Category: The Metamorphosis

Introduction

One of the reasons why Franz Kafka was able to gain the fame of one of 20^th centurys most prominent writers is that his literary works contain many motifs/themes, closely associated with a number of peoples subconscious anxieties.

In this paper, I will aim to substantiate the validly of an earlier suggestion in regards to Kafkas short stories A Hunger Artist, Jackals and Arabs and The Metamorphosis, as literary works that are being concerned with exploring the themes of alienation, surrealism and self-sacrifice, which in turn explains these stories an essentially subliminal appeal to the reading audiences.

A Hunger Artist

The most striking characteristic of Kafkas short story A Hunger Artist is that in it, the author had shown that socially alienated introverts might nevertheless pass for being nothing short of extraverts. As it appears from this particular story, the actual reason why the character of a hunger artist was growing ever bitterer is that he sensed that the viewing audiences did not appreciate real motivations behind his public performances.

Whereas; Kafkas hunger artist strived to be recognized as someone who had a plenty of will power to derive pleasure out of suppressing its own animalistic instincts, spectators never ceased thinking of his performances as having been solely motivated by the artists essentially animalistic hunger for fame and money.

The soundness of this suggestion can be well illustrated in relation to the storys scene in which butchers (hired to observe artist at night, so that he would not have a chance of eating any sneaked out food) preoccupy themselves with playing cards  hence, allowing the hunger artist to have a bite.

Apparently, it never even occurred to them that the artist was a perfectly honest individual, totally incapable of cheating: During the period of fasting the hunger artist would never, under any circumstances, have eaten the slightest thing, not even if compelled by force. The honour of his art forbade it. It was namely due to the artists continuous exposure to peoples arrogance that he started to yield to depression.

However, being utterly unable to recognize artists existential nobleness, as the actual driving force behind his act, spectators could not help worsening the situation with artists mental state even further, because they arrogantly thought that the deterioration of his physical condition was brought about by his fasting as thing in itself.

Yet, this was far from being the case. As it appears from the story, nothing could satisfy the hunger-artists longing for self-realization better than being provided with an opportunity to do what he used to do the best  practicing an extreme form of fasting. Therefore, it would only be logical, on our part, to suggest that the artists ultimate demise came as a result of him never ceasing to remain strongly alienated from the rest of society.

Jackals and Arabs

The reading of a short story Jackals and Arabs leaves no doubt as to the fact that this storys foremost thematic element is being of clearly surreal nature.

The reason for this is simple  it is not only that the characters of jackals, featured in the story, are shown as being endowed with perfectly human psychological traits (they experience hate, fear, hope), but they can also speak human language: Im the oldest jackal for miles around. Im happy Im still able to welcome you here. Jackals approach the narrator and begin to elaborate on how much they hate Arabs, as utterly filthy people, whose religious practices undermine the cleanliness of a surrounding environment.

This, however, is not only the single aspect to storys clearly defined surrealist sounding. After all, it is not the encounter with jackals that can speak human voices, which amazes narrator as something rather impossible, but the fact that jackals appear to have been anticipating his arrival.

Such narrators reaction, of course, cannot be referred to as anything but strongly surreal, because it only makes logical sense within the framework of a storys semantic content. The same can be said about storys setting, which provide a surreal authenticity to plots unraveling.

There is also a surreal quality to the image of rusty scissors, which jackals used to carry along with them. Even though, when it comes to slashing peoples throats, one would be so much better off using a knife, the author made a deliberate point in representing scissors, as the intended instrument of Arabs punishment. Apparently, Kafka wanted to increase the storys surreal appeal even further.

Just as it is being the case with the motifs in Salvador Dalis paintings, which despite their seeming oddness make a perfectly good sense to those aware of the essence of Dalis worldviews, clearly surreal undertones to Jackals and Arabs also appear fully explainable to those who have been introduced to Kafkas biography.

The Metamorphosis

One of the foremost thematic elements in Kafkas The Metamorphosis is self-sacrifice. Even throughout storys introductory part the theme of self-sacrifice is being featured rather prominently. After having been turned into a bug, the storys main character Gregor Samsa does not think of his metamorphosis in terms of a personal tragedy, but solely in terms of how it may affect the members of his family.

This alone portrays Gregor as an individual endowed with an acute sense of social responsibleness, who does not think of ensuring of its personal well-being as such that represents his foremost priority. Therefore, it does not come as a particular surprise that, throughout storys consequential phases, Gregor continues to act in a strongly defined sacrificial manner.

For example, while being perfectly aware of the fact that his family members find his new appearance utterly appalling, Gregor tries not to come out of his room, even though not being to socialize with his loved ones does hurt him rather immensely. Gregor also does not protest when his sister Grete rearranges furniture in his room, simply because he does not want her to be getting upset even more. This again portrays Gregor as an individual with strong self-sacrificial anxieties.

Nevertheless, Gregors ultimate sacrificial act was his decision to die  hence, relieving his relatives of a burden of taking care of him: He remembered his family with deep feelings of love. In this business, his own thought that he had to disappear was, if possible, even more decisive than his sisters.

Apparently, despite the fact that, after having been turned into a bug Gregor never ceased being abused by the members of his family, he nevertheless continued to love them with a deep passion. Therefore, Gregor did not resist dying, as he felt that his relatives really did want him to disappear. Such Gregors final act, of course, cannot be referred to as anything but highly sacrificial.

Bibliography

Kafka, Franz The Metamorphosis.Vancouver Island University. 2009. Web.

Kafka, Franz A Hunger Artist.Vancouver Island University. 2009. Web.

Kafka, Franz Jackals and Arabs. Vancouver Island University. 2009. Web.

Introduction

Franz Kafkas novella The Metamorphosis is a classic in the genre of fiction that arose in the early 20^th century. Following hard upon Karl Marxs theories of worker alienation, the protagonist of the story, Gregor Samsa, is the personification of the deadening of the soul amidst the rise of the industrial revolution. Gregor is the epitome of managements conception of the perfect laborer: hardworking and respectful and unyielding in his acceptance of his role in the larger machinery of society. The Metamorphosis is an illustration of how modern society works to alienate people from society by stripping away even the little power they have over their own lives.

Main Character

Unquestionably Gregor Samsa is meant to portray the more dehumanizing aspects of the contemporary struggle against the suppression of human ideals. The mechanism of oppression in Gregors case is the bureaucracy in which he is forced to work a meaningless life that contributes nothing to his dreams or aspirations, but instead merely makes of him a human insect playing his role in the greater cycle of nature. The alienation from his work also threatens Gregors family life, and the implicit assumption is that all of modern life is constructed to alienate people not only from their work but even from each other. Just as real insects go about their business with no worries about familial ties or love relationships, so is Gregor even before his transformation little more than a bug to begin with. Gregors family is dysfunctional yet he manages to find it necessary to work hard and without complaint in order to help them survive. Despite this, it is important to remember that inside Gregor is not the contented worker he appears to be. He holds a deep and abiding hatred for his boss. Clearly, on the inside Gregor Samsa wishes to rebel; his alienation has not reached through to his soul. However, he feels trapped and incapable of breaking free from the constricting rules of society.

