By Afroditi A. Karagianni,
Franz Kafka’s Metamorphosis is a rather controversial literary piece. Since its release, it has divided audiences, and has managed to confuse, intrigue and trouble millions of readers worldwide. Despite this controversy, it is generally considered a literary classic, and poses as one of Kafka’s most popular, inspired and admired works.
Having heard so many different things about this book, I found myself eager to read it and express my personal thoughts on its unorthodox story. Of course, I do not wish to spoil it for anyone who will be reading it, so I will mostly strive to discuss the piece without revealing too many details about its plot or ending. Mind you, I am no expert, and my comments are nothing more than my personal opinions based on my own understanding of this book.
The premise of the story seems rather straightforward: Gregor Samsa, a young man living with his parents and little sister, wakes up one day and finds that he has been transformed into a bug. What follows is Gregor’s journey of accepting his new form and lifestyle, while simultaneously trying to heal his wounded (due to his metamorphosis) relationship with his family. Of course, it goes without saying that reconnecting with his people is a practice easier said than done in his state, and Gregor soon realizes that his past (human) life has well faded into memory.
I personally loved Metamorphosis. For starters, its plot, although bizarre, managed to captivate me with its uniqueness and inventiveness. Truth be told, it is one of those stories that you come across once and remember eternally. Moving on, the way both Gregor’s and the family’s emotions are presented in the piece is truly outstanding. For instance, feelings like sadness, anger and yearning are depicted in such brilliant ways through the actions and the words of the characters. This reality significantly aids one to connect with the family members in a deeper level and understand their motives and reactions. Furthermore, I thoroughly appreciated the detailed descriptions existent in many parts of the book (like those involving Gregor’s desperate attempts to learn how to move as a bug), since they made the story come to life, and assisted the reader in empathizing with what the characters go through.
As far as the book’s messages are concerned, as I see it, through Metamorphosis, Kafka manages to shed light onto some pressing problems faced by multiple real-life people, especially by members of the lower and middle classes. For example, in the beginning, we see Gregor who –even in his bug like state– excessively worries about his job and his bosses’ reaction when the latter realizes that his employee did not show up for work. In other words, he briefly considers his transformation and quickly turns his thoughts to his pressing need to provide for his parents, so that they can pay off their debts. This narrative, where Gregor agonizes about his job and families’ finances, is a recurring theme in the book, and simultaneously a reality that plenty can relate to.
Surely, real life people do not transform into insects, but many among us live in agony and fear due to their financial instability and troubles. Moreover, they often neglect both their mental and physical health while overworking themselves to make ends meet and consequently end up losing their identities along the way. This fact is incredibly heartbreaking, and Kafka managed to articulate it in an elaborate way through the character of Gregor, who at some point (while talking to himself) even begins listing how he is a very hard working, moral and faithful employer, and after he “deals” with his issues, he will return to his duties and be more hardworking than ever. At its core, in my opinion, Gregor’s transformation into a bug could be a metaphor for the transformation the modern-day man has undergone, and how one can easily convert into a working creature, whose sole purpose in life is to work and produce.
At the same time, Gregor’s metamorphosis itself may as well be a metaphor for the mental or physical illnesses that many people endure. To paraphrase, many argue that Kafka, (indirectly) through this piece, manages to present how one’s illness can have a drastic and profound negative effect on their life, and influence their character, behavior, interpersonal relationships and career.
Finally, themes like alienation, isolation, depression, grief and longing are all discussed in ingenious ways through various symbolic scenes and interactions amongst the story’s’ characters, who are faced with their day-to-day problems while trying to accept Gregor’s new identity and deal with the incidents that shape the story.
If you had told me that I would be this moved from a story that centered around a man’s transformation into a bug before reading this, I would have to see it to believe it. To me, Metamorphosis is an unforgettable, special and thought provoking read, that makes one reevaluate societal norms and pressures, all the while effortlessly highlighting the intensity and complexity of our interpersonal relationships. Mind you, I found it rather heavy and sorrowful at times, as it contains many hard hitting and emotional scenes. Ultimately though, if you are up for it, I would totally recommend you give it a read, just so that you can experience Kafka’s distinct writing style firsthand.
Reference
- A Summary and Analysis of Franz Kafka’s ‘The Metamorphosis’. Interesting Literature. Available here
