Category: The Metamorphosis

The Dream that Gregor has is the background upon which the story is told therefore bringing to attention the use of a dream in Franz Kafka’s story Metamorphosis. Metamorphosis is thought to occur in insects and it signifies their growth from one stage to the next which necessitates that the insect changes in physical form through the stages it goes through until it reaches maturity.

Metamorphosis in the context of Franz Kafka, illustrates the transformation of the Main character Gregor from a normal human being into a bug (Kafka 5). That is the point which Gregor’s misfortunes begin. But in the long run the transformation that is seen is that of the whole family and not just Gregor.

They are able to go out and work and even afford to go for a trip in the countryside and eventually they are able to sell the apartment they used together with Gregor, something that had not happened before. This can be seen as the major transformation and metamorphosis in the story. By using Gregor, Kafka symbolizes the whole family in general and the changes that take place therein upon Gregor’s metamorphosis.

Gregor is portrayed as a responsible young man who works to take care of his family when his father looses his grip on his business and therefore Gregor has to work to settle what his father owes his boss. This portrays him as one who is caring and concerned about the family’s well being. He does not like his job as a salesman but has got to do it for the family’s sake (Kafka9). The family has got savings that it can use but instead he is the one who takes full responsibility of their livelihood.

On the contrary, with what has befallen him, no one is really concerned about him except Grete who brings him food and cleans his room. There is a great contrast between the love that Gregor has for his family and that the family has for him after he has turned into a roach. It is also ironical that before the transformation his family is the most important thing to him but after the transformation the family does not seem to view him as important (Kafka 16).

It is evident in the story that it is Gregor who woks to take care of his family and therefore the rest of the family members did not. But in the event that the metamorphosis takes place, everyone is forced to work thus bringing out the metamorphosis in the family. In his stupor (Kafka 17), Gregor is relieved that at least his family has some money to use in regard to his helpless situation now that he was the sole provider.

His love for his parents and sister does not change even in his present state, though it is portrayed by the family’s actions that it is their love for him that has changed. For example by stuffing his room with furniture from the other rooms that have been taken up by lodgers, it is clear that his comfort does not matter to them. They even feed him with left over food and behave as if he does not exist any more in their lives. At the end of the day it is clear that they are the reason for his death.

Gregor’s metamorphosis is therefore the turning point in the family’s way of life. He turns out to be the one who is dependent on the other family members. Initially, the family depended on him. Upon retuning from the force, Gregor takes up the family responsibility of breadwinner.

It is also ironic that he takes up the role when his father is still there. His eventual state of being can signify the death of the parasitic nature of all the characters, starting with his family members and extending to the lodgers. Gregor gives up and succumbs and this changes the tune of events about the family’s way of life the story.

There is a prevailing conflict between father and son. Instead of father being in charge, he subjects his son of the role of working to pay for his debts. He does not even tell the family that he had not lost all his wealth. Instead he is on the receiving end and he takes up the position of son as his son takes the role f father. It comes to Gregor’s attention that his family still had some wealth when he was already a roach. It is therefore portrayed that Mr. Samsa was using his son for his own benefit.

Having been subjected to do the job of a salesman which of course he did not like, it is very unfair because this is seen as enslavement for the sake of his family yet it is unappreciated, more especially with view of his father’s character and attitude. He could have easily got out of the enslaving job had he known what was happening. His sacrifice for his family goes unappreciated at the end.

Tension between father and son, or rather with the rest of the family members is on the rise. When Gregor makes an appearance before his father, he throws an apple his direction and hurts him. In spite of his physical appearance, everyone, including his father knows s that the roach in there is Gregor (Kafka 34). That not withstanding, he hits him and injures him, his own son. This shows that Gregor is not considered part of the family anymore.

He is seen more of an outsider, an ugly roach that should not show up in the family gathering. Gregor is neglected. There is no effort whatsoever to help and revive Gregor. With the turn of events that Gregor is a human being no more; his family does not take any initiative to help him regain his normal human self. Instead, even his room is not tidied up and feeding him is quite a problem.

His family can be said to be the reason for his death. Instead of helping bring him back to normalcy, they show no interest at all. When he shows up when Grete is playing the violin, everyone seems disgusted of his presence and therefore slams the door before his very face and thereafter he takes his last breath and dies (Kafka 26).

The metamorphosis is an awakening call for the whole family. They come to realize of how much they rely on Gregor. They are sad at first but they have no choice but to go fourth and look for other ways of helping themselves. They come to see Gregor (Kafka 30) as a burden and eventually yearn to get rid of him. In the first place the family was not used to having Gregor round. He was away before the metamorphosis.

All they were interested in was his financial assistance, that is why they looked up to him, but when this help is not forthcoming and he is a roach, he is better kept away so that they live as if he were not there just like when he was away before the metamorphosis. The metamorphosis helps bring out the kind of relationships that existed within the family, more especially between Gregor and the other family members. The family members feel a bit relieve with the death of the roach.

In this kind of fiction, Kafka seeks to deal with family relations and roles of family members. Alienation that exists when life takes on different turn than it is expected not only in the family level but also in society in general. Kafka also seeks to bring to the reader’s attention how disability can change ones life.

His state being changed to that of a dependant through disability, Gregor’s problems multiplied therefore even costing him his life. His family made it even worse thus rendered him useless in their face (Kafka 47). The plight of the bedridden is seen to be problematic as shown though the protagonist Gregor as brought fourth by Kafka.

Works Cited

Kafka, Franz. The Metamorphosis. Whitefish, U. S.A. Publishing. 204. Pp. 1 – 48.

The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka is a great story about a young man who transforms into a bug and is imprisoned in his own chamber as a result of apples thrown at him sticking in his casing. Georg Samka awakens in a surrealistic dream world, and he receives no sympathy from anyone, despite the fact that he has sacrificed his own aspirations for years so that his sister might study music at the Conservatory. His family members’ reactions to him and how they choose to deal with the situation betray their relationships with him, revealing what they actually feel about the young man.

While Gregor’s family has never shown affection for him, they did at least treat him as a human before his transformation; following his transformation, they have become progressively nasty and aloof. Gregor’s family tolerates him before his transformation since he takes over as the family’s breadwinner. They don’t have a particularly warm connection, but at least they show him some respect so that he may continue to support them. When they suspect he’ll be late for work, they double-check to make sure he arrives. When his father tries to wake his kid up, even if he doesn’t work, he has a warning in his voice.

His sister is the only one of his family that comes to his aid, inquiring if he is ill. She instantly tries to console and assist him in any way she can. Grete, the sister, begins collecting goods that she feels he will be interested in after his metamorphosis so that he can eat and feel comfortable, such as rotting vegetables, cheese, old leftovers, and hardened bones. Mrs. Samsa, his mother, is troubled by the transition, overcome with emotion and despair. She does her hardest to comfort and assist him, but she can’t stand looking at him. She tries her hardest to behave motherly in her sadness, but she has a hard time overcoming his appearance. Mr. Samsa, Gregor’s father, is unpleasant and rude to the point of becoming abusive. Mr. Samsa has grown accustomed to Gregor providing for his family by working for a living and paying for their survival. He is enraged at the shift, particularly since it means Gregor will no longer be able to assist them.

All the family members started to mistreat him after his transformation. With a newspaper, his father pursues him back into the room. Gregor’s father injures him later by throwing a piece of fruit at him, which causes an illness. Since Gregor can no longer work, his parents and sister have all taken up jobs to supplement his income. Grete, too, gradually loses sympathy for her brother. She was most likely his closest family member, yet caring for him is a strain for her. She eventually informs her parents that she wants Gregor gone. He determines that the best thing he can do for them is to die, and he does so.

