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Sara Torres

Professor Beadle

ENGL 115

8 November 2021

Searching For Freedom

We all have that little monster inside, just begging to come out. We all have our quirks

and insecurities that come out to the world during the most inconvenient times. Author Jeffory

Jerome Cohen views the monster as something that provides "a temporary egress from

constraint." While looking into Gregor's life, we can compare this quote to his uneventful,

miserable life. After reading The Metamorphosis by author Franz Kafka, I believe that Gregor

Samsa's transformation provides the freedom he needed to live his life truly. Gregor was stuck,

and although it may not seem like it, his new release was ultimately desirable compared to his

life before.

I may believe that the transformation was best for Gregor, however many feel the

opposite. In a way, Gregor's transformation caused him to become alienated from his family and

the rest of society. His transformation was the sole reason why his family banished him to his

room. Gregor's transformation was not desirable because it caused his family to view him as a

monster. When he was visible to his family, it caused everyone to panic and try to kill Gregor out

of instinct. Gregor's father was determined to destroy his nuisance of a son in order to protect his
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wife and daughter. Kafka shares to readers that Gregor's father "had filled his pockets, and now,

without for the moment taking accurate aim, was throwing apple after apple. These small red

apples rolled as if electrified around on the floor and collided with each other. A weakly thrown

apple grazed Gregor's back but skidded off harmlessly. However, another thrown immediately

after that one drove into Gregor's back hard. Gregor wanted to drag himself off as if the

unexpected and incredible pain would disappear if he changed his position. But he felt as if he

was nailed in place and lay stretched out completely confused in all his senses" (Kafka, 36).

Gregor's father knew he was harming his son, which in the end, forced Gregor to accept his fate

and die in pain. Gregor's transformation provided the freedom he craved but still, he lost the

people he cared about most. This makes readers question if his freedom was truly worth it,

ultimately Gregor viewed his transformation as a burden but it helped open his eyes to his toxic

family and unhealthy lifestyle.

To start with, Franz Kafka explains the life of Gregor Samsa and his sudden

transformation from man to beetle. This novel provides the reader with information on Gregor's

life and what his purpose is. This transformation wasn't ideal; however, it forced Gregor and his

family to change their lifestyle. According to Kafka, Gregor's transformation played a big part in

his family's financial situation. Without their son working, Gregor's parents weren't able to

provide for themselves and their daughter. They became used to a particular lifestyle at their

son's expense, even though this lifestyle made him miserable. Kafka shares to readers what

Gregor thought while he was trapped as a beetle. "What a quiet life the family has led," Gregor

said to himself, and felt, as he stared pointedly into the darkness, a great surge of pride that he

had been able to provide his parents and his sister such a life and in such a beautiful apartment.
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But what if all the tranquility, all the comfort, all the contentment were now to come to a

horrifying end?" (Kafka, 22 ). Gregor managed to keep a job that he hated, provide for his

family, and not ask for anything in return. Gregor was desperate to get out of his new body, and

his sudden death was ultimately desirable because he came to realize that he would be trapped in

his family's home forever without any comfort. Without the transformation, Gregor would live

each day for somebody else without prioritizing himself and his ambitions. This change was

desirable for his freedom because it proved that Gregor was a burden to everyone. Gregor's sister

Greta grew tired of looking after him while he was trapped as a monstrous vermin. Greta shared

with her family, "My dear parents," said the sister, pounding the table with her hand by way of

introduction, "things can't go on like this. Maybe you don't realize it, but I do. I refuse to

pronounce my brother's name in front of this monstrosity, and so I say: We have to try to get rid

of it. We've done everything humanly possible to care for it and tolerate it; I don't believe anyone

could reproach us." (Kafka, 36 ) At the beginning of Gregor's transformation, his sister was the

only person willing to take care of him. It reached a certain point where Greta didn’t see Gregor

as a human being or her brother anymore, instead, she views him as a thing of disgust. Gregor

was granted freedom when he died because he discovered how his family truly felt about him

and that their love only came despite Gregor's repetitive lifestyle.

