Senior Portfolio: Literary Analysis

The Insignificant
Franz Kafka’s “The Metamorphosis”


In the 1915 short story, The Metamorphosis, the author, Franz Kafka illustrates the protagonist, Gregor Samsa transforming into an insect. Kafka transforming Gregor as a cockroach highlights certain portions of his personality. Through this, Kafka applies these certain aspects to have Gregor represent certain qualities of the common man. In addition, the family that Gregor supports embodies the higher society that benefits from the work of the common man. Nevertheless, they still look down and exclude him from their society. Kafka comments on the heartless society wherein the working class is neglected by high society when their services are no longer useful to them.

Kafka transforms Gregor as a cockroach to emphasize certain aspects of his personality. Kafka choice of vermin implies the similar characteristics between Gregor and the cockroach. For example, the connotations of a cockroach would include such terms as insignificant, burdensome, scavenger, bottom feeder and powerless. In addition, the cockroach would be an insect that is dependant on the living of others to supplement his livelihood and secludes itself from the human beings. Most of these implications apply to Gregor as a human. For example, the narrative reveals his occupation to be a “commercial traveler” (312), one that makes a living by soliciting others to buy his products. Clearly, Gregor fits the scavenger role. In the story, due to his obligation to support his family and “pay off his parent’s debts” (312) he is then unable to get away from his burdens, thus he is powerless over his decision to cut loose from the monotonous job he has. Finally, Gregor’s job makes him obtain the “prudent habit of locking all doors during the night, even at home” (313). Through this act, Kafka shows Gregor as a recluse towards his family. Through the narrative Kafka, has the reader find evidence to clearly link Gregor’s aspects to an insect.

In the narrative, Kafka has Gregor’s role in the family to be the breadwinner of the household and to pay off his debts to be free from working for the chief clerk. In addition, Gregor’s role has him represent the common man. The responsibilities and obligations Gregor is responsible for depicts him as the archetypical working man. Gregor has his debts to repay, a family to support and a higher authority he must answer to everyday. Kafka explains this through what is going on in the house. The protagonist would be locked in his room, separated from the servants, the cooks and the food. The door between Gregor’s room and the rest of the house symbolizes the borders between the aristocratic family and the sole provider for them. Gregor is the workingman who is concerned with the security of the family, one who “thinks nothing but his work” (317). While the family he supports has little to no concern for him. One example is when he is in his room as a bug; the family was unaware of his suffering just to “get up from bed” (314). One strong example is how the chief clerk arrives at the home to find the whereabouts of Gregor, his candid demeanor had him state that him and Gregor were “men of business” (316) regarding Gregor’s inconvenience as insignificant compared to his work. Kafka displays the chief clerk as the taskmaster; the careless figure that can care less of Gregor’s problems, yet he needs him to get up to get to work.

Further into the short story, the family represents the powerful, the upper classes that benefit from the worker, at his expense. Kafka insists this in lieu of the activity of the household. One example is that Gregor as the main source of income wherein he provides the money for the family; yet, the family would use this money to hire a “servant” (318). This would be a weird use of the money in lieu of their position in the story. One would say their way with money is frivolous as the tastes of the upper class. The life of the family compared to Gregor’s life is more comfortable, more enjoyable than the toiling Gregor lives. The family’s realization of Gregor’s transformation would then alter their lives as well as their perception for Gregor. The family’s main source of income has been debilitated through his transformation as a bug. Now that Gregor is impaired if this, the family worry whether they can survive with Gregor now having to be pampered. The remainder of the novel has the family toiling to make ends meet with Gregor being their burden. All the hardships get the best of the family until they now came to the decision to remove Gregor from the house. Kafka’s symbolic act would ironically set Gregor as the bad guy that is pictured to deprive the family of a decent living.

In summary, Kafka illustrates how society would welcome the providing party with open arms only if it benefits them, until that major source of their income on longer is useful, they will shun that party, abandon them to rot in solitude. Kafka scorns society for their parasitic manipulation towards others and how the same practice can happen in one’s own home.