To conclude, Gregor’s metamorphosis reflects a true approach of his family members to him. With the transformation, Gregor illustrates that he had a wish to be free of the duties that should be his father’s, his dislike for his profession and the drudgery that comes with it. His transformation shows Gregor’s anger towards family’s exploitation of him and their irresponsibility in not contributing to the family income.

The Metamorphosis by Kafka, like many of his works, is highly complex and characterised by intricate and oblique symbols and metaphors. The plot is based on Gregor, a traveling salesman who wakes up one morning and finds that he has been transformed into a huge bug. He has a hard time relating to his family. However, he seems to enjoy the freedom and flexibility of an insect. Eventually, his alienation and injuries caused by his family result in his death, and the family seems to improve after his death.

Kafka’s substantial use of symbolism in this text is evident in the immediate context of the transformation that appears to be a reverse anthropomorphism, where a human character is personified as an insect (Kafka 34). This initial symbolism is important to the plot of the overall story because, essentially, if one considers the Gregor life before and after his transformation, he or she would realise that Gregor’s transformation had begun long before he turned into a beetle.

His metamorphosis is symbolic of the fact that his previous life was not that of a normal human, although he lived in a human body. He did not have friends and a social life outside his family. He seemed to have no other purpose in his life save for slaving for his family, just like a worker bee. When he transforms to a bug, his family treats him in a manner that makes him realise the true role he played in their lives. Thus, it is apparent that he did not just turn into a bug on that day.

He had been one for quite some time. The metamorphosis that alludes to the life circle of an insect can also be viewed symbolically about the change that takes place in the family. When he changes, family members seem to be on the path to ruin, but they gradually adapt. After his death, they improve, which is not unlike what happens to insects when they undergo the same.

Food is another overt symbol in the story. In a way, it is a reflection of the attitude of his family towards him. Grete, who appears to be closest to him, is the only one who bothers to feed him. Afterward, just as the rest of the family, she loses interest and the task of feeding him is left to the servant. To Gregor, and indeed universally, food is a key representation of familial love and concern.

Therefore, when his family members stop feeding him, Gregor’s rejection is complete since it symbolically means that they have no more interest in his being alive. Ironically, he is maimed by his father with an apple. His father could probably have benefited more from eating it.

Furthermore, food is supposed to represent sustenance, but the epitome of neglect is realised in Gregor’s case. The apple is used to hurt him, as demonstrated in the text. Also, his father attacks him with apples. It is indicated, “…another thrown immediately after that one drove into Gregor’s back really hard” (Kafka 51).

The uniform worn by Gregor’s father is symbolic because it represents both his dignity in the eyes of his son as well as the intermittent sentiments, which Gregor feels for him. The sentiments vary from pity to respect. The symbolism is appreciable since the father is seen from Gregor’s eyes. When he overhears his father discussing his failing business, Kafka gives the reader a window through which to see the older man as his son.

In this picture, he mostly embodies instability and bad luck that evokes Gregor and, by extension, the reader’s pity. However, when Gregor sees him in his new uniform, he is impressed, and the uniform appears to signify that his father has metamorphosed from an object of fear to a dignified man who deserves respect. He is standing up straight, dressed in a tight-fitting blue uniform with gold buttons, like the ones servants wear in a banking company (Kafka 50).

The music has a much-unexpected effect on Gregor. One may expect that, in the same way, he has become averse to foods he used to like and other human sensations, he would inevitably lose interest in it. Ironically, he appears to have gained a better appreciation for it after he transforms and ends up enjoying it more than his family and friends. As a symbol, the music brings out a dichotomy in Gregor’s human nature despite his animal form and the non-human elements of his family.

This is evidenced in the fact that only the animal in the house has the humanity to appreciate the redeeming power of art (Kafka 38). He uses it to try to mend fences between him and Grete, although it eventually serves to worsen the relationship between him and his family because he ends up scaring the lodgers in his eagerness to enjoy the music.

Ultimately, one can argue that his alienation from the human realm serves to help him to appreciate his humanity because before the metamorphosis, he was no more capable of enjoying music than his family (Kafka 52).

In conclusion, the instances and examples mentioned herein serve to support the assertion of Kafka’s rich application of various objects and occurrences to bring out deeper meaning and subtext. Otherwise, the overlying literal meaning would have little practical value to any reader judged purely on the figurative context.

Works Cited

Kafka, Franz. The metamorphosis. New York, NY: Start Publishing. 2013

Franz Kafka’s novella, The Metamorphosis, encompasses the journey of a man into the world of an insect. This existential work is often dismissed as absurdist; however it serves to give a unique and striking portrayal of the transformation of its

protagonist, Gregor Samsa, into what is commonly translated as a “monstrous vermin” (Kafka, xxii). Kafka’s narration is marked by pessimism, dark humor, and a keen wit. It expresses an underlying cynicism born of exploitation, misery and injustice. The idea of ungeziefer, the original word used by Kafka to describe what Gregor turns into, is defined as “a person or animal which is considered to be loathsome, toxic and unpleasant “ (American Heritage Dictionary, 2009). This idea is essential to interpreting Kafka’s work. Gregor’s character is a symbolic vehicle through which Kafka explores his troubled relationship with his father and his feelings of alienation from society at large. The metamorphosis causes Gregor to be treated as if he is something less than human, a sentiment that Kafka often expressed in his other writings. Gregor’s transformation, then, is outwardly symbolic of the pain of Kafka’s lived experience. Gregor’s appearance comes to reflect his social situation, thus embodying Kafka’s sense of social, religious, and philosophical alienation.

There are many biographical similarities between Gregor and Kafka, reinforcing the interpretation that Gregor embodies many of Kafka’s internal emotions. When the reader first meets Gregor, he is painted as a good son, a simple and hardworking employee whose efforts to repay his parents’ debts go mostly unappreciated. This portrait strongly resembles Kafka’s troubled relationship with his father, Hermann, a businessman who was heavily critical of his son for refusing to take up the family business. After years of abuse, Kafka came to feel reviled and unwanted and, as result of this abuse, Kafka felt like vermin – something unpleasant, reviled and unwanted. In his unpublished “Letter to His Father”, he goes so far as to refer to himself as “Ungeziefer” (Kafka, 2009); that is, as vermin (Brod, 43). He was so intimated by his father he developed a stammer so severe he could barely communicate while in his father’s presence. His growing feeling of isolation from his family led him to confess in his diary that they “are all strangers to me, we are related only by blood” (Brod, 229.) Kafka was never able to gather the courage to rebel against his father and quite literally lacked the voice to protest his feelings of insignificance. This can be seen in a later diary while proclaiming that his father had “inevitably broken my spirit” (Brod, 231).

Gregor’s transformation thus reflects Kafka’s intense feelings of isolation, vulnerability and inability to protect himself or his emotions with ‘armor’ of any kind, especially in relation to his father. It is easily seen how Kafka’s life imitated his art when the reader is introduced to Gregor’s father, a demanding man who immediately displays a violent temper. Every portrayal of Mr. Samsa is laced with visually violent verbiage. Upon our first introduction to the character we catch a glimpse at his violent nature when Mr. Samsa “furiously shakes fists” (Kafka, 17) at Gregor and hisses at him “like a savage” (Kafka, 20) after seeing Gregor’s transformation. Outraged by the loss of the family’s only means of support, he shows no concern for his son’s plight. Instead, Mr. Samsa calls him a failure and subjects him to constant belittling abuse, even to the point of throwing apples at him that cause him lasting injury. Kafka’s pain can be felt as he describes the way an apple lodged into Gregor’s “armorlike back” (Kafka, 7) causing him great anguish and subsequently breaking his spirit.

