Dehumanization In Franz Kafka's Metamorphosis

Many characters under go their own change after Gregor is turned into a bug and they each have their own way of dealing with it. Gregor’s major change did not occur when he turn into a bug, but through the changes that happened around his life. Before the change Gregor could be compared to a worker bee, he would go through life doing as he was told by others. Gregor said, “For the time being, however, I must get up because my train leaves at five”. This shows how he would go through life on a schedule, much like a worker bee. “The Metamorphosis” focuses on the alienation on a common man after he can longer do what is expected of him, this is shown by Gregor 's relationship with his family, social life, and the way he goes through live after the metamorphosis. It suggests that the common man is reduced to an insect by the modern world and his family; human nature is focused mostly around us being self absorbed. We tend to look after our own need before the needs of others. Through out “The Metamorphosis” it can be seen that the more generous and selfless one is towards others, the worse one is treated. This view is in direct conflict with the way the generous common men should be treated. In this case the common man is represented by Gregor, the common man should be treated in accordance to his actions. Gregor should be beloved by his family regardless of the way he looks or what he has become.This can be seen all throughout the story. Gregor 's family is only concerned with what the metamorphosis Gregor under went will have on them, such as the effect it will have on their finances and how others see them. Gregor is penalized for trying to be a good son and a good worker. His troubles are taken for granted by his family. His family does not care much for Gregor beyond what they can get out of him, outsiders are reverentially

In The Metamorphosis, Gregor, who has transformed into a vermin, has ignored his transformation and worries about not being able to aid to his family financially. One could say that Gregor’s primary role is to fulfill the role of the financial provider in his family, as he is the only one that works. The father, however, chooses not to take this role and expects Gregor to fulfill this role. When Gregor does not meet up to this expectation, it frustrates the father, as he must begin working. This shows that the father has always been able to work, but would rather not burden himself with this task, and when Grete starts to work afterward it proves this. Afterward, Grete, Gregor’s sister, starts to work independently and realizes that Gregor

In reading Kafka’s “Metamorphosis” the character Gregor is the one that he uses to describe a man who has an acute loss of spirituality. For example, Gregor had a dream he was a bug and this dream became so realistic that it turned into his reality. In Gregor’s perspective, he can’t control himself and has lost his self with this dream that his voice even changes making his family worry about him. Throughout Kafka’s “Metamorphosis” Gregor’s happiness or what he thought was happiness slowly starts to deteriorate. Gregor had a job to help his parent’s pay off debt that they were in and since he can’t function as a normal human being he lost his job. During post-WWI Europe’s capitalism happened to be the real deal and paying off one’s debts were

In beginning of the novel Grete is submissive younger sister, who listens to her parents and does not voice her opinions. Upon finding out about Gregor’s metamorphosis she originally is reduced to tears, for her family has keep her sheltered from society, thus Grete was just an innocent young girl. However as the chapter progresses Grete turns into the only person in the family who is willing to tolerate Gregor in his insect form, Grete grows assertive protecting Gregor and continuing to treat him as her brother. As Grete continues to care for Gregor their parents begin to see Grete as a proper independent and competent woman; however, once Grete is required to work as a shop girl while also maintaining her studies her patience and fortitude begin to dwindle. Grete finally cracks when Gregor ruins her violin concert by showing the tenants his true roach form. After this incident occurs Grete no longer can tolerate Gregor, she denounces him as her brother. The climax of Grete’s character development occurs when she strongly declares that Gregor should be disposed of like the true pest he is. In the beginning of the novel Grete is living in a fantasy world, where she thinks she can care for Gregor and maintain a comfortable lifestyle; however, as Gregor becomes more of a burden Grete begins to hate him to the point where her whole attitude changes on the situation, leading to the death of

After Gregor’s metamorphosis the cruelty his family showed him changed. He was now not just confined to his house but his bedroom with very little human interaction. His sister Grete who seemed to show Gregor the most compassion in the begining changed and in the end was the one to say “it has to go”. Grete’s sudden change of heart towards Gregor triggered his death as he crawled back to his room and died at 3

Kafka lived most of his life with his parents and never married. He had a distant mother and domineering father who had a profound effect on his romantic relationships and writing. Kafka questioned the adequacy of his own body and mind. The author poured all the questioning thoughts and visions he had about himself into the consciousness of Gregor Samsa, and imagined the remedy to the problems to be found in a woman, Grete. Kafka envisions that his “…body is too long for its weakness…” and imposes his own image on his counterpart Gregor, who’s “…left side felt as if it were one long, painfully tightening scar…” (Kafka 278). Kafka chooses Grete as the one Gregor looks to to solve his problem when the office manager comes to inquire about his absence from work. In his weakness, Gregor cries “If only his sister were here−she was perceptive…” (Kafka 276). Additionally, Kafka considered a woman to be a source of energy and nourishment. He thought he had “…no fat whatsoever for creating a beneficial warmth, for maintaining an inner fire, no fat from which the mind could someday nourish itself beyond its daily need… (Straus 660). He believed that his failings and emptiness would only be resolved by a woman and “the fat and warmth that a woman’s body is imagined to provide”

