  (SURREALISM) An introduction for reading The Metamorphoses

Consider the following images. Do they make sense? How? Can you call them “realistic?” Why or why not? What elements are realistic? Which ones are not? Explain why…

What did you come up with? Those were all examples from the visual arts of a 20 th century Artistic movement in Europe called “Surrealism” (or Dada). Look at the word closely and analyze it…

SURREALISM

So, a definition: surrealism was an artistic movement of the 20 th century That explored a “higher” reality of the mind and unconscious. It was heavily Influenced by the new science of psychology and the works of Sigmund Freud and Emphasized dream images and linguistic games.

Some characteristics and techniques: Juxtaposition of images Emphasis on dreams and the symbolic Realist techniques Emphasis on spontaneity Exploration of taboo subjects and the grotesque Mythological or religious images

Some famous surrealists include: Salvador Dali, Spanish painter Andre Breton, author of The Manifesto of Surrealism (1924) Rene Magritte, French painter Man Ray, French-American photographer/artist Marcel Duchamp, French-American artist

One of the leading literary surrealists was Franz Kafka, a German speaking Jewish writer who lived and worked in Prague, which is now the capital of the Czech Republic. We are beginning his Metamorphosis (1915) today, which was published just as the first world war was getting underway. Oh, and one more thing you will need to know…

The grotesque The grotesque is a useful literary term for anything freakish or unusual. From the Italian word “grotto” (a cave), grotesque characters or things Have exaggerated or unusual features, but, more importantly, they should elicit both empathy and disgust in equal measure. The protagonist of The Metamorphosis is grotesque…