Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka, Essay Example

The “Metamorphosis” written by Franz Kafka is a literary marvel, and it encompasses the journey of a man into the world of an insect. The author being an existentialist and often attributed as being an absurdist, reveals a striking composition of the protagonist Gregor Samsa, and his metamorphosis into a vermin. He created a set of intelligently woven inter relationships, that changes over time. His narration is full of skepticism, humor and an ardent wit… and expresses the underlying cynicism of exploitation, misery and injustice. Kafka also seems hostile to human relationships, which he feels are highly extraneous and camouflaged. The plot is centered on Gregor Samsa, a simple and hardworking employee; a good son, who lived his life like an animal, working to meet the debt of his parents. The irony is that, when the so called ‘good son’ transforms into a ‘vermin…they change. They disregard Gregor, isolate him and throw him alone to suffer and fight his trauma. They even sigh in relief to the sudden death of their son.

Biographical significance of the Metamorphosis: Kafka paints the protagonist Gregor Samsa, with the colours of vivid imagination and experience. Gregor acts as a mouthpiece to describe the author’s personal agony about family, the troubled relationship with his father and the dark totalitarian nightmare which shadowed Europe in the twentieth century.

Kafka was a Czech born author, with a dominant family background. His father Hermann was a businessman and was eloquent about his identity. He was not supportive of the intellectual brilliance of Frazer and often divulged in incessant criticism against his son. He verbally assaulted Franz, and scorned his lack of success. Kafka bore the grunt and the abuse,  but still continued to stay with his parents. He never could gather the courage to rebel against his father. Thus he sketches Gregor as ‘a man without backbone’, who has no voice to protest against his family. Moreover, Kafka was a writer at heart and could never associate himself as a businessman or lawyer. But the subjugation of his family had almost compelled him to accept the profession. He felt like he was like a bug working all the time, and his freedom was ruthlessly curbed. His profession disturbed him much like Gregor, who was also tired of his office and his nagging manager.  These instances show the profound influence of the author and his family background on the script on Metamorphosis. To manifest his profound grief and apathy, he voices Gregor and explains his mental turmoil. So he made his protagonist a bug, an insect who is the subject of constant ridicule and torment by his family. He thinks that family bondage is superficial and is more of ‘give and take’ rather than unconditional love. Franz suffered from tuberculosis and his ill health has constrained and reduced his movements. Similarly, Gregor after his transformation was unable to move with restricted physical movement.

Social implication of the transformation: Franz Kafka being the son of an upper middle class as well as German speaking Jewish family was traumatised by his family from childhood. His father was a tyrant while his mother was loving but distant. Kafka was left with the other siblings in the care of servants. This has transformed the psychological intellect of Kafka into an inalienable, predisposed and lonely wretch. He was selfless and sacrificed his life for the family entanglements…only to receive further contempt. His inner self thus metamorphosed to a ‘bug’, an inhuman and repulsive creature that was eventually drifted away from his family, society and from the people he loved. Since 1912, Franza’s story has evolved from a minority Jewish community …it appeared that the period was conversational when many of the family had migrated from the country to the villages, were vehement and staunch, they disregarded the sentiments of their children and subordinated them to relent to their desires and being absorbed in the new cultural environment.  It implied social strata, where parents were over selfish and over intrusive about the thoughts and actions of their children. They thought that children were there to follow their path, principles, logic and ideals even if the character or individual refrains from doing so. The autocratic and selfish behaviour of parents is highlighted… when the parents of Gregor Samsa found that their child was paralysed and affected, their first concern was the ‘job’ of Gregor. They instantly became worried about the financial implications that would fall in their family in the absence of their son’s income. They did even falter to think about their son and his turmoil. Gregor was astounded to see the hypocrisy of his family…and was sad to see that he had wreaked his life for the happiness and affluence of his so called family. He still wants to hold over, and embrace his sister and get the love from his family…only to be treated with further neglect. Instead of being a consoled, his things were removed and they alienated him from their company. They left him alone to suffer and die.

Religious or Historical Significance: The author was born as a Jew and remained a Jew for the rest of his life. Kafka was an atheist in his young age but eventually took particular interest in sins, truth, punishment and God. His work and his characters reflect a strong sense of Judaism. Gregor had accepted his transformation as a result of his fate, a latent manifestation of the existence of supernatural power; he also thought that it was a judgment on behalf of the almighty for some unknown faults of his. Kafka also signifies the plight of the Jews, who were abused and oppressed …were alienated and secluded. Thus he reflected Judaism sentiments of being left alone, alienated and a sense of being treated as an alien in his own country.

Conclusion

The Metamorphosis is a parody of symbolical meanings and double gestures. The beginning marks the climax of the story…we get the first shock when we come to know that a man has suddenly transformed in the animal. From therein lurks our interest as to whether it was a hallucination of the protagonist, a dream or an event that was meant to end soon. Yet we see that things get worse and finally the protagonist dies. Thus the ray of optimism in our minds while reading the story deteriorates with every line…and the fact is eventually accepted that Gregor is a bug and must now deal with the consequences of the fact.

The implications and the inner meaning is plausible and has been the scope of interpretation by endless critics- the Marxists, the Symbolists, the Biographers and the modern critics…all have gathered their resort and their version of the pseudo implications of the story. Thus we can imagine the wide and gallant vision of the author who could adhere to different formulations and could impress so many schools of thought.

Many interpret the metamorphosis of Gregor a mental phenomenon rather than a physical one. The absurd change of physical appearance and the psychological transition in his life… the behavioral differences among family members …portrayed diverse eloquent facts. The event of his transformation symbolizes his empty and outcast life; maybe it implies the degradation of humanity in the modern era; or the seclusion implies his worthlessness to be as successful as his father; or maybe his narration described the real self of Kafka in the eyes of his father. Though humorous and witty, there is an obscure tone of sadness about the entire plot. It makes us think and pity Gregor and at the end we find ourselves relate to his apathy and torment. The stark intellectual comedy makes us evaluate our own selves and makes us glance through our relationships …make us falter and think …would our transformation would be as painful as Gregor.

Reference

Friedman, Maurice. (1963), Problematic Rebel – Melville, Dostoievsky, Kafka, Camus. Kafka, Franz.

Translated by Stanley Appelbaum, (1996) The Metamorphosis and Other Stories..

Pawel, Ernst.(1984) A Nightmare of Reason: A Life of Franz Kafka.