Discuss How Kafka Evokes Feelings of Sympathy Towards Gregor

Discuss how Kafka evokes feelings of sympathy towards Gregor? ‘The Metamorphosis’ is written by Franz Kafka in 1915, during the time when modernism and existentialism was popular through literature. Kafka uses different devices to induce sympathy towards Gregor’s character by using isolation, his transformation and the different family responses to Gregor’s transformation. Gregor Samsa is the main character of the novel and is the first character the reader learns about. The bizarre beginning of the novel states the transformation that has taken place to Gregor, â€Å"†¦ e found himself changed in his bed into a monstrous vermin. † This immediately puzzles the reader and is the trigger of the sympathy from the reader to Gregor. â€Å"No matter how hard he threw himself onto his right side, he always rocked onto his back again. † The effort Gregor has to do to make himself turn over makes the reader sympathetic towards him because he is fi nding it extremely difficult, as his transformation has changed his ability to move at ease that he before was accustomed to. â€Å"†¦ the change in his voice was nothing more than the first sight of a bad cold†¦ This shows that not only has Gregor’s body transformed into a â€Å"vermin† but his voice has also altered which illustrates that he is losing his human features and is becoming entirely insect. Sympathy is present from the reader because the hope of something human like present in Gregor is out of the question as his struggle to cope with the unsuspected transformation is complete. Gregor’s role in the family is the provider in the household that he shares with his parents and sister. He is selfless, only thinks for others and not himself. This is seen in the start of the novel when his transformation has begun. â€Å"But that would be extremely embarrassing and suspicious†¦ Gregor had not been sick even once. † The panic of not showing up for work and the effects on others and the excuses he may have to make are going through his mind when he wakes up. This creates sympathy as the reader learns the Gregor does not care for himself but cares and acts accordingly to others in his life than rather going with what he wants to do. A paragraph in chapter one, â€Å"Why didn’t his sister go in to the others†¦ uncertainty that was torturing he others and excused their behaviour. † This paragraph backs up evidence that Gregor only thought about others. It also suggests to the reader that he is under a lot of pressure as he has to think about his family as well as his boss and work and at this time the transformation that has just happened to him. Isolation is a major device that Kafka uses to evo ke sympathy towards Gregor. This theme is introduced at the beginning of the novel. Gregor is in his room, alone with the door locked and his family outside when he wakes up and finds himself transformed into a â€Å"vermin†. This physical isolation from within his home is linked to his general isolation from society where his role is to work. His hard work to supply for the home is a factor of his isolation from his family as there is a lack of communication, â€Å"†¦ quiet life his family has been leading†¦ †. His isolation from society after his transformation makes Gregor unhappy as he is unable to help his family and is only allowed to watch selflessly from a distance. â€Å"Gregor spent the days and nights almost entirely without sleep†¦ he would take charge of the family’s affairs again†¦ This creates sympathy as the reader is aware there is nothing Gregor is capable of doing to help his family and that he cannot overcome the change of his body. Gregor’s family’s responses to his surprising transformation are important factors to allowing the reader to sympathise towards Gregor’s character. Gregor’s parents and Gregor seemed to have no relationship as they only saw him as a supplier and not their son, â€Å"That boy has nothing on his mind but the business. † This is said by the mother. It shows that she only cared about the money coming in to the house rather than his well being. The lack of communication between the parents and Gregor is emphasised when Gregor transforms as they make no attempt to see him or communicate with him, and soon he is forgotten to them as he is not as important as he was before. Grete, Gregor’s sister on the other hand had a relationship with Gregor. She cared for him and this is shown in the beginning of the novel when Gregor does not wake up in time to go to work. â€Å"Gregor? Is something the matter with you? † This demonstrates the caring that Grete has towards Gregor. The brother and sister also have another link that brings them closer, their ove for music. This is seen when Grete is playing the violin and Gregor as the transformed vermin finds interest from the music and goes to Grete. The reader later learns that the caring Grete from the start of the novel finds Gregor a pest towards the end, â€Å"†¦ we have to try get rid of it. We’ve done everything humanly possible to take care of it†¦ † This illustrates that Grete has become fed up with Gregor hanging