Midterm: Analysis of “the Metamorphosis”

Cuthbert Mbewe

Professor N. Al-Amin

English 102/020

24 October 2017

Midterm: Analysis of “The Metamorphosis”

“The Metamorphosis”, by Franz Kafka is a good piece of literature. The point of view of this story is unclear to some readers because it is in the third person. We do not know who narrates the story. None of the characters in the house is narrating the story to us, and there is never any mention as to whom is telling the story. Although it is evident that the narrator knows a lot about the Samsa family, and tells us very clearly everything happening in the house. This narration is very open to us, and gives more insight into the events of the story.

Gregor Samsa is a traveling salesman who shortly after returning home, wakes up one day to discover that he has literally changed into an insect. Upon an initial reading I could not help but wonder why Gregor underwent this transformation, and what purpose it could possibly serve in the story. I thought the transformation was a metaphor, but he did turn into an actual insect. Gregor himself does not seem to think twice about the fact that he woke up as a giant insect, rather he spends his thoughts on the monotonous, things that he needed to get done as if being a giant cockroach would not interfere with his normal activities. From my understanding, he is not really worried about his body or how something like that can happen in real life, instead he is worried about how he is going to present himself like that in front of other people. He is more importantly concerned about work, because he cannot catch the train and go to work that day. He wondered about what he should say to other people when they come and knock on his door. I immediately got the feeling that something mysterious is going on. How can a person that just into a bug, be not concerned for that, but rather concerned about work and his family. In fact, he is concerned for what will happen to his family after he is fired and cannot support them anymore. During the confrontation with the manager from his office, he begs the manager "please sir, spare my parents". Because of this selflessness, my initial analysis was that Gregor is the sympathetic character in the story.

The Metamorphosis does not only apply to Gregor’s physical transformation, but extends to the Family member’s emotional, and mental state as well.  Each of them had to come to terms with Gregor’s transformation and they each reacted in a unique way. Gregor’s mother, whose name is not revealed, is a physically and emotionally weak woman. Her initial reaction to seeing her son as an insect for the first time resulted in her collapsing. She cares dearly for Gregor which is first shown by her distress when Gregor does not wake up at his usual time. It is evident that Gregor’s mother has the hardest time coping with his transformation. She cannot bear to lay eyes upon Gregor. Though she has trouble adjusting, she doesn’t stop loving her only son. Gregor’s father, reacts very distinctively to the metamorphosis. At first, after his initial shock, Mr. Samsa seems to be the least affected by Gregor’s inhumane state. It seems that Mr. Samsa feels that he must protect the rest of his family from this abomination living in his house. Unlike his mother and sister, Gregor’s father no longer recognizes Gregor as his son. This is made clear when Mr. Samsa attacks Gregor by pelting him with apples.  Grete seems like the only one who cares about her brother, even in the body of a giant insect. She keeps his room clean and brings him things to eat twice a day. She worries about what he might like to eat, and to find out his likes and dislikes, she brought him an assortment of foods.