analysis of theme in metamorphosis

8/3/2019 Analysis of Theme in Metamorphosis

1/23

ANALYSIS OF THEME IN METAMORPHOSIS

THEMES ANALYSIS

The theme of "The Metamorphosis" is modern man's sense of isolation. Driven to work long

hours in meaningless jobs around people who do not care about others, just like Gregor, mankindseems to live a meaningless and ineffectual existence. Although Gregor's metamorphosis isactual and physical, Kafka implies through his change that all too often mankind is forced into aninsect-like existence, no better than the bugs at the bottom of the natural order. When mankindtries to rise above their insect status and connect with humanity, as Gregor did when he emergedfrom his room to see his sister and listen to the violin, they are cruelly driven back into isolationand alienation. Through Gregor, Kafka presents a totally tragic view of man's existence.

Kafka also shows that mankind is driven by materialism, often to the exclusion of developinghuman relationships. Modern life demands that a person have a job to earn money to fulfillmaterialistic desires. The materialistic mind-set usually enslaves the individual and transforms

him into a beast or insect who does not have time to care for others. Gregor is the perfectexample. He hates his job as a salesman but endures it in order to provide material things for hisfamily. In order to have and give financial security, he sacrifices a social life, companionship,pleasure, and dreams. His life is miserable, and he counts the days until he can quit his job.

Ironically, the people that he supports and loves prove they have no depth of emotion for him.Once he cannot financially care for them, they one by one desert him, adding to his total misery.Gregor is literally left to climb the walls and die in total alimentation. Through him, Kafka is

warning modern society that it is being forced into an existence similar to that of Gregor.

Character analysis of Gregor,Q)UDQ].DINDV7KH0HWDPRUSKRVLVWKHWUDQVIRUPDWLRQRIWKHFKDUDFWHU*UHJRUIURPDPDQWR

RQHRIWKHPRVWUHSHOOHQWLQVHFWVDFRFNURDFKPD\VHHPH[DJJHUDWHGDQGULGLFXORXVEHFRPLQJ

PRUHVRRYHUWKHFRXUVHRIWKHVWRU\DVWKHDFWLRQEXLOGVDQGHPRWLRQVEHFRPHPRUHFKDUJHG

.DINDVLQWHQWLRQKRZHYHULVWRH[SRVHDQGH[SORUHWKHLPSRYHULVKPHQWRIKXPDQSV\FKRORJ\ZLWK

UHVSHFWWRWKHZD\VLQZKLFKFKDQJHVLQRQHVFLUFXPVWDQFHVDQGFRQGLWLRQVUHVKDSHQRWLRQVRI

MXVWLFHDQGPHUF\7KHVHWKHPHVZLOOEHH[SORUHGIXUWKHULQWKLVFKDUDFWHUDQDO\VLVRI*UHJRULQ7KH

0HWDPRUSKRVLV

:KLOHLWLVWKHVXEMHFWRIWKLVFKDUDFWHUDQDO\VLV*UHJRUZKRKDVEHHQP\VWHULRXVO\DQGLQH[SOLFDEO\

UHGXFHGWRRQHRIWKHORZHVWIRUPVRIDQLPDOOLIHLQWKLVVWRU\E\.DINDUHSUHVHQWLQJWKHDEVXUGLWLV

*UHJRUVIDPLO\LQ7KH0HWDPRUSKRVLVZKRVHSV\FKRORJLFDOGHYHORSPHQWLVOHDVWKXPDQDQG

KXPDQH*UHJRUKDVFKDQJHGSK\VLFDOIRUPEXW.DINDFOHDUO\LQGLFDWHVWKDWKLVHVVHQWLDOEHLQJKDV

QRWFKDQJHGLQDQ\IXQGDPHQWDOZD\*UHJRUVWLOOKDVKXPDQIHHOLQJVDQGQHHGVKHVWLOOZLVKHVWR

UHODWHZLWKKLVIDPLO\DQGRWKHUPHPEHUVRIVRFLHW\DQGKHVWLOOZLVKHVWREHUHVSRQVLEOH$VWKLV

FKDUDFWHUDQDO\VLVRI*UHJRULQ7KH0HWDPRUSKRVLVE\)UDQ].DINDVXJJHVWVKLVPRWKHUIDWKHU


2/23

DQGKLVVLVWHUKDYHQRWFKDQJHGIRUPEXWWKHLUPHWDPRUSKRVHVDUHWKHPRVWSURIRXQGEHFDXVHWKH\

GHPRQVWUDWHKRZHDVLO\RQHVEHOLHIVYDOXHVDQGEDVLFWUHDWPHQWRIRWKHUVFDQEHFRPSURPLVHG

EHFDXVHRIDIDLOXUHWRDGDSWSV\FKRORJLFDOO\

)URPWKHRSHQLQJRI7KH0HWDPRUSKRVLVE\)UDQ].DINDWKHFKDUDFWHURI*UHJRULVSRUWUD\HGDVD

ZKROHDQGFRPSOH[KXPDQEHLQJ/LNHPDQ\SHRSOHKHGHWHVWVKLVMREEXWKHUHFRJQL]HVWKDWKLV

ZRUNLVQHFHVVDU\EHFDXVHLWVXSSRUWVKLVIDPLO\+HDSSOLHVKLPVHOIZLWKJUHDWHDUQHVWQHVV.DIND

WRKLVJULQGLQJZRUNDVDWUDYHOLQJVDOHVPDQQRWRQO\EHFDXVHKHZDQWVWRVXSSRUWKLVSDUHQWV

DQGSD\RIIDGHEWWKDWWKH\LQFXUUHGEXWEHFDXVHKHGUHDPVRIVHQGLQJKLVVLVWHU*UHWHWRD

FRQVHUYDWRU\ZKHUHVKHFDQOHDUQWRSOD\YLROLQSURIHVVLRQDOO\.DIND$WWKLVHDUO\SRLQWLQ

.DINDV0HWDPRUSKRVLVLQIDFWDFKDUDFWHUDQDO\VLVRI*UHJRUZRXOG\LHOGUDWKHUOLWWOHLQWHUPVRI

FKDUDFWHUGHSWK+RZHYHUWKLVGHYRWLRQGHPRQVWUDWHVMXVWKRZWKRXJKWIXODQGFRPSDVVLRQDWH

*UHJRULV

,QDEULHIWLPHKRZHYHULWZLOOEHVKRZQERWKLQWKH0HWDPRUSKRVLVDQGLQWKLVFKDUDFWHUDQDO\VLVRI

*UHJRUWKDWKLVIDPLO\PHPEHUVDUHQRWQHDUO\DVNLQGDQGFRQVLGHUDWHLQIDFWWKH\FRPSOHWHO\ORVH

WKHLUFDSDFLW\IRUMXVWLFHDQGPHUF\:KHQ*UHJRUZDNHVXSRQHPRUQLQJDQGOHDUQVWKDWKHKDV

PHWDPRUSKRVHGDQG*UHJRUKDVEHHQWUDQVIRUPHGLQWRDFRFNURDFKKHLVVKRFNHGDQGLQFUHGXORXV

DVDQ\KXPDQEHLQJZRXOGEH


3/23

FRGHRIIDPLO\UHODWLRQVKLSVDUHWKRVHZKRDEXVHKLPWKHPRVW+LVIDWKHUZRXQGVKLPGHHSO\ZLWKD

QHZVSDSHUDQGDZDONLQJVWLFN3RRU*UHJRUUHPDLQVXQGHWHUUHG7KRXJKZRXQGHGKHUHSHDWHGO\

DWWHPSWVWRFRQQHFWZLWKKLVIDPLO\DQGKHUHPDLQVFDSDEOHRIEHLQJPRYHGE\EHDXW\DQGKXPDQ

H[SUHVVLRQ7KHPRVWSRLJQDQWVFHQHDQGWKHRQHZKHUHPDQ\RIWKHSRLQWVWRXFKHGXSRQLQWKLV

FKDUDFWHUDQDO\VLVRI*UHJRULQ7KH0HWDPRUSKRVLVDUHUHDOL]HVQRWWRPHQWLRQWKHRQHWKDW

GHPRQVWUDWHVWKHFRPSOHWHFROODSVHRIPHUF\DQGMXVWLFHLQWKHIDPLO\LVZKHQ*UHJRUFUHHSVIURPKLVURRPWRKHDU*UHWHSOD\KHUYLROLQ+HDULQJ*UHWHVPXVLF*UHJRUIHHOVDVLVVWDWHGLQRQHRIWKH

