354
PARTISAN REVIEW
in the other. Gregor has difficulty getting through the partly opened
door, but forced by his father he tries until he gets stuck. "One side of
his body rose up, he was tilted at an angle in the doorway, his flank was
quite bruised, horrid blotches stained the white door, soon he was stuck
fast and, left to himself, could not have moved at all, his legs on one
side fluttered trembling in the air, those on the other were crushed
painfully to the floor-when from behind his father gave him a strong
push which was literally a deliverance and he flew far into the room,
bleeding freely. The father caught at the handle of the door with the
stick and slammed it behind him, and then at last there was silence."
PART TWO
Scene I:
The first attempt is made to feed coleopteron Gregor.
Under the impression that his condition is some kind of foul but not
hopeless illness that may pass with time, he is placed at first on the diet
of a sick human being and he finds that a human meal of milk has been
offered to him. We are always aware of those doors, doors opening and
closing stealthily in the dusk. From the kitchen, across the hallway,
to
the hallway door of Gregor's room light footsteps had come, his sister's,
awakening him from sleep, and he discovers that a basin with milk has
been placed within his room. One of his little legs has been damaged
in
the collision with his father; it will grow belter, but in this scene he
limps and trails it uselessly behind him. He is a big beetle as beetles go,
but he is smaller and more brittle than a human being. Gregor makes
for the milk. Alas, while his still human mind eagerly accepts the
notion of that sweetish sop, with soft white bread in the milk, his beetle
stomach and beetle taste buds refuse a mammal's meal. Although he is
very hungry the milk is repulsive to him and he crawls back to the
middle of the room.
Scene II:
The door theme continues and the duration theme settles
in. We sha ll begin to witness Gregor's usual day and dusk during this
fantastic winter of 1912, and his discovery of the security of the couch.
But let us look and listen with Gregor through the crack of the parlor
door on the left. His father used to read aloud the newspapers to his
wife and daughter. True, this has now been interrupted and the flat
is
silent though not empty of occupants, but on the whole the family is
getting used to the situation. Here is the son and brother plunged into
a monstrous change that should have sent them scuttling out into the
streets for help with shrieks and tears, in wild compassion-but here
they are, the three philistines, cosily taking it in their stride .
