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The Important Themes Of Tragedy In Kafka's The Metamorphosis

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Nothing brings people together more than a shared tragedy. In Kafka’s novella The Metamorphosis, this important theme of tragedy is highly present, where the struggle is what causes bonding between the family members. Gregor, having metamorphosed affected his family greatly. Over time, his family had to adapt to the tragic transformation of Gregor, in order for them to live a comfortable and pleasant life. Having each understood that change is difficult to endure, they all metamorphosed, though instead of physically like Gregor they changed mentally. Gregor’s father is the individual who undergoes the biggest metamorphosis, as he is forced to become once again the provider of the family instead of Gregor. Gregor’s crippling transformation into a vermin left the father with the task of providing for the family that not only brings him closer to them but also triggers his transformation into a strong hardworking man . Kafka decided to describe Gregor as a hard working individual who did everything and anything to provide for his family. Gregor still focused on getting to work the day he transformed into a vermin making it a priority despite what had occurred to him: “First of all though, I've got to get up, my train leaves at five,”(Kafka 2). Gregor Samsa is portrayed …show more content…

Gregor’s father’s transformation is of great significance, as with Gregor’s transformation they both help create tight bonds with one another. It was all the tragedy that resulted in positive outcomes. Going through a tough journey in which it took a few stages for Gregor’s father to finally act upon the changes that needed to be taken is what gave the novella a deeper meaning. It is possible to compare and contrast the different metamorphosis though it is evident that they are similar as they both focused on one thing,

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233 Words | 1 Pages

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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507 Words | 3 Pages

He is willing to take on anyone in order to support his family, which plays into the theme of family duty. Also, Gregor’s determination and military experience (pg 12) is displayed in his plan making and strategizing to capture his manager. The loyalty to his family, displayed by working and trying his best to keep a job he doesn’t want, gives insight into Gregor’s character. The unhealthy relationship Gregor has with his family is very common for a character in Franz Kafka’s book. His own tumultuous relation reflected onto his characters lives.

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959 Words | 4 Pages

Each family member experiences a metamorphosis, because each of them started to despise Gregor and thought that he was ridiculous. But in irony all of them also became savages and just waited for gregor to die to start a new lifestyle with his sister, so they were more disgusting and absurd than Gregor turning into a bug. “ [Mr. and Mrs. Samsa] thought that it would soon be time, too, to find her a good husband. And it was like a confirmation of their new dreams and good intentions”, these were some of thoughts of the mother and father after the death of Gregor, this shows how little they cared for their son. They were ready to start a new life which symbolizes the metamorphosis the family is going through.

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1. Almost from the very beginning of Gregor’s metamorphosis, Mr. Samsa has been unwilling to accept Gregor as his son. Furthermore, Gregor’s transformation into an offensive form of an insect, constantly reminds Mr. Samsa of the grotesque, feeble, and pathetic aberration that he has fathered. Consequently, now that Gregor has genuinely revealed himself in all his audacious behavior, his cruel father is driven to destroy him. In his eyes, Gregor has become everything loathsome to him—scrawny, parasitic, and futile—not the kind of son this once successful and ambitious storekeeper could be proud of.

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Grete undergoes her own metamorphosis. She went through a phase of meekness, caring, and to a grown young woman. With Gregor being a part of her life it has shaped who she has become, the young, caring, and mature woman. When Gregor went through his transformation, it helped Grete to learn who she wants to be. So, I conclude that Grete experiences the most significant

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777 Words | 4 Pages

Gregor’s isolation and loneliness begins to toy with his composure, he becomes unpredictable and frightening to his family. Although, Gregor’s slow transformation from man to bug eventually becomes beneficial to Gregor. For instance, Gregor’s bug-like appearance allows him to be released from his family's high expectations. As for his developing bug-like qualities helps him to register his inner anger he feels towards his father. Gregor now realizes his father shows no sympathy towards Gregor and instead punishes him for something he has no control over.