LPSRUWDQWTXRWHVIURP7KH0HWDPRUSKRVLVE\.DINDDVLIWKHZD\ZHUHRSHQLQJEHIRUHKLPWRWKH

XQNQRZQQRXULVKPHQWKHFUDYHG+HLVHUURQHRXVWRWKLQNWKDWKHFDQFRQQHFWZLWK*UHWHE\

H[SUHVVLQJKLVDSSUHFLDWLRQIRUKHUPXVLFDQGWKHVWDJHLVVHWIRUKLVFRPSOHWHGLVPLVVDODQG

FRQGHPQDWLRQE\KLVIDPLO\+HLVHVVHQWLDOO\JLYHQDGHDWKVHQWHQFH

.DINDV7KH0HWDPRUSKRVLVLVDQH[DJJHUDWHGV\PEROLFWDOHWKDWWDFNOHVDQDPELWLRXVQXPEHURI

WKHPHV2QHRIWKHPRVWLPSRUWDQWRIWKHVHLVWKHFROODSVHRIMXVWLFHDQGPHUF\HYHQDPRQJWKRVH

SHRSOHZKRDUHH[SHFWHGWREHPRVWIDLUDQGFRPSDVVLRQDWH*UHJRUVPHWDPRUSKRVLVLVLQGHHG

WHUULEOHEXWPRUHWHUULEOHVWLOOLVWKHSV\FKRORJLFDOFRUUXSWLRQRI*UHJRUVIDPLO\7KHLULQDELOLW\WR

DGDSWWRWKHFKDQJHVWKDWKDYHRFFXUUHGVLJQDODWRWDOEUHDNGRZQLQWKHIDPLO\VWUXFWXUHDQGRIIHUDFDXWLRQDU\WDOHDERXWWKHIUDJLOLW\RIQRWLRQVRIMXVWLFHDQGPHUF\

Chapter 1: Analysis

Very little can be said about the meanings Kafka actually intended. On the one hand, almosteverything he writes can be taken at face value. On the other hand, myriad meanings can be readinto his words. The story is written in a strict realist style, with excessive attention to detail andverisimilitude. With one obvious exception-the protagonist's metamorphosis into a giant insectand his strangely calm reaction to this change-the story is so intricately described that we canalmost imagine it happening in real life. Thus, almost nothing takes on any symbolic or

metaphorical quality, since every object, action, and word can be seen as contributing to therealistic quality of the style. This attention to detail serves to focus the reader's attention on theone abnormal character-Gregor Samsa-for an understanding of the story's meaning.

The first sentence is intended to shock. In Kafka's view, we are all frozen inside and literatureshould be the axe that smashes the ice. This first sentence-one of the most famous first sentencesin modern literature-certainly breaks the ice. Reading it, we know from the start that we cannotanticipate the events of this story; all our normal expectations of literature are instantly strippedaway. The most natural response is to try to understand how Gregor Samsa could have beentransformed into an insect overnight, but neither an answer nor any hint at one is offered. Again,our attention is focused on Gregor's response to something that has already happened and that we

cannot unravel.This first sentence of the story achieves something else as well. Kafka's goal is not to suspendthe laws of nature. He is, of course, not saying that it is possible for a man to be transformed intoan insect. The point, rather, is that literature does not need to honor the laws of nature. The storytakes this one completely impossible event and develops logically out of it.


4/23

Kafka wrote many stories about animals, but this is the only one where the animal is an insect. Itis also the only one where, instead of the animal acting like a human being, it is the human beingwho is physically transformed into an animal. We are told very little about this insect, except thatit has a segmented body, numerous legs, a sensitive bottom, and a few other random anduninformative details. Many commentators and translators have tried to make the insect into a

beetle, a cockroach, or a centipede, but such efforts are fruitless and unimportant. The exactidentity of the insect does not matter, and Kafka in fact refused to have an illustration of theactual insect on the cover of the publication.

The traits common to all insects are far more important than the insect's exact identity. Insectsare, first of all, viewed as insignificant. To call someone a fly, an ant, or simply an insect isequivalent to saying that they don't matter. Gregor's transformation into an insect, then, can beseen as an attempt on his part to make himself insignificant, or as a reflection of his own pre-existing feeling of insignificance. Insects are also repellant and filthy, something for theexterminator to take care of. Gregor's transformation causes repulsion all around; he is notsimply feared and loathed, but actually evokes disgust in others.

Looking around his room as he awakens, long before coming to any real understanding oracceptance of his condition, Gregor notes that it is "a regular human bedroom," though a bitsmall. In his normal accepting tone, Gregor seems to be expressing dissatisfaction with the sizeof his room and the conditions in which he lives. The use of the term "regular human" servesalready to distance Gregor from everything human. Though he has not yet caught on to histransformation, he already feels removed from humanity. This raises the question of whether thisdistance is a result of his transformation or indicates his pre-existing distance from other people.No answer, of course, is given, and both are possible. There is a hint here that Gregor's entiremetamorphosis may be the result, or the metaphorical equivalent, of his alienation.

On the first page we are informed, in between dashes, that "-Samsa was a commercial traveler-."This fact is introduced in an offhand manner, as something completely unimportant, thusbringing out its importance; understatement is a common literary technique for depictingemphasis. We might note that the narrative sequence in the course of which this fact isintroduced is mostly from Gregor's point of view. The fact of his profession is something that hedoes not consider particularly important. The reduced emphasis on this important informationconcerning Gregor's profession shows that, for Gregor, his job is not something he is proud of; itis also something so natural to him that it is hardly worth mentioning.

As a "commercial traveler," or traveling salesman, Gregor belongs to the commercial businessworld. He is firmly rooted in the new economy that so many modern thinkers have railed against.This economy, where the emphasis is always on money rather than on craftsmanship or on one'shumanity, is the world that surrounds Gregor.

Almost at the very beginning we are told of a picture of a lady in fur, hanging up on Gregor'swall. He has cut this picture out of a magazine, framed it, and put it up. It is the only picture inhis room that we are told of, and it is mentioned again in Chapter 2 and, also, later on in thischapter when Gregor's mother tells the chief clerk about her son's occupations at home. Theemphasis on the picture seems to indicate that it is, somehow, important. As a framed cut-out


5/23

from a magazine, it also seems as something a little odd to put on one's wall. The picture itself,representing a woman, seems to be a metaphor for an actual love interest for Gregor. He seemsto find this picture important (he spent several nights making the frame) because for him itsymbolizes women apart from his mother and sister. Gregor is single, and he seems lonely; heremarks that the people he meets while traveling are never more than temporary acquaintances.

This picture is his escape from his solitude.Gregor's consciousness, for the most part, remains very human. His attention is directed mainlytowards his surroundings, his job, and his family, not at all towards the fact that he is no longer ahuman being. He completely fails to realize the importance of his transformation. He is annoyed,for example, that he cannot get back to sleep because he cannot turn over on his side. Gregor, infact, is the only character who seems, emotionally, fairly unaffected by his metamorphosis. Thefourth paragraph of the book reinforces this attitude as, within this single paragraph, Gregor goesfrom worrying about his job to attempting to scratch an unfamiliar new itch on his unfamiliarnew belly. His recognition of his new body does not sink in as he goes on rationally thinkingabout his work.

Gregor has great difficulty in getting out of bed and opening the door, but constantly excusesthis, saying that he is drowsy, that sometimes one wakes up with aches and pains that turn out tobe nothing upon getting up, and that he feels a slight indisposition. Once Gregor notes the changein his voice, he attributes this change to the coming on of a cold, still seemingly unaware of hisnew physical state. In this chapter, Gregor seems to view his metamorphosis as little more than aslight annoyance, something he simply needs to get over before he can get back to work. Thisgives the impression that Gregor's focus is entirely on his work and his family, to the extent ofignoring his own self.

