KAFKA AND CRONONBERG
OR THE FASCINATION OF
METAMORPHOSIS
I suggest you to watch some extracts of
two adaptations of The Fly and The Metamorphosis.
Then, you can read an extract of
David Cronenberg’s transcript.
Chris Swanton's film Metamorphosis
David Cronenberg’s film The
Fly (1986)
The Fly (1986) by Charles Edward Pogue
and David Cronenberg.
Based on The Fly by George Langelaan.
Transcript (extract)
BRUNDLES
LAB - NIGHT
Veronica
enters the Lab, which appears to be empty.
VERONICA
Seth
? I'm here.
Suddenly Brundle jumps
out from behind the prototype
telepod,
which is now exposed.
BRUNDLE
Stop!
VERONICA
Seth!
Seth Brundle,
now walking on Canes, shows himself after a
month of self
induced insolation. He is much worse than when
we last
met him and a lot of his hair has fallen out. His
skin has
a gray colour to it and is covered in small lumps
and spots.
He wears gloves.
BRUNDLE
You
were right. I'm diseased and, uh... it might be
contagious somehow. I
wouldn't want to infect you. And it's
been accelerating.
It's unrelenting.Every time I look in
the mirror,
there's someone different, someone hideous,
repulsive.
VERONICA
What
happened?
BRUNDLE
I
know an old lady who swallowed a fly perhaps she'll die.
VERONICA
Seth...
please.
BRUNDLE
I
was not pure. The teleporter insists on inner purity. I
was not
pure.
VERONICA
I
don't know what you mean.
BRUNDLE
A
fly got into the transmitter pod with me that first time
when i was
alone. Uh, the computer got confused; there
weren't supposed
to be two separate genetic patterns and it
decided to
splice us together. It mated us, me and the fly.
We
hadn't even been properly introduced. My teleporter
turned her
into a gene splicer. And a very good one. Now I'm
not Seth Brundle anymore.
I'm the offspring of, um, Brundle
and housefly.
Have you ever seen the science fiction
horror film THE FLY, of David Cronenberg ?
Have you ever read the fiction novella
THE METAMORPHOSIS, of Franz Kafka ?
Don’t you see a link ?
I had made it for you.
Seth Brundle and
Gregor Samsa are destined for great things. Seth is a brilliant
scientist, Gregor a serious travelling salesman : they
have lots of ambitions and work hard in order to be recognized by the
scientific community (Seth) or their family (Gregor). One day they
are transformed into horrible insects. They have to face many
challenges related to their physical transformation.
It would be a misunderstanding to think
these works only suggest horror and disgust.
Kafka certainly
remained fascinated and overwhelmed by existentialist thinking, namely the
difficulty of responsible commitment in the face of an absurd universe.
Deprived of all metaphysical guidelines, a man is nevertheless obligated to act
morally in a world where death renders everything meaningless. Gregor alone
must determine what constitutes a moral action although he can never foresee
the consequences of his actions. As a result, he comes to regard his total
freedom of choice as a curse.
Seth is transformed
into a monstrous insect because of a flawed self-experiment whereas Gregor woke
up metamorphosed into a bug. In that sense perhaps Seth has earned it because
it was dangerous, he wanted to alter matter ; Gregor lives un incomprehensible
and unfair situation. I think that is the main difference between these two
characters.
Gregor patiently accepts the hardships
and he faces them without complaint. As soon as he realizes that he has
been transformed into a bug, he immediately wants to go to work so that he
can provide for his family. He is always worried about money problems. Its only
purpose is to support his family. He never had any lobbies.
Therefore, even transformed, he cares only about the well-being of his family.
At no time he wonders why he has been metamorphosed.
