Franz Kafka's Metamorphosis

Change, it comes in many different ways shapes and forms, in Gregor’s case it was a physical change into a bug. There is another major change in this story and that is a mental change that is portrayed through Grete. In the beginning of the novella Grete is shown as a happy caring sister, but as the story progresses Grete’s true colors begin to show. Grete uses manipulation to reap respect from her family and, indirectly, Gregor.

     Throughout the story there is a metamorphosis that is taking place in his home. He has traded places with the family and is now living the life they had previously embelished in. His father begins to work along with his sister and his mother must now work and do the cooking and cleaning. Gregor on the other hand does nothing but daydream, crawl, and nap through his days. One ironic statement from his sister “He must go, if this were Gregor he would have realized long ago human beings can’t live with such a creature, he’d have gone away one his own accord. This creature persecutes us, drives away our lodgers, obviously wants the whole apartment to himself, and would have us all sleep in the gutter.” How selfish of her, had he not taken care of them and he was not the only one working

Gregor Samsa appears to be the character who transfigures in the short novel called “The Metamorphosis,” but Grete, Gregor’s sister, transforms into a stronger and more independent woman throughout the predicaments in the book. After Gregor dies, a new light shines upon Grete, and her parents see her as a grown woman. The author says, “It struck both Mr. and Mrs. Samsa, almost at the same moment, as they became aware of their daughter’s increasing vivacity, that in spite of all the sorrow of recent times, which had made her cheeks pale, she had bloomed into a pretty girl with a good future”(Kafka 96). The closing words of “The Metamorphosis” prove that the whole novel is showing how the metamorphosis that takes place is referring to Gretes transformation into a stronger woman. Throughout the novel, Grete matures into having a closer relationship with her parents, being more independent, and by not revolving her world around Gregor anymore.

Throughout the novella, “The Metamorphosis”, the audience notices two transformations. At the start of the story, Grete is the most understanding of Gregor and his situation. She makes sure that he is comfortable and healthy. On the other hand, Mr. Samsa is the least understanding. He wants nothing to do with him. However, as the story progresses, these two characters shift roles. After taking care of Gregor and seeing that his appearance is ruining their lives, Grete decides that he should no longer be a part of their family. In contrast, Mr. Samsa decides that they should give him a chance and treat him like the son that he has always been.

Grete undergoes a change in perspective to such a degree that by the end of the novella it is she who declares, “we must get rid of it” (84). This change in perspective shows how Kafka believes that members of society often stop sympathizing with the isolated group when it becomes inconvenient for them to continue doing so. Gregor’s mother reacts in an initial manner somewhere between the father and sister since when first seeing him she “went two steps toward Gregor and collapsed right in the middle of her skirts” (23). These conflicting desires continue through the novella, such as when Mr. Samsa tries to kill Gregor, “she begged him to spare Gregor’s life” (65) but at the same time she is repulsed by him. This illustrates how she wants to help him and tries to think of him the same way she did before his transformation, yet is unable to. This resembles the idealists in society who theoretically support the alienated person but often succumb to social pressures when they are forced to face the problem. These three reactions to Gregor’s transformation as a result of the initiation of his isolation by the manager demonstrate the spectrum of reactions. From the immediate acceptance of the hierarchy represented by Mr. Samsa, to the true compassion of Grete and the idealism of Mrs. Samsa, Kafka shows how a wide variety of reactions is expected from society, and how people often change their opinions.

Grete, like her mother, obviously cares very much for Gregor and is also terrified by his new transformation, but unlike her mother, she tries very hard to hide her fear in order to keep feeding and tending to Gregor’s room;

Gregor’s physical transformation and subsequent death is directly linked with his inability to conform to traditional gender roles. While Grete breaks free of her societal position through her metamorphosis, it is her reversion back to her pristine gender role that preserves her from Gregor’s fate. Women in the protagonist’s life are habituated to depict the gender role reversal within the novella thus having a consequential role.

Grete’s shifting feelings, actions, and thoughts toward Gregor makes her go through her own transformation. This transformation which she goes through is a central theme in the story. Grete goes from being a powerless child to a decision making women. Gregor’s transformation leads to his inevitable downfall (death) and Grete’s transformation ends in the power and responsibility which Gregor once held.

Metamorphosis is often described as a change of the form or nature of a thing or a person into a completely different one, by natural or supernatural means. Gregor Samsa led an ordinary and rather mundane life as a traveling salesman who spent the majority of his time on the road with little time to form friendships or relationship with anyone outside of his small family. Once filled with gratitude by providing for his family, he is soon filled with resentment and obligation as his family adjusts to their newfound income. All of which comes to a halt when Gregor wakes up late to work and is horrified by the sight of his new appearance with countless sets of legs and a hard-shell-like exterior. His family soon finds out about his physical

