Franz Kafka's Metamorphosis Essay

A metamorphosis is a process of change which often produces a beautiful end to the subject involved in the change. However, The Metamorphosis, a novel written by Franz Kafka in 1915 does not end with a positive development for Gregor, the main character. The story revolves around a traveling salesman, Gregor Samsa, who lives under the crushing feeling that he has no control in a life he has not chosen for himself. This lack of control leads him to wake up one day to find himself literally transformed into a cockroach. “he found himself changed into a monstrous cockroach” at the beginning of the tale on page 1204. His metaphoric transformation resulted from the weight of the futility he feels toward his job and his obligation to work, the

Gregor is the only working family member, and he takes his job seriously. He makes many sacrifices for his family, and in return he feels unappreciated. His father failed to support the family, and he acts aggressively towards Gregor. On the other parental side, his mother defends him occasionally but mainly feeds in to the father’s anger. After Gregor’s transformation, every member of the family abandoned Gregor and waited for him to disappear. Ultimately, they were disgusted by his appearance and they felt betrayed by his sad condition. Gregor is already having a hard time coping with this horrific transformation. He eventually starts to realize that his adaption is impossible. He finds himself losing attachment to humanity, and he starts to lose hope. His family begins to clear out his bedroom furniture. In this circumstance, they are making it clear that his existence is a burden to the family. Gregor concludes his family would be happier without him. It is clear he was trapped forever. His family is not supportive of his transformation. In fact, they are disgusted by it. Over time, Gregor’s personality changes along with his new physical desires in his new body. He begins to prefer cramped, dark spaces, and doesn’t feel comfortable in his own bed. Also, he begins to get disturbed by noise, which leads to him preferring to be left alone entirely. He considers any human contact upsetting as a result of his