Analysis Of Franz Kafka s The Metamorphosis, And Henrik...

Society tells everyone that they should behave a certain way. They should speak one way and interact with others another. Although society has changed and is different in many places, there will always be a standard that is set for community members. These standards can range from expectations for women, as mothers and wives, as well as the assumption that men should be the breadwinners of their families. Literature often reflects many standards that were found at the time of publication through the authors’ expressions of their ideas. Several of these standards are placed on the domestic household, including on the wife and husband of a family. Three viewpoints of literary criticism-Marxist, Feminist, and Freudian-argue different outlooks†¦show more content†¦Mr. Samsa entrenches his family in debt with his business ventures, leaving Gregor to pick up the slack. Basically, Gregor had become a servant of his work, and, after his metamorphosis, passes that burden up to his father (Marx 3). The father, like Gregor, upsets the natural balance of society in his household by not working, up until the metamorphosis. The family starts to pay off the debts with Gregor’s income and stops after Gregor’s transformation. However, once Gregor, who used to pay the debts, dies, the family can finally go back to paying the debts (Kafka 55). In a way, Gregor dies before his literal death, where his father kills him. His labor, as alienating as it is, is a form of self-sacrifice (Marx 4). This is irony on Kafka’s part, but it simply serves to exemplify the Marxist aspects of â€Å"The Metamorphosis,† which are the themes of labor and money. Several characteristics of the Marxist viewpoint are also found in Henrik Ibsen’s â€Å"A Doll’s House,† especially in regards to the relationship between Nora and her husband, Torvald. Torvald acts in a haughty manner towards his wife for multiple reasons. One cause of his abh orrent actions is due to the fact that Torvald recently received a promotion to bank manager and is in a higher position than Nora (Ibsen 11). Therefore, since he has a senior status over Nora, Torvald feels as if he can treat her as a