We get also the impression that Gregor is already alienated from his own body, since the sudden

change does not inspire any strong feeling in him. It is as if he has switched from one foreignbody to another, less convenient, one. Thus Gregor's strange alienation from his body is givenconcrete form in his metamorphosis, as he calmly explores his new form. He coolly observes thathe cannot control his legs, that he lacks a clear image of the lower part of his body, that he doesnot know why places on his body itch or what those places are, and he observes, with almostclinical detachment, that he must be damaging his jaw in turning the key since a brown fluid ispouring out. He overestimates the hardness of his back and he experiences aches in unusualplaces, but none of this really surprises him. Gregor examines his new body as another vessel,just a new shell he has been placed in. It seems almost as if he had never established anyidentification between his self and his human body, so that a change of form is no big surprise.

Gregor makes it clear that he hates his job. He hates having to worry about traveling plans, hehates that the casual acquaintances he makes never become friends, and most of all he hates thetreatment he gets from his boss. The chief is always ready to put him down, forces his workers tospeak up to him while he sits behind his desk, and punishes even the smallest indiscretions thatother traveling salesmen are allowed to make all the time. Gregor is extremely annoyed by this,and again the theme of alienation is evident, this time of alienation from his job. Gregor wants toleave it and to tell his chief exactly what he thinks of him, but he realizes that he cannot do sowhile his family depends on him.


6/23

This chapter places a great emphasis on time. Gregor first wants to catch the 5 a.m. train asusual, but then realizes that he has slept until 6:30. He thinks about catching the 7 a.m. train, butisn't sure he can get up in time. When the chief clerk arrives only a short time after the companyhas opened, Gregor is angered that suspicion is cast on him for wasting only an hour of the firm'stime. The passage of time on the clock face is echoed also by the changes taking place outside, as

morning fog gives way to clear light, something Gregor notes as the previously hidden hospitalacross the street comes into view. Time, of course, symbolizes the capitalist order in which timeis money and is thus valuable. Oversleeping is a crime because by oversleeping one missesbusiness and thus wastes money. Gregor's mother, speaking with the chief clerk, notes thatGregor thinks of nothing but work and never goes out in the evening. This shows the extent towhich the rule of the modern economy weighs down on Gregor: time that is not spent working isuseless time, and any activity that is not work is pointless.

The chief clerk tells Gregor's mother that "we men of business-fortunately or unfortunately-veryoften simply have to ignore any slight indisposition, since business must be attended to." This isthe code by which the time-based economy operates. Personal illness is unimportant. What is

important is that an ill employee is wasting company money. Business must be attended to at allcosts. Gregor, while rebelling against this system, is still a slave to it. The importance of timeand the need for work are so ingrained in him that they blind him entirely to his condition.Despite his change, his only driving thought is that he must make it to work. Gregor is thusalienated not only from his job, but also from the entire society, based on capital and running ontime. Though he is part of this society, he hates it, resenting the transformation of human beingsinto automatons and wanting to escape.

We also notice that Gregor always locks his doors, a habit he picked up from traveling. Ofcourse this detail makes sense, logically, in the context of the story. But it serves also toemphasize the distance between Gregor and other human beings. He notes that he has a habit of

locking the doors at night, "even at home." Thus, even at home, Gregor sets up physical barriersbetween himself and his family, as if he cannot trust them not to come in and must guard himselfand his privacy even against those he loves.

Kafka mentions that, hanging on a wall of the living room, is a photograph of Gregor in amilitary uniform. The mention of this small detail, seemingly unnecessary to the events of thestory, serves to point out Gregor's position in the family and society as well as his distance fromthem. The military is a rite of passage, which makes one into a normal productive member of thesocial order. Gregor's former membership in the military symbolizes his later membership in thecapital economy. But the photograph seems to say something also about Gregor's place in hisfamily. Not only is Gregor a normal and productive member of society, but this is also the idealimage of him that his family keeps on the wall. They care about him and are proud of him solong as he supports and remains within the established order of labor and commerce. This pictureof Gregor, "inviting one to respect his uniform and military bearing," thus serves as a strongcontrast to Gregor in his insect form, no longer useful to society, nor even a member of it.

Gregor's alienation from everything: his job, the society, his family, humanity, and even hisbody, is one of the driving themes of the book. Gregor's metamorphosis into an insect with ahuman consciousness thus serves to concretely illustrate these multiple alienations. He is no


7/23

longer human, no longer aware of his own body, and no longer able to work. If we return to theangle previously taken, that of his alienation from capitalist economy, we can find anothermeaning to his transformation specifically into an insignificant and repulsive creature. Whenmoney is of primary importance, anyone who does not work becomes unimportant. Gregor, nowincapable of making money, has become completely insignificant. He is, in fact, repulsive since

he must now be cared for entirely by others and can no longer pay his way. The result of themetamorphosis-Gregor's status as an unproductive member of the capitalist system-is preciselywhat makes him insignificant and repulsive, i.e., an insect.

We are reminded that Gregor has to hold his job in order to support his family, of which he is theonly employed member. Gregor's father, extremely concerned that Gregor continue makingmoney, does not make any himself. This fact is emphasized by the mention that he spendsseveral hours a day at breakfast reading newspapers. Moreover, Gregor's parents are in debt tohis chief, and he is working primarily to repay that debt; he has already been working at the firmfor five years, and must work another five or six before the debt is repaid. Not only does the restof the family do no work, relying entirely on Gregor, but they even keep on a servant girl to

clean for them.Though Gregor hates his job, he has to keep it, and he must keep this specific job and cannotchange because of the debts. Gregor's value to his family is thus primarily a financial one, so thatfamily relations are here reduced to economic worth. While Gregor's parents and his sister arebound to each other by more traditional family ties, his relation to them is redefined in terms ofthe new economy in the way that Marx and Engels had described. Gregor is thus a virtual slaveof his family, forced into hated labor for their welfare, and there seems to be little sign that therest are trying to pitch in and help. He seems, however, to feel no bitterness. On the contrary,Gregor's primary feeling is one of guilt.

Though Gregor personally does not express any sentiment against his family, several clues inthis chapter are dropped to tip us off as to the nature of his relation to them. When Gregor's voicethrough the door can no longer be understood, his mother becomes worried and instantly sendsfor the doctor. Gregor observes that "people now believed that something was wrong with him,and were ready to help him." He does not seem to notice the opposite side of this, which was thatbefore it was clear that anything was seriously wrong, his family seemed to be concerned onlythat he was late to work. When Gregor emerges from his room to show the others what hashappened to him, his father at first clenches his fists and appears hostile, then breaks down andweeps. It is not at all clear that the father is actually concerned for his son. He seems, rather, tobe concerned for their livelihood, and when Gregor emerges in a form clearly unfit for work, hisfather at first seems simply to be angry with him as if Gregor were playing hooky. The father'sreaction, a transition from anger to grief, is the same he would likely have had if Gregor hadsimply announced that he had quit his job.

When Gregor refuses to leave his room, his sister begins sobbing in the next room. In response,Gregor thinks that there is no need for this weeping because he is not yet in serious danger oflosing his job and has no intention of "deserting the family." That Gregor imagines his sistersconcern is purely over financial matters says much about the relations between the members of


8/23

the family. Gregor is perfectly aware that the others see him as an ox: a commodity that isvaluable for the money it brings in.

Yet Gregor clearly feels guilt, completely failing to realize that the situation is out of his hands.His concern is to get to work and to make his excuses for being late, and his primary realization

is that he must hold on to his job for the sake of his family. He fails to recognize that hisdifficulty in getting out of bed, opening the door, and heading to work is the result of ametamorphosis for which he is not responsible. Instead, he blames his drowsiness, attempts toexcuse it by saying he feels somewhat indisposed, and continues thinking that he can still makeit, if only a few hours late. The point is not that Gregor cannot recognize what happened to himbecause he is dull-witted, but rather that his guilt is externalized to such an extent that he feelsanything that delays his arrival at work and prevents his ability to make money must be his ownfault. The metamorphosis is something that he himself is not responsible for and so he cannotfeel guilty for it; thus he ignores the real reason for his tardiness and invents other reasons forwhich he can blame himself.