around the house and pestering the family. It seems that she feels that Gregor is a burden on the family and that the â€Å"monstrous vermin† is not Gregor at all. This evokes sympathy as Gregor has no family links and is now completely alone as no one wants him around anymore. When Gregor learns about his family’s decision to get rid of him, he then takes his last breath and dies alone. The death is sudden but expectant to the reader. â€Å"Come and have a look, it’s croaked; it’s lying there, dead as a doornail! † The cleaning woman of the house is the one who finds Gregor dead in the morning. Mr. and Mrs. Samsa are shocked about the death and hurriedly make everyone leave from the house except them and Grete. His death may have been a shock for them but no grief is shown from the family towards him. â€Å"†¦ now we can thank God! † This shows that Mr. Samsa was delighted by the death of Gregor and as if he had been waiting for the end of Gregor for a long time. Gregor’s death did not move the family as they just seemed to go on with their lives. They all leave the house to start their lives a fresh. The lack of grief shown towards Gregor tells the reader that Gregor must have been holding the family back from their potential and that they were finally happy that he had left them. This creates sympathy for Gregor because he is not missed and all the hard work he applied himself for the family was not appreciated by them. He was not seen as a part of the family, just a pay check. In conclusion the two main devices Kaka uses are the transformation of Gregor and the isolation he faced within his home and society are the main roles in evoking sympathy towards him from the reader. Kafka uses these techniques mainly to show that Gregor’s character was a symbol for alienation within the society of that time which therefore creates a considerable amount of sympathy from the reader towards his character.

Nature Versus Nurture

Nature Versus Nurture You got your green eyes from your mother and your freckles from your father- but where did you get your thrill-seeking personality and talent for singing? Did you learn these things from your parents or was it predetermined by your genes? While its clear that physical characteristics are hereditary, the genetic waters get a bit murkier when it comes to an individuals behavior, intelligence, and personality. Ultimately, the old argument of nature versus nurture has never really had a clear winner. While we dont really know how much of our personality is determined by our DNA and how much by our life experience, we do know that both play a part. The Nature vs. Nurture Debate The use of the terms nature and nurture as convenient catch-phrases for the roles of heredity and environment in human development can be traced back to 13th-century France. In simplest terms, some scientists believe people behave as they do according to genetic predispositions or even animal instincts, which is known as the nature theory of human behavior, while others believe people think and behave in certain ways because they are taught to do so. This is known as the nurture theory of human behavior. Fast-growing understanding of the human genome has made it clear that both sides of the debate have merit. Nature endows us with inborn abilities and traits. Nurture takes these genetic tendencies and molds them as we learn and mature. End of story, right? Nope. The nature vs. nurture argument rages on as scientists debate how much of who we are is shaped by genetic factors and how much is a result of environmental factors. The Nature Theory: Heredity Scientists have known for years that traits such as eye color and hair color are determined by specific genes encoded in each human cell. The nature theory takes things a step further by suggesting that abstract traits such as intelligence, personality, aggression, and sexual orientation can also be encoded in an individuals DNA. The search for behavioral genes is the source of constant dispute as some fear that genetic arguments will be used to excuse criminal acts or justify antisocial behavior. Perhaps the most controversial topic up for debate is whether or not theres such a thing as a gay gene. Some argue that if such genetic coding does indeed exist, that would mean genes play at least some role in our sexual orientation. In an April 1998 LIFE magazine article titled, Were You Born That Way? author George Howe Colt claimed that new studies show its mostly in your genes. However, the issue was far from settled. Critics pointed out that the studies on which the author and like-minded theorists based their findings used insufficient data and too narrow a definition of same-sex orientation. Later research, based on a more conclusive study of a broader population sample reached different conclusions, including a 2018 groundbreaking study (the largest of its kind do date) co-conducted by the Broad Institute in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and Harvard Medical School in Boston that looked at the possible links of DNA and homosexual behavior. This study determined that there were four genetic variables located on chromosomes seven, 11, 12, and 15, that do seem to have some correlation in same-sex attraction (two of these factors are specific only to males). However, in an October 2018 interview with Science, the study’s chief author, Andrea Ganna, denied the existence of a â€Å"gay gene† per se, explaining: â€Å"Rather, ‘nonheterosexuality’ is in part influenced by many tiny genetic effects.