The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka explores the surreal transformation of Gregor Samsa, a traveling salesman who wakes up as a giant insect. This novella delves into themes of alienation, family dynamics, and the absurdity of modern life. Kafka's work reflects the disillusionment and fragmentation characteristic of modernist literature. The story examines Gregor's relationship with his family and society, highlighting the psychological and emotional struggles he faces. This analysis is essential for students and readers interested in modernist themes and Kafka's unique narrative style.

Key Points

  • Analyzes the transformation of Gregor Samsa and its implications on identity and alienation.
  • Explores the themes of family dynamics and societal expectations in modernist literature.
  • Examines the psychological impact of Gregor's metamorphosis on his family and himself.
  • Discusses the absurdity of modern life as portrayed through Kafka's narrative style.
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THINK INDIA (Quarterly Journal)
ISSN:0971-1260
Vol-22-Issue-4-October-December-2019
P a g e | 3482 Copyright ⓒ 2019Authors
The Metamorphosis And Modernism
ASHA DEVI R V
Assistant professor
Department of English
Sree Narayana Guru College of Advanced Studies
Punalur.
ABSTRACT
In the ‘metamorphosis’; a traveling salesman named Gregor Samsa wakes up to find he has
transformed into a giant beetle. The story follows Gregor as he adjust to his new form and his family’s
reactions. In the end, he straves himself and dies, and his family was relieved. One element of modernism in
this story is the absurd nature of the plot. A man turns into a giant beetle overnight, with no explanation or
even much surprise on his part. Absurd situation is not uncommon in modernist literature. The scientific and
industrial revolution that affected Europe and the rest of the world in the nineteenth century was further
developed with the arrival of the twentieth century. The literary field have a drastic change. Braking away
from literary movement of the other centuries such as romanticism or realism authors of the modernism
borrow from new ideas in anthropology, psychology, political theory, psychoanalysis and physics to create
their works. In this essay we will study the impact of any of the field in creating a sense of disillusionment,
fragmentation or isolation in the particular work of Kafka called ‘The Metamorphosis’.
Keywords: Modernism, Alienation, Fragmentation, Isolation, Disillusionment, and Psychoanalysis.
THE METAMORPHOSIS AND MODERNISM
The article aims to study modernism in Franz Kafka’s. ‘The Metamorphosis’. Kafka was
perhaps one of the best writers of fiction of the twentieth century. During his life time he
remained almost utterly unknown. ‘The metamorphosis’ is probably the best known story
written by the Czech born German Jewish writer Franz Kafka. The haunting story of a man
transformed into an insect has attracted numerous commentators, who while agreeing on the
high quality and importance of the story, and also strongly disagree about what it means.
Frecedian, Marxist, Existentialist and religious interpretations have all been proposed and
there has been debate over whether Gregor Samsa, the man turned insects symbolize human
conditions. It is generally agreed, however that the story portrays a world that is hostile and
perhaps absurd. The major themes in the story include father-son antagonism (Perhaps
reflecting Kafka’s difficult relationship with his own father), alienation, isolation and self
sacrifice. The story is sometimes praised for its symmetrical three-part structure and it use of
black humour. The symbols of the story are sometimes puzzled over, but what make the story
memorable is the central situation of the transformation of man into an insect and the image
of the man-Insect lying on his back helplessly waving his little insects legs in the air.
THINK INDIA (Quarterly Journal)
ISSN:0971-1260
Vol-22-Issue-4-October-December-2019
P a g e | 3483 Copyright ⓒ 2019Authors
‘The metamorphosis’ stands out among Kafka’s shorter narratives. It is clearly divided with
three parts. The first part shows Gregor in his relation to his profession, The second to his family and the
third to himself. The three parts are united by Gregor’s fate which always remains an enigma. ‘The
metamorphosis’ would be an escapist wish dream come true. Gregor seems to be more than a log in a
capitalistic machine. There is also a human side to his relationship with the firm. His parents once borrowed
money from the boss and stated Gregor’s services as guarantee for the sum advanced to them. Nobody can
denay that he is a slave, but even slaves are man. It his animal shape were but a dream then he would have
paradoxically sacrificed his humanity in his attempt to escape slavery by his change into an insect.
