The Metamorphosis

“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.

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

Kafka uses symbolism on many occasions throughout the novella to convey Gregor’s sentiments and reflect on his current situation. The bug, perhaps the most important symbol in the whole novella, symbolizes Gregor Samsa and his life. “That boy has nothing on his mind but the business… he’s been back in the city for eight days now, but every night he’s been home,” (10). This quote directly shows how Gregor has been occupied with work ever since growing up and has never been able to do anything unrelated to work. Similar to bees or ants, Gregor has led the same exact life, which mainly consisted of working in order to provide for his family. In addition to the bug, the furniture in Gregor’s room is symbolic in the way that it signifies his humanity. “Had he really wanted to have his warm room, comfortable fitted with furniture...he would be able to crawl around unhampered in all directions but at the cost of simultaneously, rapidly, and totally forgetting his human past,” (33). By removing his furniture, Gregor’s mother and sister are unknowingly and slowly taking away his humanity, which is not what he wants. Furthermore, this confirms the undesirable fact that Gregor is gradually losing his humanity and that his family has become inconsiderate, especially of

In the metamorphosis by Franz Kafka, there are significant actions and transformations which make the story sad, and strange with a happy ending. Explanations that are dramatic events that intensify the excitement of all these actions. Reality and reflection play an important role in this story because the events that happened could be applied and assimilated with modern society.

People have a high amount of pressure on them in their daily lives with social, mental, and physical appearances. Kafka represents this pressure he has on himself through Gregor. This allows Kafka to vent many emotions and feelings through this novella Everyone is there own person but some take others opinions to heart to often and need to see things are not as bad as they seem. Throughout The Metamorphosis, by Franz Kafka, Kafka displays himself through Gregor, and shows his true feelings about people and society he lives in.

Likewise, window imagery is a conspicuous image in this story. Generally, windows are channels of communication to the outside world. In The Metamorphosis, through the window Gregor gets connected with the outside world, but his view is “greyish-blackish.” This establishes a dreary atmosphere. “The overcast window completely depressed him.” The window was not a happy sight for Gregor. His window doesn’t provide a channel to escape, and so he becomes caged in his room. Gregor’s inability to escape the room demonstrates the theme of to be

The Metamorphosis, a story written by Franz Kafka, is about the sudden transformation of Gregor Samsa into a bug. The narrator describes how Gregor’s transformation negatively affects his work, family, and social relationships; it also takes readers through Gregor’s journey of trying to regain his humanity. Throughout the story, Gregor denies his loss of humanity and attempts to preserve his previous work and family relationships because these relationships make up a great deal of his identity. Throughout his life as a bug, Gregor realizes just how much of an influence his work and family have on who he is, and life becomes difficult for him now that he is letting down both his family and his

The Metamorphosis is a novel written in 1912 by Franz Kafka. It takes place in Prague, the capital city of the Czech Republic. This novel involves a man named Gregor who lives with his sister and parents. Gregor is the only one that has a job; therefore he is the only one that has a steady income. He provides everything for his family, and they take him for granted. One morning Gregor wakes up from his slumber to realize he has turned into a gigantic bug. Once his family discovers he is a revolting vermin they seem to disown him except for his sister Grete. By the end of the novel Grete’s perspective toward Gregor changes and she decides it is time to get rid of him. At the end Gregor dies, but his family does not mourn his death; if anything they rejoice that he is gone. Throughout the novel Kafka slips in Biblical allusion here and there such as the apple that is lodged into Gregor’s back, also the comparisons made between Grete and Judas, and Gregor’s sacrifice and the betrayal of his family. All these allusions help develop a deeper meaning and construct Gregor into a Christ like being.

In Franz Kafka’s “The Metamorphosis” the character Gregor Samsa is transformed into a giant bug while he is sleeping. Although it is never said why he turns into an oversized insect, the characters never seem to wonder why or how this has happened. It is ironic that even after undergoing something dramatic and life changing as becoming a vermin, Gregor does not question his transformation; his reaction undermines the situation entirely. Irony in “The Metamorphosis” is a reoccurring theme that affects each of the characters in the story. Gregor, who was once a genuine hard working, family orientated man, is now a beetle who feels guilty about not being able to help his family anymore. Gregor’s family sees him as a burden. Their bitterness towards him instead of sympathy through his ordeal is greatly satirical.