† Ganna went to say that researchers had yet to establish the correlation between the variants they’d identified and actual genes. â€Å"It’s an intriguing signal. We know almost nothing about the genetics of sexual behavior, so anywhere is a good place to start,† he admitted, however, the final takeaway was that the four genetic variants could not be relied on as predictors of sexual orientation. The Nurture Theory: Environment While not totally discounting that genetic tendency may exist, supporters of the nurture theory conclude that, ultimately, they dont matter. They believe our behavioral traits are defined solely by the environmental factors that affect our upbringing. Studies on infant and child temperament have revealed the most compelling arguments for the nurture theory. American psychologist John Watson, a strong proponent of environmental learning, demonstrated that the acquisition of a phobia could be explained by classical conditioning. While at Johns Hopkins University, Watson conducted a series of experiments on a nine-month-old orphaned infant named Albert. Using methods similar to those employed by Russian physiologist Ivan Pavlov with dogs, Watson conditioned the baby to make certain associations based on paired stimuli. Every time the child was given a certain object, it was accompanied by a loud, frightening noise. Eventually, the child learned to associate the object with fear, whether the noise was present or not. The results of Watsons study were published in the February 1920 edition of the Journal of Experimental Psychology. Give me a dozen healthy infants, well-formed, and my own specified world to bring them up in and Ill guarantee to take any one at random and train him to become any type of specialist I might select ... regardless of his talents, penchants, tendencies, abilities, vocations and race of his ancestors. Harvard psychologist B. F. Skinners early experiments produced pigeons that could dance, do figure-eights, and play tennis. Today Skinner is known as the father of behavioral science. Skinner eventually went on to prove that human behavior could be conditioned in much the same way as animals. Nature vs. Nurture in Twins If genetics didnt play a part in the development of our personalities, then it follows that fraternal twins reared under the same conditions would be alike regardless of differences in their genes. Studies show, however, that while fraternal twins do more closely resemble one another than non-twin siblings, they also exhibit striking similarities when reared apart from the twin sibling, much in the same way that identical twins raised separately often grow up with many (but not all) similar personality traits. If the environment doesnt play a part in determining an individuals traits and behaviors, then identical twins should, theoretically, be the same in all respects, even if reared separately. However, while studies show that identical twins are never exactly alike, they are remarkably similar in most respects. That said, in Happy Families: A Twin Study of Humour, a 2000 study published by faculty at the Twin Research and Genetic Epidemiology Unit at St. Thomas Hospital in London, researchers concluded that a sense of humor is a learned trait influenced by family and cultural environment, rather than any genetic predetermination. Its Not Versus, Its And So, is the way we behave ingrained before were born, or does it develop over time in response to our experiences? Researchers on both sides of the nature versus nurture debate agree that the link between a gene and behavior is not the same as cause and effect. While a gene may increase the likelihood that youll behave in a particular way, it does not ultimately predetermine behavior. So, rather than being a case of either/or, its likely that whatever personality we develop is due to a combination of both nature and nurture. Sources Price, Michael. Giant Study Links DNA Variants to Same-Sex Behavior. Science. October 20, 2018

