This week’s reading we read “The Metamorphosis” by Frank Kurtz, “Mantis” by Julia Armfield, “Fatso” by Etgar Keret, and “Beast” by Samantha Hunt. This stories are about physical change, but also about the messages that lie underneath.
While reading”The Metamorphosis”, many metaphors became apparent about self realization and realizing what components make a human being. After Gregor transformation, his love for art, life, and culture still thrived. He lived off the fact that his family needing him. Once that need disappeared and his family began to slowly forget about him, his need to live slowly began to disappear. The family also went through a transformation by being forced to find means of living. They once again to begin to find a purpose through their meaning for life changes. A change mainly happens between Emily. In the beginning, she begins to help Gregor, but as time goes on she begins to treat Gregor as this inhuman object instead of a human being. Once Gregor dies, the family begins to realize that he was a human and not so much as a burden.
“Beast“ was a a transformation of a married women into a deer. The story is an explantation of what happened to turned this women into a deer. The wife cheats on her husband, and turns into a deer at night. When a person thinks about a deer the idea of it being unsure and unfaithful is not one that comes to mind. Deers represent the innocence, kindness, grace, and luck. I believe that her turning into a deer is there to reminds her of who she use to be before committing an act of sin. Hernando’s Hideaway was a song that scared her. The song stalked about doing adult things which gives me the idea that she does not like to reminded of the acts that she commits.
“Fatso” is a short story about a man’s girlfriend who transform every night into this fat, hairy man who likes to go out to bars and watch soccer. At the beginning, the story did not lead me to the conclusion of a women turning into a man’s best friend. I thought he was going to be a cheater. Instead it showed that he loved her no matter what or form.
“Mantis” is a story about a young girl who attends an all girls catholic school. As a child growing up her mother tells her that she has a severe skin condition passed down through genetics. Throughout the story, she describes her experience with her friends and her personal journey. Some things that came up where her emotions towards her flaws, insecurities, and her dating life. As the story goes on, the author pays close attention to her peeling skin and the details about her grandmother. The mother focuses on her daughter beauty and looks more than her daughter does. Eventually, she turns into this praying mantis and proceed to eat the boy she was talking too. Her transformation has a lot of self hatred and anger. While she tries to forget about what makes her different or standout everyone else is focused on it.