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Dissociated Tone In Franz Kafka's Metamorphasis

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Franz Kafka in his novel Metamorphasis, utilzies an apprehensive and dissociated tone to explore the way that one reacts during change can cause their mental well-being to decline. Gregor's concern about getting out of bed instead of being a bug displays a dissociated tone. Gregor has awakened as a bug, and Kafka wrote, "His immediate intention was to get up quietly without being disturbed, to put on his clothes, and above all eat his breakfast, and only then consider what else was to be done, since in bed, he was well-aware" (page 71). Gregor’s first thought was to be isolated and get up for work without burdening others. His most important need, Kafka wrote, is eating, this could represent the hunger he has for change in his life or his …show more content…

His sister betrays Gregor by stating, "I won’t utter my brother's name in the presence of this creature, and so all I say is this: we must try and get rid of it" (page 124). The word "it" in this dehumanizes Gregor and perhaps Grete said "it" to feel less guilt about desiring him gone. Next, the word creature creates a villain-like description of Gregor which shows the family’s anxiety about him being around them at all. This could represent a moment where family and close friends see their close friend or family member acting differently because of mental health. Gregor becomes a burden to his family because he turns into a bug, this can represent one feeling like a burden to others while dealing with mental …show more content…

We see a shift in tone after Gregor’s dad throws the apple at him, Kafka states, "so that lying in the darkness of his room, invisible to his family, (page 111). The shift in tone specifically here could be an allusion to the Garden of Eden because as soon as Adam and Eve eat the apple, they are cast out of the garden, much like Gregor being isolated from his family. In the beginning, Gregor's calmness could be an outlet for the peace he was feeling because his life before turning into a bug was so burdensome and he wasn’t living for him. This can connect to mental health; as we see, he was in this cycle of going to work and sleeping with no other description. This could connect to multiple mental illnesses, such as OCD, and the vicious cycle of obsessions and compulsions. In addition, not being able to get out of bed can be connected to dealing with mental health and the daily toll it can take on one. The shift in tone that Kafka has could represent mental health, and his death could represent growing worse to the point where one is caught in this debilitating cycle they’re dealing with and cannot do their normal daily

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The tone shifts throughout novel, but maintains a common theme. In the beginning of the chapter, “Gregor [awoke] out of a deep sleep, more like a swoon than a sleep”. This change in diction from deep sleep to swoon gives the text a more serious and mysterious tone as Gregor state of unconsciousness is described as a more intense state. Kafka establishes a vulnerable tone as he describes that Gregor’s “One little leg...trailed uselessly behind him”.

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Imagine one day waking up with a terrible dream and was turned into a bug. Well, that’s what happened to Gregor Samsa, a short novella called “The Metamorphosis” by Franz Kafka. When Gregor Samsa was turned into a bug, his father, mother, and his sister treats him differently. At first, Gregor’s family feels sorry for him and then later on, his family treats him like a bug. As the days goes by his family became more frustratuate on him.

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When the story starts, Gregor is more or less unhappy with how things are going but is unable to change the fact that he is the sole provider for his family. Throughout the story we do see Gregor realize he spent his whole life pleasing his family then, when he is unable to provide for them we see his family getting fed up and annoyed with him. They are unable to deal with his change and to make it easier for them to cope, they try to not even think of him as Gregor. Father often refers to him as “it” and towards the end Mother and Grete do too. He became more and more frustrated with his family and acted impulsive at times because he was not able to make his family understand.

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Gregor Samsa’s insect transformation is a reflection of his inner emotions, and grandiose desire for his family’s empathy. Franz Kafka used a large opening gesture, turning the leading character into a bug, to reiterate the ideology that the oppressed are overlooked in society. Gregor’s personal freedom is corralled by both a demeaning job, and a society that seems to dictate his obedience. Kafka demonstrates the connection between Gregor’s inability to work, and his narcissistic demeanor.

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In "The Metamorphosis," the main character, Gregor, unavoidably metamorphosizes into a “gigantic insect,” (Kafka, 1915, p. 89) and undergoes several psychological transformations that demonstrate his growing disassociation from the contemporary world. He is moreover so negatively impacted by his isolation from his family that he ends up putting his own wellness below his intense need to support the family. Throughout the transformation, Gregor begins to prioritize his own personal needs and desires as opposed to other people's needs. Franz Kafka's "The Metamorphosis" furthermore signifies the emotional shift that Gregor experiences; the central protagonist of the novella suddenly stops behaving normally, and his surroundings continue to shift. (Kafka, 1915) Gregor had already been living an automated life under subjugation, sacrificing his personal and social life to support his family while they all remained home.

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Gregor's problematic relationship with his family is his major turning point, which Kafka depicts through his isolation in his room. Kafka portrays that Gregor had indeed become a bug, trying to keep his transformation hidden under the sheet in his bed. The audience is offered insight into the monster he had become after his isolation from the rest of the world. Kafka further portrays that the feeling of loneliness had crawled within him like a hunter or a sneaky thief, making him suffocate with grief. This showcases the significant effect that isolation can have on an individual's emotions, impacting them negatively.

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When looking at Franz Kafka and Gregor Samsa in “The Metamorphosis” many will see some very close ties between the two, such as issues with their family, particularly their father. It can be said that “The Metamorphosis” is a reflection of the author Franz Kafka’s real life issues with his father. Kafka, an astonishing author, reflects his reality into “The Metamorphosis” and also shows a peak of his identity who he really was and what he had to deal with through his work. The many encounters Gregor has with his father, while as an insect were never pleasant. For example, his father tries to kill him by throwing apples at him and his mother has to beg for his life to be spared, “From the fruit bowl on the sideboard his father had filled his pockets, and now, without for the moment taking accurate aim, was throwing apple after apple.”

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