Sometimes reading fiction can be enlightening in a deeply personal way. It can provide a means of accessing a new way of thinking about ourselves, the world and our place within it. For me, Kafka’s The Trial had precisely this kind of profound effect. It’s a story that places a spotlight on the relationship between the individual and the state by focusing on the trials and tribulations of the enigmatic protagonist K. If you have read and enjoyed George Orwell’s 1984 and what it has to say about different forms of social tyranny, then I suspect you’ll like Kafka’s equally bleak vision of the establishment and its stranglehold over the individual.
And sometimes reading fiction can provide inspiration for our own creative and critical endeavours. I was reminded of this just the other day in a fourth form lesson. We have been reading Kafka’s Metamorphosis, which is a strange and disarming tale about a jaded workaholic called Gregor who wakes up one morning to discover that he has transformed into a monstrous bug.
As you read, be prepared to be disturbed and inspired in equal measure. Enjoy!
Metamorphosis by Benjamin Swartzentruber
Front
centre, touching one another, three identical
grey/black trash cans covered with rotting foods. From each a head
protrudes. The neck held fast in the trash can’s lid. The heads are those, from
left to right as seen from the auditorium as w1, w2 and m. They face
undeviatingly front throughout the play. Faces so lost to age and aspect as to
seem almost part of the trash cans. But no masks. Their speech is provoked by a
spotlight projected on faces alone. The transfer of light from one face to
another is immediate. No blackout, i.e. return to almost complete darkness of
opening, except where indicated. The response to light is immediate. Faces
impassive throughout. Voices toneless except where an expression is indicated.
Rapid tempo throughout.
The
curtain rises on a stage in almost complete darkness.
Trash
cans just discernible. Five seconds.
Faint
spots simultaneously on three faces. Three seconds. Voices faint, largely
unintelligible.
(altogether)
W1:
Yes strange the train he wants has gone
W2:
Yes strange the servant who comes has
left
M:
Yes strange that work I suppose the worse
W1:
and all that was fine has gone askew
W2:
Breakfast left untouched and door
M:
the time has gone long past
W1:
No sound at all except for excuses
W2:
locked fast no voice except for rasps
M:
feeble are the ones who to work would have taken me
W1:
poor thing a shade gone just a shade of
the head (by itself)
W2:
poor thing must have taken ill
M:
Laugh… a sickness of work
W1:
till all of hope be gone from-
W2:
I doubt it to ill was never taken-
M:
A man must come careful for
what-
Sound
of doorbell
W1:
who? the office to right him why?
W2:
who? the post for whom now?
M:
oh no my parents my sister who?
W1:
one assumed a colleague of his
W2:
the office for him now
M:
the manager help help help
W1:
the door the manager all still
W2:
the bell the office but i doubt it
M:help
hel- hiccup pardon quick
W1:him right now to right
W2:
yes perhaps… the manager
M:
The door the key quick
W1:
do my best all I can-
W2:
but as if never been-
M:
all dark wiped out-
Blackout.
Five seconds.
Spots
on three faces. Three seconds
(altogether)
W1:I
said to him to get out -
W2:
just then as I was sitting-
M:The
manager himself-
Spots
off. Blackout. Five seconds.
Spot
on W1
W1:
The manager had not been there long when he started to “speak” or more
like screech like a monstrous bug trying to speak like a human… I was scared-
[Spot from W1 to W2]
W2:
My calm helpful brother who had supplied this family with our house and food
cried and wailed from his room in an other worldly voice-
[Spot from W2 to M]
M:
I
recited my excuses for the manager to save my parents and dear sister only to
realise that my voice had become that of a verminous bug.
[Spot from M to W2]
W2:
Everyone was confused but I was only scared for my brother-
[Spot from W2 to M]
M:
I
must open my door but how, my hands were now replaced with feeble sticks. I
must use my mouth. to grab the key was difficult and put strain on my strange
teeth which oozed brown goo everywhere- this would be hard to clean off- but
eventually the door opened-
[Spot from M to W1]
W1:
There the door started to open my son- my beautiful son- was gone and as the
door opened my son was revealed as a grotesque bug with spindly legs…it snapped
its jaws- my son snapped his jaws-
[Spot from W1 to W2]
W2:
my brother leaned out of the doorway as a massive beetle and snapped its jaws-
his jaws- he always licked his lips when he smelt coffee so it was him… oh no-
oh no-
[Spot from W2 to M]
M:
As I smelt the morning coffee,[pause] … the regular morning coffee, I
licked my lips as i would have done [Laugh]… I snapped my jaws as i
would have done. My mother cried for help for me and collapsed into my fathers
arms. she cried for help for me-but ran[pause] am i really this
detestable-she wanted to help me, but ran she ran.she ran- she ra-
[Blackout. Curtains close.
Complete darkness]
The ABSURD TRAGEDIE of GREGOR SAMSA’S
METAMORPHOSIS by Stefano Frigo
ACT I SCENE II
[Enter LORD, FATHER, MOTHER]
F: Might I apologise to thee, my lord.
My child
seldom disappoints you, I hope.
L: It’s quite alright, we have dealt with far worse.
Our great
tree of goodness has grown with girth,
Flow’ring
fruits Generosity and Joy,
We shall
remain faithful to that good boy.
M: Thank you, my gracious lord, my loving liege.
Gregor has
always sought to please your honour.
He is a
hard worker and loves his job.
[Enter GREGOR, MOTHER begins to gasp, FATHER gets
angry, LORD loses his resolve]
G: I realise my appearance is grey,
But my
heart remains that of a human.
So I beg,
my lord, I beg and say please,
Do not
dispose of me, I shall still work
With as
much heart as my previous form.
L: Dare you to beg with that verminous state!
You shan’t
return to my gorgeous sales firm.
You make me
sick, twisted verminous bug.
You shall
never be a man again, insect.
[LORD storms out, partially in fear, GREGOR chases
him]
G: Return hither! Do not fear my new form!
I shall
still work with the same grit, conform!
Do not
discriminate, I am the same
Man as I
used to be, refrain from blame.
[FATHER pulls out LORD’s cane and newspaper, and runs
in front of GREGOR]
F: Damn you, vile beast, begone from this here room!
I do not
understand what you are… But
You aren’t
my child, so don’t dare act so…
[Starts beating GREGOR with the cane and newspaper,
driving him to his room]
G: Father! Do not fall into this mindset!
I am the
same Gregor as yesterday!
[Smashed into the room, the door is locked hitting
GREGOR]
G: Dare I say, this change affects my whole life.
Attacked by
my own father, woe is me!
Shall I
remain in this human household?
Or shall I
accept my verminous side?
Woe is me!
I have now hit an impasse!
I invested
much faith in family,
And now my
actions caused consequences
That I
shall now suffer, shattering me
Because of
my irrational thinking.
[GREGOR looks to his new body, contemplating all the
new choices bestowed upon him on one life-changing night.]
EXEUNT
No comments:
Post a Comment