But Gregor also wants to escape from his guilt, and he secretly hopes that he will be able to doso. Before opening his door, he is eager to see the others' reaction to his transformation. "If theywere horrified," he thinks, "then the responsibility was no longer his and he could stay quiet."But, almost unwilling to believe that he could escape so easily, Gregor notes also that "if theytook it calmly, then he had no reason either to be upset, and could really get to the station for theeight-o'clock train." Gregor's guilt-and his need to feel it-is so strong that he cannot simplyaccept even the most obvious way out of that guilt: his metamorphosis, a circumstance thatclearly relieves him of all responsibility.

The notion of guilt that Gregor seems to experience is similar to the Biblical notion of originalsin. Adam and Eve ate the apple, but it is the rest of humanity that carries the guilt. Just as in

Biblical lore all human beings are guilty-at least before the coming of Christ-of a sin they haveno control over, so Gregor is guilty due to a metamorphosis beyond his control.

Gregor's family in this chapter is introduced only very briefly, primarily through their voicesoutside his door. The family is based on the model established by Sigmund Freud and mirroringKafka's own, with a clearly dominant father who subjugates the son to his will through authorityand strength. When he seeks to drive the insect Gregor back into his room, he begins stampingand hissing. Gregor notes that "the noise in his rear sounded no longer like the voice of onesingle father." His father has become something greater than a human being, a force that driveshim forward in sheer terror. Freud's identification of the father with God is symbolically repeatedhere as Gregor's father chases him back into his room with a walking stick. This gesture, drivingGregor out of the living room and the company of the family, "the human circle," resembles theexpulsion of Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden with a flaming sword. This scene isrepeated, in a slightly different form, in the second chapter.

Gregor is unable to comprehend his situation also because he is used to resolving problemsrationally. Small problems that arise in life can usually be solved with fairly little difficulty, andthe larger problems of life are ordinarily ignored. Thus Gregor, in the past, could always ignorethe problem of his alienation and never do anything to fix it. Suddenly, however, he is faced with


9/23

this problem in a concrete form and he "saw no way of bringing any order into this arbitraryconfusion." This arbitrary confusion is a metaphor for Gregor's life, and life in general, whereour ability to bring order into everyday situations only masks our inability to control the bigpicture. Unable to grasp this, Gregor attempts to lie back and relax, still believing in "coolreflection" as something that can restore things "to their real and normal condition." The

metamorphosis, then, forces Gregor to face the insolvable problem of his life.The climax of this chapter seems to be Gregor's speech to the chief clerk as the latter isattempting to leave the apartment. He begs the clerk to stand up for him, insisting that he isextremely dedicated and loyal and that he must provide for his family. He mentions also thattravelers are disliked in the office and slandered behind their backs. He makes excuses, though atthis point no excuses are necessary or helpful, and insists that he will get out of his difficulty andwill work even harder when he returns. Gregor's plea is utterly sincere, expressing his guilt, hisdesire to rejoin the economic order, and tinged with his distaste for that order, touching at onceon the main themes of the book. This speech is important, also, for its absolute futility, sinceGregor knows perfectly well that the chief clerk can no longer understand what he is saying and,

furthermore, since even were he understood, it would make no difference at all.Gregor hates his job and wishes to escape it. His metamorphosis has given him the ability to doso. Finally, he can leave his job and the social order he dislikes, he can lie around in his roomwithout concern for time and for debts. And yet he cannot accept his freedom because his guilt isstronger than the desire to escape. Gregor is torn, and his speech to the chief clerk shows himtrying to plead his way out of his guilt and his freedom.

This is the fundamental crisis that Gregor, as so many human beings in the modern age, mustface. This crisis is the conflict between freedom and one's responsibility to oneself on one side,and guilt and the demands posed by society and family on the other. Both sets of values are

essential for human beings, but the clash between them is often obscured. Perhaps this conflict isobscured for the best, because there seems to be no way out of it. One cannot be free withoutguilt, yet one cannot fulfill one's obligation to others and remain true to oneself.

If escape from this predicament is impossible, then Kafka, with his metamorphosis, provides animpossible escape. By becoming an insect, Gregor gains both his freedom and the right to avoidguilt, since his freedom is forced on him. Maybe this transformation happened randomly on itsown, or maybe Gregor willed it on himself; that isn't important. What matters is that thistransformation is the only escape from the trap that Gregor is caught in. And, since the trap isprimarily a psychological one, the escape is physical. Gregor is changed into an insect. Thismetamorphosis seems to end his conflict.

Gregor awakens at twilight, the moment when darkness is just covering the last light of day.Thus, the fact that Gregor has now been cut off from humanity is emphasized by the fact that heawakens in darkness. He has been isolated from everyone, a situation also brought out by the factthat his family now locks his doors from the outside and walks around on tip-toe so as to remainundetected by him.


10/23

Gregor's sister still retains the strong bond they had before his metamorphosis, as she assumes allresponsibility for cleaning his room. Grete's attachment to her brother is demonstrated by herchoice of food for him: milk, which used to be his favorite drink. It is also Grete who comes upwith the idea of clearing Gregor's room of furniture so as to give him more space to move aroundin. Grete attempts to care for Gregor in the same way he used to care for her, but she seems

driven by family duty rather than a true human bond, as we see from the fact that she neveraddresses Gregor directly except on one occasion when she turns to threaten him. Grete seems tothink that Gregor cannot understand her, though he gives clear signals (somehow invisible toher) of his intelligence and concern for her.

Gregor will do anything to avoid causing her distress, and she realizes this; knowing that he willnot eat in front of her, for example, she locks the door to let him know he can come out ofhiding. She is very considerate in bringing him food, trying to find out what he likes by bringinghim a selection of things to choose from, but at the same time treats him like a stranger: shethrows away even the food he hasn't touched, picks up his bowl with a cloth rather than barehands, and enters his room on tip-toe, "as if she were visiting an invalid or even a stranger."

Gregor, in a fascinating manner fails to see the significance of events around him. His family tip-toes around the house and stays up late without talking. Gregor notes that his father has stoppedreading the newspaper aloud to the others after dinner. He recounts these factual events in detail,never stopping to consider that they are related to directly to his metamorphosis. Gregor'sisolation is evident from this inability to understand the significance of his family's behavior,taking their actions for granted without inquiring as to the reasons for these actions.

Feeling pride for having been able to provide so well for his family, Gregor manages totemporarily escape his guilt. Pride, in fact, is the positive side of guilt since one feels pride upondoing a job well and guilt upon failing. Thus Gregor's dominant emotion switches from pride to

guilt once he is no longer able to care for his family.Gregor's alienation from his environment is something that has not changed with hismetamorphosis. Whereas earlier he had thought that his room was too small, now he thinks it is a"lofty, empty room," altogether too big for his needs. In this way Gregor's room, which he haslived in for years, has never felt like home to him but rather as some foreign place in which hefound himself.

Gregor sets out to "meditate at his leisure on how he was to arrange his life afresh." Thesemeditations, however, bring him nowhere, since he is unable to escape the self-effacing guilt andduty that have been ruling his life up to now. The metamorphosis, which should have aided apsychological transformation, has still left him trapped in the grip of the same emotions that hadheld him in check during his whole previous life. We can see this in the pains Gregor takes tohelp his family deal with the "inconvenience he was bound to cause them in his presentcondition." Gregor's need to escape his previous life is something that he could never justify tohimself, and he retains his disregard for his own well being for the sake of others. He says hewould rather starve to death than show his sister that he is hungry, suppressing his impulse to begher for food in order to avoid inconveniencing her.


11/23

Gregor has to watch his movements carefully. If he drops his head, this bothers his family, andso he tries to put his head down carefully. He tries to do everything possible not to bother them.Even though he has been freed from his economic imprisonment, he has become a prisoner in adifferent way. Literally, he has been locked in, and he off-handedly mentions "hisimprisonment." But psychologically he also remains a slave, since he must monitor every move

out of concern for his family. Gregor's new prison seems even worse than his old one, thoughthis one is unbearable only because of his own need to serve his family. Gregor is crushed by hisinability to help them; hearing them mention money, he "threw himself down on the cool leathersofa, he felt so hot with shame and grief."

