget, please let me remind you, if you enjoy our work, text an episode to a friend and/or give us a five star rating on your podcast app. It’s through sharing that we grow; we hope our work is resonating and is an educational resource worth sharing. So, last week, we talked about Kafka’s life in the beautiful city of Prague at the cusps of the turbulent times heading into the turn of the 20th century in Eastern Europe. We talked about his family, the important relationships that influenced his work, the title The Metamorphosis and the beginning of this peculiar kafka-esaue novella – the term we still use today when referencing bizarre things in our world. We also mentioned the many different philosophical movements that were swirling around Europe at this time that had a tremendous influence on Kafka the man and his work. Christy, I know this is where you want to go start us today with this idea of worldview, so let’s get started. What is worldview and why does that matter in regard to literature in general and specifically Kafka?
Yes- that’s exactly where I want to start. And yes- worldview does matter- actually infinitely so - not just when we talk about literature- but all of life. And it’s worth understanding properly-
Dr. James Sire defined it like this- he said- Worldview “is a fundamental orientation from the heart, that can be expressed as a story or in a set of presuppositions which we hold (either consciously or unconsciously) about the basic constitution of reality, and that provides the foundation on which we live and move and have our being.”
In other words, it’s HOW you see things when you look at the world. It’s broader than your morals, your religion, your family, your culture- but it includes all of those things. It’s a set of presuppositions- or rather, things you just feel are true for whatever reason and help you understand what you see when you construct your reality. Our worldview helps us orientate ourselves and helps us even build our identity- something we all need to feel safe and engage other people confidently.
The reason I even bring this up is because we see the world through lenses- perhaps like glasses, if you want to think of it that way- and these lenses are good things- they provide orientation for us- but there’s a problem- there isn’t just one of them- there are many ways to look at the world- but we generally don’t see it because we only have the one we have- and thus we have fundamental disagreement.
Of course this is the kind of thing philosophers have always discussed and really made mathematical schemata's to explain. How do you ascertain what is true in this world? How do we agree on what is important? Of course there are a few things that we can all mostly agree are indisputable. Most of us, but not all of us would say this works great for teaching math- 2 plus 2 is always four- we can rely on that. It won’t change. Science is less certain but we’ve tried to find scientific certainties that are almost as true as the mathematical ones- for example, I am told that matter can neither be created or destroyed- it’s a rule of the universe and as far as I know- has yet to be debunked. Disagreement and disputes often arise when we get into the soft sciences, the arts, interpersonal relationships or even what we term “real world”- How is it that two people can look at the same thing and see different things. Hence- Worldviews collide!
I know right!! If you go to our website you can see this very famous sketch that first appeared as an optical illusion on a German postcard in 1888 and was later adapted by British cartoonist William Ely Hill, who published it in a humor magazine in 1915 with the title "My Wife and My Mother-in-Law." - ironically the same year as metamorphosis. It’s the picture that I show my kids in class- , anyway, depending on how your brain works, when you look at it some people see an old woman and some people see a beautiful girl. It’s so funny how people can argue after looking at this picture. I see this happen every year with my kids- and the truth of the matter is- it’s both.
And that occurs because of a phenomena called “perceptual bias” Your brain relentlessly tries to make sense of your environment and it uses shortcuts to so. And of course, history is the story of how people look at basically everything totally differently.
So, what does this have to do with Kafka and his story about turning into a bug?
Well, for one thing there are so many ways to look at this book- and depending on the lense you put on- you will see different things. I want to talk about this book primarily through the lens of what we today call existentia...
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