Interestingly, Gregor clings stubbornly and one might say almost unthinkingly to those very same constricting rules even after his metamorphosis has taken away any ability to fulfill his role. Despite awaking one morning to find himself transformed into a giant bug, despite realizing that he is no longer human, Gregor persists in thinking like the deprogrammed entity he was before. Instead of reacting with open anxiety, Gregor thinks, at length, about his job and family; he becomes anxious about the passing time and preoccupied with his new bodily sensations and his strange aches and pains (Bouson 56). He still remains worried about oversleeping and being late for work just as any other person waking up late that morning. He even considers calling in a sick and then just as quickly faces the quite mundane fear that the office would send a doctor to check on him. The point of these trivial concerns is to show that Gregor is now only a bug in physical form, but that he has been little more than a bug in psychic form all along. Such is Gregors utter alienation from life around him that becoming a bug comes to be seen as a just another inconvenience. In addition, he has such a deeply felt sense of doing what is right that it overtakes every other consideration.

Important to fully understanding the theme of alienation in the story is comprehending Karl Marxs theories on how capitalism is devised to undermine the humanity of the species. Rules and systems dominate his lifeand he is profoundly unhappy and isolated. According to Marx, the laborers work is external to the worker, i.e., it does not form part of his essential being so that instead of feeling well in his work, he feels unhappy, instead of developing his free physical and mental energy, he abuses his body and ruins his mind (Bloom 107). Gregor is a perfect example of what Marx is complaining about; he is alienated from the product he works to create because he doesnt own it. In addition, he really isnt even working for a wage for himself; his wages are directed toward taking care of his fathers debts. Gregor is therefore doubly exploited. He is exploited by his bosses and then exploited by his own father. Gregor clearly desires to have a better life and part of that better life would be in no longer having to put up with the drudgery that it is current job. More importantly that getting a better job, however, is what that better job would bring him, which is control over his life. Or at least more control than he has as a result of his unfulfilling job. If he were his own boss or at least owned that which he produced, he would have more self-worth. As it is, Gregors worth can be measured only by how much he produces.

In essence, Gregors worth is measured in terms of how his production relates to caring for him family; if he doesnt work, the family will suffer. The family has exploited him into a just as dark a place as his work; it is a place where he has no control and everything is subservient to his familys acceptance. That acceptance is dependent upon his ability to produce and provide. He is a cog in the machine; an ant dragging sand back to the mound. As a result of the exploitation at work and at home, Gregor never feels comfortably in questioning authority. Making matters worse is that Gregor unfortunately recognizes this, but is either incapable or unwilling to take action to gain control and authority over himself. Both Gregors boss and his father are authority figures that server to fully control Gregors life from the time he wakes up in the morning to the time he goes to bed at night.

In addition, Gregors alienation extends to the world that exists when he is neither working nor at home. Such is his isolation that Gregor has no meaningful contact with anybody, and this even extends to his own family. The limits of his social interactions are determined by the fact he is fully committed to the rut of going daily to a job that provides no inspiration. Gregors humanity is repressed to the point where he really has one left. He truly is like a bug, detached from the very things that make one human. Just as an insect is only a small player in the grander scheme of nature, not subject to deep interpersonal relations, so is Gregor a victim of an economic ideology designed to reduce him to a number. Gregor cannot even connect with his own family when he is at home: at night he locks his door as if to lock himself away from the world. Gregor chooses to isolated himself from his family and in doing so it is his only act of rebellion. Locking the door to escape from his family is not just a simple act of separation, it is a bold act of facing off against their oppression and exploitation of him.

Unsurprisingly, once Gregor physically transforms into the bug he was philosophically all along, his isolation and alienation become complete. Gregor Samsas transformation into vermin presents self-alienation in a literal way, not merely a customary metaphor become fictional fact&No manner more drastic could illustrate the alienation of a consciousness from its own being than Gregor Samsas startled and startling awakening (Bloom 105). Finally, Gregors alienation from his humanity is totally physicalized and realized: That is to say, Samsa, having been a successful salesman, was once the pillar of his family, but now, being helpless, his sister assumes in the eyes of his parents the role of leadership and reassuring strength that he had once occupied.(Scott 37). More importantly, Gregors inhumanity is finally realized by his family and co-workers and their abuse becomes more open. Gregor is relegated to the dingiest room in the house in exactly the way that those who are deemed to have the least value in society are hidden away in mental institutions or prisons. Despite the fact that he was little more than a bug before his metamorphosis and changed only in appearance following the transformation, it is only when Gregor is turned physically into a bug that the family views treats him with outright distaste. Gregor must even scamper under the couch to avoid detection when his sister arrives with food lest she experience profound disgust. At long last the family openly treats Gregor like the piece of repulsive creature that he has been all along; a creature lacking in any autonomous control over his own destiny. The final nail in the coffin of Gregors humanity comes when his beloved sister resorts to referring to him with the impersonal pronoun it. By the end of the story Gregor is well on his way toward becoming a distant memory in the minds of his own parents.

Conclusion

Gregor Samsas literal transformation into a bug in Franza Kafkas The Metamorphosis is merely an extension of the bug that he has always been up to that point. An insect is not expected to have relationships or ambitions; it exists only to carry out its role in the cycle of life that is its lowly species. Long before he turns into a gigantic, disgusting bug, Gregor is already that insect. Though Gregor fervently desires to rebel against the social constraints that have left him an empty vessel, the overriding theme of the novella is that society is constructed in such a way as the dehumanize everyone in an attempt to keep the machinery spinning. What the story of the man who turns into a bug is really saying is that all of us are threatened with the same potential for alienation from each other because social cohesiveness demands that individual ambitions be subordinated to the greater good.

Works Cited

Bloom, Harold, ed. Franz Kafkas the Metamorphosis. New York: Chelsea House, 1988.

Bouson, J. Brooks. A Study of the Narcissistic Character and the Drama of the Self: University of Massachusetts Press, 1989.

Scott, Nathan A. Rehearsals of Discomposure: Alienation and Reconciliation in Modern Literature: Franz Kafka, Ignazio Silone, D. H. Lawrence [And] T. S. Eliot. New York: Kings Crown Press, 1952.