Nike. Ethical Audit Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Nike. Ethical Audit Report - Essay Example Also the ethical implications related to the disclosure method adopted by Nike related to its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) stature is discussed in detail. The company Nike has responded in a professional manner to the many labor issues it has faced over a span of the past 10 years. A detailed audit related to the ethics of the business and possible changes which can make the company Nike a better workplace are dealt with in this paper. Introduction Nike created a code of conduct related to work place ethics after it was seriously allegated of making women and children work under hazardous conditions with minimum wages especially in developing countries like China. Nike is a leading marketer of athletic apparel and shoes and it has its operations and sales outlets spread across the globe. Nike is not involved in the actual manufacturing of its products; rather the company is involved in designing the products marketed by it. Nike makes use of workers on a contract basis for t he purpose of manufacturing in nearly 600 factories which are scattered across the globe and employs almost 800,000 people (CSR Report, Nike, pg.25). With such a huge work force the company faces issues related to ethics at work place and as the company is globally accredited it also faces Corporate Social Responsibility related ethical dilemmas. Corporate companies have to follow a responsible path and make sure the way with which they act and take their business ahead is within the permissible limits of ethics. In the year 2004 Nike released its Corporate Social Responsibilities report, first of its kind in accordance with the Global Reporting Indicators (GRI). The mission of GRI deals with developing, publicizing sustainability guidelines and global responsibility. GRI is process oriented and the indicators can be made use of while reporting environmental, economic and social aspects related to products, services and activities of the company. In this research paper these GRI ind icators will be applied to perform the ethical social audit of the company Nike. As at present there is no strong code of conduct present to enforce labor standards on an international basis as many countries especially developing ones have limited ability in relation to enforcing labor laws (Cohen, Sabel, 2006). There were only 24,291 direct employees at Nike during the year 1990 who worked in the United States and the major work force in manufacturing factories of Nike was from developing countries on a contract basis. Nike has been criticized for the ethics of the company when it comes to outsourcing. In many of its factories across the globe the problems of low wages, human rights and poor working conditions were prevalent. Though the management at Nike did not accept responsibility for such poor work conditions at first, during the year 1992 a well formulated code of conduct in relation to the labor, health and environmental standards was observed and followed by Nike. The mini mum age for labors was increased to 18 years and all the footwear suppliers were insisted to adopt the United States Occupational and Safety Health Administration (OSHA) standards at work place. To deal with labor practices issues Nike created the Nike Environmental Action Team (NEAT) in the year 2000. There are more than 100 corporate responsibility managers at work in Nike at present and there are over 1000 production managers working across the globe. An ethics audit deals with the manner in which the ethical practices and procedures adopted by a company can be assessed. On a professional basis the ethical standards have moved from being comprehensive to being more detailed.

Mustafa Kemal Ataturk and Kemalism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Mustafa Kemal Ataturk and Kemalism - Essay Example This is the official cult. His biography is read like hagiography of saints. After more than half a century after his death most of the Turks with bated breath speak about the penetrating gaze of his blue eyes, his tireless energy, strength of mind and indomitable will. Mustafa Kemal was born in Thessaloniki in Greece. At that time the area was controlled by the Ottoman Empire. His father was a middle-ranking customs official, his mother - a peasant. After a difficult childhood, lived in poverty due to early death of his father, the boy entered the Salonica Military School, then the Monastir Military High School and in 1889, finally, the Ottoman Military Academy in Istanbul. There, in addition to military disciplines, Kemal studied the works of Rousseau, Voltaire, Hobbes and other philosophers and thinkers that certainly influenced his views. At the age of 20, during training, Kemal and his friends joined a secret revolutionary society - Vatan ve Hà ¼rriyet (Motherland and Liberty). Failing to come to understanding with the other members of the society, Kemal left Vatan and joined the Committee of Union and Progress, which has collaborated with the movement of the Young Turks (Turkish bourgeois revolutionary movement, setting a task to replace the sultan’s autocracy with constitutional order). Kemal was personally acquainted with many key figures in the Young Turk movement and was involved in the coup in 1908. At the outbreak of the World War I, Kemal, who despised the Germans, was shocked by the fact that the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire became their ally. However, in spite of the personal views, he skillfully commanded the troops entrusted to him. So, in Gallipoli, in April 1915, he blunted the attack of the British forces several weeks, earning the nickname â€Å"Savior of Istanbul†. It was one of the few victories of the Turks in the war. He told his subordinates not only to attack but to die. It is