Moreover, author Jeffory Jerome Cohen describes the monster as a desire that we all have

inside. This monster allows us to be accessible regardless of the responsibility that is being

forced upon us. Cohen's article connects to Gregor Samsa's life because his transformation

created a whole new world for Gregor, a blessing in disguise. Cohen describes that the monster

can "function as an alter ego, as an alluring projection of (an Other ) self." (Cohen, 190). While
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describing Gregor and his life, I can understand how this quote and Gregor are similar. Gregor's

transformation reflected his alter ego because his real identity was bland and unsettling. Gregor's

life changed because he needed to come to terms with how he lived his daily life. By

transforming into a beetle, that sense of comfort and stability left, and his alter ego became

present to the world. In his article, Cohen states that "The co-optation of the monster into a

symbol of desirable is often accomplished through the neutralization of potentially threatening

aspects with a liberal dose of comedy: the thundering giant becomes the bumbling giant."

(Cohen, 192). In a way, Gregor's transformation can be seen as humorous because, in all reality,

a man transforming into a beetle is not ordinary. According to Cohen, the monster tries to make

itself something to be laughed at, while the overall perspective of the monster is to show the

authentic person behind the fabricated self. Cohen shares that "The monster is the objected

fragment that enables the formation of all kinds of identities - personal, national, cultural,

economic,....”(Cohen, 194). Gregor's monster was a response that reflected his lifestyle. Due to

his uneventful life, Gregor’s depressing personality caused him to transform into an unfortunate

creature. Gregor's new freedom is ultimately desirable because it allows him to create a new

identity without the constant stress of his family, work, and himself.

In addition to these arguments, I discovered two resources from the CSUN library that

helped show the acceptance of Gregor's transformation to himself and everyone around him. As

well as the isolation that Gregor felt while trapped in his bedroom as vermin. These articles are

crucial because they explain how Gregor's transformation was vital for growth and why his life

became more desirable. These sources help readers understand that Gregor's death was a better

fate than what he was living. The article "From a Cockroach's Point of View: The
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Metamorphosis of Perception in Kafka." by author Isabella Pezzinni explains to readers the

transition Gregor Samsa went through from man to beetle, as well as how he accepted his overall

destiny. Pezzini's main argument in this article explains the detrimental truth that Gregor Samsa

went through while learning how to adjust to his new lifestyle. Not only does Gregor have to

adapt to his new environment as a beetle, but his family also has to accept that Gregor can no

longer be the provider in the family. The overall argument helps readers understand that his life

became desirable after his transition because it describes the emotions both Gregor and his

family felt while watching him change. The second article, "Existential Failure in Franz Kafka's

The Metamorphosis," was written by Hamid Farahmandian and Pang Haonong. The author's

main idea is to show readers the fear and isolation that Gregor Samsa was going through during

his transition into a beetle. Due to Gregor's family, Gregor became depressed and isolated

because of their actions towards him. Now that Gregor has changed unexpectedly, the fear of

being a social outcast has put his family over the edge. While as a human, Gregor was forced to

live a life of despair, and the authors explain that Gregor never dared to stick up for himself

because of his spineless ways, which caused him to transition into a creature without a spine.

Thus demonstrating that his transformation was desirable because although his life didn't turn out

how he expected it to, he was set free from feeling alienated from those he loved. His death

saved him from a lifetime of dissatisfaction and despair.

In conclusion, I believe that Gregor's transformation was desirable for his freedom

because it allowed him to leave his toxic family behind. It saved him from forming more

negative emotions, and he was shown how those in his life reacted to his situation and death as a

whole. Many will consider all the negatives that happened to Gregor while transformed into a
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beetle and argue that this transformation was death by force. However, as readers, we observed

that Gregor's life was miserable, and nobody should have to live a life where they feel that there

is no point in moving on.