Kafka’s feelings of isolation were not limited to his family and individual plight, but also extended to include societal implications as is seen in the way Gregor’s biography parallels the author’s. Kafka’s personal story evolved from a minority Jewish community and it appeared that this period was transformational, when many families migrated from the country to villages and changed their views of life. Parents were vehement and staunch. They disregarded the sentiments of their children and forced them to conform to a new cultural environment as a means of looking out for the welfare of the family’s future (Pawel, 1997). The setting was industrial Europe and in an attempt to assimilate with society, parents were over intrusive about the thoughts and actions of their children. They felt their children should be required to follow their path, principles, logic and ideals, and disregarded individual preferences, abilities or goals. Kafka was a writer at heart and could never identify with being a businessman or lawyer. However, Kafka’s subjugation to society and his family had virtually forced him to accept the profession (Friedman, 1970). Working long hours at a job he despised, Kafka felt like a small insignificant creature trapped in a world not of his own making or choice. He felt his freedom was ruthlessly curbed and harbored a tremendous amount of resentment over that fact. Kafka reflects in his 1913 diary entry, “they [Kafka’s family /society] have cheated me of what is mine and yet, without going insane, I can’t revolt against the law of nature –and so hatred and only hatred” (Brod, 1976).

This autocratic and selfish behavior of society is embodied in the action of Metamorphosis. When the parents of Gregor find that their son is deformed and afflicted with a mysterious malady, their first concern is for Gregor’s “job”. They instantly become worried about the financial implications to the rest of the family: “in the course of the very first day, the father explained the family’s financial position and prospects to both the mother and the sister” (Kafka, 25). The family is worried about the financial implications that would fall on them personally in the absence of their son’s income. Following Gregor’s sudden transformation, the Samsa family expresses no sympathy or concern for Gregor, but rather disgust for his neglect of his responsibilities; thus his family treats Gregor like the vermin he has become and Kafka feels. Gregor is flabbergasted by his family’s hypocrisy and is sad to see that he has wasted his life for the happiness and affluence of his ‘so-called’ family. Regardless of this apparent lack of concern on their part for him, Gregor still attempts to embrace his sister and search for some sign of love from his family but is repeatedly rebuffed. Instead of being consoled, his personal effects are removed and he is isolated entirely from his previous human experience. They recoil from him, as from vermin, leaving him to suffer alone. Gregor’s appearance comes to reflect their treatment of him and thus he becomes a symbol of himself. His metamorphosis does not change his family’s treatment of him as a repulsive and inhuman creature; instead, it merely reveals the rift that had long ago separated him from those he loved and who were supposed to love him in return. In this, too, Gregor and Kafka are very similar.

Lacking family and societal acceptance, Kafka began to reflect on religion and philosophy, developing attitudes that are reflected in Gregor’s plight. Franz Kafka was “born in Prague a part of the German Austro-Hungarian Empire. He was of the Jewish faith where Czech was spoken and segregated its Jewish population into a German speaking ghetto” (Rodriguez, 2009). Thus, “Kafka grew up as a member of a minority (the Jewish community) within a minority (The German speaking population) at a time when there was little or no communication between these two groups or with the predominately Czech-speaking citizens of Prague and faced a mounting anti-Semitism during WWI” (Rodriguez, 2009). Although Kafka was an atheist in his younger years, he had an interest in religion which led him to develop a unique brand of “social atheism” that informed much of his work (Rodriguez, 2009). His characters are often abused, oppressed, secluded, and suffering; themes of alienation and abandonment pervade in his writing.

Gregor’s voice, which becomes the unintelligible squeak or the “voice of an animal” (Kafka, 15), represents the ideas of being alien, unheeded and misunderstood that Kafka struggled with through much of his life. Gregor’s transformation serves to further isolate him from the rest of humanity, turning him into something insignificant, filthy, repulsive, and fit only for extermination. He is the object of loathing and disgust. He is ostracized even by his own family, reinforcing the concept that he is “repulsive… and was bound to remain repulsive” (Kafka, 28). The Samsa family, “In accordance with family duty were required to quell their aversion and tolerate him, but only tolerate” (Kafka, 37). As is discussed by Friedman (1970), this sense of being an outsider who is repugnant to others is frequently associated with Jewish sensibilities, and it is a theme often represented in Kafka’s work. After being abandoned by his family and society, Kafka is unable to find any means of connection with anything outside himself, causing him to retreat into death.

The Metamorphosis is, in the final analysis, less a physical transformation than a mental one. Gregor’s change does not alter the treatment he receives from others, but it does affect his perception of himself. The transformation reflects Kafka’s troubled search for meaning, identity, and acceptance in his own life. Though the novella is undeniably witty, it is weighed down by pervasive sadness, and the deep and unrelenting loneliness of its author. In an absurdist tale of a human becoming an alien, Kafka writes of the alienation of humanity. His exploration of these themes is eloquent, to be sure, but the fundamental emptiness of his personal philosophy does not allow him to allay his fears. In this, both author and character remain unfulfilled. “Kafka’s troubled life can obviously be used as a reference point for his literature and his stories stand alone as disturbing, humorous, unique and concise yet complex examinations of the human condition”. (Pawel, 1997). This complexity of the human condition is not lost on readers as they can relate to the common emotions of being alienated, unwanted and a burden to family and society.

Works Cited

American Heritage Dictionary. (2009). Web.

Brod, Max. Franz Kafka Diaries 1910-1933. Schocken Books Inc., 1976.

Friedman, Maurice. Problematic Rebel: Melville, Dostoievsky, Kafka,Camus. University of Chicago, 1970.

Kafka, Franz. “A Letter to My Father” Web.

Kafka, Franz. The Metamorphosis and Other Stories. Barnes & Noble Books, 2003.

Pawel, Ernst. A Nightmare of Reason:A Life of Franz Kafka. Straus and Giroux, 1997.

Rodriguez, N. “The Metamophosis: Biographical, Historical and Conceptual Contexts.” Miami Dade College, 2009. Web.

The plot of Kafka’s Metamorphosis is based on the grotesque and absurd story of a simple salesman Gregor Samsa, who one day woke up as a huge insect, and his family. From the very beginning, one can expect that the main conflict of the novel will be connected with the metamorphoses that occur with the characters. The fantastic change in the appearance of the protagonist is just an artistic device against which other artistic metamorphoses develop – but not so much with Gregor as with his environment, closest people, the outside world.

Despite his horrific appearance, Gregor Samsa retained the human soul and remained a person who in this terrible situation, like no one else, needed support and understanding. He did not receive either one or the other even from the people closest to him – his parents and sister, meeting in response to all attempts at contact only fear, disgust, disgust, and even aggression. However, even before the incident, there were no warmth and mutual understanding in the family, despite the fact that the young man was the only breadwinner of the family. It seems that the transformation into a miserable insect, the catastrophe that happened to Gregor Samsa, is a logical continuation of his involuntary addiction and his miserable existence. The symbolism here is clear: what could be more defenseless than an insect against human aggression and cruelty.

As the behavior and attitude of the family every day becomes more offensive and cruel, one gets the feeling that a monstrous transformation is also taking place with these people. However, in fact, their callous souls are only exposed to the reader when they throw off the guise of integrity and nobility. The metamorphoses are also reflected in the change in the appearance of Gregor’s room – a symbol of his inner world and the attitude of household members towards him. Thus, from the well-furnished room that appeared before the reader at the beginning of the story, all things are gradually taken out, including those infinitely dear to the owner, despite his protest. Kafka (1971) writes: “They were cleaning his room out, taking away everything he loved; they were now loosening the writing desk at which he had done all his homework as a student” (118). At the end of the short story, the author only leaves a dirty, uncomfortable lair, a dump of unnecessary things which do not have any meaning anymore.