The narration “Metamorphosis” by Franz Kafka, when examined through the feminist lens, shows society’s confining expectations towards both sexes in which conformity to the patriarchal structure is inescapable. The modern feminist movement created a need for inquiry into feminist issues; thus, as Gardner et al. outlined the objectives of feminist criticism, an unnatural confinement by a patriarchal society of both genders into preconceived roles becomes exposed (1269). The protagonist, Gregor Samsa, becomes a frightening example of what might happen to somebody who fails to adapt to this strict arrangement, while his sister Grete seizes the chance to empower herself within the narrow confines of her family, which mirror the rules of society. Her brother, unable to cope, ends up cornered and dehumanized as a complete “misfit” in the eyes of society. For a short while, at her brother’s expense, Grete develops and thrives, but her future is foreshadowed. She will subsequently adhere to society’s expectations, get married, and follow the typical life cycle of a patronized female. Franz Kafka’s “Metamorphosis,” then, allows the critical reader of feminist issues valuable insight to the workings of patriarchal oppression and gender stereotypes by presenting the affected characters’ actions and attitudes.

the family representative of Gregor, in a sense, to a mother who does not understand and a father who is hostile and opposing. The father is physically violent toward his metamorphosed Gregor, pushing him through a door in Part I: "...when from behind his father gave him a strong push which was literally a deliverance and he flew far into the room, bleeding freely" (20). Grete appears to concentrate on protecting Gregor from this antagonistic father and an indecisive mother. In Part II, when Grete leads her mother into Gregor's room for the first time, we see the strange way in which Grete has become both the expert and the caretaker of Gregor's affairs (Nabokov 271). She convinces her mother that it is best to remove all of the furniture from his room. Kafka attributes her actions partly to an adolescent zest: "Another factor which might have been also the enthusiastic temperament of an adolescent girl, which seeks to indulge

As a young child, he was a lone Jew attending a German school-which no doubt forced him to learn the "value" of conformity from an early age. As for Gregor, his family refuses to associate with him any longer and casually discards him because he is useless and perceived as different; i.e., dangerous. As such, the family finds this nonconformity almost threatening to their existence. A particularly pivotal and heartbreaking moment in Gregor's life occurs when his own beloved sister is asha! med of Gregor: Things cannot go on any longer in this way...I say only that we must try to get rid of it. We have tried what is humanly possible to take care of it and to be patient...I believe that no one can criticize us in the slightest...it is killing you both. I see it coming. When people have to work as hard as we all do, they cannot also tolerate Cheng 4 this endless torment at home. I just can't go on any more...this animal plagues us. It drives away the lodgers, will obviously take over the entire apartment, and leave us to spend the night in the lane. (Kafka) Basically, Grete is willing to kill her own blood relation purely based upon his unusual, repulsive appearance. However, despite the constant threat of extermination, his thoughts remain surprisingly selfless; he "did not have any notion of wishing to create problems for anyone and certainly not for his sister...he felt a great pride that he had been able to provide such a life in a

Grete’s isolation from society stems from her passion and interest for her loved ones. Grete spends all her time at home caring for her family members. Kafka describes her as “perceptive; she had already begun to cry when Gregor was still lying calmly on his back”

Gregor’s role in his family characterizes him as an altruistic individual whose nature made him ignorant to his family’s manipulation. Gregor endures most of his hardships without complaint and puts the needs of his family firmly above his own. Upon realizing his transformation at the beginning of the novella, his first thoughts were not of alarm but of great concern about being late to work because it is his only means of taking care of his family (Kafka 6). After his father’s business failed, Gregor “work[ed] with special ardor” (27) doing laborious work as a traveling salesman, not only to “pay off [his] parents’ debt”(4), but to also spend what little money he has to give Grete the opportunity to perform violin professionally (26). With all these responsibilities, it’s inevitable for Gregor to be under great stress, which can infer that Gregor’s transformation is a result of his willful desire to escape the pressures his overburdened life. Gregor struggled between remaining a steadfast provider or following his desire for independence, however, his metamorphosis freed him from a job he detests. Now that it is impossible for Gregor to work, Mr.Samsa reveals that “he possessed more money than Gregor knew about” (#). This is a significant event where Kafka uses the motif of betrayal to emphasize the corruption in familial infrastructure represented through Gregor’s sacrifice and interaction with his family, as well as to socially comment about how people in society use

Furthermore, Gregor’s descent into social and physical abjection then forces his family to change radically in order to support themselves. In the beginning, Gregor starts off as the provider for his family. He hates his job, but he still goes above and beyond the call of duty to give his family a more comfortable life, even indulging the expensive endeavour of his sisters’ dream of studying the violin. However, after the metamorphosis, he is thrust into the role of a dependant – forcing his family to take responsibility and support themselves. His sister steps up to the plate in the beginning, giving him a selection of foodstuffs to find what he likes and even cleaning up after him. His parents are still in denial at this point, so much so that they refuse to see him at all. But as time goes by, his family begins to accept the situation and even try to help Grete out. His father produces some money from his previous failed business venture and his mother and sister try to make life more comfortable for Gregor. Grete in particular changes the most noticeably; Gregor himself notes at the beginning that her life up till that point had been “enviable”, consisting of “wearing nice