The Metamorphosis- Critical Essay

Although Gregor turned into a bug, the real Metamorphosis occurred before the change and with the whole family. Kafka’s novella The Metamorphosis reflects the ideals about industrialization and existentialism during the turn of the century. In the novella, Gregor turns into a bug, and the whole family has to deal with it in different ways. Many characters go through a metamorphosis in the novella. Although the changes may not be physical the changes occurred greatly in Gregor, Mr. Samsa, and Grete.

“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.

Gregor Samsa's metamorphosis occurs one morning when he wakes up from unsettling dreams and finds himself changed into a monstrous vermin.  This change makes Gregor dependent on his family members and reverses his previous situation in which his family was dependent on him.  As a bug, Gregor is useless to his family and can no longer perform simple human tasks, let alone support his father, mother, and sister.

For example, Kafka’s original version of The Metamorphosis is very surreal and . By using phrases such as these, Kafka established The Metamorphosis as a serious, grim story. As a result, the overall themes stemmed from the story are gloomy and candid. However, in Samsa in Love, Gregor’s life was more hopeful, making him eager to find that things that were “waiting for him to learn” (10). Murakami was much less depressing when his writing is compared to Kafka’s. His usage of sentences and phrases such as this one allowed for his story to have more hopeful and inspiring themes. Overall, Kafka’s choice to give The Metamorphosis a more serious tone, and Murakami’s choice to give Samsa in Love a lighter tone can be credited for the major differences in each text’s

The Metamorphosis, written by Franz Kafka, is a cultivating story about how the life of Gregor Samsa and his family drastically changes. This change causes Gregor’s father and sister to betray him and even Gregor to betray himself. This all starts when one morning Gregor wakes up as a giant bug. This occurrence does not allow Gregor to work anymore and provide for his family. As the novel goes on his sister is the only one to take care of him but this takes a toll on Gregor and the rest of his family. Soon his family is in a financial crisis causing each member of the family to start working. They even had to start renting out a room in their apartment just to make ends meet. With all of these events happening to the family it causes many

The deeper meaning of “The Metamorphosis”, by Frank Kafka, can be interpreted in many ways depending on critical theory is used to examine it. From a feminist criticism, one can observe how Gregor’s dominance as a male diminishes after he becomes a bug as his sister’s strength and role in the family grows stronger. From a biographical criticism, one can compare and contrast the traits of Gregor and the people around him with that of Kafka’s own life and his relationships. However, the focus of this essay will be applying a psychoanalytical criticism to the characters in “The Metamorphosis”, using the studies of Sigmund Freud to approach

The human truth in The Metamorphosis can be seen in various ways depending on your point of view of Gregor and Franz Kafka. Gregor Samsa was working for his family in result of the family needing money (so he thought); his parents and sister did not work. He is the only working child in the entire family. His father forced him to work, but he dislikes his job, and this does not make his life any easier. Gregor had to give up his own ambitions to provide for his family. Gregor finds himself trapped in a bubble. “Gregor’s goal to sustain his parents’ debt and provide for the family becomes more important than his own happiness”(Sadler). He struggles with the burden of providing for his family and maintaining himself simultaneously. The truth at this point of the book contains the little facts we know about Gregor, alienation will get you nowhere in life and will hold you back from accomplishing goals in life. Gregor takes notice to his transformation, but “does not seem to find it terrifying or even that unusual, merely an inconvenience or perhaps a delusion” (Smith). I think Gregor is transforming into a bug like creature due to his financial burden, his depression, alienation, guilt, and his terrible job.

Apart from the very apparent theme of transformation that runs through both stories there are also many underlying themes connected with transformation, not just physical but also mental. Metamorphosis sees Gregor wake up one morning physically transformed overnight into a huge insect, by the description given by Kafka, possibly similar in appearance to a cockroach, although the description given does not allow the reader to make any definite identification. He has been the breadwinner of the family, working as a travelling salesman to keep a roof over the heads of his mother, father and younger sister. This is a service that he has got no thanks or

Change plays a major role in one's life. It is what makes one’s life unique and different. In the novel, The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka, Gregor Samsa, the protagonist, initially appears as a respectful young man working as a traveling salesman to pay off his family debts and provide for his family. But then Gregor goes through a transformation that turns him into a gigantic insect. Even though Gregor’s sister, father, and mother undergo many changes, the most significant transformation that occurs in the story is the change in Gregor, from an ordinary working man to a gigantic insect. This initial transformation becomes only the first impulse, which causes a lot of changes in his external and internal world along with forcing him to adapt to his new position in the family.

The beginning of “The Metamorphosis”, starts with the character Gregor Samsa, waking up one morning transformed into an insect without any explanation. He was unsure of what was happening to him or why. Gregor’s days were routinely the same, getting up and going to work every day, no matter what. Gregor’s father had owned a business that failed and left the family in debt, which Gregor inherited the responsibility of paying back his family’s debts. Therefore, Gregor’s first reaction was about his obligation to his family and getting to work. His first struggle with his transformation was trying to maneuver his new body. Leaving him unable to leave his room.

“Metamorphosis” seemed to be about the characters in the story changing or transforming both through their appearance and personality. Gregor transformed into an insect and over time his personality began

Gregor, the main character from the book, “The Metamorphosis” written by Franz Kafka, is about a young man that works to hard and turned into a bug because his parents pushed him to be a hard worker. Gregor turning into a bug really changed his perspectives on life in a bad way. He felt socially isolated and like an outcast which eventually lead him into a great depression where he stopped eating and eventually died of starvation. Since society's expectations differ from person to person, change is inevitable and can be hard to adjust to.

Frank Kafka’s style is to have the story revolve around horrific and bizarre events with an apathetic and objective narrator. The narrator does not show emotion, no matter how terrible the situation is. The tone of the narrator conflicts with the events in the story, making the situation seem more natural than it is, generating uncertainty for the reader..

Metamorphosis is depressing, It talks about Gregor and his mental illness.Gregor experiences desolation because of his overworking job and his pile of debt. In addition, he lives with a family that he can hardly support. With these emotions, Gregor isolates himself and does not trust any part of humanity. Therefore, Gregor becomes a cockroach and becomes excluded from all humans.

Throughout literary history, certain authors are so unique and fresh in their approach to the written word that they come to embody a genre. Franz Kafka is one such author; “Die Verwandlung” or “The Metamorphosis” is one of his works that helped coin the term “Kafkaesque.” Through this novella, Kafka addresses the timeless theme of people exploit-ing others as a means to an end. He demonstrates this point through showing that a family’s unhealthy dependence on the main character results in that character’s dependence on the family.