[pachyderm]

Is anyone familiar with Franz Kafka's story "Metamorphosis" from the early 20th century? In it, the protagonist wakes up one morning and finds he has been turned into a giant insect. Does anyone understand the meaning of this story, and feel any kinship with it?

[nowheretorun]

i dont know the story pachy, but some mornings. i do feel like a large insect... hope you're well..

[Perna]

Here it is free: http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/5200

I was trying to find another story that reminded me of which I thought was by William Carlos Williams or C.P. Snow (still think it might be by Snow but I can't find it) where a boy is sick in bed and keeps telling the doctors something is taking over his body but everyone keeps poo-pooing him and saying it's just his illness and fever and it keeps getting "higher" (started at his feet) and he's terrified and desperate but eventually he wakes from sleep and is wholly well but he's "something" else, the thing totally took him over and no one knows.

[Abby]

Yeh i know the short story - my mum recommended i read it when i was younger, i loved it at the time but had absolutely no idea what it meant. I'm still kinda unsure to be honest! Do you think it is something to do with how society was at the time it was written? If you have any ideas i'd love to hear them. I've been searching for this short story ever since i last read it.
i hope you enjoyed it too.

[salukigirl]

I had to read it in Eng 113 a couple years ago. From what i remember it was about disease. I guess when he wrote it, his family had been going through (I want to say TB but Im not sure) some stuff with disease. It is saying that its like youre something as disgusting as a cockroach when you have a disease. People scream and shout because theyre afraid of you etc... Its a metaphore of how hard life is for someone who isn't "normal" like the rest of functioning society.

[pachyderm]

> Its a metaphore of how hard life is for someone who isn't "normal" like the rest of functioning society.

Yes.