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Isolation In The Metamorphosis By Franz Kafka

785 Words4 Pages

The isolation of the individual results in a spiritual death that dehumanizes a lonely person. As with Gregor and human beings, seclusion can cause detrimental problems one can never move pass. The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka emphasizes how distortion of reality can convey a sense of alienation and how hardships can lead to unravel the dark aspects of human behavior. After Gregor’s physical transformation, his family no longer sees him as a worthy individual and thus push him aside and view him as a responsibility rather than a person. As the sole provider for his family, Gregor’s life turned into a vicious cycle of only working, removing all his social aspects, critical for a healthy individual’s life. As human beings evolved as interdependent …show more content…

Kafka, beginning his novella, dehumanizes the main character with the transformation from man to vermin. Gregor “quickly one after another, with tears of contentment streaming from his eyes, devoured the cheese, the vegetables, and the white sauce; on the other hand, the fresh food didn’t appeal to him; he couldn’t stand the smell, and he even dragged the things he wanted to eat a little distance away”. Shifts from his food selection and desires to his voice and vocal communication declining, portray the changes that begin to apart him from mankind and his family. As one knows for humans to survive communication is key and because Gregor could not express what he was feeling his mental state never really evolved. From this point on all “purpose” that Gregor possessed seemed to disappear for not only himself but in his family’s viewpoint as well. Therefore, Gregor’s family disregarded his life both in human and vermin form. Unfortunately, Gregor never had real humanity, as this is portrayed with hobbies, socialization, and having a clear sense of knowing oneself as a person, all things Gregor lacked. As the story progresses, Gregor’s physical appearance leads the separation he faces from his family and mostly spends his days hiding in his room. Additionally, the constant reminder and the whispers he heard of how much of a burden he was seriously detriment his

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Gregor’s initial reaction to his transformation shows his preoccupation with work. His confusion over his radical transformation does not last long, quickly becoming concerned with work and disregarding that he woke up physically transformed into a monstrous vermin. Immediately after realizing he had transformed, Gregor explains, “Well, I haven’t given up hope completely; once I’ve gotten the money together to pay off my parents’ debt to [the boss] that will probably take another five to six years… But for the time being I’d better get up, since my train leaves at five” (4). The quick transition of Gregor’s thoughts from the initial shock to his economic duties reveals his ironic nonchalant attitude towards his nonsensical transformation and

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Overarching Message: In the book, Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka, Gregor’s alienation from the outside world creates a depressing cycle of dehumanization and isolation. “The door was slammed shut with the stick, and then it was finally quiet” (Kafka 955). This encounter of Gregor’s father locking his bug-transformed son in his room guarantees Gregor’s alienation from society. Throughout the book, Gregor is cooped up in his room all day, delighted to see even just one person come his way. When Gregor is about to receive help from two people that aren’t family, “He felt drawn once again into the circle of humanity and expected great things from both the doctor and the locksmith” (952).

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1510 Words | 7 Pages

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778 Words | 4 Pages

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He wants the best for each of his relatives, and he needs frantically to be adored by them. At the point when Gregor transforms into a cockroach, he can 't live with the way that his family will never cherish him and will dependably exclude him. Lamentably, Gregor does not encounter a significant change of his character similarly that he encounters a change of his physical body. Although Gregor recognizes that his family will never embrace him, he experiences difficulties living with this fact.

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