Kafka's novel Metamorphosis - Essay Example

Due Metamorphosis: Analytical Essay Kafka’s novel, metamorphosis is a complete work of fallacy as is viewed by many of its readers. Just as many works of fallacy, metamorphosis creates an unrealistic situation at the beginning when Gregor mystically transforms into a large insect. As human metamorphosis is a totally superhuman occurrence and it’s from it that the whole story is based, then it requires a high rank reader not to classify it as a complete entertainment story full of fallacy and imagination.

However, close examination of the story, as well as comparing it with the authors environment converts the whole story to a real life stories with the event of metamorphosis being a metaphor. Kafka was born in a middle class family, raised by a business man who objected his writing perception. He experienced several difficulties due to career-wise differences with his father which posed him to unhappy life. The ferocious treatment that Gregor receives from his father after transformation could be a reflection of what Kafka had been going through.

As a matter of fact, Kafka displays the character of Gregor’s father high tempered, with an inhuman heart that does not want to understand the new change of his son. Consequently, none of the family member’s including Gregory, wants goes into details of what might be the cause of transformation, as it was with Kafka and his father. As noted earlier, metamorphosis of Gregor was more of a metaphor than a real life situation. Kafka deliberately fails to explain how it happened as well as the reasons behind the transformation.

This brings about the essence that Gregor had not metamorphosed into an insect but rather had realized that he had been living an insect’s life. To start with, Gregor’s character prior to metamorphosis is described as antisocial, hardworking and committed to family support. At one point Gregor’s mother in defense for why his son was late for job argued that it must be due to traffic problems as her son was not involved in any social activity, and all what he thought of was work. This is the same life led by worker bees and ants amongst other insects, which strive to accumulate food for their families.

Moreover, the fact that his family reacted negatively to his metamorphosis, implies that the family had accepted his insect life and could not stand his reasoning as a normal human being. After metamorphosis, Gregor isn’t able to work and support his family. The need for money makes his family start looking for other measures to earn a living. In contrary to the expected, the family acts inhumanely by not caring about their former bread winner’s status but concentrates more on their financial wellbeing after the drawback.

Moreover, although Grete appears to be on Gregor’s side at first, she soon joins others and only offers care to her brother as a line of duty and not by passion. Thus, Kafka tries to bring into the readers’ attention that there was no real metamorphosis of Gregor, but a mental transformation from being an insect thinking to real manhood. It deems hard for the environment t to accept this change, as they had earlier metamorphosed and adapted to Gregor’s character. Work citedKafka, Franz.

Metamorphosis. London: Penguin, 2006. Print.