“The
Metamorphosis” is arguably, the most popular work of Franz Kafka and through it
we are introduced to the literary genius of Kafka. The Metamorphosis is a
novella about the miserable turn of events for a travelling salesman, Gregor
Samsa, who finds himself transformed into a vermin after having unsettling
dream. Metamorphosis is a notable work in the category of “Literature of the
absurd”, that delineates human condition, essentially absurd. Case in point,
when Gregor found himself transformed into an insect his first thought was that
he has already missed his train and had to hurry up to catch up the train which
was to depart in the next fifteen minutes, otherwise he would definitely lose
his job. There are multiple themes, a reader can encounter while reading but
what I felt conspicuous was Gregor’s ability for “Self-loathing”.
HERMANN KAFKA, AS A CONTRIBUTOR.
Kafka
had an exasperating relationship with his father. As we know from letter to his
father, his father was a narcissist, manipulative, emotional tyrant and “intellectually
dominant” man. He described his father as everything contrast to him, man of
robust health, eloquence , endurance, presence of mind, etc. He used to deny
everything that got young Kafka excited. In his letter he recollected one
incident where young Kafka felt thirsty and woke up in the midnight to drink
water. Disturbed by it, his father put him out in the balcony and locked the
door for the whole night while he was in his night dress. What we need to
understand that under strict disciplinarian, authoritarian parents , parents
who punish their children for unnecessary, little things, children’s
psychological growth is hampered often leaving scar for the rest of their
lives. Children go timid, shy, miserable and socially awkward. Child has to seek
permission of his parents in every aspect of life and feels an obligation to
impress, every time . The failure to do so, pushes you to self loath. Kafka has
definitely tried to project himself, even subconsciously, through Gregor Samsa.
Even Samsa and Kafka sounds so similar, just for two letters (joking, or maybe
not, who knows) .
This
was evidently found in Gregor Samsa. Gregor observed the changes in his family
after his transformation and compared them with before, from his room with door
slightly opened and blamed himself.
HIS
FAMILY’S WRETCHED CONDITION.
Gregor
was the sole breadwinner of his family. His father used to have long breakfast
hours, he used to read a lot of newspapers and after that, he used to read them
to his mother who was working in the kitchen. His sister was just a child of
seventeen and used to played violin. However, after Gregor turned into an
insect, circumstances in his family took a pitiable turn. The family’s financial
condition started to exhaust. Soon, they had to take up work to keep it stable.
Gregor’s father whom Gregor described as old and inefficient to take up job,
now served breakfast to some of the officials at the bank. His mother used to
wash dishes at strangers’ houses and his sister took up a sales job and learnt
French for her chances at promotions. They even has to rent out one of their
room , Grete’s bedroom, to three gentlemen, in the apartment. His father, now
had no time to rest and at night, rested in his uniform in the chair, nearby
the fire. His mother’s workload increased by manifolds as they had to fire the
maids, and her sister after returning from her stressful job, assisted her
mother in the chores.
MISUNDERSTANDING
HIS “GOOD INTENTIONS”.
Gregor
wanted to make his family realise that he is still the same Gregor, even after
he has changed into this hideous insect. But every time he wanted to do
something, to make them realise of his “good-intentions”, he was misunderstood.
At first, he wanted to placate the chief inspector, who would have passed his
bad impression to his boss and eventually, would have got him fired. Seeing
Gregor, Chief Inspector ran for his life, towards the door. Gregor’s mother
visiting him for first time, since quite a time after his transformation,
fainted after Gregor walked behind her. While his sister was helping their
mother to breathe, after she fainted, Gregor came out of the room and stood
near the door. Seeing his father nearing, he expected his father to realise his
good-intentions. Instead, he chased him to the kitchen and attacked him by
throwing apples that got him injured and was hell-bent on killing him till his
sister intervened and begged his father to stop.
Another
aspect can be, Gregor never really accepted his new-self. He used to slid
himself under the couch when his sister used to come to his room to give him
food. He reasoned with the fact that his parents should not be allowed to visit
him because he looked grotesque and much threatening, although he never
possessed any threat. After all, he was the same Gregor Samsa, their son. He even blocked whatever rest was visible of
him using the sheets.
CRAVE
FOR ATTENTION.
Gregor
also craved for attention. From the beginning, he used to press his ears
against the walls so that he can hear himself mentioned in his family’s or
chief inspector’s conversations. He used to watch his family having dinner
through the slight opening of the door from his room and recollected how he
used to eat alone on the damp beds of the lodges when he used to works as a
travelling salesman. He used to get impatient when his family used to avoid him
and treat him as he was not really part of the family. Albeit, he agreed with idea of his parents not
coming to visit him, he felt it could have been better if they visited earlier,
when his mother finally visited him or just to help Grete to move his
furniture. He expressed that he wanted his mother to often come and visit him.
. Later when his family almost ceased feeding him, he never touched whatever
was given to him, thinking that it will draw their attention towards him. But
that didn’t happen.
THE
“GRETE-GREGOR” RELATIONSHIP.
