Franz Kafka 's The Metamorphosis

First, Gregor’s Family, being the cruel hearted gremlins that they were, stole youth or enjoyment that Gregor could possibly have in the story. For example, Gregor was rarely seen in his family. The long work hours had prevented

A metamorphosis can be described as a change in structure, form, or appearance, or as a change in form from one stage to the next in an organism’s life. In Franz Kafka’s novella, “The Metamorphosis”, change is a major theme. The theme of change is significant as the main character,

His fate, it seems, is to provide for his family and there are several instances in which he laments his inability to provide for his mother, father, and dear sister. The narrator states, revealing one of these themes in “The Metamorphosis”, “Gregor’s sole desire was to do his utmost to help the family to forget as soon as possible the catastrophe which had overwhelmed the business and thrown them all into a state of complete despair” (95) and this sense of blind duty compels him to work a meaningless, menial job that has both figuratively and literally turned him into a filthy, scuttling, and helpless insect. While this is true on a more basic level, the root of Gregor’s problem stems from a deep-seated feeling of guilt, an emotion that eventually leads to his demise. By the end of the story, Gregor has completely lost his purpose and for a man that once existed simply as a utilitarian creature (again, like an insect since he lives only to fulfill his duty to the group). At one point, his feelings of uselessness are described as, ““Gregor was now cut off from his mother, who was perhaps nearly dying because of him; he dared not open the door for fear of frightening his sister, who had to stay with her mother, there was nothing he could do but wait; and harassed by self-reproach and worry he began to crawl to and fro” (109) and it is clear that the guilt of being useless is mounting and leading to his resignation in the face of

In The Metamorphosis Franz Kafka tells the story of a young man named Gregor who observes the radical changes in his life after transforming into an insect. Gregor’s life was centered on his job as a traveling salesperson and his family. One morning Gregor woke up transformed into an insect. Afraid of the transformation Gregor stays in his room and ignores calls from his family. When Gregor realized that his new body did not allow him to have a normal life, he tried to adapt. After his metamorphosis, Gregor is abandoned by his family and only maintains a small relationship with his sister Grete, who is in charge of serving and provide him with food, but always leaving some distance because of his ugly appearance.

“The Metamorphosis” is a surreal story by Franz Kafka surrounding the transformation and betrayal of Gregor Samsa, who wakes up one day, reborn into a large insect. Along with the bizarre and nightmarish appearance of his new hard back, brown segmented belly, and many legs, Gregor only desire is to live a normal life, unfortunately, this is impossible because he struggles to even get out of bed. Gregor transformation into an insect is a vivid metaphor for the alienation of humans from around the world. After losing human form, Gregor is automatically deprived of the right to be a part of society. Franz Kafka could relate to Gregor because he too was mistreated/neglected by his father and worked a job that he was unhappy doing. Franz and Gregor both were providers for their families. Alienation, isolation, and loneliness were not hard to recognize during the Modernity and Modernism time period.

Kafka’s timeless novella, The Metamorphosis, first shows, the physical and mental change of Gregor Samsa. As Gregor wakes up for work, he realizes that his body is not what it used to be. He has completely transformed into a giant beetle-like insect and he begins to notice his “hard... armor plated back… dome-like brown belly divided into stiff arch segments, [and] numerous legs… which waved helplessly before his eyes” (Kafka 6). Mentally, Gregor continues to think like a normal person. Even though he has just transformed into a nasty insect, his main concern is still about getting to work and supporting his entire family. This concern fades when he understands that his illness releases him from his job. Wilhelm Emrich also believes that Gregor gains freedom by stating that, “Samsa complains of his “grueling job,” of the “upset of doing business,” “worrying about changing trains, eating

Gregor endures his personal hell for quite a surprisingly long time. His sister is one of the only people who still talks to Gregor, but eventually, she couldn’t take it any longer. “They were emptying his room out; taking away everything that was dear to him; they had already taken his fretsaw and other tools”(Kafka 28). As time goes on, Gregor feels like he is gradually being stripped of his humanity especially after his room was cleaned out by his family. Eventually, his sister deems Gregor as inhuman, saying that if the insect was still Gregor, he would have left by then. Gregor’s father and mother both seem to agree with Grete that Gregor must go; that

