Franz Kafka's The Metamorphosis Blog

As I began reading Franz Kafka’s “Description of a Struggle”, I noticed his writing to be very different than any other author I have read. He constantly uses many long sentences instead of breaking them off and separating them into smaller sentences. Some stretch into a paragraph of their own which is very interesting. I’d also like to know how everybody feels about his writing style. Kafka also seems to use detail to show the reader more of what is going on. Throughout the story, it seems as if the protagonist, even though in a conversation most of the time with his “acquaintance,” focuses on the environment around him.

In the beginning of “Description of a Struggle” there are a few things that stand out to me and also confuse me. On the first page, the protagonist of the story is approached by a man that he refers to as his “acquaintance.” They begin talking as if they were very good friends even though he states they had just met the night before. “Then I saw my new acquaintance, somewhat disheveled and out of shape, appear at the doorpost of an adjoining room: but I tried to look away for it was no concern of mine. He, however, came toward me and, smiling absent-mindedly at my occupation, said: ‘Excuse me for disturbing you, but until this very moment I’ve been sitting alone with my girl in the room next door. Ever since half-past ten. Lord, what an evening! I know it isn’t right for me to be telling you this, for we hardly know one another. We only met on the stairs this evening and exchange a few words as guests of the same house. And now-but you must forgive me, please-my happiness just cannot be contained, I can’t help it. And since I have no other acquaintance here whom I can trust-’”(Kafka 9) The protagonists’ “acquaintance” comes to him to talk and get advice from.

Why do you guys think the “acquaintance” runs to the protagonist for advice even though they had met only the night before? Also, I’d like to know how you think he felt when this man who he does not know well at all decides to come to him and puts all his trust in him?

Hamlet Video Critique Act 3 Scene 1

In Alexander Fodor’s rendition of Hamlet’s soliloquy, feelings of the modern world are brought up through the use of technology and young characters. Though Hamlet was written long ago, the video brings out a modern feel which can attract the young mind. Unlike the other two videos, it uses technology that was not available in Hamlet’s setting. Also, the characters used are young unlike the characters used in the other two videos which are older looking.

The video begins with the camera focusing on a voice recorder in a room which has bright lighting. Obviously this is something not available during Hamlet’s day. Before Hamlet’s Soliloquy begins, many things occur in which give the audience something to think about before the speech begins. After the camera angle moves away from the voice recorder, we see the main character, Hamlet, who will soon begin his soliloquy. After viewing the main character, the scene changes to where he is with a woman. The woman exists the scene and he bends over to kiss what seems to be a dead man. The camera changes back to the face of the main character but now the lights have gotten brighter than before. After, the camera moves back to show the main character and the voice recorder. He turns on the voice recorder and his soliloquy begins.

As the soliloquy begins with “To be, or not to be, that is the question”(55), the main character has a staring gaze. Deep in thought, he continues. “Or to take arms against a sea of troubles, And by opposing, end them. To die, to sleep-No more”(58-60) The faces of three teenagers are shown, including his own. They stand in a bright white room. They’re facing glowing green, also with a staring gaze on their faces. Alexander Fodor uses these lines with the scene of the three teenagers in order to show their innocence. They do not know of what troubles are being spoken of or when they will die. Two of the teenagers are girls. They seem to be staring at the speaker while the other teenager who is with them, who is the same person as the speaker, is looking down. He is looking away from death. The bright lights attract the girls.

The camera quickly switches to the speaker, then to a scene where what seems to be a dead man lays. A woman kisses him on the head and the speaker continues. “To die, to sleep-To sleep, perchance to dream”(63-64). The scene with the dead man shows that true sleep may be death where all pain is erased. Dreams come at a risk that the person may not come back to reality. The speaker then skips lines 65 to 68 and continues with line 69. “For who would bear the whips and scorns of time, Th’ oppressor’s wrong, the proud man’s contumely”(69-70) The scene switches back and fourth from these two scenes a few times, from the speaker to kissing the dead man. This is done in order to show what pain may cause. The dead man, no longer feels pain, while the speaker is left in the world and feels so much pain that he wishes he was not alive. He continues the speech, now the camera focusing on him. The camera gets closer and closer to his face and his eye. Half his face is visible when he says “Thus conscience does make cowards [of us all]”(82). This statement shows how being alive is the cause of pain for everyone including himself.

From all three videos, Alexander Fodor’s video is the best interpretation of the lines from Hamlet’s soliloquy. The use of images of a dead man, light, and teenagers shows the audience what the speaker is saying. The light symbolizes life, the dead man symbolizes death, and the teenagers symbolize the people who are suffering through life. These images connect better with the newer audience for it uses more modern ideas for its image than the other videos.

Hamlet's 2nd Soliloquy 2:2

Act 2:2 Hamlet’s Second Soliloquy

In Hamlet’s second soliloquy we get a better understanding of Hamlet’s views and feelings. Many tones are presented by Hamlet’s speech. He feels worthless for his lack of taking action of everything that is going around him since he has not accomplished what he feels he needs to do. He has a promise with the ghost but he has not fulfilled it. Hamlet continues to talk and his self-pity is evident. Fulfilling his promise has not been his first goal. He has been thinking more of what has been going on with Ophelia and also with himself.

At the beginning of Hamlet’s second soliloquy, he has finished watching one of the players acting out a scene of a play that was full of emotion. This reminds Hamlet of his own lack of dedication at fulfilling the promise he has made. He also feels that it is "monstrous" (531) that the player "in a dream of passion" (532) could put so much emotion into the piece that he even cried "all for nothing" (537). Hamlet is amazed at what he has just seen but feelings of worthlessness come to him. He sees the player acting out the play with more emotion and more feeling than what he has been willing to set forth at getting revenge for his father’s death. He feels he should be putting forth just as much emotion as the players are into their play since he loves his father and is mourning his death even after everybody else has seemed to moved on. "No, not for a king, upon whose property and most dear life A damn’d defeat was made"(549-551).

Claudius, the new king and Hamlet’s uncle, killed King Hamlet so now he suffers in hell because he did not have a chance to confess his sins. Even after Hamlet finds out of all of this and of everything that has happened to his father, he does not stir. He seems to simple talk of what he will do with “words, words, words” but does not act upon any of them. Hamlet’s uncle is very much evil to him but he is also like his uncle since he does not stand up for his father’s cause. He explains his weakness to take action to and stand up for the cause. “But I am pigeon-liver’d, and lack gall”(557). Instead he pities himself and watches his uncle continue to be kind.

At the end of the soliloquy, Hamlet comes up with a plan that will unveil his uncle’s sins and what he had done. This is the first step towards taking action that Hamlet has taken since promising the ghost that he shall revenge his father. Even though this is his first action, it is not what the ghost wants him to do. This is a plot to determine if the ghost is telling the truth by attempting to see if his uncle is truly guilty of his father's murder by having the players act out a scene where a son’s father is killed and he seeks revenge. Through this, Hamlet’s view of the ghost changes. When he had first met the ghost he felt he was sent as good. Now his thoughts lean toward the ghost possibly being a devil. “The spirit that I have seen May be a [dev’l], and the [dev’l] hath power T’ assume a pleasing shape”(578-580) He also feels that the ghost may be out to punish him for being weak. “and perhaps, Out of my weakness and my melancholy”(580-581). This is why he decides to follow with this plan in order to find out if the ghost is telling the truth which also shows his selfishness.

The plans he has created is there in order to help himself find the truth behind the ghost. It will not fulfill the promise. What he has promised is to kill his fathers murderer. He continues to feel worthless for he has not done what he was asked to do.