Gregor’s metamorphosis need not represent the escape from reality. Kafka is not very keen
on depicting Gregor’s flight from day to dream. He is locked up in his room, and nobody can change this
solitude any more, the family can only adjust to it. At the beginning of the story the individual member of
the Samsa household were introduced by the insects reaction to their voice. The mother’s voice was soft and
her softness is Gregor’s comfort. Here Kafka has captured his own mother’s selflessness and the
superficiality of her understanding on him.
The little of the story is more applicable to Grete, Sister of Gergor. Her transformation is
developed beautifully. Grete has become a turn Goat. From a good Samaritan she changed into the Father’s
daughter. She has joined the force with him. In the catastrophic scene she calls him ‘Gregor’ to hold him
responsible for his fate. His advocates become his prosecutor and almost his executioner. Probably Kafka
allows some biographical materials to come into the story. He seems to hunted by ideas of inscetuous love.
In ‘Metamorphosis’ he was playing with psycho-analysis.
Kafka’s story describes the invasion of the material world by power that resides beyond
empirical experience. In Kafka’s word the empirical world has its limit. The unusual world goes beyond the
limit, because of Gregor Samsa’s common place character, it is difficult to agree to the description of novel
as a fairy tale in reverse, an antifairy tale. “The Metamorphosis’ seems to be intune with Gregor’s unheroic
character. The beast is a nondiscriptive as Gregor himself. Kafka doesn’t want to interpret Gregor’s insect
shape as an expression of his physical or mental disorder. The principle law of the force, which caused
metamorphosism in its incomprehensibility. The negative quality is inparted to the animal itself, which
Kafka couldn’t describe by words. By his metamorphosis Gregor Samsa has been turned into an
untouchable in the most literal sense of the world.
Outwardly, atleast Gregor’s transformation, is complete an immediate. He wakes up to find
that his body is that of an insect. Inwardly, however, the transformation seems more gradual. One common
interpretation of ‘The Metamorphosis’ is this: Kafka is telling us that some people, for the lives of some
people lead, are so insect like tha they may as well wake up one morning as insect. Another way to translate
the German Word Kafka uses to describes Gregor is “Vermin”. Certainly Gregor’s job is degrading,
frustrating and unfulfilling, but he is ‘vermin’ and vulnerable.
In an essay on ‘The Metamorphosis’ Walter Sokel defines “Self-alienation” as “The
Individuals estrangement from his humanity or human species being, that is from the individual’s
membership in the human species. The individual is estranged from himself in so far as he is alienated from
his essential nature as human being.” In Arendtian terms, Sokel is describing “loss of the world”. In order to
THINK INDIA (Quarterly Journal)
ISSN:0971-1260
Vol-22-Issue-4-October-December-2019
P a g e | 3484 Copyright ⓒ 2019Authors
overcome self-alienation, in the Marxist view,work must not be “dictated by external needs or the
commands of others; but chosen, partially atleast, for its intrinsic pleasure”. Only in this way can work be an
end in itself and not a means for something else, and thus man can realize his humanity through his own free
will. It is characteristic of modernity that the possibility for this kind of free labor is excluded, a fact Sokel
sees exemplified in Gregor Samsa’s activities – always “externalized”, always belonging to someone else.
Franz Kafka’s ‘The Metamorphosis’ chronicles the bizzrre tale of Gregor Samsa’s
transformation into an insect and the despiring isolation and personal quest for a meaningful existence that
follows. A masterpiece of modern literature, it explores the universal concerns and struggles of modernity.
