The Metamorphosis Analytical Essay

How far would you sacrifice yourself for the people you love? In the book ¨The Metamorphosis¨ by Franz Kafka, it illustrates how love or the lack of it can influence what people and how they feel throughout life. In the book, the main character Gregor, was not receiving love, which affected him negatively because the unconditional love he had for his family made him blind to the abusive nature the family really had. It also made him constantly sacrifice himself to the point of death.

“The Metamorphosis”, written by Franz Kafka, takes place in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, the city is unspecified. The protagonist, Gregor Samsa, is turned into a giant bug and struggles to regain his harmonious life as a traveling salesman. Gregor goes through both a physical and emotional change throughout the novel, from turning into a bug and then being unable to provide for his family because of his condition.

In The Metamorphosis by Frank Kafka cruelty is what stemmed Gregor’s change into a large bug and subconsciously motivated him to end his life. Gregor’s new form was a depiction of how he already felt in his household, trapped, voiceless, and small. As Gregor’s metamorphosis developed so did the characters cruelty which affected both the perpetrators and the victims. The Samasa family’s cruelty was demonstrated both physically and mentally by Gregor’s father driving him back into his room, throwing apples at him and by Grete’s use of the word “it”.

1.Gregory doesn’t like his job because he is only doing it to help his parents get out of debt. In his terrible dreams he only thinks about the traveling salesman job that he hates.

Ralph Waldo Emerson said “What lies behind you and what lies in front of you, pales in comparison to what lies inside of you.” “In a Good Man is Hard To Find” the Grandmother expresses herself as a lady of upmost standards. In actuality she lives as a Grandmother from the old South whose mouth runs on its own. The Metamorphosis includes Gregor a self-proclaimed family man who tries to take on most of the responsibilities. His way of living seems great for everyone, but at the same time does not seem necessary. In A Good Man is Hard to Find” and The Metamorphosis, The Grandmother and Gregor despite being completely different, also share very similar qualities. They differ in values but in the same way they are irresponsible and nuisances to

The two novellas “The Metamorphosis,” and “The Death of Ivan Llych” both describe the stories of two men suffering from dramatic events in their lives. The two men both suffer from the feeling of alienation from their families. The two stories can be compared in many ways, and give insight into the way these two characters found peace in their deaths.

Gregor Samsa is a traveling salesman working to pay off his parents’ debt. One morning, Gregor wakes up and discovers he is a “monstrous verminous bug.” He thought he was dreaming, but everything in the room appeared to be the same way he left them the night before. He tries to go back to sleep but cannot get on his right side because of his abnormal shape. He wakes up again and looks at his alarm clock, it is six thirty. He missed the five o’clock train and already knows he will be in trouble with his boss. His mother knocked on his door and warned him he was going to be late for work and needs to hurry in order to make the next train. Gregor does not want to rush to the train station so he decides to stay in bed.

Do you think outsiders are misjudged or misunderstood? What is an outsider? An outsider is a person who doesn’t belong to a particular group. In this case, outsiders are both misjudged and misunderstood. Most people judge outsiders by the way they dress, how they look, and who they hang out with or talk to. In the story “The Metamorphosis” by Franz Kafka, Gregor, was a boy who was turned into some sort of bug in the beginning of the story. As the story went on, Gregor's family started to isolate him for everything that they did. Towards the ending of the story “The Metamorphosis” Gregor’s family started caring less about him, especially his sister who was trying to help him.

To some, being an outsider could be preferred, and to some it could be a bad thing. Imagine you are the primary source of your family's care and living, but all of it comes to a stop because you all of a sudden become a cockroach. This is an what happens to Gregor Samsa and because of it, he is forced to be an outsider by society. In the story “The Metamorphosis” by Franz Kafka we meet Gregor Samsa, a successful business man who wakes up as a cockroach one morning. Because of Gregor's change, he is treated with care from his sister, but the bond starts to erase when Gregor's family members see him as a disgusting being and a waste of space, so they move away from thinking the giant bug in the apartment is Gregor. Remember, Gregor had no factor on whether he changed form or not. It just happened. In “The Metamorphosis” by Franz Kafka, Gregor samsa is forced to be an outsider from society.

Before Gregor’s metamorphosis his family treats with moderate respect, for they make sure he is always following his schedule and is never late for work. Gregor before his metamorphosis is seen as an asset to his family, for he provides another source of income for them, a better opportunity to life comfortably. However, along with this sense of comfort his family also treats him rather distant from a son, and a brother. Gregor in a sense is treated like a tenant in his own home; his parents never enter his room, only reminding him of waking, eating and leaving. This emphasizes the strained relationship between Gregor and his family. However, after his metamorphosis his family treats him more so like a burden, for Gregor no longer provides

Experiencing the tragic reality of war on ones own life. In the novel Johnny Got His Gun by Dalton Trumbo, Joe is a victim of the true reality of war and he is left forever changed by it physically, mentally, and spiritually. Through Joe, it is seen what the true price of war is. In “The Metamorphosis” by Kafka, we witness Gregor after he has experienced a physical change and because of this change the world around him becomes an unsupportive place to be.

Gregor Samsa’s transition from human to vermin was not the only shift that happened through the duration of Kafka’s The Metamorphosis. The novel is centered around Gregor who wakes up as a vermin, presumably a cockroach, which catalyses a series of emotionally traumatic experiences for him and his family, culminating in Gregor’s death. Yet the most significant change is, in fact, the gender role reversal seen both with Gregor and Grete, his sister, as Gregor becomes more effeminate and Grete becomes more emasculate, directly correlating with their societal and emotional transformation due to Gregor's physical change.

Cruel actions lead to cruel endings. Gregor Samsa, the protagonist in Franz Kafka’s novella The Metamorphosis, is turned into a bug from the mental and emotional abuse by the hands of his own family. The cruelty in the Samsa household is apparent from the beginning of the storyline. Their neglect and lack of compassion for Gregor's condition immediately sets the dark and miserable mood of the novella. Gregor’s whole existence has been about caring for his family and making sacrifices for their well being. However, his family never realizes these sacrifices and takes Gregor for granted, ultimately leading to his painful demise. Gregors perpetual devotion to his harsh family represents the unconditional love one feels for their own flesh and blood no matter how wicked they may be.

Almost from the very beginning of Gregor’s metamorphosis, Mr. Samsa has been unwilling to accept Gregor as his son. Furthermore, Gregor’s transformation into an offensive form of an insect, constantly reminds Mr. Samsa of the grotesque, feeble, and pathetic aberration that he has fathered. Consequently, now that Gregor has genuinely revealed himself in all his audacious behavior, his cruel father is driven to destroy him. In his eyes, Gregor has become everything loathsome to him—scrawny, parasitic, and futile—not the kind of son this once successful and ambitious storekeeper could be proud of. Hence, as Mr. Samsa returns to his house in a position of strength and authority, he unfortunately witnesses the sight of his stricken wife down

Change occurs every day involuntarily. When people encounter change they are limited to only two points of views on it, negatively or positively. Some may react by panicking and going into denial whereas others may try to adapt to it and make the best out of the situation. It can affect one’s life drastically depending on the situation and how they portray it. In the movie “Rivers and Tides” and the story “Metamorphosis,” and the passage, “Simplexity”, change is initially portrayed as positive, but after a series of events it becomes overthrown by negativity. Overall, change is portrayed negatively by the authors.