Works Cited

Kafka, Franz. Franz Kafka: The Complete Stories. Edited by Nahum N. Glatzer, Schocken Books, 1971.

To compare the role of parents in the stories, we must first get a brief background of the parents in both stories. In “The Blood Wedding”, it is interesting to note that all the parents out there are single parents. The bride only has a father and the bridegroom only has a mother. We know that the father of the bridegroom was killed early in his childhood by Leonardo’s cousins, the Felix family (Lorca and Ronda, 6). Additionally, the bride alludes to her mother’s death when she asked the bridegroom to hold her so that even if her deceased mother called her, she would not hear. I have operated under the assumption that since no father-in-law is mentioned in the story, the wife of Leonardo also comes from a single-parent family. In contrast, Kafka’s “The Metamorphosis” has the full set of parents; both father and mother are present.

Parents in both works are portrayed as dependent on their children. Their role is to rely on the children for financial security and provision, especially in the future. In “The Blood Wedding”, the Father states that the newlyweds need many children to get “unpaid labor” (Lorca and Ronda, 45). Additionally, we see that the Mother also asking her son to tend to the “field near the mill” (Lorca and Ronda, 9). In the second part of Act 1, we see Mother-in-Law to Leonardo residing with them. Mother- in-Law acts as the baby’s babysitter. In “The Metamorphosis”, the role is much more clearly seen. Gregor’s role as a provider was jeopardized with his metamorphosis. He did not enjoy the job much (Lorca and Ronda, 2). However, he still did it out of family duty. His primary motivation was to provide for the family in the light of the collapsed family business (Lorca and Ronda, 15). He wanted to pay off the family’s obligations (Lorca and Ronda, 2).

The effect of this role varies from one character to another. In the case of Leonardo and his wife, it caused them misery and anxious thoughts. This is portrayed through the use of conversation. She is asked by Bridegroom why she does not buy land in the hills, only to reply that they have no money. She adds the hanging statement, “And the way we’re going!” this suggests future concerns as to the security of their finances. In contrast, the Bridegroom takes it in all well. He invests in a vineyard, which according to Father is a piece of lucrative property to own. He states that they are “worth a fortune” and that “each plant is like a silver coin” (Lorca and Ronda, 22). This effect is portrayed through the use of conversation between Mother and Neighbour. This conversation is important as it reveals that Bridegroom has been waiting a long time to buy the vineyard and can finally purchase it. It shows that he has been putting some effort toward the purchase of the same.

In “The Metamorphosis”, the effect is that Gregor pushes himself into a job that he does not enjoy in order to provide. The sister also gives up her dream of joining a conservatory (Kafka, 15) to seek employment as a salesperson (Kafka, 22). Additionally, he feels duty-bound not to abandon his family by losing his job when the chief clerk comes calling at his house in order to inquire about his lateness (Kafka, 5). Even in his vermin state, he still wanted to “take over the family’s affairs, just like before” (Kafka, 23). The impacts are brought out in different ways. The first is through narration. His situation is narrated to us for the most part. His dislike for the job and his all duty-bound attitude are passed on to us through narration. However, we do encounter an instance of soliloquy where he is talking or thinking to himself about how much he hates the job. He tells himself that he will quit the job after settling his family debt and let the boss “know just what I feel” (Kafka, 2). This soliloquy gives us a true picture of how sacrificial Gregor is in terms of persevering even though he hates the job.

Generally, the effects of this reliance in both books are the same. However, they are brought out differently due to the difference in writing styles. Whereas one is a narrated prose, the other is play.

The other role of parents strongly brought out in both books is to control the children, participating very heavily in their decision-making process. We see this in “The Blood Wedding” in several ways. The bride is somewhat forced to marry Bridegroom. This conclusion can be arrived at by considering several facts. The first is that Father, the father of the bride, was clearly interested in marrying off his daughter into a well-to-do family. His delight at the fact that the prospective in-laws were rich is evident in his discussion about family property. His intention is seen as to join the two families’ commercial strength. He alludes to this when he laments that it would be “beautiful” to see their properties “joined together” (Lorca and Ronda, 22). On the other hand, Bride loved and was previously betrothed to Leonardo, but did not marry him. Leonardo claims that she refused him because of his poverty. He states that “a pair of oxen and a miserable shack”, signifying his poverty, were not enough for Bride. However, we can deduce the truth that she may have been forced to turn him down. The Groom is also heavily controlled by his mother. He is prevented from accepting a glass of wine by his mother because he “never touches it” (Lorca and Ronda, 25). Yet at the wedding we see him accepting the offer to drink with the guests (Lorca and Ronda, 49). Additionally, he is talked out of carrying a knife by his mother (Lorca and Ronda, 6). The other instances are in the route chosen to go to visit the bride (Lorca and Ronda, 22) and the choosing of the gifts to visit with (Lorca and Ronda, 8).

The effect of this force is anarchy, betrayal and death. The whole conflict in the story is built on this control. Since the father wanted rich in-laws, he forces his daughter to marry a man she does not love. Groom is led to marry her so as to fulfill his mother’s wish of grandchildren. Leonardo, who is still in love with Bride, runs away with her on her wedding day. This incenses Mother and Bridegroom who take this as an opportunity for violence and maybe revenge against the cousin of the Felix’s. The father of the bride feels betrayed as he thought his daughter would be proud and bring him honor.

This effect is brought out using several styles. The use of conflict is most notable. Conflict is used to set the background for the eventual fight and death of Bridegroom and Leonardo. The existing conflict between their two families pushed Bridegroom to seek blood for vengeance for both himself and his fallen kin (Lorca and Ronda, 61). Another notable method is the use of impersonation. Both the Moon and Death are given human form in the play. The writer gave death a human form of a beggar woman, allowing her to play several roles. They include leading Bridegroom to Leonardo so he can die (Lorca and Ronda, 63), informing the people that they are dead (Lorca and Ronda, 72) and a poetic conversation with the moon. This leads us to another method used: poetry. The poetic conversation between the Moon and Death gives us a peek into what is intended to happen. It also sets the mood for the scene.

In “The Metamorphosis”, this control is mainly done through the father. Both parents allowed and later on expected Gregor to provide for the family in light of the collapsed business (Kafka, 14). Although he did not want the job, Gregor could not turn it down due to the pressure in the family to provide for his ailing parents (Kafka, 1). When he was late for work due to his transformation, his parents were at the door. The way his father nudged him to go to work, with a warning tone (Kafka, 2), shows that although he was the breadwinner, he still did not have much control over his life. His sister, too, could not pursue music as she desired because her parents would hear none of it (Kafka, 15). The parents also are seen as taking it upon themselves to find her a husband (Kafka, 32). The effect of the control is alienation and misery. The fact that the parents almost expected Gregor to provide and became increasingly indifferent to his efforts made him withdraw from them. They also had to talk about their dreams in secret, away from their parents (Kafka, 15).

The effects are displayed mainly through the use of narration. The author, in a third-party voice, tells us about the way Gregor became increasingly distant from his parents and attached to his sister (Kafka, 15). The narration extends into the reason why Gregor could not quit, even when he wanted to. This, though, is also told through the use of soliloquy. Gregor is seen to spite himself for choosing such an alienating profession that made him travel a lot and socialize very little. We also see him thinking to himself about when he would quit his job and tell off his boss.

