Literature Analysis: The Metamorphosis

1. In Franz Kafka's novella The Metamorphosis, Gregor Samsa wakes up to find that he has transformed into a gigantic insect. He thinks briefly about his condition before realizing that he is extremely late for work. (Gregor is a traveling salesman, with a very tyrannical boss. His family relies on him to defray their debts.) Soon after his parents realize that he hasn't left for work, the chief clerk arrives to inquire about Gregor's absence. Gregor struggles to get up out of bed, all while repeatedly telling his family and the chief clerk that everything is okay, and that he is presently getting ready for work. He finally opens the door and allows everyone to see his condition. They were all terrified, and the chief clerk runs away. Mr. Samsa chases Gregor back into his room, where he fell back asleep.
   Gregor reawkens in the mid-afternoon to find that his sister has left food out for him. This becomes the routine: Grete, Gregor's sister, lays food out for him regularly in the morning and the afternoon. No one visits him. This system remains intact until Grete and Mrs. Samsa go into Gregor's room to rearrange his furniture. This threatens Gregor's sense of humanity, so he comes out of hiding to protect his remaining possessions. Mr. Samsa misconstrues Gregor's actions for an attack on his mother and retaliates by throwing apples at him. Gregor is severely injured, and feels even less human as a result. The family tries to be more accepting of him, so they leave his door open for him to observe the family.
   The story concludes with Gregor's discovery. Three lodgers have come to stay in the Samsa house (to aleviate the pressure of living expenses). One night, as Grete is playing the violin, Gregor is drawn out into the living room. One of the lodgers spots the giant insect and is utterly repulsed. They declare that they are moving out, effective immediately. After the commotion dissapates, the family decides that the insect in their house is not in fact Gregor, and that they need to get rid of him. Gregor is left to lament his metamorphosis. The next morning, the charwoman finds Gregor's corpse lying in the middle of the room. Mr. Samsa evicts the lodgers, fires the charwoman, and leaves with the rest of the family on a trip to the countryside.

2. The story has several themes.Among them are the limits of human sympathy and the struggle to understand personal identity and/or humanity.

3. Kafka related the story in a very neutral, or sober tone. His diction lacked any emotional charge, or reflection of a distinct attitude towards the subjects of the story. Actually, the apparent lack of tone is somewhat absurd (due to the outrageous events told in the story) and creates a very disturbed mood for readers.

•   "As Gregor Samsa awoke one morning from uneasy dreams he found himself transformed in his bed into a gigantic insect-like creature. He was lying on his hard, as it were armor-plated, back and when he lifted his head a little he could see his domelike brown belly divided into stiff arched segments on top of which the bed quilt could hardly keep in position and was about to slide off completely. His numerous legs, which were pitifully thin compared to the rest of his bulk, waved helplessly before his eyes."
• "Gregor's eyes turned next to the window, and the overcast sky-- one could hear raindrops beating on the window gutter-- made him quite melancholy. What about sleeping a little longer and forgetting all of this nonsense..."

4.  Kafka's use of imagery, symbolism, setting, characterization, and irony all help the reader to understand the theme.

• Symbolism: "And so he rushed out-the women were just leaning against the writing desk in the next room to give themselves a breather-and four times changed his direction, since he really did not know what to rescue first, then on the wall opposite, which was already otherwise cleared, he was struck by the picture of the lady muffled in so much fur and quickly crawled up to it and pressed himself to the glass... This picture at least, which was entirely hidden beneath him, was going to be removed by nobody."
• Irony: "Once during the long evening one of the side doors was opened a little and quickly shut again, later the other side door too; someone had apparently wanted to come in and then thought better of it. Gregor now stationed himself immediately before the living room door, determined to persuade any hesitating visitor to come in or at least to discover who it might be; but the door was not opened again and he waited in vain. In the early morning, when the doors were locked, they had all wanted to come in, now that he had opened one door and the other had apparently been opened during the day, no one came in and even the keys were on the other side of the doors."