A Metamorphosis of Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka by mcjcauley

A Metamorphosis of Franz Kafka’s Metamorphosis
There are countless idioms and critical studies that emphasize the higher level of learning that takes place when one performs or attempts an action as opposed to the learning that takes place when one has the action done for them. A flexible narrative, my chosen terminology for what has previously been called a choose-your-own-adventure story, allows for greater personal engagement from the reader because they are inserted into the role of the protagonist. Rather than read about a character in a story, one is the character in the story. The reader is thrust into the circumstances and forced to make decisions that will affect the trajectory of the narrative in meaningful ways. For example, if The Old Man and the Sea were a flexible narrative, rather than read about an aged man’s struggle against a mighty fish, the reader themselves would struggle against the mighty fish. A reader would be forced to decide how long to let the fish drag them out to sea, how far to push their body, how to ration their resources, and how to react to moments of great success or great misfortune. Another advantage of flexible narratives is the potential for new reading experiences each time one picks up the book. It allows for past experience to inform present decision making. If previously, one frivolously wasted their rations and expired on their way out to sea, the next time through the narrative they might distribute their food and water more carefully in order to explore more intricate narratives. Flexible narratives allow for trial and error learning experiences devoid of the devastation associated with major errors in reality.
Flexible narratives are a young genre which means there is plenty of room for creative adaptation and productive advancement. The first wave of flexible narratives emerged just thirty five years ago and were intended to inspire children to find reading more enjoyable through the introduction of reader interactivity (Rossen). However, flexibl