1.Supervisor, Big Boss, Porter

The Metamorphosis

Supervisor: a bit lower on the company and he serves the boss

- He represents the voice and will of the boss, who we never hear directly from

- He is viewed as a nagging, overbearing figure, and this is how the reader views the boss

Boss:

- Runs the company, and has a huge impact on Gregor.

- He spends a lot of his time, initially in the novel, thinking about his life as a salesman and thinks about the stringent time commitments and the stress he endures.

- Immediately after being turned into a vermin, he does not worry about the fact that he is an insect, but worries about missing the alarm and the train to work. This is the first time Gregor is concerned in the book.

- The largest component of his life prior to the metamorphosis was his work.

Porter:

- Makes sure Gregor is on time for the train.

- Described as “A tool of the boss, without brains or backbone” (5).

Unity of the Three:

- Yet another instance of Kafka’s recurring symbol of “3”.

- The company is a totalitarian figure to Gregor

Importance:

- The first instance in the book of Gregor being controlled by his surroundings

- Does not have freedom to do as he pleases. There’s an external force dictating what he can and can’t do

- This external force is the combination of financial situation and company’s stringent policy

- This confinement is a recurring theme in the novella.

2. Symbols

The Insect

There are many different theories on what the insect represents in The Metamorphosis. Some believe that it may symbolize how insignificant and empty Gregor’s life was, and the meaninglessness he found in his job as a traveling salesman. Others believe that it is just a symbol of our society today and the jaded way of modern existence. The insect is a symbol of the human condition. The most agreed upon theory for the meaning of the insects symbol is Kafka’s relationship with his father. The insect is a representation of how Kafka’s father made him feel. His father in real life made him feel small and trapped, just like Gregor as an insect in his room.

The Furniture

The removal of the furniture is a symbol of giving up hope on Gregor’s ability to become human again. The furniture is Gregors link to his human past.

Unclear symbols

There are a few unclear symbols in The Metamorphosis such as the use of the number three. There are three parts of the story, three lodgers and three family members. Another symbol is the uniform the father wears. It could be a representation of his power, but he wears it so long it becomes greasy. This could be a symbol for weakness of his father. Another unclear symbol is the picture of Gregor as a lieutenant. It could represent a time when Gregor did have meaning in life and was fulfilled.

The Picture of the Woman

Hanging on the wall is a picture of a woman in furs. This picture could be a symbol of a love interest for Gregor. It could be an escape for his solitude and his loneliness. The picture could represent something meaningful in a life where he finds no meaning.

1."It showed a lady fitted out with a fur hat and fur boa who sat upright, raising a heavy fur muff that covered the whole of her lower arm towards the viewer." (p. 2)

a.This framed picture is an important item in Gregor's room that's mentioned early in the story. It demonstrates Gregor's desire for the romantic relationship he is unable to pursue because of his overwhelming misplaced responsibility for his family.

2."He sallied out, changed direction four times not knowing what he should save first before his attention was suddenly caught by the picture on the wall - which was already denuded of everything else that had been on it - of the lady dressed in copious fur. He hurried up onto the picture and pressed himself against its glass, it held him firmly and felt good on his hot belly. This picture at least, now totally covered by Gregor, would certainly be taken away by no-one." (p. 19)

huffenglish / Symbolism in The Metamorphosis

huffenglish.pbworks.com

3. Groupings of three in The Metamorphosis

Three parts to the play, three doors to the room, three rooms, three people, three servants, three stools, three lodgers, three beards, three clock chimes, three drawers, three times Gregor appears out of room, three letters written by three Samsas, 3am death, happens in March
Trinity/Jesus Christ
Literal meaning: Meta=change, morph=form
Apple severely wounds Gregor, just like how fruit from the tree of knowledge brought downfall of man.
Journey on earth, comes to realization that self-sacrifice is the best decision: shared by Christ and Gregor
“It was the commandment of family duty to swallow their disgust and endure him, endure him and nothing more”(40).
Like Jesus Christ, Gregor devoted his life to the people in his life he cared about, and he died so they could be reborn
Three stage metamorphosis for insects (larvae, pupae, adult)
Gregor undergoes three stages of change himself(in each of the different acts)
Stage 1:
He becomes an insect.
Primarily worries about practical issues-missed train, office boy checking, boss getting mad, losing his job.
Sees the physical change, but not any of its ramifications.
Stuck in the mindset of being the provider of the family.
Stage 2:
Begins to accept his metamorphosis physically and emotionally.
Physically, his vision gets worse, he enjoys hanging from the ceiling, different tastes in food
Emotionally, he adapts to the lifestyle of limited contact with his family and understands his family's attitude towards him.
Stage 3:
Change of roles for Gregor and his family.
All three of them have jobs, whereas in the beginning they were all powerless
Rents out house for financial support-No longer needs Gregor.
His survival depends on his family-simply fed food, not cared for.
Dies after morale and health fades away.
Supports the theme of isolationism
In the beginning of the novel, Gregor already feels isolated from his family
Expected to take care of family, locks himself in house, unhappy with his job, only his sister is close to him
Change into insect is caused by his desire to free himself from constraints of society and family
But instead his metamorphosis only serves to alienate him from the family even more, dies alone

