Metamorphosis Analytical Essay Example

Change is something inevitable; it affects everyone and is a permanent part of the lives of every single person. In the book Metamorphosis, Franz Kafka explores the various ways a character can experience “metamorphosis” by showing the changes inflicted by the main character, Gregor’s, transformation into vermin. The characters in Metamorphosis change as a result of Gregor’s transformation by finally owning up to the problems each of them faces like stepping into the spotlight, taking responsibility, and realizing that family isn’t always everything. Gregor’s sister, Grete, changed when she was forced to become one of the breadwinners of the family, his father when he turned to anger towards Gregor after his transformation, and Gregor through watching himself become distant from his human origins and slowly realizing his family only used him for financial income. 

Metamorphosis occurred through Gregor’s sister Grete when she was forced to become a breadwinner in the family and become useful to them in the household to prove herself worthy of her parents’ love. After being told for years that Grete was useless and unworthy of affection, she decided she wanted to change their minds and step up when Gregor was useless to them. This is first shown when Grete takes charge of her brother’s maintenance. Grete is shown to feed Gregor and clean his room when nobody else wants to even take one glance at his new vermin body (Kafka 11). This action by Grete shows that everyone strives to be noticed and loved when they are feeling under appreciated. She wanted her family to finally see that she could be just as helpful as Gregor. Being in the shadow of her once human brother must’ve taken a toll on her giving her the motivation to show Gregor what it’s like to be in her shadow instead. Another way Grete stepped up to the top was when she got a job as a saleswoman to provide a separate money source for her family. Grete used this job to fill the place of Gregor since he lost his job due to obvious hindrances that didn’t allow him to work (21). Grete getting a job shows that she can be just as capable as her brother when he could still be of any help. Again, she wanted to step out of her brother’s shadow and finally have a light shone on her instead. She wanted her brother to watch her be capable of what he was able to do and to watch him wiggle, squirm, and struggle to even get out of bed. One other way Grete tried to work her way up to being better than her brother is when she told her parents that she wanted Gregor gone. This is shown when Grete says, "Father, Mother", said his sister, hitting the table with her hand as introduction, "we can't carry on like this.  Maybe you can't see it, but I can.  I don't want to call this monster my brother, all I can say is: we have to try and get rid of it” (26). This shows that his sister feels that she’ll get all the attention from her parents if they just get rid of “it”, being her brother. Getting rid of Gregor would turn the attention to her indefinitely because there’s no one to compete with. With her working and doing all the chores around the house, her parents had already loved her more, but with Gregor gone she would have no chance of it ever changing again. She would be at the top forever and always. While Grete changed a ton throughout the book, her and Gregor’s father changed as a result of his transformation as well. 

Mr. Samsa, Gregor’s father, went through his own version of metamorphosis due to his son’s transformation into vermin by growing cold and distant with him and coming out of retirement to provide an income. When Gregor’s newly transformed body was first seen by his family and coworker, Mr. Samsa resorted to violence. This is shown when the narrator states, “Gregor's father seized the chief clerk's stick in his right hand (the chief clerk had left it behind on a chair, along with his hat and overcoat), picked up a large newspaper from the table with his left, and used them to drive Gregor back into his room, stamping his foot at him as he went” (10). Mr. Samsa choosing to harm Gregor, knowing he’s his son, shows that he had gotten used to the idea of not being held accountable for his family’s sustainability. He relied on Gregor to provide an income and keep the family afloat which shows that people tend to get used to relying on others when the opportunity presents itself. When Gregor transformed, he realized that he wouldn’t be able to rely on him any further, so he took his anger out on his son. Another way Mr. Samsa took his anger out on his son due to his anger was when he threw apples at him. This is shown when the narrator states, “...then, right beside him, lightly tossed, something flew down and rolled in front of him.  It was an apple; then another one immediately flew at him; Gregor froze in shock; there was no longer any point in running as his father had decided to bombard him” (20). When Mr. Samsa threw those apples, he was trying to hide his true feelings, embarrassment. He tried to keep his embarrassment hidden because his son had been taking care of him for so long and he was trying to hide the fact that he was starting to realize the way he’d been living. He forgot that Gregor was the only one helping and he wanted everyone to think he was this “big and strong” man that was never vulnerable. This event also shows that people tend to fall back on others when they allow it to take the easy way out. Another way Gregor’s father changed is when he got a job to provide a helpful source of income for the family. Gregor peered his head out from behind the door to find his father all dressed up in a blue uniform. He looked the best he had been since Gregor’s transformation, and it happened to be because he had gotten a job at a bank institute (19-20). This job that his father had changed him by giving back his value for working for what he has. He got the job to help pay for family expenses, which Gregor usually covered, and he finally tried to do something for them. This shows that even though people tend to rely on others, it’s always important to keep the value of working hard for what you want. Mr. Samsa went through metamorphosis throughout the story, but nobody tops Gregor’s changes throughout the story. 

Gregor Samsa experienced metamorphosis after his transformation when he drifted away from his human origins, and he started to realize his family’s true intentions. One way he changed throughout the story was when he was forced out of his job due to the unexpected metamorphosis he went through overnight. Gregor wakes up from his slumber to find small legs wiggling around under his blanket. The chief clerk, his parents, and his sister all went to check on him, but were all surprised to find vermin protruding out of the room once his door opened (9). Gregor losing his job took one ginormous part of his life away from him due to him always working with barley any breaks. People tend to overwork themselves for other people which is shown through Gregor. He worked extremely hard to provide for his family, but all they did was rely on his hard work and took him for granted. Once he stopped working, his family stopped caring which had shown Gregor the true colors of his parents. Another way Gregor experienced metamorphosis is when he started climbing on the walls. This is shown when the narrator states, “...it was hard to just lie quietly through the night, his food soon stopped giving him any pleasure at all, and so, to entertain himself, he got into the habit of crawling up and down the walls and ceiling.  He was especially fond of hanging from the ceiling; it was quite different from lying on the floor; he could breathe more freely; his body had a light swing to it; and up there, relaxed and almost happy...” (16). Crawling on the ceiling and the walls had never been a part of Gregor’s routine in the past, but due to his transformation he was starting to become more distant to the life he desperately missed. This newly found entertainment shows that giving up passions can result in change. He shows this through giving up his past enjoyments and finding new one’s that more suit his new body. Another way Gregor changed is when Grete wanted Gregor to be dead and expressed that to their parents where he heard the whole conversation. This is shown Grete says, “Father, Mother", said his sister, hitting the table with her hand as introduction, "we can't carry on like this.  Maybe you can't see it, but I can.  I don't want to call this monster my brother, all I can say is: we have to try and get rid of it” (26). Hearing this, Gregor decided it was best to rid himself of the burden that he caused as a result of his transformation. He did this because he realized that his family never really cared about him, all they cared about was the income he accumulated. Seeing this, and still caring about his family, he decided it was best for him to do what they wanted of him once more. This shows that people tend to do what they think is best for everyone else, rather than what that person wants. 

Over the course of the book, the characters of Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka have experienced their own version of metamorphosis. Gretel wanted to finally be shown in the light and be seen, Mr. Samsa took his insecurities out on Gregor, and Gregor found himself slipping away from his past and family. The Samsa family goes through many changes causing them to feel unseen, be angry and show emotions in unhealthy ways, and realization of the true colors of the people around them. In conclusion, Metamorphosis is not just a book about the change from human to vermin, but it’s a combination of many different types of metamorphosis that are showcased.