The novel The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka entails a man who entirely transforms into an enormous insect at the storys beginning. The foremost outstanding thing is that Gregor, as an insect and human being, accepted the difficulties he encountered without complaining (Kazemian 1). At the collapse of his fathers business, he accepted his new role as a money-maker in the family without question, even if it involved working as a salesman, which he despised. Upon realizing his condition had changed, he did not regret it nor attempt to correct it or wonder about its cause. Instead, in his new form, Gregor acknowledges it and strives to live his life to the fullest possible. Every book or piece of art has a central topic, and the real message of the story is developed with a theme connecting the entire plot. The Metamorphosis by Frank Kafka has one absurdity as one of its central themes. This paper provides a detailed discussion of the absurdity as Kafka presents in his works The Metamorphosis and A Hunger Artist.

As can be seen, the storys opening paragraphs go right into its central theme that the protagonist, Gregor Samsa, has been converted into a gigantic insect. It makes it possible for author Frank Kafka to highlight the absurdity of Gregors agonizing transformation. This opening ceremony conjures images of the agonizing process of changing into a bug and the utter absurdity of the transformation (Saouli 3). When Gregor wakes up to find that he has transformed into a gigantic bug, it is an outrageous event that transcends the realm of natural occurrence. It becomes supernaturally significant because it is unlikely to occur and physically impossible.

It is evident from the book how expertly Kafka used Samsas transformation into a giant insect to create moments of utter absurdity after Samsa tries to get out of bed and keeps analyzing his mental state. He attempts to lock himself out of his position while still in bed, which leads to the following ridiculous situation. His greatest fears have come true, and, as a result of his absence, his supervisor has visited him to see how he is doing (Kazemian 4). The ridiculousness of this circumstance stems from the fact that Samsa is not late for work but that his supervisor has gone to check on him because even the slightest delay generated suspicion in his mind.

In this strange turn of events, it is evident that Gregor Samsa takes pleasure because he cannot successfully communicate with his management or his parents. While Gregor tried to conceal the fact that he had shrunk to the size of an insect, his voice had also altered, giving the appearance of a temporal fever, allowing him to remain hidden in his room for longer. As a result, Kafka demonstrates how some aspects of Samsas metamorphosis were beneficial to his current circumstances. Kafkas ability to focus on peculiar circumstances and address them intricately is his authentic charm as a storyteller. As he painstakingly reveals Samsas transformation through several stages of metamorphosis, we witness his capacity to delve deeply into the absurd.

Kafka makes a great unexpected turn by concealing the change process of one of the significant characters of his work. It is noteworthy that the novel never explains Gregors change. According to Kazemian (3), it never suggests, for instance, that Gregors transformation is the consequence of a specific reason, like being punished for misconduct. Contrarily, it appears like Gregor has been a lovely brother and son, accepting a job he dislikes to support his family and prepare to pay for his sisters conservatory tuition. No proof exists that Gregor merits his fate. Instead, the narrative and every member of the Samsa family portray the incident as a chance occurrence, similar to contracting a disease. These components work together to give the narrative a distinct tone of absurdity and imply a cosmos without any central authority.

In A Hunger Artist, Kafka presents an exciting story of absurdity, telling of an ability of a man who voluntarily offered himself to fast indefinitely, and he did it with so much ease. This drive for indefinite fasting was also motivated by the mans insatiable appetite to become famous and hold the record as a person who fasted for the longest period (Kafka 5). However, his physically starved situation contradicts his passions. Thus, in this work, Kafka demonstrates the paradox that accompanies the need to ascribe meaning to ones life, which the hunger artist perfectly represents.

Kafka shapes the hunger artist as a man who has made up his mind to paradoxically attach meaning to his life. The man on a mission seeks to gain fame and enter the books of records as having gone for the longest time possible without having the basic human necessity, food. In so doing, he also sought to make fasting his profession. As a result, he embarked on his journey to fast immeasurably, a mission that sounds contradictory to basic life sustenance. This life story could only culminate in the death of the hunger artist, even though he strongly believed that he could go for an indefinite period without food (Kafka 7). Regardless, the hunger artist could not abandon his mission even when the end is so well defined, and he knows that the odds are against him. He was motivated by the masses of people who could come to watch him. It gave him happiness to spend sleepless nights as long as there were people who could come to witness him seeking the meaning of his life. It was an interesting story of a man seeking to fulfill his desires.

The story also receives a twist regarding the relationship between the hunger artist and his audience. Kafkas storyline hinges on the artists validation of the reaction that the crowd accords him. The artist bases his life on the crown watching him while he embraces the qualities of degradation, self-denial, and deprivation. Consequently, the crowds eagerness to witness a once-in-a-lifetime experience attracted them to the artist. However, they started growing impatient and bored after the 40^th day (Kafka 15). Thus, they required time to refresh their enthusiasm. However, this decision could mean the hunger artist would no longer be happy. Thus, basing his lifes meaning on such flimsy grounds speaks of the absurdity of his mission.

In conclusion, in his works The Metamorphosis and A Hunger Artist, Kafka presents interesting stories that are a reflection of the extent that people go in an attempt to attach meaning to their lives, including engaging in self-destruction behaviors. The perspective of The Metamorphosis on the world suggests that it is silly and unconcerned with how people behave. Both virtue and evil are not rewarded or punished in the world. Kafka also shapes A Hunger Artist as a desperate man who seeks other peoples validation at the expense of his well-being. However, the people he sought to entertain turned against him when their enthusiasm needed something new. Consequently, the artist was no longer happy since he could not attract huge crowds anymore.

Works Cited

Balaban, Maria-Zoica. Franz Kafka and the absurd universe. Lingua. Language and Culture vol. 20, no. 2, 2021, p. 235-246. Web.

Kazemian, Saba. The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka; a metaphor of a social reality. Critical Language and Literary Studies, vol. 18, no. 27, 2022, p. 145162. Web.

Prithivirajan, S. Absurd transformation in Franz Kafkas Metamorphosis. Electronic Research Journal of Literature, vol. 2, no. 2020.

Kafka, Franz. A Hhunger Artist. Twisted Spoon Press. 1996

Introduction

One of the reasons why Franz Kafka was able to gain the fame of one of 20^th centurys most prominent writers is that his literary works contain many motifs/themes, closely associated with a number of peoples subconscious anxieties.

In this paper, I will aim to substantiate the validly of an earlier suggestion in regards to Kafkas short stories A Hunger Artist, Jackals and Arabs and The Metamorphosis, as literary works that are being concerned with exploring the themes of alienation, surrealism and self-sacrifice, which in turn explains these stories an essentially subliminal appeal to the reading audiences.

