The Metamorphosis
Novel by Franz Kafka
Outline:
- Introduction of Franz Kafka
- Key Facts about The Metamorphosis
- Historical Background of The Metamorphosis
- Easy Summary and Explanation of the Novel
- Characters of The Metamorphosis
- Themes of The Metamorphosis
- Major Points of The Metamorphosis
Introduction of Franz Kafka
Franz Kafka was born on July 3, 1883, in Prague, which was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire (now the Czech Republic). He came from a middle-class Jewish family and had two brothers who died when they were young and three sisters. Kafka studied law at the German University and earned a law degree in 1906. He worked in insurance, first at an insurance company and later at the Workers Accident Insurance Institute, but he didn't like his job very much. Kafka had various health issues, including tuberculosis, which eventually led to his early death on June 3, 1924, at the age of 40. He never married, although he had several romantic relationships. Kafka is best known for his famous works like The Metamorphosis, The Trial, and The Castle.
Key Facts about The Metamorphosis
- Title: The Metamorphosis (In German: Die Verwandlung)
- Author: Franz Kafka
- When Written: Over a three-week period in 1912
- Where Written: Prague
- Published: 1915
- Genre: Novella, absurdist fiction, existentialism
- Setting: An apartment in an unnamed European city
- Point of View: Third person
The Metamorphosis reflects Kafka’s personal struggles with feeling alone, guilty, and having a difficult relationship with his father. It is set against the backdrop of early 20th-century European modernism and existential anxiety, which means it explores the feelings of being lost in the world and searching for meaning.
Characters of The Metamorphosis
Gregor Samsa: The main character who turns into a giant insect. Before his transformation, Gregor is a hardworking traveling salesman who supports his family. He feels responsible but also burdened and isolated by his job. After becoming an insect, Gregor struggles with his new identity and becomes increasingly alienated from his family.
Grete Samsa: Gregor’s younger sister. At first, she cares for Gregor after his transformation by bringing him food and cleaning his room. But over time, she becomes tired of the responsibility and starts to resent him, eventually suggesting that they get rid of him.
Mr. Samsa (Gregor’s Father): Gregor’s father is a strict and authoritative figure who is initially dependent on Gregor’s income. After Gregor’s transformation, Mr. Samsa is disgusted by him and becomes aggressive, even attacking Gregor at one point. He eventually takes on a job to support the family.
Summary of The Metamorphosis
Gregor Samsa, a traveling salesman, wakes up one morning to find himself transformed into a giant cockroach-like insect. He realizes he’s missed his train and worries about his stressful job. He struggles to adapt to his new body and loses his ability to communicate. His mother, father, and sister, Grete, notice something is wrong and knock on his door, but Gregor can’t speak or open the door properly.
Gregor’s boss, the Chief Clerk, comes to his house, scolds him for being late, and hints that Gregor might lose his job. With great difficulty, Gregor opens the door and tries to explain himself, but no one understands him, and everyone is shocked by his appearance. The Chief Clerk runs away in fear. Gregor gets hurt trying to squeeze back into his room. Grete brings Gregor fresh food, but he doesn’t like it. The next day, Grete brings him rotting food, which he eats eagerly.
Gregor overhears his family discussing their money problems and realizes they will have to work now that he can’t support them anymore. He feels sad about this. Over the next month, Grete takes care of Gregor less and less. One day, Grete is disturbed when she sees Gregor out in the open. Another month passes, and Gregor’s mother wants to help Grete. They decide to remove Gregor’s furniture so he can crawl around more easily, but Gregor wants to keep his furniture to stay connected to his humanity.
Gregor tries to protect his favorite picture by covering it with his body. This scares his mother, who faints. Gregor’s father comes home and, seeing Gregor in the dining room, throws apples at him. One apple hits Gregor and causes a serious injury. Another month passes as Gregor slowly recovers from the injury caused by his father’s attack.
Gregor’s family members are tired from working hard, and Gregor feels more and more neglected by them. The family takes in three lodgers to earn extra money, making Gregor feel even more ignored. One night, Grete plays her violin for the lodgers. They seem uninterested, but Gregor is deeply moved by the music and hopes to reconnect with his family, especially Grete.
Gregor crawls out of his room to listen to the music, but the lodgers see him and are disgusted. They decide to leave without paying for their stay. Grete tells her parents that the insect, which she no longer believes is Gregor, has ruined their lives. Gregor weakly returns to his room, thinks lovingly of his family, and quietly dies. Gregor’s condition leads to his isolation, and he eventually dies from injuries and neglect.
The next morning, the cleaning lady finds Gregor’s dead body. Gregor’s family, relieved by his death, decides to take the day off from work. They take a tram to the countryside, happily discussing their future plans, including finding a new apartment and a husband for Grete.
Themes of The Metamorphosis
Alienation and Isolation: Gregor feels cut off from others, even before his transformation. His job keeps him away from his family and friends. After turning into an insect, Gregor becomes even more isolated, as his family can’t accept him and he’s stuck in his room, away from the world.
The Burden of Responsibility: Gregor has always felt the heavy weight of providing for his family. He works a stressful job to support them. After his transformation, Gregor can no longer work, and the burden of responsibility shifts to his family, which causes stress and tension.
The Absurdity of Life: The story shows how strange and unpredictable life can be, with Gregor’s sudden transformation into an insect being an extreme example. It suggests that life doesn’t always make sense, and people often struggle to find meaning or control in their lives.
Dehumanization: Gregor’s transformation into an insect symbolizes how he is treated more like an object or a burden than a person by his family and society. The story shows how people can lose their humanity when they are seen only for their usefulness or productivity.
Family Dynamics: The novella explores the relationships within Gregor’s family, showing how they change as Gregor’s situation changes. It highlights how family members can sometimes fail to support each other, especially when faced with difficult challenges
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