Lisset Martinez

Professor Beadle

English-115

March 13, 2019

Metamorphosis Allegory

In Franz Kafka’s short story, “Metamorphosis”, the protagonist Gregor Samsa

wakes up one morning and is not conflicted by the fact that he has transformed into an insect, but

rather conflicted by not being able to make it to work on time. During Gregor’s transformation,

we not only see the effects of his physical transformation from human to insect, but his

emotional transformation as well. ​ He goes from working everyday to be able to provide for his

family to not being able to work at all. ​ Kafka shows not only how Gregor deals with this

transformation, but also how his close relatives, such as his parents, try to cope with it.​ His

family started excluding him in family time because he was incapable to do anything else for

them.​ Kafka is known for his unique writing on normalizing non- human life, and the value of

being. Kafka also writes in a notion where one is stuck in a complicated position and it is not

made clear on how one got in that position. They are also not able to adapt into it or escape this

bewildering position. The character goes through many transitions into their transformation that

only results in their own self destruction.

In the book ​Kafka’s Nonhuman Form: Troubling the Boundaries of the Kafka of

the Kafkaesque​, by Ted Geier, ​He​ introduce a deeper understanding of Kafka’s

significance on things that are already damaged​, ​and because of the characters illogical

actions or way of thinking they are prone to failure from the start. One may argue that
Gregor has been taken advantage from his family, because they depended on him to

provide for the family. ​In refutation​ ​I feel Gregor​ is imprisoned by his own mind. ​The

most ​important​ thing ​for Gregor ​is to keep his job in order to keep his humanism even

though he has already lost it ​when he let work define him as a person​. The article states

how Kafka expresses his reading and we can relate this to the “Metamorphosis” by “His

formal ambiguities, perhaps they are even failures, work to undo the violence of the

human that persists even where humanism has already been rejected.” Geier stated. With

this, one can conclude why Gregor turns into an insect, and ​it is​ because of the constant

and perpetual mindset that the working class is the only way one can be able to “live

life". The absurdity in Gregor’s thinking when he transforms into a bug and is only

worried about getting into work already shows us the limits he has and has created for

himself. ​He works only to provide for his family and calls it a day. ​Those limits expand

even more when he transforms into a bug, only showing that he was damaging himself

and not helping himself.

Throughout the story we see a change of character in Gregor, he is slowly no

longer able to to enjoy certain foods he would usually eat as a human, and begins to

despise the taste of what he once liked. We also read some acts of humanity by his

mother and her still taking the time to make him food so he’ll eat. Slowly we see the

mother giving him scraps of food and throughout the story giving less and less care for

him, yet also still showing care by arguing with Gregor’s father for Gregor’s belongings

to be kept. In doing this we can see she still had hope that he will turn back to a human.

In analyzing this it is unclear if she's only hoping for him to become human again
because she loves her son, or if she's only wishing for it because of the support he gave

them all. In regards to Gregor he still thinks more about his family than himself. ​He feels

embarrassed by what he is only because his family views him differently​.​ ​He is mainly

upset ​that ​he isn't able to help them anymore. Gregor’s sister still shows care through

some acts, but she also shows disgust in Gregor. Gregor would hide himself so his sister

wouldn't be uncomfortable seeing him, since he gets a sense that she feels disgusted ​and a

source of​ discomfort by him. Despising this, she still shows care by moving furniture

because she notices​ h​ im finding enjoyment in crawling on the walls. Gregor’s father on

the other hand isn't showing much affection to Gregor’s transformation and tries to avoid

him as much as possible, and tries to get rid of Gregor’s belongings, having no faith or

hope in Gregor. Gregor’s father shows only punishment and violence.

Furthermore Gregor keeps going through his transformation. ​One​ may think when

he transformed into a bug, he was slowly losing his humanity. On my behalf since the

start of the story he had already lost his humanity. We begin by seeing how he was so

caught up in serving everyone else but himself and how that was his main priority.,

Gregor ​had never thought of his health as important ​since he put his needs after others​.