A Hunger Artist

The most striking characteristic of Kafkas short story A Hunger Artist is that in it, the author had shown that socially alienated introverts might nevertheless pass for being nothing short of extraverts. As it appears from this particular story, the actual reason why the character of a hunger artist was growing ever bitterer is that he sensed that the viewing audiences did not appreciate real motivations behind his public performances.

Whereas; Kafkas hunger artist strived to be recognized as someone who had a plenty of will power to derive pleasure out of suppressing its own animalistic instincts, spectators never ceased thinking of his performances as having been solely motivated by the artists essentially animalistic hunger for fame and money.

The soundness of this suggestion can be well illustrated in relation to the storys scene in which butchers (hired to observe artist at night, so that he would not have a chance of eating any sneaked out food) preoccupy themselves with playing cards  hence, allowing the hunger artist to have a bite.

Apparently, it never even occurred to them that the artist was a perfectly honest individual, totally incapable of cheating: During the period of fasting the hunger artist would never, under any circumstances, have eaten the slightest thing, not even if compelled by force. The honour of his art forbade it. It was namely due to the artists continuous exposure to peoples arrogance that he started to yield to depression.

However, being utterly unable to recognize artists existential nobleness, as the actual driving force behind his act, spectators could not help worsening the situation with artists mental state even further, because they arrogantly thought that the deterioration of his physical condition was brought about by his fasting as thing in itself.

Yet, this was far from being the case. As it appears from the story, nothing could satisfy the hunger-artists longing for self-realization better than being provided with an opportunity to do what he used to do the best  practicing an extreme form of fasting. Therefore, it would only be logical, on our part, to suggest that the artists ultimate demise came as a result of him never ceasing to remain strongly alienated from the rest of society.

Jackals and Arabs

The reading of a short story Jackals and Arabs leaves no doubt as to the fact that this storys foremost thematic element is being of clearly surreal nature.

The reason for this is simple  it is not only that the characters of jackals, featured in the story, are shown as being endowed with perfectly human psychological traits (they experience hate, fear, hope), but they can also speak human language: Im the oldest jackal for miles around. Im happy Im still able to welcome you here. Jackals approach the narrator and begin to elaborate on how much they hate Arabs, as utterly filthy people, whose religious practices undermine the cleanliness of a surrounding environment.

This, however, is not only the single aspect to storys clearly defined surrealist sounding. After all, it is not the encounter with jackals that can speak human voices, which amazes narrator as something rather impossible, but the fact that jackals appear to have been anticipating his arrival.

Such narrators reaction, of course, cannot be referred to as anything but strongly surreal, because it only makes logical sense within the framework of a storys semantic content. The same can be said about storys setting, which provide a surreal authenticity to plots unraveling.

There is also a surreal quality to the image of rusty scissors, which jackals used to carry along with them. Even though, when it comes to slashing peoples throats, one would be so much better off using a knife, the author made a deliberate point in representing scissors, as the intended instrument of Arabs punishment. Apparently, Kafka wanted to increase the storys surreal appeal even further.

Just as it is being the case with the motifs in Salvador Dalis paintings, which despite their seeming oddness make a perfectly good sense to those aware of the essence of Dalis worldviews, clearly surreal undertones to Jackals and Arabs also appear fully explainable to those who have been introduced to Kafkas biography.

The Metamorphosis

One of the foremost thematic elements in Kafkas The Metamorphosis is self-sacrifice. Even throughout storys introductory part the theme of self-sacrifice is being featured rather prominently. After having been turned into a bug, the storys main character Gregor Samsa does not think of his metamorphosis in terms of a personal tragedy, but solely in terms of how it may affect the members of his family.

This alone portrays Gregor as an individual endowed with an acute sense of social responsibleness, who does not think of ensuring of its personal well-being as such that represents his foremost priority. Therefore, it does not come as a particular surprise that, throughout storys consequential phases, Gregor continues to act in a strongly defined sacrificial manner.

For example, while being perfectly aware of the fact that his family members find his new appearance utterly appalling, Gregor tries not to come out of his room, even though not being to socialize with his loved ones does hurt him rather immensely. Gregor also does not protest when his sister Grete rearranges furniture in his room, simply because he does not want her to be getting upset even more. This again portrays Gregor as an individual with strong self-sacrificial anxieties.

Nevertheless, Gregors ultimate sacrificial act was his decision to die  hence, relieving his relatives of a burden of taking care of him: He remembered his family with deep feelings of love. In this business, his own thought that he had to disappear was, if possible, even more decisive than his sisters.

Apparently, despite the fact that, after having been turned into a bug Gregor never ceased being abused by the members of his family, he nevertheless continued to love them with a deep passion. Therefore, Gregor did not resist dying, as he felt that his relatives really did want him to disappear. Such Gregors final act, of course, cannot be referred to as anything but highly sacrificial.

Bibliography

Kafka, Franz The Metamorphosis.Vancouver Island University. 2009. Web.

Kafka, Franz A Hunger Artist.Vancouver Island University. 2009. Web.

Kafka, Franz Jackals and Arabs. Vancouver Island University. 2009. Web.

Introduction

Franz Kafkas novella The Metamorphosis is a classic in the genre of fiction that arose in the early 20^th century. Following hard upon Karl Marxs theories of worker alienation, the protagonist of the story, Gregor Samsa, is the personification of the deadening of the soul amidst the rise of the industrial revolution. Gregor is the epitome of managements conception of the perfect laborer: hardworking and respectful and unyielding in his acceptance of his role in the larger machinery of society. The Metamorphosis is an illustration of how modern society works to alienate people from society by stripping away even the little power they have over their own lives.

Main Character

Unquestionably Gregor Samsa is meant to portray the more dehumanizing aspects of the contemporary struggle against the suppression of human ideals. The mechanism of oppression in Gregors case is the bureaucracy in which he is forced to work a meaningless life that contributes nothing to his dreams or aspirations, but instead merely makes of him a human insect playing his role in the greater cycle of nature. The alienation from his work also threatens Gregors family life, and the implicit assumption is that all of modern life is constructed to alienate people not only from their work but even from each other. Just as real insects go about their business with no worries about familial ties or love relationships, so is Gregor even before his transformation little more than a bug to begin with. Gregors family is dysfunctional yet he manages to find it necessary to work hard and without complaint in order to help them survive. Despite this, it is important to remember that inside Gregor is not the contented worker he appears to be. He holds a deep and abiding hatred for his boss. Clearly, on the inside Gregor Samsa wishes to rebel; his alienation has not reached through to his soul. However, he feels trapped and incapable of breaking free from the constricting rules of society.

