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Nguyen 1

Michelle Nguyen
Mr. Diep
English IB HL 1
26 May 2015
Semester 2 Final Doc Format
Franz Kafkas The Metamorphosis
Work as Translation:
Kafkas style is unique in the German language and cannot be replicated in English. I have gone
through a few of the books from different translators, where different words were used in place
of another. There is not necessarily a better word for each translation, but even if under the same
title, the differences in translation in each book affects how the work is perceived by the reader.
As Gregor Samsa awoke one morning from uneasy dreams he found himself
transformed in his bed into a gigantic insect. (1) Translation by Edwin Muir
When Gregor Samsa woke up one morning from unsettling dreams, he found himself
changed in his bed into a monstrous vermin. (1) Translation by Stanley Corngold
As each version starts out, the context is the same, but certain adjectives stand out. Muirs
translation uses the words: uneasy, transformed, and gigantic insect to describe Gregors
awakening. On the other hand, Corngold uses: unsettling, changed, and monstrous vermin
respectively. Muirs translation compared to Corngolds is quite standard while Corngolds is
more extreme with descriptions and makes Gregor sound more grotesque in a way.
Existential Connections:

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Kafkas work revolves around the philosophy of nihilism. Gregor devotes his life to work which
might be why Kafka compares him to an insect. His entire life being devoted to work shows lack
of purpose and is meaningless.
O God, he thought, what a demanding job Ive chosen! Day in, day out on the road.
The stresses of trade are much greater than the work going on at head office, and, in
addition to that, I have to deal with the problems of traveling, the worries about train
connections, irregular bad food, temporary and constantly changing human relationships
which never come from the heart. To hell with it all! (4). Gregors Nihilistic Work
Like Sisyphus whose entire life is to heave a rock uphill and watch it roll back down, lives in an
absurd world. This work demonstrates absurdity as the protagonist is morphed into a grusome
insect, which then results in alienation as Gregor is then blocked off from his family. Not even
his family members would talk to him, even though he can still listen and interpret their
language. The only problem was that he could not communicate with other humans which futher
alienates him from the rest of the characters.
Gregor could get no new information directly, he did hear a good deal from the room
next door, and as soon as he heard voices, he scurried right away to the relevant door and
pressed his entire body against it. (41). Alienation of Gregor
Non Literary Connection:
Two days ago, I was terribly sick with a cold that a friend had passed onto me. I had completely
lost my voice and struggled to even utter a word. When my parents would ask me a question, the
only thing I could do was either nod or shake my head. While spending most of weekend in my
room, no one would bother me, not wanting to risk catching my cold. Though I did not transform
into some freaky bug, experiencing a euphemized version of Gregors isolation was not fun.

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Gabriel Garcia Marquez Love in the Time of Cholera
Work as Translation:
The names of characters in the novel are always paired with their first followed by their last
names. This could simply just be the effect through the process of translation, but it also gives a
sense of formality to the characters. Also, (not sure about the accuracy of google translate) the
name of one protagonist, Dr. Juvenal Urbino, or juvent, translates to the Spanish term youth.
His name alludes to his identify trait in the novel, as he is always thinking about his youth and
his aging self.
Until the age of fifty he had not been conscious of the size and weight and condition of
his organs. Little by little, as he lay with his eyes closed he had begun to feel them, one
by one, inside his body, feel the shape of his insomniac heart, his mysterious liver, his
hermetic pancreas, and he had slowly discovered that even the oldest people were
younger (30). Dr. Urbino Gains Conscious of his Growing Age
Existential Connections:
There is a scene of voyeurism in this work. This can be expected of Florentino as he is dealing
with the rejection from Fermina. He uses voyeurism as a coping method to distract himself from
Fermina. As he waits for Fermina to one day come around and get back together with him, he
passes time by conducting this, along with other perverse things.
And so the lighthouse keeper installed a spyglass through which one could contemplate
the womens beach there were many clients who came every Sunday to wrangle over
the telescope for the pure delight of tasting the insipid forbidden fruits of the walled area
that was denied them. Florentino Ariza was one of them, more from boredom than for
pleasure (65) Florentinos act of Voyeurism

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Non Literary Connection:
When growing up I simply could not wait to become an adult. I could say this for a lot of people.
I mean, how hard can it be? However, as I get closer and closer to becoming an adult, I wish it
would just back away. I fear for that day it will come. During freshman year I could not wait to
graduate, but now, I am not too sure. I realize I am getting older, not the way that Dr. Urbino is
getting closer to death, but in a way that I am soon going to open a new chapter in life. Im just
afraid to turn to the next page.
Kobo Abes Woman in the Dunes
Work as Translation:
Even though I am not very knowledgeable about the translated versions of this work, I am sure
that there is loss of meaning when this novel was translated to other languages. Some
complications may arise when translating works such as this. The Japanese culture is very
vibrant as well as traditional, so one must be knowledgeable and understand the Japanese culture
in order to well translate the novel. Culture is probably one of the main aspects that could be lost
through translation.
Existential Connections:
This novel demonstrates the philosophy of absurdness as the woman is stuck in a seemingly
meaningless world where she shovels sand all throughout the night. It is hard to tell if she is
shoveling to survive or vice versa. Also, the woman lacks authenticity which corresponds to
freedom. When it comes to making choices, her actual values are never present. She does not
necessarily make her own choices either. Jumpei asks her why has to work so hard and according
to others, it is financially cheaper.

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If they have that much money, why don't they build a more permanent hedge of trees
against the sand?
It seems to be much cheaper to do it this way (32).
Non Literary Connection:
Quite a few years back, my family got a hold of a dishwasher to make washing dishes more
convenient, but to this day, it was never used for that purpose once. My mom uses the
dishwasher to store our dishes as a drying rack after we finish washing them. I mean, why get a
dishwasher if you are never going to actually use it? It is also much faster and less work. I asked
my mom this once, and she said it was cheaper if she just washed them in the sink. I dont get it.
She has never used it before how can she know if it is cheaper? It runs the same in my other
relatives households, they dont use it either. Dont get me started on how they use the oven as a
storage for pots and pans. This reminds me of how the woman would work so hard to keep her
house, when, like Jumpei says, she could find somewhere else to live or find other ways to keep
the sand from building up.
Word Count: 1,344

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Works Cited
Kafka, Franz, and Edwin Muir. The Metamorphosis. N.p.: Vintage Classics, 1933. Print.
Kafka, Franz, and Stanley Corngold. The Metamorphosis. Toronto: Bantam, 1986. Print.
Kobo, Abe. "Woman In The Dunes." (n.d.): n. pag. Web. 24 May 2015.
Marquez, Gabriel Garcia. Love in the Time of Cholera. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1988. Web.
24 May. 2015.

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