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The Metamorphosis Literary Analysis

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The Metamorphosis, a fantasy novel by Franz Kafka, begins with a seemingly senseless sentence preparing you for the illogical story of Gregor Samsa. “When Gregor Samsa awoke from troubled dreams one morning, he found that he had been transformed in his bed into an enormous bug.” (Kafka 1.) Even in the event of turning into a large insect, Gregor finds himself stressing over work. To the reader this is very insignificant to the fact he has undergone and huge physical change and work seems very trivial. He even includes the vast understatement, “...and he himself definitely didn’t feel particularly fresh and lively.” (Kafka 2) The whole situation is rather comical, but the reader comes to realize the situation is much more serious. Gregor’s only purpose in life is his work and appealing to his family. …show more content…

Before the transformation he was the sole provider, now his family must all work and sell their belongings, causing them to blame the bug inhabiting their home. As Gregor continues they become colder and colder, causing him to lose his purpose. Without his family he is nothing, he is left only to wish that he could help By providing for his family and working, he earns validation, and now he feels his life is meaningless and is a burden to those he loves. Gregor has no greater purpose and the longer he goes without this the deeper he slips into his depression. As the family struggles to pay bills and work blue-collar jobs they form a sense of denial over their lost kin. They begin to believe that Gregor is not Gregor, but a mere bug. Gregor hits his lowest and is completely without meaning, his family has disowned him. Unable to bare this shame he slips into a sleep that leads into his death. “’And now?’ Gregor asked himself, and looked around n the darkness. He soon made the discovery that he could no longer move around at all.” (Kafka

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