Literay Essay on The Metamorphosis
SIS, G7 Literary Odyssey
The general perception of bugs is that they are marginalized, alienated, incapable, and worthless members of the community. Similarly, in the novella “Metamorphosis,” the main character Gregor is treated like a “bug” in his household, and finds no meaning in life but to work for his family’s needs without recognition. Through the characters in the story, the author engages in two central themes - isolation and dehumanization. In “Metamorphosis” Gregor is isolated and abused, unable to be part of human interactions, and ultimately ends up being dehumanized. The concept of a human transforming into a bug is surreal and absurd, but is nonetheless an accurate depiction of the modern society where people who are disconnected due to being ‘different’ are judged and isolated from the rest of the world.
One of the themes Franz Kafka discusses in the story is isolation and alienation. The story begins with Gregor, the protagonist, waking up one morning to find that he has transformed into a monstrous insect. This transformation not only isolates him physically from the rest of the society, but also from his own family. Throughout the story, we learn that Gregor does not feel any satisfaction towards his job as a salesman, and the only merit he feels he gains from the job is that he is able to pay for his family debt with it. From the beginning of the book, readers can infer that Gregor greatly dislikes his job. In the long opening monologue, he said “O’ God…what a demanding job I’ve chosen! Day in, day out on the road” (pg. 2). Although at first, his family appreciates his hard work and dedication, they soon take it for granted. In order to make their lives more convenient, they start to add additional expenses, which makes Gregor’s role so much more challenging. This is a predatory, exploitative, and opportunistic relationship in which the family has no genuine appreciation for Gregor’s contributions. However, his transformation into a monstrous creature implies that he no longer has the physicality nor the necessary “human characteristics” to continue working and generate income.
Therefore, his family begins to view him as a burden and an inconvenience. His own father treats him like a bug, and shoos him into his bedroom with a broom because of embarrassment. He abuses Gregor in different ways if Gregor does not stay in his room and behaves correctly. He states, “Gregor's appeals to his father…merely stamped his foot all the harder” (pg. 13). This relates to the theme of isolation by demonstrating that even though Gregor tries to talk to his father it doesn’t work as Mr. Gregor would only push him back to his room harder. He claims “It was an apple... his father had decided to bombard him (pg. 29).” The family shows no empathy or compassion for his current state and are only concerned about his impact on the convenience of their lives. It is as if Gregor’s purpose of life is to work for others (in this case, his family) but not for himself. He is further isolated when his family now all have jobs as a result of his transformation into a bug. They have all taken up the role of working – father takes up the job of a banker – mother takes up the job of a seamstress, Grete takes up the job of a salesgirl– and therefore his unique role of being the breadwinner has disappeared. They feel like he is useless and his family doesn’t need him. Communication was one of the most difficult aspects that Gregor had to adapt to after the transformation. When his salesman boss called on him and tried to communicate, Gregor had trouble pronouncing words clearly, and therefore couldn’t engage in a normal conversation. The boss was angry at this and claims that “you’ve barricaded yourself into your room and given us one-word answers (pg. 12). This proves that Gregor has no real “voice” in the family, even though he is a part of it. His family doesn’t bother listening to his thoughts or opinions, and treats him like an animal. To cope with this isolation, he has a picture of a young woman on the wall, which is a depiction of his loneliness. The picture itself is a romanticization of an attractive lover who embodies social desires such as connection, wealth, and status. When his family attempts to remove the portrait, Gregor fights back, as it represents his last connection to humanity, for if it is removed, he is completely disconnected to society even when it comes to his ideals. For this reason, he tries to fight against this, since he desires to retain that connection. Gregor is confined to his room and becomes physically and emotionally isolated from the rest of the world, which profoundly affects his mental and emotional state.
Kafka illustrates that such isolation and alienation can lead to the dehumanization of a human. Gregor’s transformation represents a loss of self as he becomes physically and psychologically disconnected from his past identity. Up until the end of the book, readers do not know whether the transformation was literal or figurative. He has lost his dignity and humanity which is reinforced by his family’s behavior and treatment towards him. This symbolization correlates to the reason why Gregor didn’t want to eat human food, as he does not feel human anymore. He has finally internalized the contempt his family has for him manifested in the symbolic transformation into a bug, which demonstrates Gregor’s official loss of all of his humanity. The only family member who feels a small sympathy for him is his sister, Grete. This is shown when she brings the food, milk and bread, that Gregor used to like as a human. When Gregor is finished with his food, however, Grete removes the bowl “using a rag, not with her bare hands (pg. 29).” This explains that she cares for her brother, but is simultaneously repulsed by his hideous outer appearance. With less thought on Gregor’s former human self, all that his family can remember is this unclean vermin who dwells in their house. Later on in the story, his family doesn’t even refer to him as a person, but rather a thing.
This is especially prominent when Grete tells her parents that they must get rid of “it.” The “it” in her sentence shows that Grete views Gregor as a creature and a pest to get rid of, rather than her brother. Instead of saying Gregor or brother, she calls him a creature. This profoundly dehumanizes Gregor as a character. Furthermore, Grete concurs to the idea of removing furniture in Gregor’s room. This is important, because this course of action shows that Gregor is completely dehumanized as an individual, as the furniture functions as a unique connection to humans. Since Gregor is a bug, the family feels he doesn’t need furniture anymore. This was a melancholy change for Gregor, as now he is aware that he doesn’t have any family member that cares for him. He is mentally scarred by Grete, but regardless wants to help her achieve her dream of becoming a great violinist. While listening to Grete’s music, he is emotionally moved. He ponders whether “he be an animal, to be so moved by music?” (pg. 64). When Grete accidentally drops the violin, this symbolizes the destruction of Grete’s dream to be a violinist, Gregor’s dream to help his sister become a violinist, but most importantly Gregor’s last piece of evidence that he clings on to in order to convince himself that he is still a human.
In all parts of the story, the author explores the notion of isolation and its effects on the human mentality. Gregor is trapped inside his room as a ‘bug’ and becomes physically isolated from the rest of the family, which consequently harms his mental, emotional, and physiological state. Interestingly, Gregor manages to remain sentient and self-aware throughout his transformation into a bug. This raises an important question about what it means to be a human, and whether his or her physical appearance defines a person’s identity. The fact that Gregor is able to still think like a human and possess human desires suggests that a person’s true identity is not defined by a physical state, but by the unique inner qualities of the individual.
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