When Gregor climbs under the couch, he does so in order to spare his family the pain of havingto see him. His hiding, however, is an escapist move. It was escapism that seems to have broughton his metamorphosis, allowing him to find freedom from work. Now, enslaved by his feelingsof duty to his family, he attempts to escape these by hiding under the couch and out of the way.

The couch also plays a role in demonstrating Gregor's isolation. Gregor's link with humanity is

shattered when no one thinks of attempting to communicate with him directly. The family doesnot speak to him, and he learns of what is happening only by voyeuristically listening in on theirconversations. The couch intensifies this voyeuristic aspect when Gregor surreptitiously watcheshis sister from behind a sheet while hiding under it.

To understand the nature of Gregor's psychological self-imprisonment, we need to look at theperfectly justified resentment building within Gregor, which he tries to suppress at all costs.Gregor notes that his family had wanted to come in when he wanted privacy upon waking afterhis metamorphosis, but now that he wanted company they would not come in. There is a cleartrace of bitterness in Gregor's apprehension of this fact, but he can't admit that to himself.

Noting that his parents never enter his room to bring him food, he observes: "not that they wouldhave wanted him to starve, of course, but perhaps they could not have borne to know more abouthis feeding than from hearsay." They care about him, but can't stand the thought of him. ThoughGregor realizes that it is natural for them to be repulsed by his form, he still wishes that theywould not treat him with such neglect.

Gregor's relationship with his sister also seems tinged with resentment at times. She consistentlydoes things to cause him discomfort: she runs through his room to open the window and she doesnot remove the sheet he uses to hide himself from her. Gregor assumes that, since she mustrealize that these things annoy him, she would not do them unless they were necessary. ButGregor cannot observe all this without feeling bitterness at no longer being treated as a memberof the family. This is brought out by the differences between the ways the siblings treat eachother. Gregor hides under the couch even when this is extremely uncomfortable and is willing todo four hours of work to cover himself with the blanket just so she won't have to see him. She,on the other hand, does not make such sacrifices, but rather attempts to do everything that dutydemands of her in a way that would not put her to the trouble of actually having to deal withGregor.


12/23

The relation with his parents is also somewhat strained, and has been so since before themetamorphosis. Gregor was happy to provide for them, but there was no "special uprush ofwarm feeling" once they got used to his providing the money. They got used, essentially, to hisfunction as a cash dispenser. He retained a human familial relation only with his sister. Gregorclearly feels slighted by the fact that his parents began to see him as a provider and took this for

granted.This slights resentment, already present, is increased by the discoveries Gregor makes bylistening to his family's conversations. He finds out that his father had some money left after thecollapse of his business, something he had previously not been told. He had believed his familywas desolate, and so had given up his life to work in order to make money for them. He had beenplaced into servitude for the family automatically, without being informed of the actual financialsituation.

Gregor had given his parents all the money he earned instead of paying off his father's debts tohis boss so he could quit his job, something Gregor was extremely eager to do. He discovers that

not all of the money was needed at the time, and that his parents had managed to save a fairamount by putting aside some of the money he gave them. Though Gregor thinks that "doubtlessit was better the way his father had arranged it," but there is clear resentment in this. If the ideaof paying off the debts had not appealed to him, he would not have mentioned it. Once again,this is a case where Gregor represses his feelings of resentment out of a sense of duty to hisfamily. The denial of this resentment of his family is part of the psychological prison Gregornow inhabits.

Gregor finds that he likes to look out the window, "obviously in some recollection of the sense offreedom that looking out of a window always used to give him." But this desire for freedom issomething that Gregor experienced in the past; it seems to have left him. Freedom is a human

need and Gregor has been brought to the state of being inhuman, where he cannot even recognizehis loss of freedom.

Crawling around the walls and ceiling symbolizes Gregor's freedom from the responsibility ofwork. He says that on the wall, "one could breathe more freely. . . [in] blissful absorption." Atthese times, spending his days crawling around the room instead of working as before, Gregorrecaptures some of that freedom he had hoped for. But this freedom is an inhuman freedom ofhis body, and his human mind remains imprisoned. Gregor's loss of sight is a metaphor for thisloss of freedom, even more acute than the loss he had suffered before when he spent his lifeworking. He can no longer see what is around him and thus can no longer dream of being free ashe used to when staring out the window.

This loss of sight also has another meaning. In the Greek play Oedipus Rex, Oedipus puts out hisown eyes after he discovers that he inadvertently killed his own father. Gregor also feels that, bynot working, he is committing a crime against his father. And he feels that his resentment,although he does his best to repress it, is also an offense against his father. His loss of sight is apunishment for this crime.


13/23

Gregor notices that his sister has gained a lot of confidence as a result of having to take care ofhim. Like Gregor, who once worked for his family out of duty in order to feel pride and avoidguilt, Grete now attempts to do the same in fulfilling her duty to Gregor. The narrator notes thatshe is tempted to "exaggerate the horror of her brother's circumstances in order that she might doall the more for him." Grete is now a prisoner to duty just like Gregor used to be, and she deals

with this situation by attempting to make herself feel pride in her fulfillment of that duty. WhenGrete invents the idea of clearing Gregor's room of furniture to give him more space to movearound in, she is clearly very proud of herself.

Gregor remembers his sister's ability to "play movingly" on the violin. This memory links him tohis humanity, where art seemed important. This memory is one of the few that Gregor hits on inan attempt to reestablish the bond with his humanity, lost years ago when he entered theworkforce. Gregor had planned to use his earnings to send his sister to the Conservatory, thoughthis was extremely expensive. Not even art is free from the alienation brought on by capitalism,since the development of Grete's talent requires Gregor to surrender his freedom.

Hearing his mother's voice near him for the first time since his metamorphosis, Gregor isreminded of his humanity. Her words and her presence bring back to him the feeling ofrelatedness to his surroundings, and he realizes that his furniture is an essential part of hishumanity. Gregor desperately wants to hold on to this and, when he has to make a quick decisionabout what to protect in his room, instantly seizes on the framed picture hanging up on his wall.

The picture clearly symbolizes Gregor's link with his humanity, but different interpretations ofthis picture are possible. The picture of a pretty woman may represent women in general, alongwith the possibility of human relationships. In the first chapter, Gregor's relationship with amagazine cut-out, rather than a real person, demonstrated his alienation from human beings.Now, this picture seems to offer him the opposite, a way out of that alienation. The element of

his lover interest being taken away and symbolically replaced by his mother and sister is foundedon psychoanalytic theories, where the desire for incest is the most primitive and most animalurge found in human beings. Some critics have pointed out that the picture, showing a womanlargely concealed in fur as if she is turning into an animal, symbolizes Gregor's ownmetamorphosis. This picture then represents the personal human identity he has lost, and heasserts himself for the first time in the novel in opposition to his family in order to preserve hisidentity.

The glass of the picture is mentioned twice here. First, it is comforting to his hot belly, but it actsas a reminder that he can never possess the picture. The glass separates them. His humanity isout of reach. Yet the second mention of the glass is when Gregor finds that he is stuck to it. Hishumanity, though it seems out of reach, is also something he cannot entirely let go of.

Gregor's desire to establish his self-identity, which he has so far been steadily effacing for thesake of his family, leads to his first self-interested act of the novel. For the first time he crawlsout into plain view despite the knowledge of the disturbance this will cause to the others. Notonly is Gregor willing to come out of hiding, but he is also aggressively determined to defend thepicture on the wall. He says that he "would rather fly in Grete's face" than let her take the picture.Suddenly, tired of constantly ignoring his own needs and desires to avoid inconveniencing his


14/23

family, Gregor is prepared to defend his link to his humanity, from which he draws his newfoundassertiveness.

Gregor describes the change in his father's appearance in great detail. The old man who used tolie around lazily and feebly now stands tall, dressed in a uniform and with his hair neatly

brushed. Gregor's father, so much stronger than he once was, is now the proper symbol ofauthority that Kafka's father figures tend to be. The father is a power that emerges from behindan old and weak-looking body to dominate and threaten the son. And so, at the moment whenGregor suddenly recognizes his humanity and puts his self-interest before his consideration forhis family, his father bursts in to put him back down with the power of his authority.

