The Metamorphosis By Franz Kafka

652 Words3 Pages
The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka is a chronicle of the transformation of a sales man, Gregor, into a giant insect. This transformation turns into his alienation from his family and ultimate death. Before his metamorphosis, Gregor is seen by his family as a source of income. After becoming an insect, he is no longer accepted and is alienated from the family. The story conveys major themes: alienation from society which turns Gregor into an insect and his transformation as his liberation from the burden of having to support his family. Further, Gregor becomes a symbol of the dehumanizing nature of work, and how people every day become more and more dehumanized with the logistics of their jobs. As he transforms and dies being an insect, his sister Grete blossoms into a young woman. Gregor’s life portrays a hostile world in which people are only valuable as long as they earn a salary and provide for the economy. It is interesting to see how Gregor’s job was like a prison he wanted to escape of. Further, the obligation of having to support his family is the only thing that ties him to his job. He depends on his job in order to survive just like many Americans today. On the other hand, his boss and his family depend on him. When he suffers the transformation, he is unable to return to work, and his family has to start working in order to survive. As a result, Gregor is isolated from the outside world, and his family’s new obligations alienate him more and more to the limited space in his room. This portrays the dehumanizing nature of work and how employees are used and discarded when no longer needed. Gregor’s transformation and alienation also reminds us of the necessity of many to put the elderly away as they are no longer “productive” in society. Working hard for little had no compensating result on Gregor’s life. However, if we see his transformation as
Open Document