Franz Kafka’s Metamorphosis

Franz Kafka's

Metamorphosis

Decrypting a Man's Worth...

Thought-provoking and a humorous short read

Genre: Absurdist Fiction | Publication Year: 1912 | Original Language: German

Part of my private collection

Once upon a time, there lived a happy family of four – Mr and Mrs Samsa, their son Gregor Samsa, and their young daughter Grete Samsa. However, it was not long before they were pulled into a deep financial crisis. This prompted the son to take the lead, get a job, and provide for the family.

And they all lived happily ever after.

Or did they?

“One morning, when Gregor Samsa woke from his troubled dreams, he found himself transformed into horrible vermin.” (Kafka, 1912)

The 20th-century literary masterpiece chronicles the decay of Gregor Samsa as the travelling salesman transforms into a hideous insect. As absurd as the reality of the premise could be for any ordinary individual, Kafka picks the same and weaves around it a humorous slice of subsequential events.

Both Gregor and his family struggle to accept the situation. A flustered Gregor scurries around on his thousand little legs to get up and prepare for his work duties. He does not stop to question the change. Instead, he worries about keeping his job!

Each page shows Gregor’s plight as he oscillates between his newfound rigid insect body and his old threads of humanity. He undergoes emotional trauma as alienation, disillusionment, and, finally, existential crisis rocks his reality.

Kafka intricately illustrates the trials and tribulations of the Samsa family in this short novella. However, more rests on the words he leaves unsaid.

Why did Gregor metamorphose?

Was it the pressure of his job? The absence of an emotional connection with his family? Or lack of empathy, spiritual dissatisfaction? The list could go as long as one’s imagination.

In our patriarchal world, it is typical for the “man” of the house to stake everything on making a living. His entire focus is to provide for his family selflessly. He rides high on invisible social expectations.

What happens when the weight of this burden becomes too heavy to continue? What happens when money goes out of the equation? How does the man assert his place in the social structure?

The short novella is humorous, layered, and thought-provoking. While the absurdity of the whole premise might not catch the fancy of all readers, it is primarily recommended for those who love to muse.

Between the laughs, subtle themes of nagging work pressure, apathetic society and existential crisis emerge. Peeling off each layer, one’s contemplative mind can connect to the dire need for acceptance and love as yearned by Samsa throughout.

In my belief, ‘Franz Kafka’s Metamorphosis is a metaphorical exploration of a pertinent question –

“What is the worth of a man?”

Memorable Quotes #1