Telepathic Judas ~ Kelvin

Kelvin's Book

In the novella The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka, Kafka utilizes the metaphor of an insect, and a human undergoing the metamorphosis that an insect (or “monstrous vermin,” as the original German-to-English translation denotes). Gregor’s alienation is much more than a metaphor within the novella, Gregor Samsa is psychically transformed into an insect, in a horrifying way that presents this novella as an early example of body horror. Samsa can only speak in an unknown bug language, which prevents him from communicating with his family and the outside world. Samsa is also a literal bug, which renders him horrifying upon the sight of those who see him, Samsa’s appearance causes his family to disavow Gregor, leaving only Samsa’s sister to care for him from (Kafka’s point of view) an unknown humility. These psychical implications can tie into the theme and metaphor of alienation, Gregor is psychically isolated from his family and society due to his transformation, but he is also confined to a bedroom in which he is not allowed to leave. Samsa spends his days thinking and worrying about the world outside his desolate room, this only isolates him further. Gregor’s appearance is mostly up for debate throughout the novella, however mentions of thoraxes and other insect like appearances lend credibility to the idea that Gregor an insect; however, it is easy to show how Gregor may be placed in the same situation if he was simply unable to be employed or a shut-in. This idea of alienation through financial instability is the main drive in the novella’s plot, as the main focus of the Samsa family’s turmoil is not result from Gregor’s horrifying, psychical transformation, the main focus of the Samsa family’s turmoil and the reason they have cut contact from Gregor (except his sister) is due to the fact he is unable to make money and provide for them, despite the irony that a majority of his family did not have employment prior to Gregor’s transformation. Alienation as a theme and its use of a metaphor is littered throughout the Metamorphosis as Kafka is trying to elaborate upon the idea of how money and work is tied to the social and personal network of an individual; Samsa is wounded at the end of the first part of the novella, however, it is easy to envision this wound as not just as a psychical wound that will eventually lead to Gregor’s death, but that this wound is a wound to his ego and his social status. Through both the psychical and metaphorical wound, we can see how Gregor slowly over time becomes more and more isolated to the transformation he has undergone, from his work. Gregor has become a burden to his family and useless to the outside world, and it isn’t until his death that his family feels relief, while his alienation and isolation is to the point he can’t communicate and leave his room, his mere presence is devasting to his family.

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