The Metamorphosis Essay The Metamorphosis Metamorphosis Essay

1. The Metamorphosis Essay
The Metamorphosis
The longer story The Metamorphosis, first published in 1971, was written by Franz Kafka. He was
born in Prague in 1883 and lived until 1924, and he has written many other stories along with The
Metamorphosis. The Metamorphosis appears to be a fantastic piece. After reading The
Metamorphosis, I do believe that there are many similarities between magical realism and fantastic
literature. Kafka showed many fantastic issues in The Metamorphosis.
While reading The Metamorphosis, I did not feel that it had any magical elements in the story, but
had many fantastic elements. In my opinion, I think that the story did have some realist elements. For
example, there was a lot of tension with the family. Although it had to do...show more content...
But what is particularly found problematic is the apparent contradiction in the definition of magical
realism as "an amalgamation of realism and fantasy" such as The Metamorphosis (129).
Many things are fantasy, but now since I have learned what magical realism is, I see magical
realism in The Metamorphosis. I feel that waking up and being something else is magical and a
person hearing his family talking and being scared to leave his room is magical. Also, he had to
learn how to walk differently, lie differently, and even eat differently. I feel that part is more magical
than fantastic.
The Metamorphosis did have some realist elements as well. Before Gregor Samsa turned into an
insect, he was a young traveling salesman who lived with and financially supported his parents and
his young sister. Another realist element I found was that it is true that insects do not like the same
food we eat. Gregor's food habits changed. Even though he was an insect, his sister still found the
time to feed him, and when she fed him, she gave him bread and milk because that was his favorite.
When Gregor went to eat it as an insect, he no longer liked the taste. He began eating scraps. He also
liked staying under the furniture. All insects like to hide, and even though he went from a human to
a bug, he is doing the things that an insect would naturally
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2. The Metamorphosis
What is the significance of windows and furniture in Gregor's room in Franz Kafka's 'The
Metamorphosis'?
"When Gregor Samsa awoke one morning from troubled dreams, he found himself changed into a
monstrous cockroach in his bed". This quote comes from the novella, 'The Metamorphosis' which
was composed by Franz Kafka in 1912 and published in 1915. The novella was originally written in
German and has various translations to English. This signifies that each English translation can be
different in terms of language which can overall alter the way a reader interprets it. This essay will
be written in terms of the translation by Michael Hofmann in 'The Metamorphosis and Other Stories'.
The story takes place in the early 1900's in a quiet working–class neighborhood. However, the events
in this novella mainly take place in the main protagonist, Gregor Samsa's, room and entirely in the
Samsa household. This shows that the story has a constricting setting in which Gregor becomes a
prisoner to his bedroom. What is the significance of windows and furniture in Gregor's room in
Franz Kafka's 'The Metamorphosis'?
Seeing the role of symbolism in 'The Metamorphosis' is a central means to reading the novella as it
unlocks a whole new perspective to the plot. An example of symbolism would be with the use of
windows. Windows are used not to represent...show more content...
He uses windows to demonstrate the psychological changes Gregor goes through as a result to
becoming a cockroach. Franz Kafka also uses the removal of furniture as a way to show Gregor's
loss of hope in ever becoming a human again. And lastly, he uses the picture of a woman in fur to
display what Gregor's true aspirations are and will always be even as a cockroach. Overall,
symbolism is a central means for the reader to explore different perspectives throughout reading the
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3. Metamorphosis Essay
Insecticide
In order to be considered human, one needs to control their own life and have the freedom to
express and think. In The Metamorphosis, by Franz Kafka, Gregor Samsa transforms into a giant
insect, terminating his life as a "human" along with all of his tiring duties. Before his transformation,
Gregor's life consisted of little sleep and a strict work schedule with hardly any freedom or
importance in his job. Therefore, Gregor underwent a transformation that granted him more advanced
human qualities than he had before, when he was simply a working man. After Gregor's miraculous
metamorphosis, he was relieved of his unreasonable toils and was able to develop a thoughtful view
of his situation as wells as the critical society that...show more content...
This lifestyle trapped him into what he felt was for the benefit of his family, yet also relinquished all
of his parents' duties to care for him, and sent him into a brutal world where he was most
appreciated for the pay he earned from work. Only once he became a giant insect, these thoughts
were revealed.
Unlike his previous life, as an insect Gregor has time to reflect upon his tedious old life as well as
begin to advance in his new life each day. He felt for his family, after putting them through the
unthinkable and uncontrollable, like what had been done to him for so long. He even begins to
question his family's care for him, "he would not be in the mood to bother about his family, he
was only filled with rage at the way they were neglecting him"(94). Gregor actually began to
experience some sort of emotion for the first time, as an insect. He wasn't very shocked about
turning into an enormous bug, which had happened months prior, as Gregor is described as an
emotionless and rather peculiar guy. So for him to admit to the human sentiments like moodiness
and rage in his situation provides evidence that he is gaining further human qualities. Gregor
continuously dwells on his love for his parents and shame about his transformation, and how "the
money was gratefully accepted and gladly given, but there was no special outpouring of warm
feeling"(78). He doesn't recall any of the "fine times" that he had with his family, but
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