Chapter: 81
As with all of Kafka’s novels, The Metamorphosis offers endless interpretations.
If we focus on Gregor’s inner turmoil and despair, we could discuss “the social alienation felt by family members who can no longer work in a capitalist society.” From a philosophical angle, it delves into the primordial “existence” of humans who are not much different from bugs. And there are countless interpretations from a psychoanalytic or literary historical perspective as well.
Readers’ impressions vary widely.
Those familiar with Jewish humor using fables might chuckle at this book, while readers sensitive to absurdity might struggle to immerse themselves in the “unrealistic” setting. Meanwhile, those accustomed to the use of language and symbolism could find considerable “literary fun.” Others may empathize with Gregor’s feelings, feeling discomfort or pity.
But still.
The idea of “a bug turning into a hero to save people” is certainly a unique twist.
I can’t help but wonder if this is a result of some past life’s history being replayed in this world; it’s hard to say for sure.
It’s not the first time such a “previous life-like” reaction has popped up in this realm.
Just as ordinary folks are all ordinary in similar ways, it seems like all insane people are also crazy in similar styles.
“So what’s your take on this ‘appreciation’ you’re talking about?”
“You mean me?”
In the publisher’s drawing room, Princess Isu, who had been casually chatting with me about The Metamorphosis, suddenly seemed curious.
Since my transcendence, I no longer felt any fear when I saw her.
Now, to me, she’s just a quirky friend who loves reading, swinging her legs up and down on a couch in the publisher’s office.
“Yes. I wanted to hear the creator’s thoughts.”
“Hmm.”
Contrary to her misconception, I’m not the real author of The Metamorphosis.
I’m merely a plagiarist, having swiped some literature from a past life.
That’s why it’s tough for me to answer anything. I have no clue what Franz Kafka felt while crafting this novel.
So, I found myself mumbling, tongue-tied.
Princess Is waved her arms around playfully, as if she didn’t need me to respond.
“Psh, whatever! If you don’t wanna tell me, you don’t have to. I wasn’t expecting anything anyway!”
“Haha… Sorry.”
“Don’t worry, I forgive you. And really, what’s important can only be seen with the heart, right? No matter what the author explains… in the end, what matters is what I felt after reading the book.”
“Okay then, how did you read ‘The Metamorphosis’?”
“Wow, when I asked you a question, you didn’t answer, but now you’re asking me? Tch.”
“……”
“Anyway, I… uh, just remembered something from the past.”
“An old memory… you say?”
“When I was called Idris. I, too, underwent a transformation once, hehe.”
“Oh.”
“In my case, I guess you could say I went from worm to human.”
“……”
.
.
.
The third prince of the Empire, Idris, was a bright child.
When other kids were learning to talk, Idris learned to read and write, and while others studied arithmetic, Idris was directly studying geometry from the Empire’s top scholars.
Although he couldn’t be emperor because of his brothers, anyone who recognized Idris’s brilliance believed he would elevate the imperial name to great heights.
“Imagine how embarrassed my father was when I, so clever, donned women’s clothes and defined myself as a woman… hee-hee, can you picture the emperor, supposedly devoid of blood or tears, perplexed like a lost sheep with trembling eyes?”
“I wouldn’t know, as I’ve never met His Majesty.”
“Oh, really? Anyway, my father seemed quite desperate. He visited a priest, claiming I was possessed by a demon, and he actually paid a fortune to some head honcho at the Purple Tower for a diagnosis. He even sought help from the Black Tower, clutching at straws… but guess what? They all said I was normal.”
An imperial prince defining himself as a “woman”—
Her existence alone was sacrilege to the imperial family. “Social minorities” are to be respected, not revered. People might donate to help them, but they can’t be loyal to them. If her existence were revealed to the outside world, the imperial authority would hit rock bottom.
The Empire is the emperor’s domain, but it’s also the parliament’s and the church’s. Her existence was a grievous liability, both politically and religiously.
“What could the iron-blooded emperor do upon hearing that diagnosis? To maintain imperial authority, he literally locked his own daughter in her room. When it was time for her to attend outside events, Enoch stepped in as her double, and if that wasn’t enough, he sent bodyguards along… I wouldn’t be surprised if a few folks lost their heads for chatting too freely about me, haha. Sometimes, the person who used to attend to me changed too!”
Within the confines of the palace, she could enjoy whatever her heart desired.
Gourmet delicacies crafted from every ingredient you could think of, the most exquisite jewels, attendants at her fingertips, even knights prepared to lay down their lives for the emperor. Whatever she wished, the emperor granted without a second thought.
Occasionally, it seemed like he wished she’d make even more requests.
Whether that stemmed from a fatherly guilt or the relief of an emperor, I can’t say. In any case, as long as she had wishes to fulfill within that little room, she wasn’t about to step foot outside the palace.
“Who could imagine,” she mused, “the most luxurious prison in the world?”
One thing was for sure.
The emperor no longer loved her.
Honestly, there were times when he downright loathed her for dressing as she did. The emperor missed the “brilliant prince” as much as he detested the “mad prince.”
Idris was born this way, yet the two were hardly different.
The music they loved, their little quirks, the affection for family…
Nothing had truly changed, except that just one single fact—that she defined herself as a “woman”—turned Idris into a “worm.”
“Oh, my father doesn’t love me anymore. Recognizing that too soon was hard for me. I tried to rebel, snuck out, thought about doing this and that… but in the end, I gave it all up. The more I did, the more my father viewed me like some ‘madwoman.’ Once I let it go, he actually started to allow me a bit more freedom, just like when I first met you… heh, I was honestly shocked when he recognized me.”
“Ah, you were dressed as a maid back then, right? I remember.”
“Right! So, um, yeah, you asked about my impression of The Metamorphosis, huh? For me, it’s a tale about… love! And honestly, loving my family isn’t as easy as I thought!”
All of this was just an introduction to her “impression” of the work.
She continued with a bright smile, like a girl sharing her thoughts on a favorite book with a friend.
“Even if something as ridiculous as a perfectly healthy person turning into a bug doesn’t happen… the smallest incident can transform love into hate, right? They say family love is both noble and perfect… but at the end of the day, it’s just a feeling, and feelings aren’t eternal.”
“Do you resent His Majesty?”
“Me? No?”
“Really?”
“Well, um, I certainly used to feel a lot of resentment… but these days, it’s not like that. Just as love isn’t forever, neither is hate. Oh, and I even took a walk with him the other day, whew!”
“……”
“Even if Gregor turned back into a human, his family wouldn’t be able to love him ‘like before,’ because they’ve already grown accustomed to the void he left and have found new roles that don’t include him anymore.”
“……”
“As Gregor kept muttering, everything won’t magically sort itself out like waking from a nightmare, and they may still feel awkward with one another due to those memories of being ‘bugs’ for a long time.”
“……”
“But that doesn’t mean they can’t love Gregor any longer, right? They’ll probably love him in a new way. Sure, it might not be the kind of love Gregor was hoping to find… but if love isn’t eternal to begin with, why expect it to remain the same forever?”
“……”
“Okay, I might have gone a bit off track there, but that’s the gist of it!”
She beamed at me with a sun-like brightness.
With a steady voice akin to a sunflower, she declared.
“This novel wasn’t really my cup of tea, so I’d appreciate something better next time.”
“…Huh.”
.
.
.
[“Gregor recalled his family and felt a profound love for them.”]
[“His conviction that he must vanish from this world was stronger than his sister’s reproach.”]
[“Gregor drifted into quiet, serene contemplation. Everything at dawn began to brighten; then, without his consent, his head fell to the floor, and his last breath escaped him.”]
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