In the first chapter we witnessed Mr. Samsa driving Gregor out of the paradise of his family, theliving room, with the aid of a stick, symbolic of the fiery sword used to drive Adam and Eve outof Eden and into the world of guilt. This guilt, which human beings had to bear because Adamand Eve tasted the apple, now comes back against Gregor. By asserting himself againstconsideration for his family and in order to find his humanity, Gregor plays the role of Adam,

who became human by tasting the apple of good and evil in opposition to God's command. WhenAdam asserted himself against God by eating the apple, he was punished. A similar scene isplayed out here, with all the same symbols clearly in place. Any act against the family, such asGregor has just taken, is an act against the authority of the father, the God figure in regard toGregor. Gregor is tortured by guilt, also the result of Adam's having eaten the apple. AndGregor's father appears to punish him for his transgression by throwing at him the same applesthat Adam used against God. This scene, with Gregor's father pursuing him with the apples, islike the God of Genesis throwing the apples that were used against him back at Adam.

Finally, Gregor's mother appears and begs her husband to spare Gregor. Earlier, she had asked tosee Gregor, insisting that "he is my unfortunate son I must go to him." Mrs. Samsa still feels

something more than simple duty, something that has been brought out in her by the family'stragedy. She remembers that Gregor is her son and, though he has been changed into an insect,she still feels love for him. This leads into the third chapter, where the family attempts to treatGregor with more familial kindness.

Chapter 3: Analysis

The third chapter deals primarily with the conflict between Gregor and his family as it climbstoward a climax. The family attempts to accept him, but this acceptance is bound up with thealienation that the family feels as a result of their work. Gregor becomes a symbol of thedehumanizing nature of work and, as the family attempts to accept him, they find themselvesbecoming more and more dehumanized until they can't take it any more. Their attempt ataccepting Gregor, then, turns to bitter rejection of him.

First off, we find Gregor's emergence from voyeurism to simulated family life. Having seriouslyinjured Gregor, his father at last takes pity on him. Gregor's sister, who has been caring for himall along, and his mother, who clearly loves her son, had already taken the step towardsaccepting him which his father now undertakes. It is significant that the father is willing toaccept the son only by crippling him in a display of his power. Now that his son has been


15/23

subdued and thus seems to no longer pose a threat, he can be accepted as part of the family. Theykeep his door open, allowing him to observe them.

Gregor notes that the family is not as lively as they used to be, when he would dream about themin hotel rooms. He misses the irony in this, which is that his family could live happily and

cheerfully only so long as Gregor remained isolated in hotel rooms, that is, only so long as hecontinued working and they were all free to do nothing. Though the family's pervasivedepression is obviously a result of Gregor's metamorphosis, the same thing would have happenedif Gregor had simply stopped working without such a good excuse. The family could retain itsclose bonds and human relations only at the cost of alienating their son.

Mr. Samsa, always in uniform, looks "as if he were ready for service at any moment and evenhere only at the beck and call of his superior." He has been reincorporated into the work force,and has lost his own volition; he is, instead, always a slave to his job even when he is at home.The brass buttons on his uniform, always polished, represent his absorption into thedehumanizing capitalist system. They contrast with his dirty uniform, which symbolizes the

degradation of the individual human core behind that socially useful and servile faade. Just ashumanity decays behind the privations of a thankless and exhausting job, so the uniformbecomes covered with greasy stains behind the shining brass buttons.

In the uniform, Mr. Samsa sleeps "in extreme discomfort and yet quite peacefully." The uniform,symbol of the economic order, causes discomfort and loss of individuality. The individual, byignoring his own humanity and sacrificing himself entirely to the economic order, can feel "atpeace" at the cost of no longer being human.

As a result of Gregor's escape from the economic order, his family has been drafted into it. All ofthem now have dehumanizing jobs. His father serves low clerks, his mother "devoted her energy

to making underwear for strangers," and his sister has to obey customers and run around behind acounter. This is the justification for Gregor's self-sacrifice before his metamorphosis. He alonewas able to provide for his family so that, though he lost his humanity, the three of them couldretain theirs. The well-being of the greater number was dependent on Gregor's lonely suffering.

Grete and her mother attempt, despite their alienation resulting from their jobs. This is the lastattempt of human beings to maintain a true family in the face of the dehumanization they face.The father with his brass buttons, and Gregor, who symbolizes this alienation threatening them,are not allowed into their relationship and are expelled as the father is put to bed and the door toGregor's room is shut.

As the entire family takes over Gregor's duty of working thankless jobs and worrying about thefuture, he resents society. Remembering the people from his past, Gregor mourns that none ofthem will now help his family, who have been abandoned with no one to aid them. The familyhas been isolated in the same way that Gregor had been abandoned while he was the solebreadwinner. In these memories from Gregor's past, we finally see mention of romance, the girls"wooed earnestly but too slowly." Gregor's recalling and regret for his past failures color his finalmove out of the human domain.


16/23

Gregor's accepting and self-sacrificing attitude is gradually replaced by anger. His familyneglects him and, when they fight, he is upset that they are causing noise rather than beinginterested in the actual event and the fact that his family is arguing about him. The significanceof the event is now lost to him; only its direct effect on him is noted. Gregor is no longerbothered by guilt or by duty. His prison now is only physical: his injury will not allow him to

move and the family still keeps him in his room and neglects him more and more as they are toobusy working to pay any attention to him. Now, finally abandoning his guilt, Gregor is able tosee the way that the family treats him. He invents plans to steal food from the larder and losesconcern for the family's well-being.

The family is clearly falling apart, Gregor included. They don't talk to each other except to fight,and they seem to care for each other only insofar as they all need to be healthy and to get enoughsleep in order to work the next day. They are becoming alienated from each other in the sameway that Gregor was alienated at the beginning when only he was working. This is echoed on theother side by the fact that his sister doesn't bother to choose food for him or to properly clean hisroom. And the disintegration of family life is accompanied by the disintegration of Gregor's

body, starving to death amid dirt, the apple still rotting in his back.As part of the change, Gregor has moved from under the sofa to lying on top of it. But this nolonger bothers anyone as they are all too tired even to be repulsed by Gregor. And while therepulsion he received after his metamorphosis was painful to him, he is now treated withsomething even worse: apathy. His sister, he notices, can see the dirt in his room perfectly, butshe no longer bothers to clean it. Once Gregor's mother attempts to show her love for her son bycleaning the room, but when a fight breaks out and Mr. Samsa insists that she should leave it toGrete, and that Grete should not clean the room any more, complete apathy is restored.

Gregor now gladly accepts his isolation. When the door to his room is left closed, this doesn't

bother him at all. He has lost interest in his family. Even when the door is left open, he oftensimply ignores it. Gregor ignores his body as well, letting himself starve to death and spendinghis days lying on the floor. The apathy of the family has also infected him, and he can no longerbe bothered to care about others or himself. When the charwoman attempts to be friendly toGregor, this only annoys him and he attempts to rush at her to scare her off. His previous desirefor human contact has been completely eliminated, though he occasionally takes a vague interestin events outside his door.

The family's relation to the lodgers is another strange episode of the novel. The lodgers, thoughthe family views them as gentlemen, are clearly only caricatures of proper human beings. Theyare rude and domineering, and care far more about order and cleanliness than about humanbeings. Their obsession with putting everything in its place and not tolerating dirt invites acontrast with Gregor who, an insect lying in a room full of junk and dirt, is still more human thanthey are.

The family, seeing the lodgers as another source of money, is subservient to them at all times,bowing to them, not sitting in their presence, waiting until they inspect their food, and so on. Mr.Samsa, when he fears that Grete's violin playing is bothering the lodgers, is instantly willing tostop it immediately for their pleasure. In this way, the family is imprisoned in their own home.


17/23

While, in the past, they could return home from the dehumanizing experience of work and relaxtogether, now they can never relax and are always servants, whether at work or home.

There is an interesting passage where Gregor observes the lodgers eating. "I'm hungry enoughbut not for that kind of food. How these lodgers are stuffing themselves, and here am I dying of

starvation." In the text, this thought is explained by the comment that Gregor cannot chew withtoothless jaws. But there is an underlying message here. Gregor does not name the food he ishungry for. We can also notice that he stops eating at about the time when Grete begins toneglect him. Gregor is looking for a nourishment other than food; he wants attention and love,something that he has now been cut off from.