Much like the Jewish community, he is mistreated and disowned by his father who is a symbolic representation of society’s ideals in the early 1930s. He begins to be isolated by his family mainly his sister/mother who remove materials from his room while leaving him inside showing the comparison to Nazi soldiers who robbed Jews of their valuables and money. This shows the isolation created for Jews as they are looked at differently and mistreated as innocent human being. Lastly, the apple stuck in Gregor’s back shows the suffering that Jews had to go through carrying the burden and pain along as they are discriminated

While Gregor begins are the all mighty, male provider, he regresses into an effeminate state as he no longer can perform his tasks for work. As his transformation into a vermin worsens, he no longer can perform any action and further conforms to the true identity of a bug. Grete, on the other hand, picks up the male provider role that Gregor could no longer perform, but then, as she becomes tired with the work and as Gregor identifies with an “it”, goes back to her female role. Gregor's physical change forces him to degenerate to death, but allows Grete to thrive, growing into a

As the main character, Gregor Samsa, transforms from human state to that of a beetle, there are many aspects that are left unexplained and seemingly unstable. For example, in the novel, Gregor’s transformation into a beetle is left unexplained by Kafka. Kafka opens up the novel by stating, “When Gregor Samsa woke up one morning from unsettling dreams, he found himself changed in his bed into a monstrous vermin” (Kafka 1). There is no scientific or physical evidence as to why this transformation occurred, but it can be ascertained that it is a psychological transformation. Another aspect of the novel left unexplained by the author is that of the pain that Gregor feels. Kafka includes the pain that Samsa feels at particular parts of the novel, but also the pain seems to be

He can't help his actions. What readers should understand is that Gregor woke up as a cockroach and could not communicate like a human, walk like a human, he didn't eat what a human ate, and he had the characteristics and actions of a cockroach. In one example, what happens is Gregor thinks he is talking to his family but he realizes they can't understand him. Also, he eats garbage, hides from people, and avoids light and open areas. This experience shows that Gregor had no choice but to be isolated because the cockroach lifestyle came to him naturally along with his physical form. There may be an argument, but these are the reasons Gregor is forced to be an outcast by

Gregor’s isolation and loneliness begins to toy with his composure, he becomes unpredictable and frightening to his family. Although, Gregor’s slow transformation from man to bug eventually becomes beneficial to Gregor. For instance, Gregor’s bug-like appearance allows him to be released from his family's high expectations. As for his developing bug-like qualities helps him to register his inner anger he feels towards his father. Gregor now realizes his father shows no sympathy towards Gregor and instead punishes him for something he has no control over. Gregor began to resent his father for throwing household items at him, squashing him like a bug. Even his beloved sister Grete began irritating Gregor by removing all of his belonging from his room, leaving him with nothing. The cruelty performed on Gregor by his own family sends him into a dark pit of despair. With nothing to live for he began to slowly end his life, making one final sacrifice for the ones he loves

His strenuous profession, as a traveling salesman, restricted necessary human fulfillment that affected him psychologically. His feeling of dissatisfaction in his daily life revolved around traveling and working long hours. As a result, he felt the feeling of being separated and withdrawn from others. Humans are have social qualities that need social interaction for healthy development. He was not able to build a real friendship because of traveling, which caused harm within his social life. The narrator describes a recently hung picture, “The picture was of a woman clad in a fur stole; she sat upright and held out to the viewer a thick fur muff into which her entire forearm disappeared” (Kafka, 2013, p. 112). The protagonist displayed, this picture in his room to symbolize his search in finding love and a true meaning in life. Therefore, depriving Gregor from having a social life affected his mental

The rejection of Gregor by his family is evident throughout the whole story. The first time it happens is before anyone has even seen his new form. A detail in the story says, "In the room on his right there followed a painful silence; in the room on his left his sister began to cry." (Page 5) This hurricane of emotion was solely based on how Gregor had not gone to work that morning. Additionally, the only reason why Gregor did not go to work that morning was because he had gone through a metamorphosis into a vermin and had trouble going through his normal routine. He could hardly manage to get out of bed, much less go out to work. This causes the rest of the Samsa family to begin developing negative emotions towards Gregor. The family 's rejection of Gregor continues throughout, and an example of this is after the first time Gregor got out of his room. "Then his father gave him a hefty shove from

2. The picture is really important to him, because that picture represents his past. He is clinging to his past. It also represents wealth and he has this picture because he wants to be the woman with the fur the fur represents the wealth and that's how wealthy Gregor wants to be.

Even though the begging of Part II alludes to the notion that Gregor has been completely severed from the humanity concept, because he woke up at twilight, there are numerous events at the end of the chapter that substantiate the belief that he is more human than his family. First, his remembrance of his sister’s ability to “play movingly” on the violin suggests a sense of humanity in him because he not only recalls the proud feeling of watching his sister play the instrument, but also is willing to invest his own earnings in fulfilling his sisters’ dreams. Second, when his mother’s few words enter his body, first time after his astronomical transformation, he once again is reminded of his humanity as he makes an emotional connection to that moment. Third, him instantly protecting the framed picture hanging on the wall yet once again symbolizes his link with humanity because it acts a medium out of alienation; furthermore, the glass that separates him from the picture represents humanity in that though it seems out of reach, it still is reluctant of leaving him. Finally, at the end of the novel, when Gregor seems to garner enough courage, he puts his self-interest before his consideration for his family, yet once again alludes to him being more human because he yearns for freedom, which is a humanistic concept. Therefore, these are some literary examples from the text that substantiate the belief that Gregor is evidently more human than his family by the end of the