Masculinity In The Metamorphosis By Franz Kafka

Franz Kafka’s novella, The Metamorphosis, utilizes language to define the identities and influence of two characters who represent growth in a traditional society. The attempts at rebellion by Gregor and Grete lead to the erosion of their societal influence. The rich language depicts how Gregor manages the stress of being his family’s sole financial provider and also capturing his desire to break away from monotony. The style the short story is written in also reveals Grete’s social inferiority. The language signifies Gregor and Grete’s social identities and the diminishment of their power.
The language used by the narrator reveals a contrast in the authority accorded to Gregor. The narrator underlines Gregor’s masculinity using paradoxical

Although Gregor's metamorphosis represents his desire for freedom from oppression, the language employed in the novella shows how Gregor constantly faces condemnation and rejection as a result of his transformation. Gregor’s rejection of his metamorphosis is clear when “His father clenched his fist with a hostile expression, as if he wished to push Gregor back into his room” (Kafka 19). Mr. Samsa’s animosity for his son’s transformation is underlined by the vocabulary such as fist and hostile. He does not instantly punish Gregor, but his contempt is evident. Furthermore, as Gregor is attacked by his father, his fruitless effort at rebellion is solidified. The apple that Mr. Samsa has hurled represents the punishment he has imposed on Gregor. This is evident when the narrator states “Gregor wanted to drag himself off…But he felt as if he was nailed in place” (Kafka 52). The words nailed in place alludes to Gregor’s immobilization while also subtly underscoring the character’s internal realization of the futility of his defiance. Gregor is left in a weakened condition as retribution for encouraging development and putting forth an effort to revolt. Therefore, readers are made aware of Gregor's vulnerable position and deteriorating social status through the narrator's vocabulary as he describes Gregor's fruitless attempts at

Gregor’s dehumanization is displayed by Grete’s use of language when addressing the situation about what to do with her brother. As Grete says “I will not utter my brother’s name in front of this monster, and thus I say only that we must try to get rid of it.” (Kafka 67-68). The word monster serves to display how Gregor is no longer seen as human in Grete’s eyes. The use of the pronoun it cements his objectification and denies him of his humanity. Grete highlights how dehumanized Gregor has become by acknowledging that her brother is no longer alive and that the bug in their house is not him, but a monster. Additionally, the language draws a comparison between Grete's objectification and Gregor's dehumanization. Grete’s objectification is transparent when the narrator says “it struck Mr. and Mrs. Samsa almost at the same moment how their daughter…had blossomed…into a voluptuous young woman…they thought that the time was now at hand to seek out a good honest man for her” (Kafka 77). Words such as daughter and voluptuous young woman diminish Grete to her functions, notably her procreative abilities. Mr. and Mrs. Samsa only view Grete as a reproductive tool. Grete is objectified to her roles and never seen as a distinct person. Grete's bodily functions and the terminology employed to describe them show how women are designed to fulfill their reproductive needs. Therefore, through deprecative and