Franz Kafka’s-Metamorphosis
Franz Kafka’s Metamorphosis is an ambitious book about a person that lacks ambition. It is evident that Kafka had written Gregor Samsa as a literary interpretation of his struggles with his family, career, and identity. The fact that this is a story about an individual who wakes up as a grotesque vermin is the incorrigible evidence of Kafka’s ability to address strange and disconcerting concepts in an age when humanity was occupied with the First World War. Kafka despised this creation of his; however, it is unclear whether it was because the plight of the Samsa household was painfully similar to his or because of the concepts this book deals with. Regardless, Metamorphosis is a story about, quite like its title, transformation of one’s perspective and identity. In the literal sense, this story is too fantastic to be considered as a viable example of society; a human turning into an insect has only been dealt with in popular culture by movies such as The Fly film series. However, this book does not dwell upon the curious predicament Gregor finds himself in, rather it focuses on the transformation of his relationship with his coworkers, family, strangers, and himself. Furthermore, the metaphorical message that Kafka intends to convey through this story is the uncomfortable truth about our society that has prevailed since the publication of this novella.
In the story, Gregor finds that he has overslept and is now alarmingly late for work, other than the fact that he has now transformed into a human-sized arthropod. However, despite the fact that he is unable to get out of his bed because of his rounded back and jointed appendages, our protagonist is more concerned about losing his job and missing the deadlines on a batch of assignments. What follows is a series of events that spells one misfortune after another for the Samsa family and although the story ends on a positive note, it leaves the reader with an unpleasant sensation, almost akin to finding a fly in your half eaten soup (pun intended).
One thing that is perfectly clear is that Gregor Samsa was an insect, long before he metamorphosed into one. He works in an unrewarding job to clear his father’s debt, not out of familial love but out of fear. He stammers when speaking to his father, he quietly listens to his boss’s abusive tantrums, he curses his superiors and is distrustful of his colleagues. He was an insect, a pitiable creature that never seemed to be able overcome his shortcomings. Had he been born in the dystopian world of George Orwell’s 1984, he would have thrived beyond comparison. His metamorphosis ironically made him more human. He remembered the times when he missed having light hearted dinner conversations with his family, his sister’s violin playing, and the time he spent crafting with his fret saw. However, for his family he had become a horrific monster, hissed and shooed at by his father, poked and prodded by the housemaid, and eventually hated by his beloved sister. This dehumanizing experience is the essence of the lesson that Metamorphosis teaches. Gregor stayed with his family out of fear, while his family tolerated him because of his paychecks and it only took a metamorphosis for either to understand the gravity of their situation.
Kafka’s Metamorphosis is a story about uncomfortable truths that one does not wish to address, it is about the loss of identity and individuality in the banal pursuit of wealth, it is about appreciation of the little things that make us human and subsequently their loss.