The effects of this role in both books bring a sort of negative repercussion. Both stories show the misery and suffering of children due to a lot of parental control and obligation. However, they are portrayed differently, with the play showing more creativity and use of literary styles. This is because of the difference in writing styles used. Whereas one uses a play format, the other takes a third-party narration style. This accounts for the difference in portrayal.

Works Cited

Kafka, Franz. The Metamorphosis . Lulu.com, 2008.

Lorca , Federico, and Tanya Ronder. The Blood Wedding. Trans. Simon Scardifield. Nick Hern Books, 2005.

Introduction

Franz Kafka, a world famous writer, was brought up in a family, where the dictatorship of the father prevented the family from having natural warm relationships. Maybe this factor allowed the author learn from the childhood that the relationships between people, together with the moral values, are often neglected, while the materialistic views have always been topical.

This is one of the key issues fairly depicted by Franz Kafka in his story “The Metamorphosis”, the bright example of modernism story highlighting realistic problems concerning traditional values perverted by the surrounding society.

Having described an outcast in his family, the writer shows alienation of a person with his or her traditional values and views in the cruel today’s society which is, day by day, losing its important human values, caring only of material values, oppressing distinctive and extraordinary individualities and spreading gregarious way of behavior.

Human values lost by the society

Within several thousand years each generation have been creating and passing down their assumptions, moral and values considered to be conventional and humane, which were held both by families and by societies.

Family values have been transferred into common values of community and society, but still their essence stayed and still stays the same as it was at the very beginning. However, the present society has quite perverse understanding of values, and today a reverse process can be traced – society influences family and dictates its own values to it.

Such loss of traditional humane values like empathy, love, respect, loyalty, and honesty has affected Franz Kafka who illustrated the metamorphosis or transformation of customary values on the example of the family of the Samsas. “The story presents the reader with the metaphor for a human existence in which spiritual reflection and interpersonal communication have been sacrificed for the sake of materialistic efficiency” (Die Verwandlung 1915: 1).

Indeed, showing the main character Gregor Samsa, who has found himself transformed “into a gigantic insect” physically (Kafka, 29), however, stayed human mentally, Kafka outlines his ability to preserve and keep humane values despite the fact of being an insect and having ugly appearance which is not accepted by his family, or society (in broader understanding).

His sincere genuine feelings towards his family contradict their cruelty and careless behavior towards him, a suffering insect. Hence the main character impersonates traditional values which are lost by his family and society, in general.

One of the most important values such as empathy is not inherent in our life any more, as Kafka shows. The family of Gregor-insect is not able to accept him as he is – with “his domelike brown belly” and “numerous legs, which were pitifully thin compared to the rest of his bulk” (Kafka, 32). Practically, the same happens in the society which is not willing to accept anything or anybody extraordinary and distinctive. In order to illustrate this issue more brightly, the writer uses a great paradox in his story.

The mentioned family feels no empathy for miserable Gregor, who really needs it, while the latter sympathizes his family, who do not require his sympathy at all. During his whole life Gregor Samsa has been working hard for the family, caring about them more than about himself, trying to give them the best he could, nevertheless he meet no giving back. Consequently, his idle care, love without answer and excessive empathy for his family turned him into helpless insect.

The only hope of the main character is loyalty of his sister Grete who has been always kind and caring towards Gregor, however, she also betrays him. Hence his hopes have been broken and loyalty has been lost. This illustration was used by Kafka to depict community’s assumptions neglecting loyalty when it becomes of no use.

It is shown that Grete was loyal to Gregor until he had “the firm intention of sending her to the Conservatory” (Kafka, 44) and had decent work where he could earn money to provide her with respectable life. However, she changed her attitude drastically as soon as Gregor suffered transformation and became helpless and indigent. Thus, it is ironic that insect continues to possess the feeling of loyalty till its last days while people of the surrounding society have forgotten about it.

Moreover, such significant value as honesty is also lacking since all people’s relationships are built on intrigues and pretence, what is highlighted in the story on the example of surface relationships between the main character and his family.

Neither family nor Gregor himself were honest in their lives – the family was pretending to love and care about Gregor all their life until metamorphosis changed him, and Gregor, in his turn, was pretending to be satisfied by everything including his way of living. Equally, honesty is ignored by communities and forgotten in the surrounding society in which success is achieved by deceitful means and self-interested measures, but not honesty.

Speaking about the greatest value of true love in Kafka’s story, it seems to be replaced by selfishness and egoistic love. Gregor’s parents seem to love him until he is a bread maker in his family, has respectable position in the society and socially acceptable appearance, thus it appears that love depends on outer factors.

Contrary, this value does not require any attractive appearance, but is of inside ground. The loss of love, especially inside the family, is a typical burning issue of modern society, thus Kafka depicts the main character of the story as lonely young man suffering from lack of any love.

All in all, on the sample of the family described in the story, Franz Kafka created an imagery of ill cruel society which is losing the most important traditional human moral values which have been passed down from generation to generation. That’s why the problems which take place in the family of Gregor Samsa concern not only family life, but each surrounding community and the whole society.

Material values versus moral values

Having analyzed the loss of customary human values referring to moral in Kafka’s story, it is necessary to contrast assumption of the society which has material values as a ground. In the story contrast of moral and material values is represented by insect having moral and family having material values. It is an irony that an insect possesses humane moral values, however, surrounding society, in the person of Samsa’s family, has lost them and has only material concerns.

Franz Kafka has chosen such a harsh transformation of imposing Gregor’s appearance into an ugly insect for the purpose of highlighting the role of appearance and social position as the most important material values in the society. To illustrate, family is merely shocked by the altered appearance of the son and brother, on his physical state; contrary, no member of the family pays attention at his emotional state and feelings, nobody notices that he stayed human inside.

After turning into insect Gregor is alienated by the family since his appearance became not like society used to see. This is his appearance and exterior that bothers the family to have decent life and be respected in the society. It is obvious that surrounding society, analogically to Gregor’s family, does not care of any moral and personal emotions; the only concern of the surrounding community or society is outward forms and material values.

Furthermore, the writer shows an urgent conflict between moral and material values by illustrating Gregor’s behavior as an instance. On the one hand, the main character feels empathy for his parents and sister who stayed without money and have to work in order to survive, and he feels even shame at that. His worrying has very complicated emotional ground and makes him depressed each day more and more. On the other hand, feeling empathy and shame Gregor’s thoughts are only of material conditions and welfare of the family.

He concerns about material values like his family does; thus there is an evident trace of surrounding society’s influence. However, at the end of the story the writer presents the resolution of this conflict – Gregor dies because of shame and lack of moral values, but not due to lack of some material things and conveniences. Thus Kafka stresses on a significant role of true moral values and their predominance rather than transitory material values, which are widely dictated by the surrounding society therefore.

Oppression of distinctive individuality

Everything that differs usually faces harsh reaction and deprecation, every extraordinary person revokes criticism and non-acceptance, unusual people are oppressed and even suppressed by the society. Alike, Gregor Samsa faces aversion and moral oppression by the surrounding people after his transformation into an ugly huge insect, what is out of the common and not acceptable by the surrounding society at all.

Describing how much the family is not willing to accept Gregor because of his appearance, the writer rigidly illustrates society’s not willingness to accept individuals who differ from others. Though Gregor had only his appearance changed, but mentally he stayed the same, nevertheless surrounding people alienate from him. This imagery shows how society avoids unusual and non-standard personalities isolating and exiling them, making them outcasts among people.

