Essay on Gregor as Catalyst for Metamorphosis - 1247 Words

Gregor as Catalyst for Metamorphosis of the Family In Franz Kafka’s The Metamorphosis, Gregor is not the only presence that undergoes a complete transformation. Sometimes a change in one area of life will give way to changes in other areas, but the ensuing changes would not have come about without the first change that set things in motion. This is the case with Gregor and his family. Gregor’s family was in dire need of change, and Gregor’s condition became a powerful catalyst for that change. Gregor’s metamorphosis facilitates the change of his entire family, proving that oftentimes an outside source is needed to pull people out of a rut and get them on their feet again. Before Gregor turned into a giant bug, his entire†¦show more content†¦Through the course of the novel, the family proceeds from a state of senselessness to a gradual form of existentialism. In the beginning, the lives of the family members mean nothing and have no purpose. They are not individuals, but rather mindless drones who take advantage of a convenient situation, allowing Gregor to meet the expenses of the whole household (95). After Gregor is transformed in his bed into a gigantic insect (67), the lifestyle of the family changes dramatically. As David Eggenschwiler says, the three Samsas [the family] . . . assume and struggle with many of the problems that Gregor once had (208). No longer able to rely on Gregor, the family must now face the difficulties of supporting the household and providing income. As a result, each member of the family: the mother, the father, and the sister, slowly has a metamorphosis. Throughout the course of the story, Gregors mother gradually changes, becoming more self-sufficient. In the early stages of the story, Gregor describes his mother as having severe asthma, which kept her lying on a sofa every other day panting for breath (97). The mother seems destined to be a bystander, incapable of working or taking action. However, as the story progresses, she desires to see her lost son and develops a more adventurous spirit. She cries, do let me in to Gregor, he is my unfortunate son (100). She slowly begins to emerge from her secluded world andShow MoreRelatedThe True Metamorphosis1356 Words   |  6 PagesThe True Metamorphosis The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka offers much to be critiqued, including the reason why Gregor Samsa was transformed into a hideous beetle. The truth is Gregor had put himself into a position of demise long ago. Over the years, he had worked himself into both physical and mental exhaustion. Gregor was the sole provider, and eventually his family grew less appreciative of him. His relationship with his family had gone south. They were no longer as close, and it were asRead MoreThe Metamorphosis Kafka Analysis959 Words   |  4 PagesThe Metamorphosis: Fiction German novelist, Franz Kafka is widely regarded for his work, The Metamorphosis (1915), in which he fuses elements of fantasy and realism. Throughout the narrative Kafka effortlessly conveys several examples of fiction that appeal to me. While reading, at moments I was compelled to feel sad, satisfied or even utterly shocked. There are always elements in a novel that we, the readers, deem acceptable or unacceptable in relation to how it makes us feel, how we relate andRead MoreMetamorphosis Analysis1761 Words   |  8 PagesFranz Kafkas The Metamorphosis is so strikingly absurd that it has engendered countless essays dissecting every possible rational and irrational aspect of the book. One such essay is entitled Kafkas Obscurity by Ralph Freedman in which he delves down into the pages of The Metamorphosis and ferrets out the esoteric aspects of Kafkas writing. Freedman postulates that Gregor Samsa progresses through several transformations: a transformation of spatial relations, a t ransformation of time, and a