Interestingly, Gregor clings stubbornly and one might say almost unthinkingly to those very same constricting rules even after his metamorphosis has taken away any ability to fulfill his role. Despite awaking one morning to find himself transformed into a giant bug, despite realizing that he is no longer human, Gregor persists in thinking like the deprogrammed entity he was before. Instead of reacting with open anxiety, Gregor thinks, at length, about his job and family; he becomes anxious about the passing time and preoccupied with his new bodily sensations and his strange aches and pains (Bouson 56). He still remains worried about oversleeping and being late for work just as any other person waking up late that morning. He even considers calling in a sick and then just as quickly faces the quite mundane fear that the office would send a doctor to check on him. The point of these trivial concerns is to show that Gregor is now only a bug in physical form, but that he has been little more than a bug in psychic form all along. Such is Gregors utter alienation from life around him that becoming a bug comes to be seen as a just another inconvenience. In addition, he has such a deeply felt sense of doing what is right that it overtakes every other consideration.

Important to fully understanding the theme of alienation in the story is comprehending Karl Marxs theories on how capitalism is devised to undermine the humanity of the species. Rules and systems dominate his lifeand he is profoundly unhappy and isolated. According to Marx, the laborers work is external to the worker, i.e., it does not form part of his essential being so that instead of feeling well in his work, he feels unhappy, instead of developing his free physical and mental energy, he abuses his body and ruins his mind (Bloom 107). Gregor is a perfect example of what Marx is complaining about; he is alienated from the product he works to create because he doesnt own it. In addition, he really isnt even working for a wage for himself; his wages are directed toward taking care of his fathers debts. Gregor is therefore doubly exploited. He is exploited by his bosses and then exploited by his own father. Gregor clearly desires to have a better life and part of that better life would be in no longer having to put up with the drudgery that it is current job. More importantly that getting a better job, however, is what that better job would bring him, which is control over his life. Or at least more control than he has as a result of his unfulfilling job. If he were his own boss or at least owned that which he produced, he would have more self-worth. As it is, Gregors worth can be measured only by how much he produces.

In essence, Gregors worth is measured in terms of how his production relates to caring for him family; if he doesnt work, the family will suffer. The family has exploited him into a just as dark a place as his work; it is a place where he has no control and everything is subservient to his familys acceptance. That acceptance is dependent upon his ability to produce and provide. He is a cog in the machine; an ant dragging sand back to the mound. As a result of the exploitation at work and at home, Gregor never feels comfortably in questioning authority. Making matters worse is that Gregor unfortunately recognizes this, but is either incapable or unwilling to take action to gain control and authority over himself. Both Gregors boss and his father are authority figures that server to fully control Gregors life from the time he wakes up in the morning to the time he goes to bed at night.

In addition, Gregors alienation extends to the world that exists when he is neither working nor at home. Such is his isolation that Gregor has no meaningful contact with anybody, and this even extends to his own family. The limits of his social interactions are determined by the fact he is fully committed to the rut of going daily to a job that provides no inspiration. Gregors humanity is repressed to the point where he really has one left. He truly is like a bug, detached from the very things that make one human. Just as an insect is only a small player in the grander scheme of nature, not subject to deep interpersonal relations, so is Gregor a victim of an economic ideology designed to reduce him to a number. Gregor cannot even connect with his own family when he is at home: at night he locks his door as if to lock himself away from the world. Gregor chooses to isolated himself from his family and in doing so it is his only act of rebellion. Locking the door to escape from his family is not just a simple act of separation, it is a bold act of facing off against their oppression and exploitation of him.

Unsurprisingly, once Gregor physically transforms into the bug he was philosophically all along, his isolation and alienation become complete. Gregor Samsas transformation into vermin presents self-alienation in a literal way, not merely a customary metaphor become fictional fact&No manner more drastic could illustrate the alienation of a consciousness from its own being than Gregor Samsas startled and startling awakening (Bloom 105). Finally, Gregors alienation from his humanity is totally physicalized and realized: That is to say, Samsa, having been a successful salesman, was once the pillar of his family, but now, being helpless, his sister assumes in the eyes of his parents the role of leadership and reassuring strength that he had once occupied.(Scott 37). More importantly, Gregors inhumanity is finally realized by his family and co-workers and their abuse becomes more open. Gregor is relegated to the dingiest room in the house in exactly the way that those who are deemed to have the least value in society are hidden away in mental institutions or prisons. Despite the fact that he was little more than a bug before his metamorphosis and changed only in appearance following the transformation, it is only when Gregor is turned physically into a bug that the family views treats him with outright distaste. Gregor must even scamper under the couch to avoid detection when his sister arrives with food lest she experience profound disgust. At long last the family openly treats Gregor like the piece of repulsive creature that he has been all along; a creature lacking in any autonomous control over his own destiny. The final nail in the coffin of Gregors humanity comes when his beloved sister resorts to referring to him with the impersonal pronoun it. By the end of the story Gregor is well on his way toward becoming a distant memory in the minds of his own parents.

Conclusion

Gregor Samsas literal transformation into a bug in Franza Kafkas The Metamorphosis is merely an extension of the bug that he has always been up to that point. An insect is not expected to have relationships or ambitions; it exists only to carry out its role in the cycle of life that is its lowly species. Long before he turns into a gigantic, disgusting bug, Gregor is already that insect. Though Gregor fervently desires to rebel against the social constraints that have left him an empty vessel, the overriding theme of the novella is that society is constructed in such a way as the dehumanize everyone in an attempt to keep the machinery spinning. What the story of the man who turns into a bug is really saying is that all of us are threatened with the same potential for alienation from each other because social cohesiveness demands that individual ambitions be subordinated to the greater good.

Works Cited

Bloom, Harold, ed. Franz Kafkas the Metamorphosis. New York: Chelsea House, 1988.

Bouson, J. Brooks. A Study of the Narcissistic Character and the Drama of the Self: University of Massachusetts Press, 1989.

Scott, Nathan A. Rehearsals of Discomposure: Alienation and Reconciliation in Modern Literature: Franz Kafka, Ignazio Silone, D. H. Lawrence [And] T. S. Eliot. New York: Kings Crown Press, 1952.

The novel The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka entails a man who entirely transforms into an enormous insect at the storys beginning. The foremost outstanding thing is that Gregor, as an insect and human being, accepted the difficulties he encountered without complaining (Kazemian 1). At the collapse of his fathers business, he accepted his new role as a money-maker in the family without question, even if it involved working as a salesman, which he despised. Upon realizing his condition had changed, he did not regret it nor attempt to correct it or wonder about its cause. Instead, in his new form, Gregor acknowledges it and strives to live his life to the fullest possible. Every book or piece of art has a central topic, and the real message of the story is developed with a theme connecting the entire plot. The Metamorphosis by Frank Kafka has one absurdity as one of its central themes. This paper provides a detailed discussion of the absurdity as Kafka presents in his works The Metamorphosis and A Hunger Artist.

