Comparative Analysis of The Metamorphosis and Pan’s Labyrinth

Comparative literature has paved the way for deeper analysis of different and common features in different forms of literature, such as writings and film on different aspects such as global, disciplinary and cultural perspectives (Easterbrook). In this analysis, we seek to understand the relationship and differences between The Metamorphosis and Pan’s Labyrinth. These two pieces are good works of literature that only depict the perfect and outstanding creativities of the individual writers. The Metamorphosis is a story about Gregor Samsa, a budding salesman who eventually changes and becomes an insect overnight. Franz Kafka (2017) says, “As Gregor Samsa awoke one morning from uneasy dreams he found himself transformed in his bed into a gigantic insect.” The man faces a lot of isolation, especially by his family, who feel that he is a burden, especially since he is no longer able to earn income for his family. The alienation that he faces throughout the story is a recurring theme, which can be attributed to his final sad death (Spilka). In my opinion, change is inevitable, and the world has different ways of adjusting to any change, some of which might be uneventful and unfortunate to another human being.

Pan's Labyrinth is a film on moral disobedience. Basically, the whole storyline in the film dictates how the world has a constant battle between good and evil and paving no way for innocence. In this film, the audience is introduced to different characters that carry the main concepts of the film. Ofelia is an eleven-year-old girl whose mind is continuously oscillating between the fairy tale world and the normal world (Pan's Labyrinth). However, the young girl’s mind is mostly dictated by the fairy tale realm. The girl believes that even insects are fairies, to her; even a bug is an insect. Ofelia once follows a stick insect, which leads her to a labyrinth where she finds a housekeeper, Mercedes. The housekeeper's gentleness and generosity strike Ofelia. In this magical world, several events unfold for the young girl who is the basis around the whole Ofelia story and her bid to show that innocence is forgotten in the world where good and bad are conflicting. There are a lot of themes in the story, but somehow the most recurring one is disobedience. According to me, the young girl had to disobey the other characters on several occasions just to make sure that everyone is happy in the long run, which at some point is not the case. These are several instances of disobedience which is linked to desire severally.

The Metamorphosis and the Pan’s Labyrinth are two distinct yet similar works of art. In these materials, the creators have both based their art in the magical worlds. Both materials have employed the creation of different worlds for their characters. Also, the theme of change is inevitable in both these materials. The two main characters in the pieces of art all experience change in one way or another, which builds towards the two sharing a similarity. In the novel, Gregor is a successful traveling salesman who has a family that entirely depends on his income. The salesman wakes up one morning and finds out that he is an insect. Overnight, Gregor has transformed into a gigantic and very hideous insect that is horrifying to look at. Similarly, Ofelia experiences a transformation of her own when she gets absorbed into the fairy world away from the war and her stepfather. In both cases, the use of an insect is somewhat a symbol used to depict precision. This is because insects have the abilities to do impossible tasks. In The Metamorphosis and Pan’s Labyrinth, the presence of insects is a defining situation since they form the basis of both the plots. For instance, in The Metamorphosis, the impossible happens when a human being transforms into an ugly insect overnight. In the real world, this is impossible, but the author factors magical or paranormal activities in the book when he makes a salesman wake up an insect in the morning. Consequently, the stick insect in Pan’s Labyrinth is used to guide Ofelia into the new magical or fairy tale world. In this film, an insect does the impossible and helps the young eleven-year-old girl get into the world of fantasy. Basically, humans cannot impact the magical world in this way according to the materials.

In human culture, man has learned and embraced the fact that he is the superior being on earth. The Metamorphosis and Pan’s Labyrinth are used to show us, the audience, about how humans treat and think about themselves. In both materials, human beings are seen to think very highly of themselves. For instance, Gregor’s family starts treating him in a displeasing way after his transformation. Franz depicts this when he explains that, “Was he an animal, that music could move him so? He felt as if the way to the unknown nourishment he longed for were coming to light.” Initially, the family was entirely dependent on the salesman for upkeep. This means that before he transformed into the hideous and giant insect, the family respected and were all available for him. After his transformation, he is alienated, and only his sister is seen to have some concern by providing food to him. Similarly, he was a traveling salesman, and thus he had made a lot of money for his company, but when his manager sees him, all this is forgotten as he runs away immediately. This shows that the family is more interested in his money and his physical appearance. When Gregor was not an insect, his family was there for him, but once changes, he experiences inferiority. He is treated as a lesser being, and no one has an actual concern about his life apart from his sister. Gregor even adopts the ways of an insect such as climbing on walls, an event that makes his sister seek to get him more space in the room by removing the furniture. Consequently, in Pan's Labyrinth, humans are treated as supreme beings, and it is the mind and innocence of an eleven-year-old young girl that tells us otherwise. In this film, human beings see themselves as supreme beings, and the Captain shows this through his bids to win the war against other people just to see who is more superior. However, the fact that the transformed insect is able to guide Ofelia into her own fantasy or fairy tale world proves otherwise. An insect formulated in her mind is able to help her get to a world where she has always wanted to go. No man has been able to make this happen for her, and it is only made possible by the fact that the insect is ready to help her find the old and lost labyrinth.

