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riley_mayes 's review for:

3.0

"The Metamorphosis," is an archetypal story of transformation and rejection. The themes that are resurrected throughout Gregor's journey of isolation and self-acceptance raise the universal questions that underpin our deepest insecurities: do people really love me for me? If I were to change, would I still be accepted? What would happen to me if I didn't conform?
What is so striking about this story is that Gregor seems relatively content living life as an insect. It isn't until exterior opinions (most immediately, that of his family, and of course society at large) reject his newfound insectile existence does he begin to doubt his sense of self, to "collect dust," as it were, and eventually surrender to the whims of society.

The other story that drew me from this collection was "The Penal Colony," which is a fascinating take on corporal punishment and seems timely as we examine our systems of justice and the dedication to preserving systems that in the end, do more harm than good.

The rest of the stories, truth be told, I did not care for very much in terms of just reading. Analyzing and diving deeper into them could definitely be fruitful if I gave it more time.