When Grete begins to play the violin in the living room, something stirs in Gregor. As he crawlsout of his room drawn by the sound, "he felt hardly any surprise at his growing lack ofconsideration for the others; there had been a time when he prided himself on being considerate."Gregor's lack of consideration, however, is only a somewhat belated response to his family's lackof consideration for him. Having been treated with neglect, he now neglects them in return,

crawling out of the room in plain view of everyone. Gregor is now free: not only does he nothave to work, but he is also no longer bothered by guilt. As an insect, he doesn't seem to needmuch more freedom than that. He has finally escaped all the traps that had been set for him. Andyet something is clearly missing from his life, consumed as it is by apathy.

Gregor poses a question: "was he an animal, that music had such an effect on him?" Ironically,the answer to this seems to be no. The lodgers rudely move away from Grete and whisper amongthemselves by the window. The parents are too busy watching the lodgers with anxiety to payattention to Grete's playing. Gregor, however, is drawn to the music. The sound he hears returnshim to his humanity, reminding him of his love for his sister and his desire to send her to theConservatory. Realizing that the others don't appreciate her playing, he wants to bring her into

his room and make her play for him, rekindling the bond they once had. Though Gregor isliterally an animal, he is the only one who understands and feels the redeeming power of art.When he hears the violin, his past and his love for his sister come back to him. Art saves himfrom his apathy, reminding him of what he has been missing despite his freedom: family. Unlikethe insect Gregor, in whom music brings out the best, it is the others, in failing to appreciate art,that are something less than human.

It is clear that the music has touched Gregor in a completely new way. While he was the humansalesman Gregor Samsa, he had never experienced Grete's playing in this profound way. Gregorhas reclaimed his humanity only by becoming an insect. His metamorphosis, which removes himfrom the alienation of modern society by making his alienation literal, seems to also have finallyled him to his humanity. The message seems to be that one can only become truly humanthrough an impossible act of rebellion against socially acceptable human behavior.

The element of time reappears when Gregor recalls his plan to tell Grete that he had wanted toannounce at Christmas that he would send her to the Conservatory. "Surely Christmas was longpast?" he thinks. Gregor is no longer aware of the speed with which time passes, a direct contrastwith his obsession with time in the first chapter. While there, he had been absorbed by thepassing of every minute. Now he didn't even know the season.


18/23

Gregor's family, as usual, does not stop to consider the meaning of his emergence from his room,never imagining that Gregor has been truly touched by the music. Grete, for whom he had suchtender feelings, overreacts far more than any of the others. This is the first time in the novel thatshe refers to Gregor as "it," refusing now to accept that idea that he is her brother. Grete insiststhat the "creature" certainly can't understand them, though they've never tried to find out. And

she argues that if it were really Gregor, it would have left of his own accord out of considerationfor the rest of them. She overlooks, of course, the fact that Gregor has had no way of leaving.She is certain that Gregor is persecuting them and wants to drive them out of the apartment so hecan have it to himself, when in fact it is they who have kept him shut up in his room withfurniture, garbage, and dirt.

Grete's impassioned speech is the climax of the novel. The conflict, at this point, comes to aclose. The family at least realizes that Gregor, who has become the symbol of their alienation, isthe problem and has to be gotten rid of. A reversal has taken place. Gregor, in undergoing ismetamorphosis, cast aside his duty to his family in order to find his freedom. Now the familywants to cast aside their duty to him in order to find their own freedom.

Struck by the music of the violin and the recollection of his humanity that it brings on, Gregorsuddenly remembers his duty once more. At the moment when his family has abandoned theirduty to him, he realizes that he must once again sacrifice himself for their happiness. Gregoronce again feels love and tenderness for his family. As a result, Gregor regains the element thathas been missing from his freedom. His duty flares up, reminding him that his family's happinessis more important to him than his freedom or even his life. Gregor dies by his own choice,realizing that his death is essential to his family's happiness. His concern with their happinessand his willingness to sacrifice himself is what makes him human despite his current physicalform.

Ironically, Gregor's death is the result of his discovery of his identity. At the moment when love,freedom, and art are combined within him, he recognizes the need to finally leave his family topursue their future. Gregor has here found his human identity, which he has been unable to findpreviously. The problem was that Gregor had no identity to start with. He was driven only by hissense of duty and then guilt, but since his guilt had no real cause, he also could not cling to it forhis identity. Gregor manages to find his humanity only be rebelling against everything he was inthe past.

Gregor dies at the precise moment when the sun comes up. He sees the first light of dawn anddies, echoing the beginning of the second chapter. There, Gregor entered a new phase of hisexistence when he awoke in twilight. A new phase had already started, of course, when he wokeup to find himself transformed. In the second chapter, however, he had already made contactwith his family, and was aware that their reaction was one of revulsion and that they had left himisolated. When Gregor awakens with the knowledge that his life has been completely changed,he finds himself in twilight; the moment when darkness is descending coincides with the momentwhen Gregor finds himself completely isolated. The moment of his death, on the other hand,coincides with the rising of the sun, the moment when darkness is driven back by light. Thatlight is Gregor's love for his family and his discovery of his humanity. Having seen the first raysof this light through his window, Gregor dies without regrets.


19/23

The family is extremely thankful for Gregor's death. Yet they also mourn his passing. At theirdiscovery of his death, the family discovers also the conflict in their feelings concerning theinsect. They felt that he needed to disappear for the good of their family, yet at the same timethey loved him as their son. The need for his death, based in economic motives, conflicts withtheir love, an essentially human feeling. This humanity emerges at last when the family sits

together and emerges at last looking as if they had been crying.When Mr. Samsa insists that the lodgers leave, they quickly give up and depart. Once two of thelodgers saw that the third had already left, they "went scuttling after him as if afraid that Mr.Samsa might get into the hall before them and cut them off from their leader." They scuttle, likeGregor, and move quickly to avoid being cut off, like Gregor, because they have been humiliatedand overpowered with authority. All humiliated human beings are seen as insects.

The family is now free of the specter of Gregor. His presence was a perpetual reminder ofalienation. Without him, they are free to once again to continue living, believing that life is goodand the future is bright. The family suddenly feels whole again. Gregor's father is able to reach

inside himself for the courage to kick the lodgers out, and all three take the day off from work,something that would have been unthinkable for them at an earlier time. The wholeness of thefamily is symbolized by the Samsas' realization that their daughter has grown up. Thisrecognition and the sudden thought that it is time for her to marry show that family life has beenrestored in its wholeness.

Alienation

Before his metamorphosis, Gregor is alienatedfrom his job, his humanity, his family, andeven his body,

as we seefrom thefactthat hebarelynotices his transformation. Infact, even his considerationfor his

family seems tobe somethingaliento him, as hebarelynotices it when heloses this considerationat

theend. After his metamorphosis, Gregorfeels completelyalienatedfrom his room andenvironmentand, as a symbolofthis, can'teven see his streetoutthe window. The Metamorphosis, then, is a

powerful indictmentofthealienationbroughtonbythe modern socialorder

Metamorphosis is a change in physical form or structure. In The Metamorphosis, there is a literalchange in the protagonist, Gregor Samsa's, physical form from a man to an insect. Thismetamorphosis brings to light one of the major themes in the novel; the theme of alienation.Today's society demands conformity to its norms and any individual who refuses to accept thesefaces alienation. Such is the fate of Gregor in the story. Before Gregor's metamorphosis, he isalienated from his job, humanity, his family, and even his body. The metamorphosis, however,takes the alienation to a different plane. In the story, Gregor's job precipitates his alienation from

society, his family, and himself. ...