In Franz Kafka 's Metamorphosis, Grete changes from a child into an adult while also trying to do the opposite with her own family. Gregor’s metamorphosis leaves her family without anybody money to pay for their needs. Consequently, Grete replaces Gregor and begins to cook and clean for her family and go to work. These jobs allow Grete to become more experienced and to mature. Similarly, Grete shows displays these changes by dressing more provocatively and becoming more interested in romance. However, during Grete’s own metamorphosis, she realizes the burden that is (or was) her brother and proves to her family that he is no longer human. Since she wants to keep her family the same as it was before Gregor’s metamorphosis, Grete convinces her parents of this absence of Gregor’s real personality and tries to get rid of him. Thus, Grete’s goal is to keep her family the same as it is before Gregor’s metamorphosis, and to accomplish this, Grete simultaneously goes through her own metamorphosis into an adult woman as a result of the many jobs she takes to keep her family in the same situation as before.

The Metamorphosis is a novella written by German author Franz Kafka which was first published in 1915. The novella tells the story of Gregor Samsa, a traveling salesman who one day awoke to discover he had transformed into an insect like monstrosity. Throughout the story, Gregor struggles with the horrible prospect of coming to terms with his situation, as well as coping with the effects of his transformation, such as the fact that his family is repelled by his new form, and that he is no longer able to provide financially for them. Through Gregor’s reaction to the effects of his transformation on his life, Kafka critiques the situation of the common man in a modern world.

He has completely lost his sense of identity and what it means to be human. Gregor is solely just a puppet used by his elders to get what they want. Just as Gregor’s family uses him for their wants and needs, empires from around the world suppress other people in order to gain wealth and power.

Much of Franz Kafka's story “The Metamorphosis” spends it's time talking about Gregor as he struggles to live his new life as a bug. Gregor tries to find a analytical reason as to why he has taken upon this form but later on finds on that he has to accept

‘The Metamorphosis’ by Franz Kafka, the composer of the novel, explores the relations between an outsider and an insider, and Gregor Samsa’s relationship with his family, gradually following up on how Gregor decided to become an insect that he was physically being seen as, although he had been psychologically/ mentally

Even after feeling isolated and depressed it is seen that the term “family” means a lot to Gregor. His mother’s frightful reaction after looking at Gregor’s change when she screamed “Help oh please God, help me!” (219) towards him did not change Gregor’s demeanor towards wanting to help out his family. Gregor was starting to feel depressed due to the fact that his family didn’t perceive him as human anymore rather than a bug. Once Gregor turned into a cockroach his family separated themselves from him. They kept him secured up his room, not able to settle to the way that their son was practically a bug. They imagined as though he was not there and even leased a room in their home and did not notify them about Gregor 's

In Franz Kafka’s “The Metamorphosis,” Gregor Samsa deals with the alienation from his family stemming from both absurd and mundane circumstances. While Gregor’s transformation into a bug is the catalyst to his physical alienation, Gregor had for years been becoming more and more isolated mentally and emotionally from his family

In The Metamorphosis, Franz Kafka depicts the theme of family to send a message. For Gregor’s entire life, he has been taken granted for, considering that he is the only provider of his household. Once Gregor transforms into a dung beetle, he can no longer accommodate an income for his family, therefore leaving them to reject him. Mrs. Samsa, Mr. Samsa, and Grete go from loving Gregor unconditionally, to not loving him at all. In spite of Gregor mutating into a dung beetle, his feelings have not been altered and he still loves his family unconditionally, regardless of the fact that they won’t return the love. It is in a human being’s nature to love unconditionally; however, one may never receive this love in return, which can lead to somber and despairing issues that affect one’s life immeasurably. Kafka uses Gregor’s struggle to substantiate the fact that there is no such circumstance as unconditional love.