The Metamorphosis is an allegorical novel by Franz
Kafka, published in 1915.
The protagonist of this book, Gregor Samsa, is a travelling salesman. He lives with his sister Grete, his mother and his father, a very strict man (probably inspired by Kafka’s father).
One day, Gregor
wakes up in his bed and finds himself inexplicably transformed into a big roach.
He starts wondering about the destiny of his family, considering that he is the
only one who works in his family.
He tries to open
the door of his bedroom using his new pincers because he needs to meet his
family and know their reaction about his new body.
“ <<What a quiet life the family has led>> Gregor said to
himself, and felt, as he stared pointedly into the darkness, a great surge of
pride that he had been able to provide his parents and his sister such a life
and in such a beautiful apartment. But what if all the tranquillity, all the
comfort, all the contentment were now to come to a horrifying end?
However, as
soon as his parents and his sister see him, they are scared: his mother faints
and his father hurts him with a cane. Then, their fear becomes disgust.
For this
reason, Gregor is forced to stay closed in his bedroom. Grete, because of her
repugnance toward her brother, obligates him to hide himself while she tries to
take care of Gregor’s new version.
“To spare her from even these glimpses, he dragged the sheet to the sofa
on his back one day—this required four hours’ work—and laid it in such a way as
to conceal himself entirely, so the sister could not see him even if she
stooped down.”
Moreover, Gregor
has to change his habits because his body has changed: he cannot talk, he
cannot walk fast, he cannot eat “human food” and he begins walking on walls.
However, in
the end, Grete abandons Gregor. Now he is completely alone. He understands his
family, above all his father, cannot love his new version as they used to love
him before his metamorphosis. Gregor for his parents and for his sister is now a
monster.
“<<My dear parents>>, said the sister, pounding the table
with her hand by way of introduction, <<things can’t go on like this.
Maybe you don’t realize it, but I do. I refuse to pronounce my brother’s name
in front of this monstrosity, and so I say: we have to try to get rid of it.
We’ve done everything humanly possible to care for it and tolerate it; I don’t
believe anyone could reproach us>>.”
The Metamorphosis focuses on the alienation of the
different. Indeed, when Gregor’s body changes, his parents and his sister
change their attitudes toward him. They are scared by Gregor’s new body and,
looking at him, they consider him as a dangerous and monstrous creature. The
problem is that they do not try, not even remotely, to see beyond his appearance.
The author, through his story, wants to show us that people tend to judge the others on their appearance without really
knowing them.
Moreover,
Kafka highlights the egoism and the thanklessness of the parents. Until Gregor
earns money and provides for them, they treat him kindly, but, when he cannot
do that anymore, they treat him poorly.
The Author: Franz Kafka
Franz Kafka, was
Bohemian German-speaking writer, born on 3rd July 1883 of a Jewish family.
He did not get on well with his father, Hermann. Actually, his father was a very
strict religious person, while Kafka was not interested in the Jewish religion.
In 1901, he
started to study Chemistry, but, after only two weeks, he moved on to Law.
During the first year of studies, he met Max Brod, who would become a very
important friend of his. In 1906, Kafka graduated.
In 1907,
Kafka began working as an insurance broker. However, in 1922, he was forced to
leave this work because of tuberculosis.
Meanwhile,
during those years, he several different affairs, such as those with Felice
Bauer or Milena Jesenská-Polak.
On 3rd June
1924, Kafka died because of tuberculosis. When his three sisters were killed in
a concentration camp between 1942 and 1943, on the base of Kafka’s gravestone
was added a commemoration for them.
The majority
of Kafka’s works were published posthumously and some of them were left incomplete.
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