Creative Blog #2

Tupperware-the idea of tupperware not only reflects the role of a woman as a houswive cooking for her family, but it also deals with the idea of being confined in a space. She feels very sheltered and resents her husband for keeping her from experiencing the real world and does not want to be stuck in a contained society anymore. The tupperware, again, serves to symbolize her containment and her cookie-cutter image that she is automatically given because of her gender.

Creative Blog #1

Conformity has presented itself in both Pride and Prejudice and Metamorphosis. The two stories deal with the expectations that society has on its citizens, and explore their ramifications on those who do not necessarily want to follow the social norms. Elizabeth Bennet, for example, goes through her life different than her sisters. She does not look for love or base her life upon having a husband and a family, but rather, she lives her life by doing what makes her happy. Metamorphosis, however, deals with the opposite outlook on conformity. Gregor Samsa is obsessed with his work and providing for his family, which, inevitably causes him to solely revolve his life around completing his everyday routines. He is consumed by society's expectations and does not know how else to live his life even when he is transformed into a vermin, which therefore accurately portrays the affects that conformity has on society.

Introductory Paragraph

Conformity has not only become a prevalent part of ones everyday life, but it has also provided many as a way of life. As much as we all may convince ourselves that we have the power to make our own choices and life decisions, we are all somehow controlled by society's expectations of us as human beings. Whether our outcomes are successful or not, we have all conformed to one way of thinking. Authors such as Kafka aid in proving this through his main character, Gregor's, unimaginable predicament in which he has been transformed into a "vermin." Just like any other middle class working man, Gregor has been so consumed by his work and completing his given tasks that even as a giant bug, he is determined and convinced to go to work and live his day as normally as possible. But who is to blame for this unexplainable obsession?

Conformity

I think that conformity in education is somewhat necessary in the earlier years of one's education, but is less prevalent in later years of school. In order for students to succeed in the educational standards, they must solely memorize and later take tests on specific material that is given in class. Although I do understand the significance of memorizing and training oneself in order to succeed, I do think that a more free method of learning can be introduced as one gets older and more independent in terms of studying and thinking. It is necessary to be pushed in order to have success, but it is also necessary to encourage free-thinking in order to grow as a person.

Question #4, page 1018

I think that Kuper is the most sympathetic toward Gregor because he not only characterizes Gregor as a helpless and scared creature, but he also emphasizes the father's cruel attitude, Grete's concern, and his mother's worries very vividly. Although Kafka's words and descriptions are very beautifully constructed, his ideas are much easier to understand through Kuper's visuals. On page 1003, Kuper illustrates Gregor's struggle to talk to his parents through his bedroom door. Kuper's illustrations depict Gregor in a great struggle and really convince the reader of his hardships in attempting to get up or even speak to his family. Kuper's depiction of Gregor's wiggling legs and frustrated facial expressions show how desperate he truly is, and ultimately proves that Kuper is, indeed, the most sympathetic toward Gregor.

Question #1, page 1014

I think that Kuper's illustrations are both humorous and frightening. They are so overly exaggerated that they completely aid in understanding the humor and almost unreal aspect of the situation, yet they also manage to capture each person's reaction very accurately. This definitely confirms my interpretation of The Metamorphosis and I think that anyone who is reading it should also take a glance at the illustrations for visual help. I think that Kuper chose to illustrate this all in black and white rather than in color to capture the nitty-gritty feel of the whole story as well as set the reader in an older time frame.

In Class Discussion

I personally loved our in class discussions on Monday. Although it is usually very helpful and informative when the teacher is solely addressing and lecturing the class, I really enjoyed this type of discussion. I think that it allowed many people to explore what they truly thought about the novel and also allowed me to consider new ideas about Metamorphosis. I think that these kind of active discussions are extremely helpful in understanding the material in an in depth analysis, but I feel as though they can only succeed if the class knows a good portion of the material as well. If this type of discussion were to be introduced when we first started the novel, I don't think that the level of involvement and understanding would even compare to that on Monday. Overall, I can't wait to continue our discussions on Metamorphosis and hope that this type of learning can be used later in the novel as well.