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Reyonna Smith

Jon Beadle

English 115

October 27, 2019

“The Metamorphosis”: A 3-Step Process to Death (Revised version)

“Kafkaesque, or a strange and nightmarish situation embedded in everyday life,'' was an

adjective ​created by others to describe the late authors own stories. ​“The Metamorphosis” being

one of them displays the journey of Gregor as he undergoes an unfortunate transformation from

human to monstrous vermin.​ Through this he faces physical and mental challenges ultimately

leading to a lonely death. ​The criticism from society is present because of absent human

interaction which leads to catastrophic events.​ In society human life is built on a person to

person interaction, which provides validation of belonging in society. The societal struggles that

Gregor faces in “The Metamorphosis” mirrors those who face criticism in their own societies

specifically from work, family, and even themselves.

​ In gregor's social surroundings work was one of the main attributes leading up to his

isolation. ​He had become accustomed to working so much that this was all Gregor thought about,

even when he awakened from a dream and was impaired to do anything. ​For gregor in the

moment he contained more anxiety about work, rather than him becoming an insect. ​His work

life consisted of a rude boss and favored employees. Kafka states,“for instance, when I go back

to the hotel before lunch to write up business i've done, these gentlemen are having breakfast

(Kafka 4). As presented Gregor was a hard worker, but he was never acknowledged for it. ​This
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quote is important because it implies that while gregor was out doing business the other workers

would be doing nothing but enjoying their time. The criticism from his work environment, as

well as traveling presents isolation since as a traveling salesman you are on the road constantly

meeting new people. Even though that sounds enjoyable gregor thought to himself “what an

exhausting job,” he has acquired. ​ ​Kafka agrees when he states, “On the road day in, day out; it's

much more irritating work than doing the actual business in the home office, and on top of that

there's the trouble of constant traveling, of worrying about train connections, the bad food and

irregular means, casual aquantesis that are always new, and never become intimate friend”( pg ).

In the article, “​The Metamorphosis and How Social Isolation is Killing Us” ​explains that,

“meaningful interactions with “other persons” make us whole, thriving and engaged human

beings with a strange sense of belonging and inclusion” ( New York Times, Ann Kowal Smith).

The lack of healthy work relations from his coworkers and traveling results in his first encounter

with social isolation. It can also be said that since he is only working to support his family and

pay off his father's debt, being the sole breadwinner can be another form of isolation especially

when one by one each of his family members consider gregor a burden. ​If Gregor was not put in

this situation who knows if he would have found a job doing something he actually like where

people actually respected him.

As kafka puts it, ​“If I didn’t hold back for my parents sake I would have quit a long time

ago, I would have marched up to the boss and spoken my peace from the bottom of my heart”

(Kafka). The main point in that quote is “for my parents sake,’’ meaning he would have quit

working if it were not for the debt. ​Gregor was the only working family members in the house,

Making him the breadwinner.​ Once revealed indifferent to his family, Gregor social status
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quickly changed ​because his physical deformation causing a financial crisis with in the family.

He went from useful to useless overnight. Beginning with the father early in something changed.

It seems that when Gregor was able to work his father showed little to none physically when it

came to movement, but as soon as Gregor undergoes drastic transformation prohibiting him from

work; the father all of a sudden gets a job. In m the novel it states, “ who actually had difficulty

getting to his feet but as a sign of joy only lifted up his arms; now however he was holding

himself very erratic; dressed in tight fitting uniform with golden buttons.”​ (Kafka). The shift in

social dominance then puts Gregor as a last priority in the family. This form of forced out

isolation started a chain for other members of the family. The reason is because once Gregor

became useless everyone began to work even his sister; but when he was the only one making

money everyone else did not contribute​. From the time he work the image of being the only

worker gave Gregor purpose. It provided him with the sense that someone if not all his family

needs him. Not only the father but the whole family began to work. This right here brings up

social ​barriers for Gregor labeling him as a burden when in reality his family was the burden to

his social success.​ From the article ​“Social Isolation and How it’s Killing Us by Dhruv Khullar”

states, “ Another analysis that pulled data from two studies and 3.4 million people found that

socially isolated individuals had a 30% higher risk of dying in the next 7 years and it is larger in

middle age.” ​This is important because in the end Gregor a lonely and isolated death and

according to the article individuals who are socially isolated have a higher risk in dying.

Ultimately providing evidence of his isolated death.

The last piece of Gregor’s humanity slowly fades when his once loving relationship with

his sister worsens as time continues. Grete throughout the story was Gregor‘s caregiver, which
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he appreciated even though he could not communicate it. She would feed him and make sure his

room was accommodated to him. But as time went on Grete’s atmosphere such as her family

grew on her and she did not even want to associate with Gregor anymore. According to Kafka

She stated, “I won’t pronounce the name of my brother in front of this monster, and so all I say is

we have to get rid of it” (Kafka). This was the beginning to all ends ​because it seems as if his

sister was the last thing that made Gregor apart of something, of a family. ​Gregor went through a

horrid transformation he was physically presented different which concluded to his families

blossoming without him. The social criticism shows ​ that people’s indifferences can be shown as

not normal.​ He physically was not one of them because he looked different, and towards the end

they made him mentally believe he was not one of them by calling Gregor by his new name, “it”.

Some would say that the use of it surely is a word used when you can not categorize something.

So to them Gregor was not one of them, because he was different .

On the other hand Gregor‘s family’s financial struggles could have brought up fear to be

shamed in society, and as a result stopped him from not pursuing a debt which he did not create.

From the article ​Existential Failure in Franz Kafka's The Metamorphosis ​it mentions, “

furthermore it might be said that Gregor‘s primary failure is his neglect of self definition, or in

other words his spinelessness combo which is manifested symbolically in his insect form. For

example the father and sister despite depending on Gregor become self-sufficient by getting their

own joba. ​This is important because it seems that Gregor gave up on himself. He was not

isolated by society, rather he isolated himself from it. This was represented when he would be,

"lying in the darkness of his room, invisible to his family, could see them all at the lamp-lit table

and listen to their talk" through the living room door. ​Even though that is the case, the major
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difference is that they physically did not undergo major change like Gregor which stopped him

from doing many things in society, one being communication with family, as well as something

simple like leaving his room without the stare of others.

The journey through society is seen as a tough one shown from personal experience by

the author Franz Kafka through Gregor. We as a society rely on what will benefit us individually

rather than as a whole. His transformation can be in relation to the next teenager, or even an adult

experiencing uncontrollable change in their life. Some may say if Gregor was not so weak

minded he could of pushed through his indifference in this unexpected tragedy. But it is proven

that without our social life are we really human? A Zulu folk saying explains, “a person is a

person through other persons” from the Excerpt, ​“Social Isolation and How It is Killing us

(Dhruv Khullar). ​Meaning without the social interaction, without the reinforcement of belonging

isolation an dehumanize a person. And this shows that as a society we tend to see different as not

normal. When Gregor was presented as that it brought up the idea that if you are not like us you

do not belong with us.

Work Cited

Hamid Farahmandian and Pang Haonong. ​“​Existential Failure in Franz Kafka's The.

Metamorphosis​”​. Forum for World Literature Studies. 10.2 (June 2018): p334+. From Literature

Resource Center

Kafka, Franz, and Stanley Corngold. The Metamorphosis. Bantam classic ed. Toronto ; New

York, N.Y.: Bantam Books, 1981.

Khullar Dhruv and Damon Winter/The New York Times. Social Isolation and how it is Killing

Us. Dec. 22, 2016, Section A, Page 3 of the New York edition with the headline: Loneliness Is a

Health Hazard, but There Are Remedies.