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A review by angethology
The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka
4.0
"But how would things go if now all tranquility, all prosperity, all contentment should come to a horrible end?"
After years of being the breadwinner for his family, Gregor Samsa one day finds himself struggling to get out of bed for work: he's turned into a cockroach. Unable to work, he's stuck to the confines of his room and spends his time scurrying or contemplating while his sister takes care of him, and his parents almost dismiss his entire existence.
This is a sad, autobiographical magic realist tale with extremely simple and digestible prose that touches on feeling alienated and isolated, especially in the context of a capitalist society. I've seen a few interpretations that say how Gregor is representative of the noxious, stagnant middle-class lifestyle that many aspire to, and by the end the family undergoes a transformation that loosens their shackles to this concept.
Personally, I think that Gregor symbolizes an oppressive class that gets dismissed, overlooked, ignored, and therefore dehumanized as if he's an animal — and he becomes that, quite literally. He's only as useful as what he can do for work and his family, but as soon as he's unable to provide labor, he's treated like he's disposable. I also see the family hierarchy in this case as an oppressive force, as he's paying for his father's accrued debt and hardly reaping the fruits of his own labor.
Finally being able to stay at home indefinitely, this is when Gregor notices the small nuances and movements of the family, he hears them conversing and notices their routines, finally getting a glimpse of how they're like, as he previously was always busy with work. He realizes that he's only had fleeting connections in the past, and hardly has a meaningful or social life outside of work. Despite this, the family never seems to express much gratitude toward Gregor, and now that he doesn't contribute financially anymore, they see him as a leech or parasite that only drags them down.
By the end, there's hope for the family that transcends a capitalist perspective. While they've all had to seek employment on their own, it's a new beginning that suggests that labor isn't inherently bad and can be in fact fulfilling or meaningful; however, one difference between Gregor and the family is that while Gregor has had to act as the family's servant, the family goes out of their comfort zone to improve themselves and seek a life beyond monetary incentives.
After years of being the breadwinner for his family, Gregor Samsa one day finds himself struggling to get out of bed for work: he's turned into a cockroach. Unable to work, he's stuck to the confines of his room and spends his time scurrying or contemplating while his sister takes care of him, and his parents almost dismiss his entire existence.
This is a sad, autobiographical magic realist tale with extremely simple and digestible prose that touches on feeling alienated and isolated, especially in the context of a capitalist society. I've seen a few interpretations that say how Gregor is representative of the noxious, stagnant middle-class lifestyle that many aspire to, and by the end the family undergoes a transformation that loosens their shackles to this concept.
Personally, I think that Gregor symbolizes an oppressive class that gets dismissed, overlooked, ignored, and therefore dehumanized as if he's an animal — and he becomes that, quite literally. He's only as useful as what he can do for work and his family, but as soon as he's unable to provide labor, he's treated like he's disposable. I also see the family hierarchy in this case as an oppressive force, as he's paying for his father's accrued debt and hardly reaping the fruits of his own labor.
Finally being able to stay at home indefinitely, this is when Gregor notices the small nuances and movements of the family, he hears them conversing and notices their routines, finally getting a glimpse of how they're like, as he previously was always busy with work. He realizes that he's only had fleeting connections in the past, and hardly has a meaningful or social life outside of work. Despite this, the family never seems to express much gratitude toward Gregor, and now that he doesn't contribute financially anymore, they see him as a leech or parasite that only drags them down.
By the end, there's hope for the family that transcends a capitalist perspective. While they've all had to seek employment on their own, it's a new beginning that suggests that labor isn't inherently bad and can be in fact fulfilling or meaningful; however, one difference between Gregor and the family is that while Gregor has had to act as the family's servant, the family goes out of their comfort zone to improve themselves and seek a life beyond monetary incentives.