Consequences of Imprisonment in Franz Kafka's "Metamorphosis" and in Gabriel Garca Marquz's "No One Writes to the Colonel"
Timmy I. Bendiš – 3MM – English A1 -- World Lit Assignment
Consequences of Imprisonment in Franz Kafka's Metamorphosis and Gabriel García Márquez's No One Writes to the Colonel.
Confined in or as if in prison is the commonly accepted definition for the word of imprisonment. In these books, the authors investigate the effects of many forms of imprisonment on a person's psyche. Gabriel García Márquez writes using poverty as the imprisonment of the Colonel and his wife. Because of their financial state, they are unable to do anything, and are therefore «imprisoned». However, in Kafka's Metamorphosis, Samsa is treated as if he is in a prison, rather then being kept by something less palpable. However, the consequences, of these seperate definitions are the same. The subject is lonely, depressed, and is unsure of his future, and it is these consequences that link the stories together.
In Metamorphosis, after Gregor transforms into an insect, he is almost immediatly shoved into his prison; in other words: his room. Here, Gregor is forced to think about how he helps, or rather hinders, his family. Two separate images in Metamorphosis show exactly how Gregor is imprisoned. The first, is to make Gregor think about «his actions» like most prisoners do: when one goes to prison, it is not simply to sit there, but it is rather a time out, to think about what you have done... except it is not colorful, like a childhood room, and is probably terrifying. However, before Gregor realizes that he is truly imprisoned, he gets time to think about his situation, and replan his new life. «... and so he had ample time to reflect in peace and quiet on how best to reorganize his life.» The second symbol of prison is when he is shut inside his room by an external force. «'Close that door, Grete,' and he was left once more in darkness,...» . This shows how Gregor is physically imprisoned. Unlike No One Writes to the Colonel where the Colonel and his wife are never physically closed behind bars and doors, Kafka displays the imprisonment of his main character in a more direct way, a more obvious way, so that his audience can find and analyze his books easily (or misanalyze them, as stated in the film Loser). Kafka could have been portraying this theme more directly though because that is how he felt. As there are several biographical elements seen throughout Metamorphosis, some examples including the similarities of deaths of the main character and Kafka and similar habits after transforming (in Kafka's case, catching tuburculosis). It is possible that Kafka felt imprisoned by his disease, and he chose to portray it through this work of fiction or let it influence his ideas.