The theme of magic and realism is evident in Pan’s Labyrinth and The Metamorphosis. In both these materials, we are introduced in situations and worlds that employ the use of realism and magic at the same time. A good example is when Gregor transforms into an insect. The author states that he wakes up and observes that the room around him is normal, and he goes back to sleep. The author says, “How about if I sleep a little bit longer and forget all this nonsense' Clearly, this shows that there is a direct link between the real world and magical activities in the book. Gregor becomes a giant insect, and the world around him still remains unchanged. The family has to experience magic in their house when the son becomes an insect. Therefore, magic and realism are employed in this material. In Pan’s Labyrinth, the same theme reoccurs on several occasions. For instance, Ofelia can see the Faun, but her stepfather captain Vidal does not. The woods were a magical land for the young girl, where she got to live and play with her insects. This creates a distinct line between the real world and the magical world. It is interesting how Ofelia is sucked or absorbed into the magical world from the real world, another tool that shows the concept of realism and magic. Therefore, in both materials, the theme of magic and realism is observed through the ability of both creators to include the use of different worlds for their main recurring characters.

The Metamorphosis and Pan's Labyrinth are two distinct materials that somehow share the same ideologies and themes on some occasions. However, the two are also different in their unique ways. The creators of each of them had a message that they intended to push through to the people. An analysis of these distinct themes for The Metamorphosis and Pan’s Labyrinth will help in determining the main ideas behind each of the material. The Metamorphosis is used to explain and define the themes of isolation, inferiority, and alienation. Pan's Labyrinth is a film used to help people understand critical issues such as desire and disobedience. The young girl had the desire to see fairies even when her mum told her, “You're getting older, and you'll see that life isn't like your fairy tales. The world is a cruel place. And you'll learn that, even if it hurts.” She counters this and says that there is (Pan's Labyrinth).

As earlier stated, The Metamorphosis is used to channel themes such as isolation, inferiority, and alienation. These are recurring themes in the novel, and they explain the idea behind many events experienced by Gregor. As soon as he transforms into the giant insect, the family locks the salesman in his room. He is not allowed to get out of the room since the inevitable might happen, such as people seeing the giant creature that was once a man and freaking out. This is even made clear when Gregor wants to run after his manager and explain why he missed work. The father prevents this from happening, and he fights the giant insect back into the room using a stick and a newspaper. In the process, Gregor is injured, which is quite unfortunate considering his initial intentions were just to explain his situation to the manager. After this scenario, the salesman is never allowed to leave his room. His family finds ways of ensuring he gets food and other things by modifying his room. The theme of alienation is also evident in this material on several occasions. The story of Gregor is that of a sad man who was once successful and ends up losing a lot of things due to the fact that he is changed. He loses his job, his painting, and also his dignity. This brings in the idea of how human beings treat change. For instance, change forces the family to alienate and distance themselves from the hideous insect who was once the family’s sole provider. In the process, Gregor loses all of his things, and his family does not want anything to do with him for the most part. His mother even faints once she lays her eyes on her insect-turned son. Understanding the current and developed situation, the salesman does not even try to leave his room at all. The theme of inferiority is seen when the family of the salesman fails to acknowledge his presence and situation. This can be attributed to his eventual death in the end. The father even throws apples at him instead of handing them out as he would normally do were he a real person (Kafka). The family even loses all the hope of having him change back, and they are all ready for him to just die and relieve them off their burdens.

Pan’s Labyrinth is a film that portrays vital themes in society, such as desire and disobedience. An excellent example of disobedience is when Captain Vidal tells the Doctor, “You could have obeyed me!” These themes are explained in aspects such as gender, nature, magical realism, innocence, and family dynamics. Desire in the story is manifested by Ofelia’s ability to have a strong imagination that eventually comes to be in her own eyes. This young, innocent soul finds herself in a new magical world where she meets Mercedes. Her desires to protect her brother make her disobey the Captain and the Faun. She eventually gets shot for this exact reason. The young girl disobeys all odds and assumes a high position in the narration. According to the film, women had no chance of becoming heroines, but Ofelia disobeys society and assumes that role in the end. Disobedience has two roles in the film such that it helps the girl but also leads to bad things. For instance, Ofelia’s desire to taste the fruit at the Pale Man’s table leads her to disobeying since she gets tempted to eat them (Pan's Labyrinth). However, the girl’s disobedience on the fairies helps her achieve more. Disobedience is one major theme, and it is seen when the Doctor says, “But Captain, to obey – just like that – for obedience’s sake… without questioning… That’s something only people like you do.”

The ending to these two materials somehow explains the course content. In the end, both characters die. It may be seen as an unfortunate ending in both narratives, but that is, however, not the case. Gregor became a burden to his family after he transformed. His death was an ending to his suffering and heartbreak. This is seen from the author’s narration, 'He thought back on his family with deep emotion and love. His conviction that he would have to disappear was, if possible, even firmer than his sister's. He remained in this state of empty and peaceful reflection until the tower clock struck three in the morning. He still saw that outside the window, everything was beginning to grow light. Then, without his consent, his head sank down to the floor, and from his nostrils streamed his last weak breath.' When Ofelia dies, it is an advantage since she gains immortality. Basically, the deaths of these characters create a new way for them to live.

Works Cited

• Easterbrook, Neil. ''The Shamelessly Fictive: Mimesis and Metafantasy'.' 2012, www.jstor.org/stable/43488469.
• Kafka, Franz. The Metamorphosis: a New Translation, Texts and Contexts, Criticism. Edited by Mark M. Anderson. Translated by Susan Bernofsky, W.W. Norton & Company, 2016.
• Orme, Jennifer. ''Narrative Desire and Disobedience in 'Pan's Labyrinth.''.' Marvels and Tales, 2010, www.jstor.org/stable/41388953.
• Pan's Labyrinth. Directed by Guillermo del Toro , Perf. Ivana Baquero. 2006.
• Spilka, Mark. ''Kafka's Sources for the Metamorphosis.'.' Comparative Literature, 1959.
• Sweeny, Kevin W. ''Competing Theories of Identity in Kafka's 'The Metamorphosis.''.' Mosaic: A Journal for the Interdisciplinary Study of Literature, 1990.