Moreover, depicting Gregor’s metamorphosis the writer shows his social alienation not only because of his altered appearance, but also because of his inner world which differs from the rest of society. Despite the fact that the surrounding human society lost the values, Gregor-insect managed to preserve them and stays an individual distinctive from the others.

In addition, Kafka draws an individual, who is completely helpless in the society. It is ironic that a person is lonely among persons; as a matter of fact, it is not an exception even in our present society. The person is alienated until he or she differs from the rest of society.

In this story, therefore the writer shows a try to accept the values which are dictated by the society. Numerous tries of Gregor-insect to get out of his bed are his tries to live in new body and image, what can be interpreted as a try to accept the values dictated by the society. However, at the end of the story Gregor dies, he was not able to live as an insect, thus Kafka means the failure to join the surrounding society and highlights that Gregor-insect stayed an individual person despite his appearance.

The fact that Gregor dies in the body of insect and no transformation happens shows us a clear position of the writer who does not accept the society as it is. It is better to die as an insect, however with values and being unusual, than to leave as a human having no values but possessing socially acceptable appearance and decent position in the surrounding society.

Gregarious behavior in the society

Despite the fact that any society has being formed by each separate individual, it is evident that the surrounding society dictates its principles and values. In “The Metamorphosis” Kafka shows how Gregor’s parents dictate him their own rules and values showing their gregarious behavior.

As Karl Marx noted on the story, “Once Gregor loses his cash value to his parents, well, then he ceases to be of interest to them” (Marx, 1). In addition, the parents completely comply with the rules of their flock i.e. surrounding society as their unwillingness to see socially non-acceptable appearance of insect shows.

In other words, they try to stay in their flock with their own assumptions and not to allow others to separate and differ from them. Such behavior can be explained by the fact that after separation from the flock, one differs from the rest and receives more freedom. Analogically, Gregor has been separated from his family because of his altered appearance, though he obtained subconsciously desirable freedom. However, his freedom does not satisfy the surrounding family and society in whole.

It is known that society keeps people in flock and wants them to behave like sheep of this flock for the reason that in such a way it is much easier to rule them. Once separate and behaving in other way, society isolates that person, what actually can be seen in the analyzed story.

The family makes Gregor to be outcast and isolates him in his room since he behaves in the manner contradicting to socially acceptable one. The main concern of the characters is to look like the others, like a flock, but not the inner world of the person whose feelings and emotional experience are of no interest.

A bright instant of the gregarious way of behavior is shown by Gregor’s sister Grete. Analyzing her behavior towards her brother within the course of the action in the story, it is clearly seen that she was greatly influenced by the flock, which is her family in this case. At the very beginning Grete was trying to be individual person with her own views and values, she helped her brother and loved him.

However, day by day she begins to avoid Gregor more and more, and consequently, alienates completely from him under the influence of her parents and society. Thus being an individual with values Grete gradually joins the flock and changes her way of behavior. She is not interested in her brother any more; she has no love, empathy and respect; she gradually turns into sheep following its flock and losing its personal values.

Conclusion

Making up a conclusion, it should be highlighted that the story which has been analyzed is a bright example of Kafka’s way to depict urgent social issues which amaze with their compelling arguments and up-to-dateness.

By means of detailed illustration of Gregor’s life and his family, the writer wants us to recognize our cruel society in the image of the family, to see the values which are being lost by the society and to realize possible consequences. Thus, Kafka has successfully outlined importance of moral values which gradually weakens under the pressure of the surrounding community or society which tries to impose gregarious way of life to all individualities.

Works Cited

“Die Verwandlung 1915.” Encyclopedia of German Literature. London: Routledge, 2000. Credo Reference. Web.

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

Marx, Karl. “On Franz Kafka’s Metamorphosis”. University of Liverpool. 11 June 2010. <http://johnstoniatexts.x10host.com/lectures/marxonkafkalecture.htm>

The Metamorphosis is one of the most famous short stories by Franz Kafka. It revolves around transformation of protagonist Gregor Samsa from human into the vermin.

The short story is a typical example of magic realism that focuses on social problems and life of individual who is underestimated and alienated from society.

The subject of transformation plays an important role in the short story, it is the main means used by the author to express his ideas and describe the main character.

However, there is one more strong technique applied by Franz Kafka to touch the reader on different level (emotional and logical). The author uses omniscient or third-person narrator as a detached observer who tells the story to achieve another purpose, apart from entertaining one.

Kafka uses a limited third-person narrator in order to attract the reader’s attention to protagonist’s thought and feelings, to the importance of his inner reality, rather than other characters that play minor roles.

Thus, if Kafka chooses Gregor to narrate the story, it would have a different effect on the reader and would not allow the author achieve his main purpose – to entertain the reader and understand in full the protagonist’s inner reality.

In order to understand the role of the third person narrator in The Metamorphosis and explain why author used this technique, we should, first of all, analyze theme, main idea and background of the story.

It is no wonder that the work by Franz Kafka is one of the most analyzed works of the 20^th century. It provides not only a unique content and extraordinary story, but a broad field of topics for discussion.

One of the major themes is the individual’s isolation and confrontation with the society. Before his transformation, Gregor was considered to be an independent member of the society, he had a job and supported his family.

However, after “one morning, when Gregor Samsa woke from troubled dreams, he found himself transformed in his bed into a horrible vermin” (Kafka 1), and after all events that happened to him, the reader comes to understanding that protagonist has never been “a full member of society”, he was just “a supply” used by society and his family to fulfill their needs.

He has never been appreciated and he never liked his life, as well as his job, but nevertheless, when he discovered that he can lose it he was very concerned, “as in fifteen years of service Gregor hadn’t been sick even ones” (Kafka 9) and had never missed a day.

The theme of alienation of the individual in the society is expressed metaphorically, Gregor’s transformation illustrates how society (which is embodied in the family) treats the one who can no longer be valuable for it and bring the benefit.

Why did the author choose a vermin for Gregor’s transformation? With this metaphor, Kafka wanted to show how an individual in the context of the society in which author lived and how insignificant and disadvantaged an individual could be as a part of social machine.

The society described in the short story provides the insight in the reality of the author’s own life. The story is autobiographical in some extend and presents the exploration of influences of the times in which the author, as well as the protagonist, lived.

As well as Gregor, Kafka lived with his parents and worked at the insurance office. He observed people’s lives and attitudes to other people and life as a whole.

He saw, as well as experienced by himself, the routine of every day duties and responsibilities that social structure and family laid upon people.

Kafka felt family tension that made him responsible for incomes, and his doubts about the justice of the system in which he lived made him turn to literature and explore these subjects in-depth.

The technique of the limited or omniscient third-person narrator became a great help in this task. Kafka’s narrative point of view focuses on protagonist Gregor Samsa, however, the narrator of the story is not a character that described in it, but a distance witness of events. According to Marina MacKay:

“Omniscient narration refers to a third-person narration in which the narrator can present not only the sort of external detail and information that might be accessible to characters in the story but also the feelings and thoughts of characters (which might well be unknown even to the character being discussed).

An omniscient narrator may refrain from explicit judgment or may, alternatively, provide a running commentary on the events being recounted” (202).

This technique is perfectly exemplified in The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka. It permits the author not only focus on the subject matter and revolve around the themes of the story, but implement the entertainment function of the writing and provide the reader with an in-depth understanding of the protagonist’s feelings and thoughts.

In addition, this technique removes the focus from other characters and the reader can judge about them solely from their words and actions and puts the protagonist’s inner reality in the spotlight, “complicitously selective, the narrator withholds the full account of Gregor’s motivations, providing only the rationale as Gregor perceives it” (Bloom 68).