As can be seen, the storys opening paragraphs go right into its central theme that the protagonist, Gregor Samsa, has been converted into a gigantic insect. It makes it possible for author Frank Kafka to highlight the absurdity of Gregors agonizing transformation. This opening ceremony conjures images of the agonizing process of changing into a bug and the utter absurdity of the transformation (Saouli 3). When Gregor wakes up to find that he has transformed into a gigantic bug, it is an outrageous event that transcends the realm of natural occurrence. It becomes supernaturally significant because it is unlikely to occur and physically impossible.

It is evident from the book how expertly Kafka used Samsas transformation into a giant insect to create moments of utter absurdity after Samsa tries to get out of bed and keeps analyzing his mental state. He attempts to lock himself out of his position while still in bed, which leads to the following ridiculous situation. His greatest fears have come true, and, as a result of his absence, his supervisor has visited him to see how he is doing (Kazemian 4). The ridiculousness of this circumstance stems from the fact that Samsa is not late for work but that his supervisor has gone to check on him because even the slightest delay generated suspicion in his mind.

In this strange turn of events, it is evident that Gregor Samsa takes pleasure because he cannot successfully communicate with his management or his parents. While Gregor tried to conceal the fact that he had shrunk to the size of an insect, his voice had also altered, giving the appearance of a temporal fever, allowing him to remain hidden in his room for longer. As a result, Kafka demonstrates how some aspects of Samsas metamorphosis were beneficial to his current circumstances. Kafkas ability to focus on peculiar circumstances and address them intricately is his authentic charm as a storyteller. As he painstakingly reveals Samsas transformation through several stages of metamorphosis, we witness his capacity to delve deeply into the absurd.

Kafka makes a great unexpected turn by concealing the change process of one of the significant characters of his work. It is noteworthy that the novel never explains Gregors change. According to Kazemian (3), it never suggests, for instance, that Gregors transformation is the consequence of a specific reason, like being punished for misconduct. Contrarily, it appears like Gregor has been a lovely brother and son, accepting a job he dislikes to support his family and prepare to pay for his sisters conservatory tuition. No proof exists that Gregor merits his fate. Instead, the narrative and every member of the Samsa family portray the incident as a chance occurrence, similar to contracting a disease. These components work together to give the narrative a distinct tone of absurdity and imply a cosmos without any central authority.

In A Hunger Artist, Kafka presents an exciting story of absurdity, telling of an ability of a man who voluntarily offered himself to fast indefinitely, and he did it with so much ease. This drive for indefinite fasting was also motivated by the mans insatiable appetite to become famous and hold the record as a person who fasted for the longest period (Kafka 5). However, his physically starved situation contradicts his passions. Thus, in this work, Kafka demonstrates the paradox that accompanies the need to ascribe meaning to ones life, which the hunger artist perfectly represents.

Kafka shapes the hunger artist as a man who has made up his mind to paradoxically attach meaning to his life. The man on a mission seeks to gain fame and enter the books of records as having gone for the longest time possible without having the basic human necessity, food. In so doing, he also sought to make fasting his profession. As a result, he embarked on his journey to fast immeasurably, a mission that sounds contradictory to basic life sustenance. This life story could only culminate in the death of the hunger artist, even though he strongly believed that he could go for an indefinite period without food (Kafka 7). Regardless, the hunger artist could not abandon his mission even when the end is so well defined, and he knows that the odds are against him. He was motivated by the masses of people who could come to watch him. It gave him happiness to spend sleepless nights as long as there were people who could come to witness him seeking the meaning of his life. It was an interesting story of a man seeking to fulfill his desires.

The story also receives a twist regarding the relationship between the hunger artist and his audience. Kafkas storyline hinges on the artists validation of the reaction that the crowd accords him. The artist bases his life on the crown watching him while he embraces the qualities of degradation, self-denial, and deprivation. Consequently, the crowds eagerness to witness a once-in-a-lifetime experience attracted them to the artist. However, they started growing impatient and bored after the 40^th day (Kafka 15). Thus, they required time to refresh their enthusiasm. However, this decision could mean the hunger artist would no longer be happy. Thus, basing his lifes meaning on such flimsy grounds speaks of the absurdity of his mission.

In conclusion, in his works The Metamorphosis and A Hunger Artist, Kafka presents interesting stories that are a reflection of the extent that people go in an attempt to attach meaning to their lives, including engaging in self-destruction behaviors. The perspective of The Metamorphosis on the world suggests that it is silly and unconcerned with how people behave. Both virtue and evil are not rewarded or punished in the world. Kafka also shapes A Hunger Artist as a desperate man who seeks other peoples validation at the expense of his well-being. However, the people he sought to entertain turned against him when their enthusiasm needed something new. Consequently, the artist was no longer happy since he could not attract huge crowds anymore.

Works Cited

Balaban, Maria-Zoica. Franz Kafka and the absurd universe. Lingua. Language and Culture vol. 20, no. 2, 2021, p. 235-246. Web.

Kazemian, Saba. The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka; a metaphor of a social reality. Critical Language and Literary Studies, vol. 18, no. 27, 2022, p. 145162. Web.

Prithivirajan, S. Absurd transformation in Franz Kafkas Metamorphosis. Electronic Research Journal of Literature, vol. 2, no. 2020.

Kafka, Franz. A Hhunger Artist. Twisted Spoon Press. 1996

Studying the literature of previous times can provide valuable insight into how society was organized and what people had views on social, political, and other problems. This work explores the literary work of Franz Kafka, Metamorphoses. Therefore, this paper is a piece of literature that is still relevant and could be applied to society today in several ways. The main problem of this response highlights the problem of loneliness of people in the world, despite the simple idea of a good life.

Before discussing the relevance of the work under study, it is necessary to have an understanding of its plot. Therefore, Metamorphosis will tell about Gregor Zamsa, an ordinary seller who one day a man realizes that he has turned into an insect of enormous size. The rest of the story focuses on his attempts to adapt to the new conditions of life. Family members lock him in a separate room and feed him; later, Gregor dies of poisoning.

Therefore, The Metamorphoses can be easily attributed to current society. Research shows that it no longer follows the methodical analysis of souls, but seeks the inner disorder, the secret of the characters existence (Balaban 235). One of the most striking is the problem of loneliness of people. Despite the fact that the main protagonist had a family he took care of and supported, he was left alone in the end. Even at the end of the work, the author shows a picture of a happy walking family, according to which it is impossible to understand that they only lost one of their members. In the modern world, people are also suffering from loneliness, which is especially provoked by the development of new technologies. Individuals are increasingly locked into their separate worlds and cease to interact even with the close people themselves.

