Paper Sample - Metamorphoses of Self-Reliance: A Modern Interpretation

Gregor, the main character in the book 'Metamorphoses' transforms into an insect at some point (Scaman 5). From a detailed analysis of the book, one can conclude that Gregor is the writer himself, consumed by his own deep thoughts. Metamorphoses illustrate many aspects that are relatable to happenings in the contemporary world. Analysis of Metamorphoses indicates the detachment that sentimentalists feel from the rest of the world. The book's second theme describes how sentimental people believe that other people are not willing to be of any assistance to them (Scaman 8).

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Sentimentalism is often defined as an artistic and literary movement that traces its origin majorly from Russia and Western Europe during the second part of the 18th century (Frazer 12). Sentimentalism emerged as a response to the crisis that started on enlightenment rationalism. The application of sentimentality was expressed to the maximum in Great Britain, where the third-state ideology and its internal contradictions first emerged. Sentimentalists believe that the dominant character of human nature is their feelings and not reason. The sentimental literature of the Enlightenment believes that heroes are more individualized. Their inner world is always gifted with the power to empathize and offer sensitive responses to what's going on around them (Frazer 13). This paper gives an in-depth interpretation of what sentimentalists believed in and how their ideas can be applied in the modern world. It argues whether the application of concepts from sentimentalists can help the contemporary man solve contemporary problems in the modern world; in this case, the contemporary man is Gregor. He finds himself between a rock and a hard place and has to choose between his own happiness and that of his family without forgetting what society expects from him.

Even with advances in technology, it is still believed that modern society has not undergone significant changes since it started. Society is like a wave, and when it pushes forward, the water, which is its main component, remains constant ("Self-reliance"). People have not changed a lot; neither are the problems they face. The only difference is that people are very needy ("Self-reliance"). Gregor lacks self-reliance, and without self-reliance, he can never be pleased. Even though life's purpose might not be happiness itself, being happy is still vital to Gregor. Being happy will determine the quality of life Gregor lives because no one wants to live a shifty life.

Gregor needs to determine how self-reliant he can be. He needs to examine how much he depends on other people to find happiness and satisfaction and how much other people's lives affect his own happiness ("Self-reliance"). However, Gregor seems to be the exact opposite of self-reliant. Humans are programmed to depend on others when they are born and even when growing up. Society, however, expects humans to be dependent when they become adults, which does not seem to be the case with Gregor. In life, humans have a natural reaction to turn outwardly for everything they are looking for, whether love, approval, affection, happiness, or even advice.

Humans turn to experts for advice, especially mental health providers, because they rely on other people to solve their problems ("Self-reliance"). Humans trust mental health providers to find solutions to the predicaments and challenges they face in their day-to-day lives. In the extremes, people even depend on drugs to relieve them when in pain. Gregor included people who do not search internally to solve their problems because they fail to look deep within themselves for answers. When Gregor looks at himself, he doesn't even consider that he might not need all these external solutions. Gregor needs to recognize that being part of society is great and everything, but he needs to know where he draws the line. Human beings should never take being part of society too far to the extent they forget they need to be there for themselves. Their peace of mind is more essential than any expectation society pushes down their throats ("Self-reliance").

Expectations from society have turned human beings into robots who cannot function on their own. Expectations from society have blinded human beings to narrow their imaginations; they have taken their eyes away from the bigger picture ("Self-reliance"). Sentimentalists believe that a person should rely on themselves (Frazer 13). Gregor should learn to look out for himself and his own needs, not in a selfish but emotional manner. He needs to realize that he does not need other people to be happy.

Sentimentalists believe that people have the responsibility to trust in themselves (Frazer 13). However, one of the contradictions in life is that human beings want to be liked by others. The moment we lose ourselves and our identity, just like Gregor, we no longer have the ability to become the person we want to be, or we were meant to be. Human beings, when needy only worsen the condition of their relationships in the long run. The problem is human beings sometimes believe that depending on themselves and making their own decisions is a bad thing ("Self-reliance").

However, sentimentalists believe that a person being able to depend on themselves is a good thing. The truth is that when a person is self-reliant, then they can better assist and enrich the lives of those people around them. Gregor must realize that he cannot illuminate other people's paths and the paths of those he loves and cares for when his own bath is dark. Only when he can care for himself can he provide better assistance to other people? Gregor needs to master the art of emotional self-reliance because it will go a long way in positively impacting his life and those around him. In today's world, society has its own expectations of how people ought to feel or perhaps carry themselves. Still, without emotional self-reliance, people will maybe never reach their ultimate goals. This pressure is further compounded by social media, where information is shared instantly on the internet. Emotional self-reliance is a skill that everyone should have to maneuver everyday activities (Frazer 13).

Sentimentalists' ideas are helpful in today's world because they help people like Gregor to realize that the alternative is always more challenging ("Self-reliance"). He should realize that he will always have to break himself for others' sake if he is not self-reliant. Having independent thought is key to living a happy life. People will always shout about fake news and even alternative facts. We have to learn to accept that such behaviors from people are here with us and will not go away anytime soon ("Self-reliance").

Gregor needs to learn to appreciate himself more and take himself seriously. Gregor should learn to listen to himself more often and learn to detect and recognize that the gleam of light reflects across his thoughts. In every work of genius that humans engage themselves in, they should always remember and appreciate their own rejected thoughts. These rejected thoughts always come back to human beings with a certain rejuvenated majesty. If a young person miscarries in their first enterprise, they are at risk of losing all heart ("Self-reliance").

To stay afloat in the modern world, it is paramount that Gregor respects his own experiences. What he believes plays a crucial role in coping up with the pressures of the contemporary world. Indeed, the ideas he has might not be all right or even acceptable; neither can they all be wrong or bad. People can only know the limits to their potential when they put their ideas into the trial ("Self-reliance"). If a person does not believe that some of their ideas are worthy of something, they may not try or do anything meaningful.

Gregor needs to master the art of being alone. It is often said that a person who feels lonely will always accept ideas from any person. A lonely person will always offer their hands quickly to anyone who reaches out to them. Instead, they should guard their energy and space with everything they have. All the problems experienced by human beings are their inability to stay alone. Another question Gregor should consider asking himself is whether he has an inner scorecard or an outer scorecard. Gregor should not be concerned about what opinion others hold about him; the real concern should be what he thinks about himself. Life is much easier when we view ourselves from our own lens and not the court of public opinion ("Self-reliance").

We have to recognize that we will always be part and parcel of society, and human beings being social creatures by nature have to interact with one another. Society has its own imagination of how people should live and conduct themselves. However, people should never forget that their happiness is a priority. They hold their own keys to reaching their ultimate goals, and therefore should never compromise their own happiness for society's sake.

Works Cited

Frazer, Michael L. The Enlightenment of Sympathy: Justice and the Moral Sentiments in the Eighteenth Century and Today. Oxford UP, 2010.

"Self-reliance: Change your life for the better." Ralph Waldo Emerson, 11 Sept. 2020, emersoncentral.com/texts/essays-first-series/self-reliance/.

Scaman, Caitlyn. "Redesigning Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka." MacEwan University Student Research Proceedings 4.2 (2019).