The limited narrator provides the reader with only one-side understanding of the events described. Samsa family is presented from a perspective of the protagonist, in other words, the reader sees each member of the family in the way Gregor does.

The narrator is limited with the knowledge that Gregor possess about his sister, father and mother, and does not allow a full access to their thoughts and feelings:

“Analysis of The Metamorphosis reveals that beneath the surface structure of the text, beneath its manifest appearance, we find on Gregor’s part – next to his need for self-expression – a desperate strategy of avoidance or circumvention of verbal confrontation, a fitting metaphor for this strategy is, of course, the form he has taken through his transformation, his shell of “Panzer” (Bloom 110).

The omniscient narrator’s point of view defines not only the plot of the story, but its context, setting and development of the problem.

The reader is not provided with the explanation of other characters’ actions, thus, he/she has a ground for imagination and free choice whether judge Samsa family for their behavior, or justify them as they are also placed in a difficult situation and deal with it in their own way.

Gregor’s mother loves him dearly, but she cannot stand the things that happened to her son, and Gregor’s sister does everything possible to provide her brother with comfort.

However, the technique of the omniscient narrator allows the author influences reader understands of the problem. Thus, this style of writing was chosen by author to create a particular atmosphere in which the reader is “forced” to feel a sort of sympathy towards protagonist of the story.

The author deals only with protagonist’s vision of the situation, the injustice and the way in which his family treats him are presented from Gregor’s perspective.

The readers get to know how hard his position is and how he struggles not to bother his family too much. Lack of understanding and compassion towards Gregor from his family is the result of the usage of the third-person narrator, “fusing the author’s objective omniscience (third person, past tense, etc.) with the character’s innermost mental view, this device offers “empathy” in its older sense: a process of total mental and spiritual identification” (Kafka and Neugroschel 13).

Thus, Kafka manipulates readers’ thoughts and feelings. However, at the end of the story the author changes his viewpoint, as Gregor dies and there is no longer the need to focus attention on his feelings and thoughts.

Kafka skips to the family’s life without Gregor, “Leant back comfortably on their seats, they discussed their prospects and found that on closer examination they were not at all bad” (Kafka 28), and it seemed to be better. It seems cynical of them to behave in that way, but it is the only time when the reader is allowed to see the world outside Gregor’s perspective.

What if the author used another technique and tells the story through the eyes of Gregor Samsa? It would influence greatly the narrative elements. First of all, it would change the plot and the story would end up with his death. In such case, the reader would never find out about events that happened with Samsa family afterwards.

Furthermore, the reader would not be aware of actions that family members performed outside Gregor’s room and it would not be possible to judge about feelings that they shared towards Gregor.

Omniscient narrator always provides deeper explanation of events regardless the fact that he focuses on one character. As opposed to this, first person narrator provides solely personal perspective on the problem.

Thus, the overall understanding of the themes and main idea of the story is quite different from the one described by the third person narrator.

The Metamorphosis is a deeply philosophical story that explores the theme of alienation of an individual from the society. Kafka managed to express his vision of the contemporary society using metaphoric description of a person treated as a vermin by the social machine.

He made use of the omniscient narrator to express his ideas and make the reader understand his writing in a particular way. Thus, the limited third-person narrator was used to explore the inner world of protagonist who faced injustice and misunderstanding of people who were his relatives represented modern society.

Works Cited

Bloom, Harold. Franz Kafka’s The Metamorphosis. New York: Infobase Publishing, 2008.

Kafka, Franz, and Joachim Neugroschel. The Metamorphosis, In the Penal Colony, and Other Stories: With Two New Stories. New York: Simon and Schuster, 2000.

Kafka, Franz. The Metamorphosis. New York: Tribeca Books, 2003.

MacKay, Marina. The Cambridge Introduction to the Novel. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2011.

Literature has always been an integral part of human life. It appeared when a person tried to write down his/her personal feelings and emotions connected with a certain object and became one of the main remedies which helped to do it. That is why it is obvious that all important events in the life of people are reflected in literature. Additionally, literature can serve as the mirror, which helps to see peculiarities of the epoch in which certain work is created.

Being influenced by the beliefs topical for society at its current stage of development, authors have no other choice but to reflect them. However, at the same time, literature also touches some eternal themes which have always been topical for humanity, though they obtain some other meaning at the moment.

Such issues as relations between people, their attitude towards relatives, the influence of money on these relations, and the sense of human life, in general, have always been popular.

With this in mind, analysis of every literary work provides a great number of opportunities to understand human nature better and recognize their attitude towards these issues and compare this attitude with the modern one. Resting on these facts, analysis of the work The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka can provide a great number of opportunities for a better understanding of human nature.

First of all, it should be said that a good analysis of the work is impossible without a clear understanding of the character of its author and ideas peculiar to him. Franz Kafka is one of the most influential authors of the 20th century. He managed to create works atmosphere of which could shock a reader. Being raised under rather unusual conditions, he was able to embody his feelings in his works. They are imbued by absurd and fear of reality.

Additionally, the feeling of helplessness and insignificance can appear while reading his works. Kafka is known as one of the brightest representatives of existentialism. This term appeared to describe the beliefs of the group of philosophers and writers who considered that human existence was unique though absurd and senseless.

Every person has his/her own life in which he/she is free to live as he/she wants, though there is still a great fear of reality and recognition of absurdness of the life. That is why it becomes obvious that Kafka wanted to reflect these ideas in his works (Stephens, 2015), is a great admirer of this philosophic movement.

Under these conditions, The Metamorphosis can be taken as a good example of the embodiment of ideas of existentialism. The whole work is devoted to description of feelings and emotions of a person who suddenly discovered that he became an insect. There is no explanation of what the reasons for this transformation are and how it happened. One day, Gregor Samsa just makes this horrible discovery. Such an unusual setting, used by Kafka, just underlines indeterminism of human life.

The author wants to show that a person is forceless in the face of the world and reality, and everything can happen to him (Delahoyde, n.d). Samsa is not able to understand this change at once; however, gradually, he accustoms and is able to move and control his body. However, he is not able to live and survive. Being deprived of communication as his family refused him and, moreover, being injured, he dies alone, and his death remains almost unnoticed.

There is a great number of different themes touched by the author in this work. It is obvious that human existence and its senseless character are discussed here. However, Kafka also cogitates about such eternal issues as money, its influence on people, relations within the family, loyalty, and, additionally, complicated interaction between mind and body. That is why, being rather complicated work, The Metamorphosis suggests a great number of opportunities for its analysis.

As has already been stated, the issue of relations between mind and body is touched in work. Transformed into an insect, Gregor, however, saves the mind of a human being. Besides, at the beginning of the story, he could hardly speak as sounds which he produces are like “painful and uncontrollable squeaking” (Kafka, 1912, para. 7). Additionally, it is difficult for him to control his body “it turned out to be too hard to move; it went so slowly” (Kafka, 1912, para. 8).

Gregor still has his own mind though it is difficult for him to work under new conditions and rule a new body. However, in the course of the development of the story, it becomes easier for him to control his body. Gregor is able to climb and move his limbs. However, not only he influences it. The author also wants to show that the physical state of a person influences his mental abilities. Gregor’s behavior becomes more and more insect-like.

He prefers to remain in dark and tight spaces. Additionally, his preferences in food also change. The scene of the removal of furniture can serve as the culmination of this conflict. Being not able to control his instincts and determine what is better for him, Gregor leaves his room in a panic and receives a wound from his father. It is possible to say that the conflict between mind and body leads to the death of the main character.

