死亡的变形记——对传统的继承和颠覆

Transformation of Death——Inheritance and Subversion of Tradition

卡夫卡的《变形记》中主人公格里高尔经历了两次死亡:在梦醒时分,他的人形肉体已经消亡,灵魂在他人的观照下寄存于甲虫体中;继而在被忘记、被抛弃的状态下彻底死亡。死亡是主人公被迫、也是主动的选择。卡夫卡在小说中表现出自我在不断与社会、与他人和解的企图中加剧对生的恐惧。格里高尔消灭自己的意愿和行动被理解为具有耶稣救赎精神,然而他的精神并未得到认同,甚至连他的尸体都未得到起码的尊重。上帝死了,英雄死了,人也死了。卡夫卡在这一层面上表现出的现代人的孤独、绝望和恐惧以及异化的状态,恐怕是无人企及的。

In Kafka's novel The Metamorphosis, the leading role Gregor Samsa has experienced twice death. As he awoke from the restless dream, he had lost his human body. In the eyes of others, his soul lived in the body of a vermin and went to death in the condition of being forgotten and discarded. Death is the forced and initiative choice for Gregor. Kafka has expressed the intensification of the fear of being alive with the permanent attempt to reconcile himself with the society and others. Gregor's hope and action to make him dead can be regarded as Jesus' salvage spirit, but his spirit hasn't been acknowledged, even his corpse hasn't gotten rudimental respect. God is dead, hero is dead and flesh is dead. Kafka has reached the climax of expressing isolation, picnic, illusion and alienation.