In The Metamorphosis, Franz Kafka conveys the series of emotional and psychological repercussions of a physical transformation that befalls the protagonist, a young salesman called Gregor Samsa. As the story progresses, Gregor finds himself unfairly stigmatized, cruelly rejected because of his clear inability to financially support his family, and consequently increasingly isolated. Through extensive use of symbolism, Kafka is able to relate the surreal and absurd, seemingly arbitrary events of this short story to a general critique of society-particularly on the alienating effects that conformity generates. On a broader level, the combined themes-which include the themes of conformity, freedom, and alienation--found throughout The

Analysis of the story “The Metamorphosis”, by Franz Kafka was written back in the early 1900’s, but reflected a more modern way of thinking and lifestyle of today. Gregor felt that he was a slave to his job, isolated from his co-workers, and misunderstood by his family. Although that is the norm in today’s society, it was not the norm back then. In the story Gregor finds himself transformed into a cockroach and his internal struggles become a permanent reality. Kafka’s choice of the family member to play the role of the cockroach was necessary in portraying the curse of the working man only living each day in hurried lifestyle with no freedom.

Without the constraints of external forces, is human nature inherently good or evil? In Franz Kafka’s novella, The Metamorphosis, Gregor Samsa’s transformation into a "monstrous vermin” serves as a window into the human psyche. Through lack of obligations, decreased sense of shame, and increased sexual drive, Kafka reveals Gregor’s relationship to the outside world weaken, as his internal instincts grow stronger. Kafka utilizes Gregor’s transformation as a symbol to show the dangerous potential of the human “id”, a term coined by Sigmund Freud, to break down social norms. This psychological venture reveals humanity’s true instincts as animalistic, when not contained through personal and societal pressures.

Magical realism stories combine realistic and magical details to illustrate a real world with imaginary elements. For example, in “A Very Old Man With Enormous Wings”, the old angel has “huge buzzard wings, dirty and half-plucked, forever entangled in the mud” (“A Very Old” 1). The wings are clearly magical elements, but they are “forever entangled in the mud”, a realistic element. This entanglement between magical and realistic elements is a common literary device found in magical realism. Therefore, Kafka’s combination of magical elements, such as Gregor’s insect body, and realistic elements like Gregor’s family and bedroom, supports the classification of “The Metamorphosis” under the genre of magical realism. When Gregor woke up from unpleasant dreams in the beginning of the story, he found himself “transformed in his bed into a gigantic insect” (89). This is clearly a magical element, as it is obviously impossible for a human to turn into an insect in one night (or any amount of time). Although Gregor goes through very dramatic changes, his “regular human bedroom” remains the same. Aside from having an insect body, Gregor’s surroundings, such as his

  Kafka uses symbolism in his short story, Metamorphosis.  He uses this technique to make the reader try and figure out what was going on in his head.  He brought out in this story many things about his life, including his father/family, love life, and his future.  He used metaphors to show his love for people in his life.  This story is autobiographical about the forces that control Franz Kafka's life.  In this paper I will explain how Kafka relates his life to the readers through the story in Metamorphosis.

Sigmund Freud states, our mind has two parts: conscious and unconscious. According to Freud, feelings, horrors, drives, conflicts and memories are part of the unconscious. A recent article published in research journal of recent sciences also says “The Metamorphosis is a symbolic presentation of Gregor’s unconscious world.” (Barfi, 2013, p. 107). This is also supported in the book. In the opening scene of the book Gregor enters unconscious world. At the start of the book The Metamorphosis “one morning, as Gregor Samsa was waking up from anxious dreams, he discovered that in the bed he had been changed in to a monstrous verminous bug.” (Kafka, 1999, p. 1). In this quote the author uses words like “waking” and “dream.” One may infer from these words; Even though Gregor woke up, but in fact he transfers from conscious to unconscious world.