Besides, if Gregor and Seth are transformed
into insects, they continue to behave as if they are humans. That is the
reason why Gregor wonders “was he an animal, that music had such
an effect on him?”. They shut themselves in the house in order not to
be seen by the outside world (as we can read in the script of the Fly when
Seth says “I wouldn’t want to infect you”). They are shameful
(Seth : “Every time I look in the mirror, there's someone
different, someone hideous, repulsive”). They hide so
as not to hurt physically and morally their family or
girlfriend.
Only death can save them of
their condition : they are no future, no reason to hope, they are
condemned to live alone.
The Fly and The Metamorphosis broach
isolation, lonesomeness, abandonment and despair. Society keeps them out
of things because they are not like the others. They are abandoned by
their loved ones :
"My dear parents," his sister
saids , and by way of an introduction pounded her hand on the table,
"things can't go on like this. Maybe you don't realize it, but
I do. I won't pronounce the name of my brother in
front of this monster, and so all I say is: we have to try
to get rid of it.", The metamorphosis.
Their dead
are pathetic. Gregor is hurt by his father who throws an apple in his back. Seth
is shot by his frightened girlfriend.
Kafka shows how much the life
is meaningless. Indeed, nobody wonders why Gregor has been transformed into an
enormous bug. He has been metamorphosed, that’s all. It is fatality. We can’t
change it so it is useless to know why. What’s more, no one will
ever no Seth invented teleportation.
Life is absurd.
I agree with what you said. But I would like to analyze Kafka’s relation with the notion of family in The Metamorphosis which is quite interesting.
ReplyDeleteWhen he wrote the book, Kafka was in open conflict with his family, who was trying to stop him from writing, and it can be seen all along The Metamorphosis.
Indeed, Gregor, as soon as he becomes a bug, loses his family and his condition of human being at the same time. While reading the text, we might wonder who is really human : is it the family, who keeps the appearance of humanity but who rejects a member or their family and eventually kills him? Or is it Gregor who suffers from being a burden to his family and who still loves music, a very human entertainment? Actually, Gregor’s death is lived as a relief for the family, when he was the one before the metamorphosis who was providing a living to the family. This radical change shows the futility of the family links for Kafka which can be questioned any time. After the fainting of the mother, Gregor becomes a burden that no one cares about anymore even his sister who used to bring him food. The same sister declares at a certain point that she cannot bear Gregor’s existence anymore. These changes in the mindset of the family is seen in the very lines you cited from the text. It explains their absence of emotions when Gregor dies. Finally, the behavior of the father is the most coherent as he manifests his hostility against Gregor from the beginning.
To me, the novel denounces the hypocrisy which takes place in family relationships and the instability of human feelings, which clearly change from love to hate and from life to death.
I absolutely agree with everything you wrote. However, I really wanted to insist on the parallel between The Fly and The Metamorphosis. Indeed, the first time I watched David Cronenberg’s movie, I was fascinated by Jeff Goldblum’s acting and the similitude with the character of Gregor Samsa. That is the reason why I actually wanted to share it with you.
ReplyDeleteI believe that we could talk about The Metamorphosis for weeks and weeks. How about Greta, Gregor’s sister ? Isn’t there an ambiguity ? Couldn’t we talk about incest ? You may read this extract :
“He intended never to let her out of his room again, at least not as long as he lived [...] After this declaration his sister would burst into tears of deep emotion, and Gregor would raise himself to the level of her shoulders and kiss her neck, which, since she have begun her job, she had left bare, without any ribbon or collar”.
I don't think we could talk about incest about their relationship. Gregor has a great affection for his sister (he is willing to pay for his studies of violin), but their relationship is just about family love to me. His sister is clearly his favorite member of the family and, after the metamorphosis, she changes from a position where she was taken care of, to a position where she is taking care of her brother.
ReplyDeleteAs for the quote, I think Gregor, as a young man, had just seen before his parents his sister's transformation into a woman. This "metamorphosis" is only seen by the parents at the end of the story.
Of course the incest don't materialize in The Metamorphosis. However, I really think Gregor has incestous thoughts and he expresses a will of property with regard to his sister.
ReplyDelete