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Metamorphosis By Franz Kafk Denial Of Worth

1526 Words7 Pages

Elizabeth Pace
Doctor Jane Hinckley
IHUM 202-001
12 August 2023
Denial of Worth
Kafka created a compelling short story that delves into family relationships, commenting on the worth that is placed on family members depending upon their accomplishments and the services and benefits that they offer to their family. Kafka’s main character, Gregor, wakes up and discovers he has been transformed into a vermin one morning, testing his relationships with his family as some believe the bug is him and others do not. Throughout Metamorphosis, food is a powerful symbol used as a mirror to reflect the family’s emotion towards Gregor and the unfortunate circumstances surrounding his transformation into a bug. As the story progresses, the emotions of his …show more content…

When Gregor is first introduced in this story, he establishes food as a symbol for success when he describes his encounters with travelers. In Gregor’s mind, his work is more valuable, and he completes a higher quantity of work than the people who live a traveling lifestyle. Gregor reflects to himself, “when I go back to the boarding-house to send off the orders I’ve booked, these gents are only just having their breakfast” (Kafka I). Gregor measures his worth by the amount of work he completes and his ability to provide for his family's needs. In comparison to those living a traveling lifestyle, his breakfast is much earlier. To him, this is a sign that he is more successful. His food comes earlier and has a purpose behind it: to fuel his success at his job. Gregor’s father has a similar mindset on the importance of breakfast. Gregor describes how the “The table was still laid with the china from breakfast, far too much of it, for Gregor’s father regarded breakfast as the most important meal of the day” (Kafka I). This description leads the reader to conclude that their contributions to the family’s success, symbolized by food—specifically breakfast in this instance—is the most important characteristic of individuals within Gregor’s family. The addition of having too much china at breakfast shows that their family is experiencing a time of

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