Another
salient aspect of “The Metamorphosis” is the “Grete-Gregor” relationship. Grete
was the “hope” of Gregor,the only relationship he expected much, as compared to
his incoherent relationship with other family members, that is, his parents.
Kafka, in his early days, used to write plays and would read them to his sister
to know if she liked them or not. Kafka’s delineation of Grete’s love for his
brother and Gregor’s love in return has been perspicuous for any layman,
literature enthusiast.
Grete
was the first to think and feed Gregor, after his transformation, without
thinking about the threat he might possess. She was ingenious enough to offer a
wide range of food to know what exactly the transformed Gregor liked, after he
left the bread bits and milk, that Grete left for her by his door. Even though
she found transformed Gregor, hideous and repelling, she continued to feed
Gregor daily and clean after. She could understand Gregor’s trouble without him
actually saying it. She knew that Gregor’s congested room could hinder his
movements as a insect, so she started to move furniture to facilitate his
movement around the room. This may have happened because she accepted Gregor’s
new-self to some extent or may have hoped for him to return to his true-self. She
became Gregor’s mouthpiece since poor, transformed Gregor couldn’t really speak
anything without worrying others. After it was obvious that Gregor was not
changing back anytime sooner, she took a sales job, much like his brother used
to before his transformation. It can be said that she adulated her brother as
she filled his shoes for the family to survive in the exact same manner. Gregor,
however, had much plans for her. He wanted to surprise Grete by sending her to
conservatory where she could have learned playing violin, as part of his
Christmas gift for her. It was definitely too expensive for Gregor to bear the
expense from whatever little he was earning from his travelling salesman job
but he was ready to do it. He would have loved to see her reaction after he
would have revealed his plans in front of her family and kissed her forehead as
part of his brotherly affection. However, it was all ruined now. Grete wasn’t a
polished violin player but Gregor enjoyed it, loved to listen her. When the
three gentlemen asked her sister to play violin in front of them after dinner,
Gregor couldn’t stop himself in his room. Gregor knew, by know means he should
have let his presence be known by these three gentlemen as they needed the
money from the rent to help themselves out in these difficult times, still her
tunes drew him out. He did not realise how far away he was from his room until
one of the gentlemen spotted him and Gregor turned back to measure the
distance. Gregor was annoyed by the insolence of these gentlemen when they
started to light their cigars and chat among themselves in a low volume when
Grete was still playing the violin. However, this event changed their whole
relationship. Grete had enough and Gregor’s this act was again misunderstood as
if he wanted to scare away people from their home. Grete burst out and lost all
hope for Gregor or what she had left when she said:
“I don’t want to call this monster my
brother, all I can say is: we have to try and get rid of it.”
She
could not stop crying and later when Gregor’s movement were noticed, he was
again chased till his room and this time the door was locked by her sister once
and for all. Gregor blamed himself for it and wanted to go after her but knew
it will make things even worse. Moreover, the door was locked. Gregor’s vermin
heart could have never bore the pain it caused as it became difficult to spend
the entire night and by the first light of the morning, Gregor was no more. The
death of his hope caused his imminent death.
There
were some signs before of his family losing all hope for Gregor. Kafka dropped
them with his consummate literary maneuverability with the movement of the
plot. Fist sign was taking up the jobs as they did not hope Gregor to return
anytime sooner. But these signs grew stronger thereafter. Not cleaning his
walls,anymore, which were full of his pus due to walking on it. Treating his
room as a “store-room” for the furniture those were moved out from the room
where the three gentlemen used to leave as they got their own furnishings. This
was a sign that, once the free-movement of Gregor was cared, but not anymore. His
family too stopped giving him any kind of attention or even feeding him, which
was the strongest sign of all.
CONCLUDING
After
Gregor died, things changed again in the Samsa family. His father ousted the
three gentlemen. They let go of the maid. . There was a weird sense of relief
in his family. They all decided to go for walk, something Gregor mentioned he
had not done with his father in a while. There were scenes of affection in the
family .They decided to take tram to go to the open country. They decided to
sell the current flat and get a cheaper and smaller one. This situation, after
Gregor’s death, was presented as if Gregor was responsible for all their
predicaments. Even his father, after getting confirmed about Gregor’s death
said:
“Now then,
lets give thanks to god for that.”
Did
Gregor’s death really solve anything? They still were in the same situation.
They still have to continue their jobs and the workload will definitely
increase for his mother now that they don’t have a single maid left. Selling
their flat and getting a cheaper one will definitely solve one of the many
problems. And why were they so relieved ? Gregor never really caused any
problems. It was never up to him to turn into a vermin overnight. Gregor had
been providing for his family for years. Working tirelessly, just like his
father said when Chief inspector came to see him that Gregor had no time for
himself . After all, Gregor was their son, but they did not even mourn for him.
But
I don’t want to stretch the “self-projection of Kafka” in Gregor Samsa for
self-loathing. But yes, Gregor did loathe himself throughout the entire plot,
for the things I have described above.
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