In conclusion, it must be underlined that Franz Kafka created his works during such a period as modernism. It is characterized by the destruction and confrontation of established social norms. Therefore, the author of The Metamorphosis focuses on the problem of lack of love and loneliness of people, which can be related to the modern world. Despite the fact that this problem cannot be immediately identified, many experiences internal suffering from having such feelings.

Work Cited

Balaban, Maria-Zoica. Franz Kafka and the Absurd Universe. Language and Culture, vol. 20, no. 2, 2021, pp. 235-246.

The apparent expression of Kafkas Metamorphosis is the battle to discover and express ones individuality in a world of constant, all-consuming commitments. For instance, The Metamorphosis discusses a ludicrous occurrence as Gregor awoke one morning from an uneasy dream he found himself transformed into a gigantic insect. (Kafka 1), which hints that the narrative takes place in a haphazard world. The event in question is the titular metamorphosis, and since it is so far outside the confines of a natural occurrence, it is not just improbable; it is literally impossible to happen.

Thus, the book is subtle and non-humorous in that it explores the adverse stages of life. In this way, denial, acceptance, and decline are the three phases that relate to Gregorys transition. It begins with disapproval, in that Gregor learns that he has transformed into an insect and insists that this change will not impact him. Afterward, he comes to terms with the fact that he has transformed and begins to embrace his identity as an insect; it is a sad state for Gregory. In the last phase of the metamorphosis, he shuts himself off from the outside world, stops eating, and ultimately passes away.

Grotesque entails odd, unnatural, or absurd appearance; in most cases, it causes dread towards people. Therefore, the events in The Metamorphosis further underscore grotesque meaning and understanding. In particular, Gregors transformation separates him physically and emotionally from his family; he feels odd and different from others. Moreover, he spends practically all of his time in his room with the door shut and has limited interaction with others; Samsa feels he is displeasing. Grete spends a few minutes in the room with him, during which Gregor always hides beneath the sofa. Thence, the distortion of his normal body form to an insect correlates to an unappealing homely sight. Gregors transformation alienates him from the human race since it renders him no longer human; he views himself as a monster. Kafka further explores the context of the grotesque through his narration:

To spare her from even these glimpses, he dragged the sheet to the sofa on his back one daythis required four hours workand laid it in such a way as to conceal himself entirely, so the sister could not see him& (Kafka 21)

Franz Kafkas use of vivid imagery in The Metamorphosis illustrates the difficulties that are attributed to transformation. Gregors emotional apathy gives readers a glimpse inside their home to see and hear what is happening. For instance, he insinuates that an infamy state may result in stigmatization from family and friends. As a result, it compels victims to possess the fear of being prejudiced. Hence, the grotesque cannot be used as a tool to engage in alienation in the modern world. This is because grotesque is used to highlight humanitys fundamental truth and reality. For instance, Kafkas implication of obscenity in depicting Gregor cannot be used to judge him. Regardless of how terrible these facts may be, it is clear that the words conveyed and the emotion aroused by them are lovely. Thence, grotesque is a slapstick-like comedy in The Metamorphosis; it represents the absurdity of Gregors body transformation that is humorous. Moreover, Kafka accounts for the comic in his writing when he details:

He was lying on his hard, as it were armor-plated, back, and when he lifted his head a little, he could see his domelike brown belly divided into stiff arched segments on top of which the bed quilt could hardly keep in position& (Kafka 1).

I have been in a Kafkaesque situation while dreaming. I can attest that it feels weird and one can feel disconnected from the other members of the family. The scenario felt awkward as I could not walk out of bed due to the shock. Moreover, I could picture how my friends would be critical of me; hence I began bearing suicidal thoughts. Therefore, grotesque should not be used to alienate people; instead should be used to judge people from their characters.

Work Cited

Kafka, F. The Metamorphosis. Diamond Pockets Book, 2021.

One morning, as Gregor Samsa was waking up from anxious dreams, he discovered that in bed hr had been changed into a monstrous verminous bug (Kafka 1). This is nonsensical! Kafka uses this metamorphosis scene symbolically to achieve some assorted themes of the story. To understand why Kafka uses Gregor symbolically in this story, it is important to understand the themes he wants to achieve too. In a snapshot, Gregor is used symbolically in Metamorphosis to expose the collapse of justice and mercy and the breakdown of humanity. Justice and mercy might fade away even in the eyes of ones closest friends; family members, and this reality dawns on Gregor the moment he turns into a bug.

In his earlier normal days, Gregor is the sole breadwinner in his family, something that makes his family members recognize and accept him lest they remain hungry. Though he loathes his job as a salesperson, he does it with great earnestness (Kafka 35), to ensure his family is well-fed and save enough for Grete, his sister, to join a conservatoire for professional training in playing the violin. This shows how devout Gregor is to give the best to his family members. Unfortunately, people are self-seeking and the moment they stop getting their fair share in a deal, they buck out. This is exactly what happens to Gregor the moment he turns into a bug. The same family members who cherished him, or so he thought, turn their back on him, and in return for his lengthy loyalty to their well-being, he receives injustice and unkindness. Even though Gregors family tries to accept his status as a bug, perhaps to cover their cynicism, they later disregard him completely and subject him to seclusion and untold apathy. Unfortunately, this form of justice and mercy degradation takes place at the family level where one expects total acceptance no matter what comes his/her way. Grete finally tries to dissuade his parents from the notion that Gregor the bug is the Gregor they once knew as a son and a brother. This final rejection kills Gregor and Kafka uses this death symbolically to show how justice and mercy have died in the family, the institution where they should be esteemed. Apart from this, Kafka uses Gregors symbolism to bring out the issue of humanitys breakdown, how people forget to live, in the process of making a living.

As aforementioned, during his normal days as a human being, Gregor the salesperson devotes all his efforts to sustaining his family. He hardly thinks of himself let alone sparing time to reconnect with himself. Before the metamorphosis, Gregor is alienated; he never has time for himself or his feelings. Fortunately, after he turns into a bug, a journey to becoming human embarks. After he loses his physical attributes of a human being, he starts finding himself. He realizes that he has feelings, notably the feelings of rejection and love. Kafka uses this symbolism to show how human beings crave acceptance but their physical attributes bar them from achieving the same. Gregor the bug finally dies for he cannot be accepted. Hitherto, if he faced any form of rejection he would fill that with providing more money to his subjects who would in return accept him. Unfortunately, as a bug, the only thing he can offer is himself, his humanness, which is lost from the beginning. Kafka seeks to show the readers how people relinquish what is of importance, humanity, in pursuit of the less important, materialism. Therefore, Gregor is used as a symbolism in The Metamorphosis to exploit the theme of justice and mercy decadence coupled with humanity degradation.

