Ambiguity In The Metamorphosis

Absurdist literature and ambiguity go hand in hand in creating magnificent stories like Franz Kafka’s The metamorphosis. Kafka expertly crafted an ambiguous, dream-like, symbolic journey that delves into the isolation and alienation of Gregor Samsa’s transformation. His use of these literary devices expertly creates an ambiguous narrative—one that resonates deeply with readers over eighty years after its debut. Although Gregor Samsa’s transformation is absurd, it stands as the perfect metaphor for his relationship with his family, society, and himself.

Franz Kafka uses ambiguity in “The Metamorphosis” to create an atmosphere of unease and passivity throughout Part 1 of the story. First, when Gregor Samsa wakes up, he is not sure of where he

Early in the story, Gregor’s sense of alienation becomes apparent when he invites himself to his funeral and peeks out from the bedroom door. He is aware of the fear his family experiences being around him and he longs to be close to them again, but cannot because of his new form. Later in the part, Gregor’s family neglects him because of his transformation. Gregor had been the breadwinner of the family before, and his family had relied on him heavily. Now that they see him as an insect, they no longer have empathy for him, or even see him as a human anymore. This caused a deep alienation among the family, as Gregor could no longer communicate with them. As the family’s attitude towards him changes, it further ostracizes Gregor and makes him feel even more isolated. Gregor inhabits two very different physical worlds. The first is his tiny home and the stage for most of the short stories’ action, where his family, especially his sister Grete, tries to take care of him. Yet he is isolated from them, too. As a giant insect, he is trapped in a body, unable to communicate with them, express his thoughts, or show his affection. The literal physical wall makes this isolation worse he creates and surrounds himself with when the family learns to accept his transformation, putting an unsurpassable distance and barrier between himself and those he loves. The other world is Gregor’s workplace, where he is so isolated with feeling and guarded to such a degree that it prevents him from sharing anything with anyone. The few reminders that he is a fellow human being are scant and