Additionally, the issue of alienation can be seen here. It is obvious that the transform, which happened to Gregor, creates the barrier between him and the rest of the world. Being not able to communicate with his family or colleagues, the main character feels lonely and abandoned. However, this barrier can also be taken as the metaphor used by the author to show a reader a difference in the attitude towards people who differ from the majority of society (Batson, 2015).

Being a common traveling salesman, Samsa is taken as a member of it. He has colleagues and relatives who seem to like him and communicate with him. However, having become an insect, Gregor is ignored and deprived of any communication. Kafka shows readers the cruelty of society, which does not accept people who do not follow its rules or differ from its majority. Additionally, one more theme appears. The thing is that Gregor is also ignored by his family.

That is why the issue of relations between children and parents is also touched at work. Being the only person who earns money in the family, he is respected and loved. However, things change. The only person who now cares about Samsa is his sister Grete. Gregor is sure that “Grete would probably be the only one who would dare enter a room” (Kafka, 1912, para. 45).

The author also shows that even the love of parents and their attitude towards their child can be altered under the influence of some external factors. His parents do not try to understand or accept him, as it is still their child, though, in another body. However, being sure that society will reject this creature, they are not able to accept it too. Additionally, now, Gregor is dependent, and some money should be spent to feed him. The issue of money is also important here.

Being the only earner in the family, Gregor is appreciated and cared, though, now his transformation leads to his becoming one of the main reasons for the financial problems of the family because people, who rent rooms, refuse to live near Gregor. This fact makes the situation even worse as now family does not know how to survive, and even Grete, who is the only person who cares about Gregor, says to her father, “You’ve got to get rid of the idea that that’s Gregor.

We’ve only harmed ourselves by believing it for so long” (Kafka, 1912, para. 85). It becomes obvious that Grete refuses her brother. Though, it is possible to suggest that she lies. She is not sure that Gregor disappears. On the contrary, it is possible to assume that, being the only person who communicates with him, she knows that it is really Gregor, however, she prefers to forget about it as it is much easier to live in this way.

Having analyzed the story, it is possible to make a certain conclusion. Kafka manages to create an atmosphere of the absurdness of human life and the powerlessness of a person in the face of reality. Being deprived of communication, Gregor became a person who is not needed in society. That is why death was the only way out for him.

References

Batson, R. (2015). Kafka~Samsa. Reality Through Symbolism. The Kafka Project. Web.

Delahoyde, M. Kafka, The Metamorphosis. Web.

Kafka, F. (1912). The Metamorphosis. Web.

Stephens, J. (2015). Franz Kafka’s personal life reflected in the Metamorphosis. The Kafka Project. Web.

Introduction

The Metamorphosis, by Franz Kafka is a story of a young traveling salesman Gregor Samosa who one day wakes up to find himself metamorphosed into vermin. The story narrates the agonies that Gregor faces and the upheavals that the family undergoes. The metamorphosed Gregor has changed his physical shape but his mind is still of himself. The paper discusses the cause and effect of important events in the story, such as the effects on Gregor, his sister, mother and father. (Kafka, 1916).

Summary of the plot of Nabokov

Nabokov (2007) has provided a good synopsis of the plot. One morning, Gregor, the main character in the story wakes up to find himself transformed into an insect with numerous legs. He finds himself on his back and he cannot move and set himself upright. The cause that Kafka refers to is the great upheaval and horrendous transformation that he has undergone. When Gregor is struggling in his room, trying to understand what has happened, he finds that his manager is banging on the front door asking why Gregor has not turned up for work The family members including his father, mother and sister are all frantic as to why Gregor is not responding and all this activity has added to the stress that Gregor is facing.

Multiple causes are in force right in the first few paragraphs: the horrendous transformation that Gregor has undergone, the panic and anxiety that the family members feel when Gregor is not responding to urgent summons to open the door of his room and the pressure exerted by the manager who is getting angry. All these causes have had the effect of petrifying the transformed Gregor and he cannot speak, cannot get up and so cannot even open the door.

Fitzgerald (18 April 2007) has pointed out that Kafka attempted to shock readers by presenting a wholly different story that bordered on the postmodern theories. According to the author, Kafka has attempted to pack as many voices and thoughts in the first few paragraphs so that the reader is twisted between understanding the cause and the effect of the malady that befell Gregor.

When Gregor wakes up, he could feel all the familiar sights and sounds such as the room window, the rain drops that beat the window sill and he initially thought that it was a dream. He felt that if he slept for a little longer, he would wake up and this nightmare would go away. But the change was complete and his state was just like a beetle or a cockroach has trouble getting back on its legs after it has been overturned.

“What about sleeping a little longer and forgetting all this nonsense, he thought, but it could not be done, for he was accustomed to sleep on his right side and in his present condition he could not turn himself over” (Kafka, 1916)

Gregor had been working very hard as a traveling salesman, trying to pay off the debts that his father owned to his creditors. He is also the sole earning member of his family. The societal pressures are the causes that have transformed Gregor into a mental wreck and he feels insignificant in the face of the odds, to be precise, he feels that he is vermin, the lowest order among living things. These are the deeper causes that Kafka speaks of. So, when he feels that if he sleeps for some more time, the causes and effects would go away. But they do not go away and Gregor is now physically and mentally vermin (Nabokov, 2007).

Other characters such as Greta, the sister of Gregor, Gregor’s father and mother are moved by the transformation that Gregor has undergone. It must be understood that the cause was the transformation that Gregor has undergone.

The effects on each of the characters is different

There is Greta, sister of Gregor who was a helpless girl before the transformation of Gregor. She was content to work in the house and stay at home. However, after Gregor’s transformation, she has undergone a change herself. Initially she looked after the feeding and other tasks for Gregor but with passage of time, she starts hating her job and neglects Gregor. She has even found a job as a sales clerk. The effect of the transformation is evident since she knows that Gregor is now just a burden and of no use to her (Fitzgerald, 2007).

Gregor’s father had suffered huge business losses and had given up working. He looked up at Gregor to feed the family. After the transformation, the father started working again and soon realized that he was independent and could earn a living. So, the effect on the father was that it brought him out of depression and dependence and made him capable of working again. In the later part of the story, due to some misunderstanding, the father starts throwing apples at Gregor and one strikes him hard and remains embedded in his body where it rots and Gregor cannot take it out. The blow from the apple proves fatal to Gregor and he succumbs from the wound.

“Gregor’s serious wound, from which he suffered for over a month—since no one ventured to remove the apple, it remained in his flesh as a visible reminder” (Kafka, 1916)

Gregor’s mother is depicted as psychologically very weak. She has been suffering from the loss in business of her husband and is very depressed. She loves her son very much and the transformation has had a very severe effect on her and she cannot come to terms with the fact that her dear son has been transformed into vermin.

After Gregor dies, the corpse is summarily disposed off and the family seems to be relieved that the worst is over. They have more confidence among themselves as they realize that they are now free. The cause is the demise of the transformed Gregor. The effect is that they go out to the city, spend some time enjoying the sights and decide on their future plan of action. The result of the transformation is that the family decides to move to another place, Greta has grown up to be voluptuous and beautiful women and there are plans to get her married off

So, the overall effects of the transformation of Gregor on the family is that they have become independent and much more vivacious than before, they have started earning and managed to drag themselves out of their misery. The family initially depended on Gregor for their living but after the transformation, his sister and father have managed to find jobs, the have become independent and they have managed to pull themselves out of the depression.

References

Fitzgerald Connor. 2007. Analysis of the Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka. Web.

Kafka Franz. 1916. The Metamorphosis. (Trans. Ian Johnston, 2007). Web.

Nabokov Vladimir. 2007. Vladimir Nabokov’s Lecture on “The Metamorphosis. Web.