Works cited

Kafka, Franz. The Metamorphosis. New York: Crown, 2003.

Introduction

Kafkas The Metamorphosis is oftentimes seen as an allegorical, psychological, and quintessential exploration of the authors inner state. However, despite the core of the story centering on the physical transformation of Gregor Samsa, the real metamorphosis occurs in his family which demonstrate a dramatic shift in attitudes at his altered state and role in the family. This paper will explore the family dynamics before the beginning of the plot, examining the metamorphosis of the family and how it reflects on their past state. The bitterness and disgust displayed by the family is a direct result of their resentment of having to provide for themselves and look after Gregor, demonstrating a social and familial metamorphosis in which attitudes towards an individual shift due to the usefulness and position in life that they provide to others.

Family Dynamics

To better visualize the changes that occur as the story goes on, it is viable to explore the general family dynamics prior to the transformation. Gregor works as a travelling salesman, supporting his older parents and his young sister. The family fully and completely relies on him financially, but also somewhat takes it for granted. Gregor dislikes his job and wants to leave it, but realizes its importance for the family to pay off debts, Once Ive got together the money to pay off the parents debt to himthat should take another five or six yearsIll do it for sure. Then Ill make the big break. (Kafka 5). The family demonstrate care for him, but more about his job that is critical to supporting their lifestyle, particularly the parents. It seems that Gregor was close with his sister prior to the transformation, who attempted to care for him after the metamorphosis. Overall, the family seemed dysfunctional and the parents highly egotistical prior to the transformation.

The Metamorphosis of Family

Prior to the transformation, the father is shown as weak and even physically debilitated, with Gregor being the obvious head of the family. After receiving the job, he retakes the sense of authority and patriarchy, becoming commanding and asserting of his power. Similarly, Grete changes into a confident, strong, and independent woman, demonstrating wisdom and control. These changes in the key characters within the family raise significant questions, as to why these individuals could not act as such prior to Gregors transformation. Initially after the transformation, there are acts of compassion such as Gretes sweeping sessions and the mothers concern.

With the progression of the story, the compassion fades and the family switches back and forth between viewing Gregor as a monster and even demonstrating violence when he leaves the room to remembering that he is their son, as they open the door so he could listen to their supper conversations. However, the family begins to resent and dehumanize Gregor, It must be gotten rid of, cried the sister; That is the only way, father. You must try to get rid of the idea that this is Gregor. The fact that we have believed for so long, that is truly our real misfortune (Kafka 69). This demonstrates that even the ever-kind and thoughtful Grete was disgusted with what Gregor had become. The metamorphosis created despair in the family, and they sought to shift the blame unto Gregor. However, in the process of doing so and attempting to justify and rationalize their actions, they are the ones that inherently turned into metaphorical monsters.

Reflection on Prior to Transformation

While undoubtedly the transformation pushed the family to the brink both financially and psychologically which kindled their changes, there is some irony in reflecting to their previous states suggesting that they were inherently compliant as well as demonstrating complacency of being fully dependent upon Gregor. He reflects back on his past, At the time Gregors only concern had been to devote everything he had in order to allow his family to forget as quickly as possible the business misfortune which had brought them all into a state of complete hopelessness (Kafka 35). Their shifts in attitudes toward him show as much, as they were kind, supportive, and obedient when Gregor was the source of money and head of the household. Once he became incapacitated, the resentment started since they were now forced to work for survival despite Gregor doing the same for them for years. This critical transition could have occurred much earlier, and potentially would have helped to save Gregor or the family.

The dynamics of the family from a financial and social perspective shifted as well, more apparent after Gregors death. Despite being saddened and pitying Gregor, they are shown to be lighthearted and happy at the end. Each having a role, jobs, and responsibilities which was drastically different from the original state of the family where Gregor was pulling the weight, while the rest of the family generally lacked ambition. It can be potentially argued that the metamorphosis of the family was not as simple as their development of resentment towards Gregor, but an inherently complex process which also resulted in their growth. Gregor himself, lovingly thought that his death was for the best for the family, He remembered his family with deep feeling and love. In this business, his own thought that he had to disappear was, if possible, even more decisive than his sisters (Kafka 71). With Gregors demise, the family shifted in their core being and sought to secure their happiness no longer being burdened by the trouble and costs of caring for their debilitated son.

Discussion

The Metamorphosis is undoubtedly a novel with a symbolic nature. There is much literally and philosophical discussion on why exactly Gregor transformed into an insect-like creature. One element is the negative association that bugs are inherently repugnant to most people, as well as parasitic in nature. After all, these are contributing factors that pushed Gregors family and other people away, his physical nature after the metamorphosis. However, the irony in this context is that the insect parasitic symbolism is applicable more to the family rather than Gregor himself that has faced the life-changing transformation. In the community and society, Gregor was a worker, only seen for the benefit he provided through it. In the eyes of the family, Gregor was a provider of material things and lifestyle to which the family grew accustomed.

After the transformation, he lost that status, and at the same time his worth  both, to society and his family. Similar to parasites and bugs, once the family exhausted the source, they began to push away from it in search of a new source, let it be jobs or a husband-in-law for Grete who would also provide for them. It is manipulative and toxic behavior, and similar to a parasitic host after being drained, Gregor soon saw his own demise as the family saw nothing else in him but a burden. They tolerated him as someone who was once a member of the family but by all indicators did they see Gregor as son and brother anymore, Gregor was a member of the family, something one should not treat as an enemy, and that it was, on the contrary, a requirement of family duty to suppress ones aversion and to endurenothing else, just endure (Kafka 53). By no means was Gregor a parasite by his hardworking and caring nature, but the metamorphosis turned him into one for his family that refused to value years of his hard work and support.

Conclusion

Family is a social unit which people are taught to rely on and for most can be considered as a system of support even if all other systems fail. In The Metamorphosis, Kafka examines this familial dynamic, and the criteria that is inherently present for familial support. The transformation of Gregor was a metaphorical exploration regarding the metamorphosis of family in a situation of extreme despair and life-changing circumstances. Gregors family was not a bad one, although manipulative and parasitic, but overall exhibiting the same level of love and care that most families. In light of the terrible circumstances, they show glimpses of continuing to care for Gregor but eventually it becomes more and more of a burden to them both financially and psychologically. Potentially, Kafka is showing that there is no reliable system of support, and family, just like any other social unit, will demonstrate resentment to any member that is drawing resources or failing to contribute. The metaphor of metamorphosis is a paradigm shift for both the author and the protagonist in their relationship with family.

Work Cited

Kafka, Franz. The Metamorphosis. Planet Ebook, 1999. Web.