Gregor Samsa conveys to the reader that, “He could not be bothered to worry about his family; he was filled with rage at their miserable treatment of him” (Part III). This indicates that internal changes occurred within the family which caused Gregor to feel this way about them. Although Gregor undergoes the main metamorphosis in the novella The Metamorphosis, two secondary characters also transform throughout the story and they have a major influence on the story and develop crucial themes. These two characters are Gregor’s sister, Grete, and his father, Mr. Samsa. Grete’s metamorphosis comes in the form of how her attitude changes toward Gregor. Mr. Samsa’s revolution centers on how he views work and having a job. Grete’s drastic…
Sigmund Freud, the father of Psychoanalysis created a theory of personality, which pioneered new approaches to understand human behavior. Psychoanalysis is a systematic structure, which recognizes the relationship between the conscious and unconscious mind. Freud established that our concealed wills, beliefs, urge, conflicts and even memories are held in the unconscious part of our psyche. In this theory, he describes the psyche structured into three parts called the id, ego, and superego. The…
The Metamorphosis, translated by Donna Freed, Gregor’s constant struggles to achieve society’s standards of wealth, family, and self-realization cause him to become overwhelmed with his life, unable to cope with the issues he faces. From the very start of the book, the importance of work for Gregor is heavily emphasized, implying that the pressure of society on Gregor to succeed at work had become a stressor that eventually lead to his downfall. Despite his troubling transformation, work…
In the Metamorphosis, Gregor immediately feels negative impacts from his transformation from human to bug. He loses his job, loses the respect and compassion of his family, and loses his ability to be independent. In the Metamorphosis, Franz Kafka uses Gregor’s transformation into a bug as an allusion to ableism in a capitalist society by the description of Gregor’s reliance on others, ostracization from society, and the derogatory tone in which others speak to Gregor. Gregor loses his…
a very unique way in writing his books because his insomnia, helped fuel his creativity (Lindemann). In “The Metamorphosis” there is a section that explains the depressing and complicated life that Kafka had with his family. Kafka’s father was a factory owner and his family ran the business (Brod). In the section from Walter H. Sokel, he states that Kafka, “Hated his family in these fall months of 1912 as perhaps never before or since.” (Sokel) The reason he hated his family at this time is…
Gregor Samsa: The Voice of the Disabled in Kafka’s The Metamorphosis In Franz Kafka's, The Metamorphosis, Gregor Samsa accurately depicts the challenges, consequences, and ultimately the heroism associated with a severe disability. In fact, Franz Kafka had suffered from Tuberculosis, having to endure the paralyzing limitations of his illness. However, Kafka was then able to transmute his observations and experiences into that of a man imprisoned in a insect’s body. Following Gregor’s…
At first glance, the storyline of The Metamorphosis seems to be a novella of Gregor, the protagonist, who wakes up one morning from an unsettling dream to find himself transformed into a monstrous vermin. Underlyingly with a Karl Marx’s economic perspective, this short novel portrays a metaphor that gives this unpractical semblance a great deal of relevance to the structure of society. Marxism is the concept that the abolition of social classes is essential for an ideal society to happen. By…
Franz Kafka’s twentieth-century classic, Metamorphosis, shows the changes of the Samsa family after their son, Gregor, turns into a vile insect. Even though Gregor has turned into the most disgusting of creatures, this “metamorphosis” is ironic compared to the transformation that his family endures. While Gregor still sustains his humanity, the lack of any compassion and mercy from his family is what makes them the disgusting creatures rather than Gregor. The changes of Gregor’s father, mother,…
of life. In the book The Metamorphosis Gregor, a workaholic, wakes up to find himself as a bug. It is believed that Gregor becoming a bug is a symbol on how he feels with all his worries and stress. Due to his struggle, his life changed completely. When something sudden happens in one’s life, it can change their attitude on life and others. There are many tragedies that have happened in our world today. For example, The Boston Bombings that happened during the Boston Marathon. This bombing…
Metamorphosis Symbolism In the story “Metamorphosis”, by Franz Kafka, Gregor Samsa’s father throws an apple at Gregor’s body, the apple causing him pain symbolizes the relation between Gregor’s physical and emotional struggling. Before the catastrophe of the apple being thrown took place, Gregor possessed signs of suffering, as for when he initially woke up and realized he was a bug Gregor had sharp aches and itches on his left side. His job before the transformation caused Gregor some…