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Metamorphosis By Franz Kafk Denial Of Worth

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Recommended: Symbolism used in metamorphosis

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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Gregor’s mother tried to justify her son being late for work because he is sick due to being a workaholic. Everyone tries to get Gregor to come out of his room,

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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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Here Gregor is contemplating the impracticality of missing work, while completely ignoring the fact that he turned into a vermin. Gregor’s ignorance to his own personal problems highlights his dedication to pay off his family 's debts (pg 9), at the expense of his wellness. The overcast weather and the mention of his depressed mood creates a pessimistic mood which would feed into Gregor’s already gloomy outlook on life. His want to sleep and forget his problems shows a pressure that Gregor must always be under. His hardworking attitude doesn’t match up to his willingness to ignore his problems.

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Gregor delivers for his family in much the same way as a creature would offer for its nest or store. He expenses almost all aspects of fun, and does not desire to do anything but work. Eventually, his income becomes less of a substantial act, and more of an anticipation. His family 's existence rests solely on his shoulders, just as a queen bee relies on the worker bees. Gregor’s metamorphosis is representative of this commodification of man.

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For a moment he had forgotten all about the general manager.” This is not the only case in which Gregor chooses his family over work. He also makes a reference to this when he states, “For the time being, all such worries were assuredly unnecessary. Gregor was still here, and abandoning his family was the farthest thing from his thoughts.” He is willing to sacrifice anything in order to make his family happy, including himself.

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The narrator said, “During the first fortnight, Gregor’s parents could not bring themselves to enter his room…” He has been disconnected from his family to the point where they’re emotionally unstable and unable to treat him as he deserves with affection and comfort to help him cope with his metamorphosis. The narrator shows this disconnection before the mutation,”Gregor later earned so much money that he was in a position to cover the expenses for the entire family…” He later described the exchange not “particularly warm”. Gregor feels alienated by his parents because of the lack of affection for him providing for them.

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Gregor is being isolated and left out of his own blood family. In Part 3, the text states “In this overworked and exhausted family who had time to worry and longer about Gregor more than was absolutely necessary?” (167). Gregor becomes neglected and lives in filth. His room is used for storage and garbage.

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The Repercussions of Cruelty Cruel actions lead to cruel endings. Gregor Samsa, the protagonist in Franz Kafka’s novella The Metamorphosis, is turned into a bug from the mental and emotional abuse by the hands of his own family. The cruelty in the Samsa household is apparent from the beginning of the storyline. Their neglect and lack of compassion for Gregor's condition immediately sets the dark and miserable mood of the novella. Gregor’s whole existence has been about caring for his family and making sacrifices for their well being.

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Gregor Samsa’s transition from human to vermin was not the only shift that happened through the duration of Kafka’s The Metamorphosis. The novel is centered around Gregor who wakes up as a vermin, presumably a cockroach, which catalyses a series of emotionally traumatic experiences for him and his family, culminating in Gregor’s death. Yet the most significant change is, in fact, the gender role reversal seen both with Gregor and Grete, his sister, as Gregor becomes more effeminate and Grete becomes more emasculate, directly correlating with their societal and emotional transformation due to Gregor's physical change. From the moment, Gregor wakes up he has transformed. But not just as a vermin.

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The narrator describes a recently hung picture, “The picture was of a woman clad in a fur stole; she sat upright and held out to the viewer a thick fur muff into which her entire forearm disappeared” (Kafka, 2013, p. 112). The protagonist displayed, this picture in his room to symbolize his search in finding love and a true meaning in life. Therefore, depriving Gregor from having a social life affected his mental

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Gregor is a thoughtful and compassionate person. However, he lives a life he does not enjoy. Gregor hates his job. He thinks, “Oh God, what a strenuous career it is that I’ve chosen! (…) there’s the course of travelling, worries about making train connections, bad and irregular food, contact with different people all the time so that you can never get to know anyone or become friendly with them.”

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In the beginning of the story the relationship between Gregor and Grete shows that they care for each other. The day after Gregor has turned into a bug , Grete tries to feed him, keeping in mind what he liked when he was a human. The story states “There was a bowl of sweetened milk in which floated little pieces of bread” (pg.

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