4. Gregor as a modern everyman

Gregor is trapped in a mundane life, much like every other worker in a capitalist society.
He is stuck satisfying his family and providing for them.
He is forced into the role as family leader, because his dad is inept.
This is representative of the everyman, with his burdensome life.
Gregor’s job is stressful, long, and dull.
This is a common setting for most workers in a capitalist society. Will be talked about more in #13 (Capitalism).
Moreover, he hates his job and has no sort of power within the bureaucracy.
His life revolves entirely around his work.
“Over the table, on which an unpacked line of fabric samples was all spread out” (3).
His work follows him home, adding excess stress.
This stress is a common factor for most workers and men in this kind of society.
Strict daily routine
Not particularly emotional
Keystones of worker in capitalist society
All these is broken when he undergoes his metamorphosis which frees him from this repetitive cycle.
By losing his traditional body, he is forced to experience something new, and he even seems to have some excitement when figuring out how to work with his new body. For example, he blissfully crawls around the ceiling and walls of his room.
This metamorphosis highlights the unnatural, mundane nature of the lives of modern men.

5. Existentialism in Metamorphosis

The protagonist GregorSamsa is a salesman who strongly dislikes his job.
He works so hard for the family and devotes his life to paying off the family debt, while getting nothing in return.
Gregor essentially feels like a hard-working insect, (like an ant working for an ant colony) and his wish to escape the burden of society causes him to actually become an insect.
Even after transforming into an insect his main concern is how he is late to work, and that his manager will scold him.
Through his insect transformation, Gregor abandons his obligation to society and instead devotes the rest of his life to himself. Because of this, society and his family has no further use for him. He becomes totally uninvolved to the point of having totally no interaction with anyone inside or outside of the family.
GregorSamsa allows his life to end upon realizing that he is free from society. He accepts that his transformation has rendered him useless, and he becomes indifferent to the point where he does not see the point in cleaning himself up anymore.
According to Kafka and existentialism, people have both an individual side and a side with the commitment of society, and there must be a balance between the two. If a person chooses himself over society, he will lose the support of society; however, if a person chooses society, he will lose his individuality. Gregor initially chooses society over himself, which in turn transformed him into the working drone he was. After his physical transformation, he is forced reassert his focus to himself, and society abandons him.
It is the responsibility of the individual to maintain a balance between work and leisure. The Metamorphosis lends the idea that, if one chooses to devote their life entirely to work, they are no more than droning insects, yet if they devote their lives to leisure, they are no better off. A balance needs to be found.

6. The Metamorphosis as an allegory

Allegory: A representation of an abstract or spiritual meaning through concrete or material forms; figurative treatment of one subject under the guise of another
The Metamorphosis is allegorical in that it represents the dysfunctionality of family
GregorSamsa works to support his family and continues to do so even while sacrificing his own happiness
However, when he is transformed into a cockroach, his family has to take care of him and soon becomes so burdened that they eventually give up
highlights how unfair Gregor is treated..... he himself has to support the whole family, yet his entire family is unable to support him
Also, symbolizes the connection between man and nature
Gregor exhibits all the human capabilities but resides in the form of an animal
“At first, whenever the conservation turned to the need to earn money, Gregor...... felt so flushed with shame and grief” (27).
“To spare her from even these glimpses, he dragged the sheet to the sofa on his back...” (28).
On the contrary, the family and the rest of society display animal-like characteristics
“It was clear to Gregor that the father had misinterpreted Grete’s all too brief statement and assumed Gregor was guilty of some kind of violence....But the father was in no mood to make such fine distinction” (34).
Also, there is a gradual decline of human characteristics as time goes on
beginning: “To find out his likes and dislikes, she brought him a wide selection all spread out on an old newspaper.” (23)
end: “No longer concerning herself about what Gregor might particularly care for, the sister hastily shoved any old food through the door to Gregor’s room with her foot....” (39-40).
Imprisonment in a helpless body
Gregor is unable to do anything for himself, much less continue to do his job to support his family
cannot feed himself, get off his bed, or even open the door
this imprisonment causes him to be looked down on.... vermin vs. authority... becomes a liability