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1047 Words | 5 Pages

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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Neither Kafka nor Gregor followed the existentialist idea of freedom of choice in a person’s life. They both had a life they didn’t ask for and responsibilities they were forced to assume. This principle of lack of freedom is clearly shown by the unexpected transformation of Gregor, waking up as an insect and obtaining the freedom he lacked, emancipating himself of obligations, injustice and final duties. He is freed from the obligation to work to maintain his family and liberated himself from his tyrannical father. Although he turned into a horrible insect, the metamorphosis did not change the beauty of his soul.

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In reading Kafka’s “Metamorphosis” the character Gregor is the one that he uses to describe a man who has an acute loss of spirituality. For example, Gregor had a dream he was a bug and this dream became so realistic that it turned into his reality. In Gregor’s perspective, he can’t control himself and has lost his self with this dream that his voice even changes making his family worry about him. Throughout Kafka’s “Metamorphosis” Gregor’s happiness or what he thought was happiness slowly starts to deteriorate. Gregor had a job to help his parent’s pay off debt that they were in and since he can’t function as a normal human being he lost his job.

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There are hundreds of works of literature out in the world, many of them are great, and some are not as great. What makes them great is the truth behind them, the true feelings, and what it truly meant to the author. Many great works of literature are influenced by several different things, in the case of “The Metamorphosis”, it was influenced by the life of Franz Kafka, the author, and his real- life experiences. The Freudian concept help explain why “The Metamorphosis” contains symbols and clues that can be used to compare certain relationships throughout Kafka’s life, one being with his father, and the other with woman who entered his life. Franz Kafka was a German man who worked as a lawyer who worked at the workmen’s Accident Insurance

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293 Words | 2 Pages

The Metamorphosis is about a man named “Gregor” who once supported his entire family consisting of his father, mother, and sister undergoes a “metamorphosis” overnight and wakes up to an entirely new body. His life is then completely stripped apart with only memories of not just his old body but memories of his old life. Gregor is then put into exile from his entire family who can not bare to enter his room, all but his sister who kept him fed and cleaned his room to Gregor’s delight. Gregor who has been fired from the firm at which he used to work at had nothing to do other than think with all his new found time. He does not just dwell on the past, but the future he was shooting towards.

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1857 Words | 8 Pages

Franz Kafka, heavily influenced by Ovid’s Metamorphoses, devises the character Gregor Samsa in order to portray a detailed experience of an individual’s metamorphosis. Kafka’s narration style differs greatly from Ovid’s, in that, the narration begins with a first person perspective and changes to a third person narration, which remains consistent to the end of the novel. Unlike the stories within the Metamorphoses, there is a clear contrast in the portrayal of Gregor’s transformation. Ovid and Kafka’s depiction of a metamorphosis incorporates the concept of identity in the individual’s transition, however Kafka emphasizes the family dynamic and the hostility Gregor feels. Gregor’s family’s inability to look past Gregor’s exterior appearance

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745 Words | 3 Pages

He 's become a burden in her life. Her sympathy for him is completely gone. He is no long her brother, just a vermin. In conclusion, Gregor and Grete’s relationship drastically changes in The Metamorphosis.

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795 Words | 4 Pages

He became embodied by his weak form and closed off to the real world, literally. Gregor’s influence on his family also allowed his father to grow as an individual and appear superior when dressing within his

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In fact, Kafta mentions Gregor’s transformation in the first sentence of the story. “One morning, when Gregor Samsa woke from troubled dreams, he found himself transformed in his bed into a horrible vermin”. Kafta does not specifically mention how or why Gregor transformed into a monster like figure, but implicitly indicates that Gregor’s absurd life is imminent. Moreover, the transformation of Gregor illustrates the absurdity of himself as a human being. The existence of Gregor as a monster-like creature brings extreme disruption to the household, in which Gregor’s parents begin to work due to the lack of income.

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