The Metamorphosis - a Review - Kalai Selvi Arivalagan (best books to read fiction txt) 📗

Introducing “The Metamorphosis”

“The Metamorphosis” is a novella written by Franz Kafka in 1915. The story begins with Gregor Samsa waking up to find himself transformed into a big bug. The story centers on Gregor Samsa and his emotional isolation. 

“The Metamorphosis” is an example for absurdist fiction.  This genre developed during the time between two world wars. Absurdist fiction includes satire, humor, irrationality, and agnostic themes.     The author brings in dark humor with the description about the bug and the way it moves around the room. 

Plot

The entire plot of “The Metamorphosis”  revolves around an instance of absurdity. Gregor Samsa wakes up one day to find himself transformed into a big bug. This sudden transformation keeps his family and his employer at a loss. When the family finds alternate ways to support their financial requirements, they start to neglect him. Gregor realizes that he has become a burden to the family.  He decides to come out of his isolation and regain the love of his family.

The narrator tells the story in third-person point of view, exposing Gregor's thoughts and feelings. This novella is an interior monologue of Gregor's thoughts and feelings.

The tone of this novella is serious.The story moves on stealthily with all the characters feeling disgust for Gregor’s sudden change.

In this novella, the author shows metamorphosis at various instances. Gregor changing into a bug is the important metamorphosis.  This physical changes brings within him the emotional metamorphosis.  The change makes the entire family to undergo through a metamorphosis that makes them learn how to financially support the family without Gregor's earnings. As time goes on, Grete, Gregor's sister undergoes the metamorphosis that changes her attitude toward Gregor.  In the beginning, she voluntarily helped Gregor by providing food that a bug will eat.  Her kindness slowly turns to hatred and she wants to get rid of the bug from home. 

Characters

Gregor never complains about being a bug and reconciles himself to this fact.  Gregor finds it comfortable hiding in the dark under the sofa or crawling around in his room.  When his father hits him with the apple, Gregor realizes that his family does not need him.  Finally, he starves to death.  Gregor Samsa represents the modern man who has to undergo continuing humiliations to earn and support his family. 

Grete Samsa, Gregor's younger sister, initially takes care of Gregor by providing food and cleaning his room. She is the only human contact who connects him to the family.  However, she also slowly loses interest and wants to get rid of the bug. 

Mr Samsa and Mrs Samsa and three lodgers are the other characters who fail to show compassion toward Gregor and give him moral support. When the cleaning lady informs them about Gregor's death, they accept it immediately without any regret.  

 Themes

Isolation

Isolation is the main theme of this novella.  Gregor begins to live in isolation after his transformation into a bug.  Initially, Gregor's sister, Grete accepts him and provides him with food.  She prevents Mrs. Samsa from seeing his son, for it may be a shock to her.  While Gregor keeps himself aloof inside the room, the other members of the family lead a normal life. Gregor stays within the room and observes the daily activities of the family. 

Setting

The story takes place entirely inside the home where Gregor lives with his parents and his younger sister.  The story begins with the transformation of Gregor into a bug inside his bedroom.   In only one scene, the giant bug moves to the hallway to listen to Grete playing the violin. All the other events concerning Gregor happen inside his room.  The family spends their time in the living room, and Mr. Samsa avoids meeting Gregor in person.  The final scene happens on the train bound for the countryside. 

Author

Franz Kafka was born on July 3, 1883, in Prague. As a child, Kafka attended German-language schools.  He graduated law from Charles-Ferdinand University, a German school in Prague.  Though he was not a brilliant student, his active participation in the literary club activities helped him grow his love for literature.  

During his lifetime, he published only seven of his short stories. After his death, his friend Max Bord edited and published most of his manuscripts.  His stories were highly imaginative and they focussed on dreams, fantasies, and nightmares.

His stories presented a world filled with insecurity, disappointment, and loneliness.  During his lifetime, he always felt he was a social outcast and he did not belong anywhere. The Czechs considered him a German, and the Germans considered him a Czech and a Jew. In his early writings, a reader could feel the pain he went through due to his social isolation. The conflict is with the soul struggling to find a place in the world.           

Publication Date: 04-22-2020

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Dedication:
The Metamorphosis