Franz Kafka is a forefather of the modernist movement of ideological enlightment, his literature is profound
and shocking, shaking the previous notions of thinking to the ground as can be conveyed in his story ‘The
Metamorphosis’ where human existence and economy is blurred. A major focus of modernism is on how
society alienates people from one another, and how modern society is actually damaging to its citizens. We
can see this in Gregor’s job as a travelling salesman. “Men defined by jobs, endless hierarchies which obey
arbitrary law, hawk-eyed attention paid to private activities and desires, the inexorable progression of
processes which seems completely outside human control. Totalitarianism, the most atrocious example of
socialization taken to extreme, appears latent in kafka’s world view. Moreover, the effect of modern
processes like capitalism and self-alienation achieve expression in stories like ‘The Metamorphosis’ that are
the non-plus ultra of modern human experience, giving voice to “socially forbidden feelings and thoughts”.
while also reveling a censoring concealing and thus repressive site that made the rebellion they tried to
express an recognizable to consciousness. There are two major reason this novel can counts as modernist
literature-firstly the themes Kafka deals with in the novel, and secondly, the way that he write it. Kafka’s
novel deals with a number of themes that were specifically addressed by modernist writers. It deals with
disillusionment, the concept of self-consciousness and identity in an expanding world. Gregor Samsa is the
predecessor of the disillusioned character. Secondly, the novel written in stream of consciousness style,
which is particular among modernist writers and in this novels, has the added effects of compounding the
confusion, frustration and fright expressed by the cast of characters throughout the
Works cited
Kafka, Franz 1995. The Complete Stories. Translated by Willa and Edwin Muir. Prague: Schocken Books.
Inc.
Sokel,Walter H. 1956 “Kafka’s ‘Metamorphosis’ : Rebellion and punishment”.
Ho,Lan Modernism https://www.scribd.com.
Modernism in ‘The Metamorphosis’; Themes and Quotes study.com
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FAQs

What themes are explored in The Metamorphosis?
The Metamorphosis explores several key themes, including alienation, identity, and the absurdity of existence. Gregor Samsa's transformation into an insect serves as a powerful metaphor for the disconnection individuals feel in modern society. The story also highlights the dynamics of family relationships, particularly how Gregor's metamorphosis affects his family's perception of him and their own identities. Additionally, themes of self-sacrifice and societal expectations are woven throughout the narrative, reflecting Kafka's critique of modern life.
How does Gregor's transformation affect his family?
Gregor's transformation into a giant insect drastically alters his family's dynamics and their treatment of him. Initially, they express concern for his well-being, but as time passes, their sympathy turns to resentment and fear. His sister Grete, who initially cares for him, eventually becomes estranged from him, illustrating the theme of alienation. The family's gradual acceptance of Gregor's new form symbolizes their own struggles with societal norms and expectations, ultimately leading to a tragic conclusion where they feel relief at his death.
What is the significance of the title The Metamorphosis?
The title The Metamorphosis signifies not only Gregor Samsa's physical transformation into an insect but also the profound changes in his identity and relationships. This metamorphosis serves as a metaphor for the alienation individuals experience in a rapidly changing modern world. Kafka uses this transformation to explore themes of existential despair and the loss of humanity in a capitalist society. The title encapsulates the dual nature of transformation—both literal and metaphorical—highlighting the complexities of human existence.
What literary techniques does Kafka use in The Metamorphosis?
Kafka employs various literary techniques in The Metamorphosis, including surrealism and symbolism. The surreal nature of Gregor's transformation creates an absurd reality that challenges readers' perceptions of normalcy. Symbolism is prevalent throughout the novella, with Gregor's insect form representing the dehumanizing effects of modern society and capitalism. Additionally, Kafka's use of a third-person perspective allows for a deeper exploration of Gregor's internal struggles, enhancing the themes of isolation and alienation.
How does The Metamorphosis reflect modernist literature?
The Metamorphosis is a quintessential example of modernist literature, reflecting the disillusionment and fragmentation characteristic of the movement. Kafka's narrative breaks away from traditional storytelling, presenting an absurd situation without clear explanations or resolutions. The themes of alienation and the search for identity resonate with modernist concerns about the individual's place in an increasingly complex world. Through Gregor's plight, Kafka critiques the societal norms and expectations that contribute to personal and existential crises, making the novella a profound commentary on modern life.

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