Family Folklore Tradition Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Family Folklore Tradition - Essay Example Instead, my father’s side of the family is expansive. He grew up with five brothers and two sisters, the collection of which is spread throughout the greater United States, in a variety of jobs and socioeconomic states. With some slight humor, our family reunions always occur at the home of my richest uncle – Pat. Our most recent family reunion occurred approximately two years ago. During this reunion all of my father’s sisters and brothers agreed to meet at my Uncle Pat’s home in Minnesota. Uncle Pat’s home is the obvious choice as it is an expansive estate on the water. During our first family reunion when I was a child I was struck by the size and amenities the estate contained, as I had never seen or experienced a home so large. My Uncle Pat was a highly successful stockbroker and his home reflects this affluence. In addition to living on the water, one of Pat’s neighbors is rumored to be the musician Prince – although we have neve r seen him. During the last family reunion the families arrived in Minnesota on the same day. Not unlike an episode from MTV’s Jersey Shore, or the Real World, the family that arrives first has the first choice of which room to take. As my Uncle’s home is fairly large, there are enough rooms for everyone to stay. Still, one of my uncles decided to stay at a hotel. Even as the families come together under the guise of friendship and shared background, there is always backstories and infighting that occurs among certain people. After the families have all arrived and settled into their rooms a wide variety of events take place. On the first full day of the reunion a large barbeque occurred in the backyard of the house. In addition to the families that arrived for the reunion, generally outside friends and neighbors are invited for the festivities. During the day things such as hot dogs and hamburgers are served and a variety of classic American amenities. While some peop le are eating others are engaging in discussions, or the children are playing video games or swimming in the pool. After everyone has eaten there is traditionally a large-scale volleyball game that occurs. This game is not very competitive, instead it functions to bring everyone together in a cooperative spirit, with children as young as five years old playing alongside forty year old men. The next day is generally reserved specifically for the family. While there is not a singular traditional event that occurs in this day, there are specific events that have been highly significant in my family tradition. For instance, during my last visit we visited the home that my father and his siblings grew up in. While I was initially resistant to the excursion, I soon came to greatly appreciate the experience. The home had long since been bought by another family, but they were selling it and agreed to let out family tour the home. While I envisioned the experience being boring, upon touring the home my father and his siblings began relaying stories that had occurred during their youth. For instance, my father talked about getting stuck in the laundry chute. My uncle showed us all how he would sneak in and out of the house without his parents finding out. While the experience was amusing, it also imbued me with great appreciation for the era and circumstances that my father and his family grew up in. This allowed me greater insight and perspective into his life. Towards the end of the week the family

Alienation Theme in Metamorphosis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Alienation Theme in Metamorphosis - Essay Example One day Gregor wakes up to find that he is a large insect with tiny legs that could hardly carry him. His enormous efforts to wake up and catch the next train after missing the normal one do not bear fruit and he decides to sleep. However, he cannot sleep since he is used to sleep on the right side and apparently, he could not turn to that direction. His employer visits his house, which makes him open the door and reveal his real status to his parents and his employer who leaves the house quite scared. From this point, Gregor is isolated form the rest of his family and he keeps to his room where his sister feeds him. He adopts insect features and items are removed from his room to create him enough space to crawl and fly. Every day he eats less, which makes his body very weak. Gregor receives rejection when he leaves his room one last time after hearing sounds of violin form her sister playing for customers. He at last dies and his family celebrates his death (Kafka and Crick 29-44; Kafka web). This paper discusses Kafka theme of alienation through Gregor who is alienated from his job, family, social life, and himself. Alienation from Himself One morning, Gregor woke up transformed into large insect. As he lifted his head he could see his brown belly, slightly domed, and divided by arches into stiff sections. He was so huge such that the bedding was hardly able to cover it and seemed ready to slide off any moment. Gregor had many legs, which were quite feeble compared to the rest of the body and could hardly carry him (Kafka web). This meant that Gregor had ceased to act like a human being and his actions had to change to that of an insect. He is a new man who has to rediscover himself again in his new form and manage the normal life he was used to. Kafka uses transformation from a human being to an insect to depict the highest level of alienation of human beings from themselves. Outwardly, Gregor could fulfil all his obligations most of which included his pare nt’s debts that he had to pay for the next six years. Despite working for the last fifteen years, he is living in his parent’s apartments with no future of himself, no dreams of his own and this is bound to continue for the next coming years. The job is so demanding that he has to leave the house at wee hours of morning, which makes him have not enough sleep. He has no time for himself to relax and do other things that he loves doing (Kafka web). Alienation from his Job Despite working for his company for the last fifteen years, Gregor is not one of the valued employees. Kafka presents him as one devoted employee who has never failed to report on duty for all these years that he has worked for this company (Kafka web). His devotion is because of loneliness that rocks his life due to lack of a woman around him and intimacy he longs for. A picture of a woman on his wall tells it all. However, his transformation has changed things now that he is not a valuable employee. H is current transformation alienates him from reporting to his duties a thing that makes him at loggerheads with his employers. A visit by a chief clerk form the company Gregor is working for highlights further conditions surrounding his work place. Gregor’s boss thinks that he has missed from work because of some money entrusted to him, which is not the case. The chief clerk is a good intermediary