A review by freckled_frog_boi
The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka

dark mysterious reflective sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Okay, it’s Kafka, and an extremely absurdist novel which means there is lots of ways to interpret this. 

But the main thought i got when reading was “well, that’s capitalism innit“

It seemed to me like it showed how disability is treated in a capitalist society.
Not simply with his boss, but of what his considered value is among his family. He is only considered human (or of containing humanity) if he is of some use to the family. And the more he is seen as “useless” the more they stop caring about him. 

He hinders their ability to gain money and keep it (ie with the renters), they all collectively have to put in more work to keep him alive (ie the new jobs in order to cover his debt, rent for the house, and his expenses), and he wasn’t allowed to be seen if the family wanted to maintain their status. 

And when he died it was like a burden was lifted from the family - indicating gregor was the burden. 

These are all experiences of disabled people who live in such a society as this,
and i think it’s a really good critique of it, in a magical realism type of way. 

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