When you live your life giving too much to others, and not giving yourself a place that

only you can give yourself, which is, knowing your worth as a human being, ​one​ begins

to lose ​their​ sense of humanity. Its safe to say that Greg had already lost his humanity.

and that is why his transformation into a bug had no actual impact on him. With this

being said we can also differentiate how his family treated him ​only when he was able to

provide for them to when he was not able to anymore.​ As soon as Gregor changed ​into a
bug,​ we see his father’s immediate reaction “With a hostile expression his father clenched

his fist, as if to drive Gregor back into his room.” (Chapter 1 pg. 15) Gregor​’​s father since

the start had no intention of helping Gregor in his transition, on the other hand he saw

him as useless because he knew he wouldn't be able to provide for him or his family. He

starts getting frustrated with Gregor, and he starts being the one how provides for them

now. His father ends up getting violent with Gregor and instead of trying to understand

Gregor, he uses violent force on him by pushing him and shoving him, and eventually

throwing an apple at Gregor that “The apple remained imbedded in his flesh.”(Chapter 3

pg. 25) By his father’s actions we can see how his father portrays Greg and doesn't think

highly of him even after ​he had provided for them for so long. ​The same with his sister

she later than despises Gregor and calls him a monster and refuses to call him his brother.

She now believes that Gregor is no longer part of the family, and ​it’s​ better off if they

stop caring about “It” who she ​referred ​to as Gregor. Another thing, one can argue is that

Gregor was able to adapt into his insect form, because his eating style changed, and

because he started crawling on the walls, and slowly losing his humanity and

transforming more into an insect. This to me doesn't mean he adapted, but rather was

forced to become accustomed into this new form because he did not see any other choice.

Adapting and having to become accustomed to his new form personally isn't the same

thing.

In the article ​The Limits of Generosity: Lessons on Ethics, Economy, and

Reciprocity in Kafka’s The Metamorphosis​ by Carl Rhodes and Robert Westwood, we

see another perspective on how they view the “Metamorphosis” as. They tie ethics of
receiving and giving for the example they used “ I’ll scratch you back if you scratch

mine.” Meaning people will only do things for you if they feel they can get something

back from you as well. When Gregor provided for them, he would be included in dinners,

and would be fed and included in the family. When he transformed into an insect, he was

no longer able to provide anything for them anymore. We see his family transition and

treat him differently throughout the stages of his transformation. He no longer ate with

them at the table, and soon they would start treating him poorly. This showing us how

they were only using Gregor for what he was able to do for them. Gregors kindness

wasn't truly appreciated, but it was taken advantage of because Gregor himself let them

treat him in that way. In the video What Makes Something “Kafkaesque” by Noah

Tavlin, he speaks about having to struggle in the working class in order to achieve

success, but turning out to be something illogical that you are working for and that

eventually it doesn't help you but destroy you. Since we read the “Metamorphosis” in the

beginning we see that his so called “life” or only way he is capable to be successful is

actually pointless.

Throughout Gregors struggle, he ends up dying. His family continues to live their

life, and even better than when Gregor was alive in both physical forms.​ With​ Gregor’s

family ​it ​is safe to conclude that they thought of themselves as worthy and that is why

they all made it out alive. Worrying nothing about Gregor after he died they continued

their lives normally. Pointing out that his sister, mother, and father never got to caught up

in work and they didn’t let that control their lives​. They all​ still managed to succeed.

Never forget to put your own health before anything. ​This comes to ​ showing how even
the majority of your closest family to you will care more about themselves than yourself.

Gregor put everyone else before himself which caused his own self destruction. Noah

Tavlin quoted “the world we live in is one we can create, and have the power to change

for the better.” In this my understanding is that Gregor was capable of changing his ​way

of living ​for the better. ​Instead ​ he decided not too, not because he didn’t want to, but

because he saw no other way he could live. To him being able to provide for his family

was everything, if this had to make him work everyday and night he would be able to do

it. He was blinded and lost of what actually brings happiness in life that he never got an

understanding that knowing your worth can help you survive in the world. Once you find

out your worth as a human being you are able to create a positive change in your life.

Unfortunately Gregor was never able to realize that.