By Bethan Croft
In short, The Metamorphosis is the story of a man who once lived a busy life and becomes imprisoned once he wakes up to find that he has transformed into a ginormous beetle. He must then live in isolation as his family becomes horrified of his state and as a result, he suffers from alienation. As absurd as the plot may sound to someone who hasn't read this novella, the storyline holds a lot of power with its illustrations of mental health issues and alienation.
Franz Kafka is known for writing about his political thoughts and personal struggles in a way that fuses fantasy and reality, yet is concealed by metaphors and imagery. In The Metamorphosis, Kafka's own personal relationship with his family is demonstrated through the character, Gregor Samsa, and the strain his transformation has upon his family relationships.
The novella, at times, is comedic by reflecting the author as a dung beetle, but the actual message is harrowing. The imagery represents Kafka's own feelings of being lost and no longer able to carry out his dreams due to the disapproval and estrangement from his family. Kafka's father highly disagreed with his ambition to become a writer and told him not to pursue this as a career. For many years, Kafka was eager to please his father until he realised how unhappy he was in doing so. This 'Father Complex' is a huge detail within the novella, as the war between father and son was very much a real experience for Kafka.
However, other readers have interpreted the meaning of the story differently and more to do with Gregor's deprived existence, where his only meaning in life is to work. Showing how he slowly succumbs to becoming a 'creature' of habit, which is his profession. Either way, no matter how you interpret the story, the plot ensures that you think. As bad as I felt for Gregor, I could understand the initial shock that his parents faced, yet at the same time I hated how disgusted they were when they looked at him and how their reactions and treatment made him feel so alone.
I think one of the most interesting parts is how the family dynamic changes and completely flips by the end of the story. In the beginning, the father was seen as the man of the house, and Gregor was the main provider, so the whole family lived solely off his income. He took pride in caring for his family, yet as soon as he loses his job due to morphing into an insect, they must find a way to provide for themselves. And, I believe that this may be what they hated him for the most, that he was no longer useful to them, so they had no need or reason to love him anymore. The family had grown so accustomed to their pleasant lifestyle, where Gregor worked tirelessly and had 'never missed a day of work before', so that the women could buy pretty dresses and the father could sit around doing nothing. It seemed as though to them, even the small acts of caring for him were a hardship, despite the fact he had done a lot more during his time caring for them. As soon as he begins to fade and eventually dies (Spoiler alert!) the family feels a relief at the fact it is now acceptable for them to move on.
I find it extremely sad that he had to die for his family to recognise how much he did for them, yet without even knowing, Kafka created a parallel universe in which he foreshadowed his own future. The author never managed to repair the relationship he had with his father and he had to die before people recognised his worth - his work only became increasingly popular posthumously.
Overall, I found the novella to be a great read - its short length meant that I was captivated enough to finish it in one sitting, and I found myself incredibly moved by how heartbreakingly powerful the contents were. It was only after I finished reading the story that I realised how close to home the story was for Kafka - and I think that is one of the greatest skills a writer can have: the ability to produce work that someone else may have the chance to relate to.
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