... since his family can no longer communicate with him they isolate him, and histransformation makes him realize that his family has always set him apart from their group ofthree long before his metamorphosis. Gregor dies feeling he is no longer needed, as a salesman, ason, a brother, or a member of society. Gregor dies of a broken heart. He is ostracized by society


20/23

and his family and forced to be come a recluse. His job ultimately brings about his alienationfrom what mattered more in life such as building a solid family relationship, having concretefriends, and finding true love. His metamorphosis brings him to his final state to realize that hislife

THEMES

Major Themes

The key theme of the story is man's isolation. After Gregor's transformation into an insect, hisentire family rejects him. Upon seeing the bug, Gregor's boss runs away. His father locks him inhis room and later wounds him by chunking apples; his mother faints at the sight of him; andeven Grete tires of caring for him, wishing he would go away. None of them think about howGregor feels about his miserable transformation; instead, they are worried about the affects of themetamorphosis on them personally, especially since Gregor has been the sole breadwinner forthe family. To add to his sense of isolation, Gregor must stand by and watch what is happening

to the family in silence; he is powerless to speak, complain, or criticize.Another main idea that Kafka discusses in The Metamorphosis is the enslavement of modernman to the forces of materialism. By turning Gregor into a bug that can observe his family froma different perspective, Kafka can show man's preoccupation with financial security. Before histransformation, Gregor is miserable at work, but he cannot quit since he is the sole breadwinnerfor the Samsa family. Nothing at work satisfies him, and his boss treats him worse than ananimal, almost like a bug.

Unfortunately, Gregor does not have the courage to go out and find something better; he acceptshis miserable existence in order to have financial security. Then his transformation occurs; he

literally becomes an insect, the lowest form of life. Symbolically, Kafka is portraying the level towhich a human being can be reduced in the modern world. It also symbolizes to what depths aman sometimes sinks before he begins to reflect on the meaning of his existence. Ironically, onlyas an insect can Gregor Samsa find the time or motivation to reflect on his own misery, toacknowledge his own desire, and to see the selfishness of his family.

Your browser does not support the IFRAME tag.

Minor Themes

A minor theme in the story is man's tendency to use other people. Gregor's family has alwaysdepended upon him for total support. When he becomes a bug and can no longer work, the otherfamily members change from lazy, shiftless people into workers who support themselves.

An additional minor theme is man's tendency towards unrealistic dreams. As a worker, Gregor ismiserable and dreams of a better life, but does nothing about it; as a result of his low form ofexistence, Kafka turns him into a bug. His metamorphosis forces the members of the Samsa


21/23

family into the work force. After working for awhile, they all start staying home from their jobs,aimlessly dreaming about a better life. None of them, however, take any real steps towardimproving their future. At the end of the novel, it is implied that Grete, because of her lack ofambition and purpose, will also become an insect, like her brother.

MOOD

At first the mood of this short novel is bizarre and fantastic, created by Gregor's shockingtransformation. Soon, however, the calm acceptance of his new state undermines the strangenessof it, and the mood becomes settled. Eventually, the remaining fantastic aspects of the tale giveway to a sense of tragedy. Gregor is helpless and must simply sit back and watch the sadmetamorphosis of his family as they turn against him in his new state. The tragedy is intensifiedby the fact that he must watch in silence, unable to speak and defend himself. In the end, he diesisolated and alone in his room and is swept out by the maid. There is an overwhelming sense ofinjustice about what has happened to Gregor and a scathing criticism of his uncaring, selfishfamily. Both add to the overall tragic mood of the tale.

CHARACTER ANALYSIS

Gregor Samsa

Gregor is the main character and the protagonist; he goes through both a physical and mentalmetamorphosis during the story. In the beginning, Gregor seems somewhat emotionless. He hasno friends, is not liked at work, is not ambitious, and has no goals. He lives with and providesfinancial support for his lazy family, Mr. and Mrs. Samsa and his sister Grete. A dutiful son, henever questions why his father does not work and earn a living; instead, Gregor takes fullfinancial responsibility, never complaining; he does, however, worry about keeping his job,

especially once he is turned into an insect. This is ironic since Gregor hates his job intensely.While in human form, Gregor dreams of the time, five or six years in the future, when he canquit working. In the meantime, he is bonded to an institution that treats him no better than aninsect. They do not appreciate his dedication, caring nothing about the fact that he has not beentardy or absent for five years; instead, on the one day he is late, the chief clerk comes to call atthe Samsas and insinuates that perhaps Gregor has stolen from the company and is staying hometo hide the fact.

Living in such an emotional void, it is not too surprising that Gregor seems unconcerned abouthis physical metamorphosis into a giant bug. He is most annoyed by the tiny inconveniences, like

having no hands to open the door and so many legs that it is difficult to walk. Once he is a bug,Gregor also undergoes a mental metamorphosis. He spends most of his time listening to andobserving his family. Although he feels guilty over not being able to support them because he isan insect, he is shocked to learn that his father has a savings account and resents the fact that hewas forced to work as a salesman unnecessarily. When the family all get a job, Gregor wonderswhy they have not worked before to help him with the obligations.


22/23

alienation

noun /ly-/ /lnSHn/ alienations, plural

1. The state or experience of being isolated from a group or an activity to which one shouldbelong or in which one should be involved

o - unemployment may generate a sense of political alienation

2. Loss or lack of sympathy; estrangemento - public alienation from bureaucracy

3. (in Marxist theory) A condition of workers in a capitalist economy, resulting from a lackof identity with the products of their labor and a sense of being controlled or exploited

4. A state of depersonalization or loss of identity in which the self seems unreal, thought tobe caused by difficulties in relating to society and the resulting prolonged inhibition ofemotion

5. A type of faulty recognition in which familiar situations or people appear unfamiliar

6. An effect, sought by some dramatists, whereby the audience remains objective and doesnot identify with the actors

7. The transfer of the ownership of property rightsAlienation: Kafkapresents averydifferent storylinethemedtoalienationthan Tolstoy: The

Metamorphosis is not subtle in its allusionto how Gregorfeels , nor is it sly in its presentationofhow

Gregor is treated. Uponawakeningone morning Gregorfinds that he has beentransformed intoa

monstrous vermin. Despitethis reality , Gregordoes notpreoccupy himselfwith his ownchangebut

focuses onthedreary weatheroutsidetherain , the wind. Hedoes notfullyrealize his situation inleast

andgoes about his diurnalroutines without worryingabout his greattransformation When Gregor

Samsa woke upone morningfrom unsettlingdreams , hefound himselfchanged in his bed intoa


23/23

monstrous vermin. He was lyingon his backas hardas armorplate , and when helifted his headalittle ,

he saw his vaultedbrownbelly , sectionedbyarch-shapedribs , to whosedomethecover , aboutto

slideoffcompletely , couldbarelycling. His manylegs , pitifullythincompared with the sizeoftherest

ofhim , were waving helplesslybefore his eyes (P . 3 . This descriptionofchange is extremeandyet ,

despite its severityoralternatingcourseoflife , Gregordoes notrecognize itas anything inparticular.

Through this , thereaderrealizes theextentofGregor s alienationfrom himself, when such aphysical

difference is presentedto him from his ownbody hechooses nottorecognize it , andthus , thetheme

ofalienationfrom selfis madeclearfrom the startofthenovella. Through Gregor s familythereader

realizes a senseofextremechange.Despite Gregor s displacedemotionofhis ownbodyandgeography

, his familyrecognizes quiteclearlythe situation. It is inthis momentthat Gregor s previous alienation

ofhim takes ona morephysicalandapparentform as seen when Gregorfirst steps orcrawls outofhis

bedroom after his discourseofloathing his job , Andnow hecould see him , standingclosesttothe

door , his handpressedover his open mouth ,slowlybackingaway , as ifrepulsedbyan invisible ,

unrelentingforce.His mother in spiteofthe manager s presence she stood with her hair still

unbraidedfrom thenight , stickingout inalldirections firstlookedat his father with her hands clasped

, thentooktwo steps towards Gregor , and sankdown inthe midstofher skirt spreadingoutaround her

, herfacecompletely hiddenon herbreast. With a hostileexpression his fatherclenched his fist , as ifto

drive Gregorback into his room ,thenlooked uncertainlyaroundthelivingroom , shielded his eyes with

his hands , and sobbed with heaves ofhis powerfulchest (P . 15 . It is inthis revealingnarrativethatthe

readergrasps how grotesque Gregor has become. He has alreadybeenalienating himselffrom his

family , andkeepingto himself, andnotbeingrelatableandthus , his familytrulycannotrecognize him

analysis of theme in metamorphosis

Documents