7. Changes that take place in Grete

Grete, Gregor’s sister, is the only other character mentioned by name in the story, indicating her relative significance to Gregor as she is the only one who had a very close relationship with him before his metamorphosis
She undergoes more change than any other character in the story, in her own metamorphosis from girl to woman
In the beginning of the story, she is full of sadness and pity over Gregor’s transformation, and takes care of him out of kindness
“In the room on the left there was an embarrassing silence; in the room on the right his sister began to sob” (11)
“If only his sister had been there! She was perceptive; she had already begun to cry when Gregor was still lying calmly on his back” (17)
She even brings him an array of food to try, and is worried when he doesn’t eat
“She became so frightened that she lost control of herself and slammed the door shut again. But, as if she felt sorry for her behavior, she immediately opened the door again and came in on tiptoe, as if she were visiting someone seriously ill or perhaps even a stranger” (23)
“Gregor was extremely curious to know what she would bring him instead, and he racked his brains on the subject. But he would never have been able to guess what his sister, in the goodness of her heart, actually did. To find out his likes and dislikes, she brought him a wide assortment of things” (24)
But as time goes on and she takes more adult responsibilities, such as getting a job to try to pay for their family after losing Gregor as the sole source of income, she loses pity in Gregor and becomes colder to him
Taking care of him becomes a duty rather than a kindness, and she also becomes very territorial over her caretaking role, not allowing anyone else
“No longer considering what she could do to give Gregor a special treat, his sister, before running to business every morning and afternoon, hurriedly shoved any old food into Gregor’s room with her foot; and in the evening, regardless of whether the food had only been toyed with or - the most usual case - had been left completely untouched, she swept it out with a swish of her broom” (43)
“At the same time she made sure - with an irritableness that was completely new to her and which had in fact infected the whole family - that the cleaning of Gregor’s room remain her province” (44)
Eventually, she becomes the one advocating that the family get rid of Gregor
“I won’t pronounce the name of my brother in front of this monster, and so all I say is: we have to try to get rid of it. We’ve done everything humanly possible to take care of it and to put up with it; I don’t think anyone can blame us in the least” (51)
By the end of the story, she has completed her metamorphosis from girl to woman, and the story even finishes with her rather than focusing on Gregor
“And it was like a confirmation of their new dreams and good intentions when at the end of the ride their daughter got up and stretched her young body” ( 58)
After Gregor dies, his family goes on a trolley out to the open sunshine for the first time in months and enjoys the end to their confinement
Grete’s mother and father reflect on the change that Grete has undergone the last few months, and think about finding her a husband
The story concludes with Grete stretching, almost as if she is emerging from a cocoon, after a long period of confinement, demonstrating the end of her metamorphosis and the opening of a new chapter in her life

8. The Metamorphosis as a story of Grete, the emerging artist

Gregor planned on sending his sister to a Conservatory for her music playing because she enjoyed it a lot, and he wants to expand on her passion for music.
“Only his sister had remained close to Gregor, and it was his secret plan that she who, unlike him, loved music and could play the violin movingly,should be sent next year to the Conservatory, regardless of the great expense involved, which could surely be made up for in some other way. Often during Gregor’s short stays in the city the Conservatory would come up in his conversations with his sister, but always merely as a beautiful dream which was not supposed to come true” (27)
However, by the end of the book, she has become a great artist even though she has had to deal with taking care of Gregor for a long time.
“And yet his sister was playing so beautifully. Her face was inclined to one side, sadly and probingly her eyes followed the lines of music” (48)
“In the meantime his sister had overcome the abstracted mood into which she had fallen after her playing had been so suddenly interrupted; and all at once, after holding violin and bow for a while in her slackly hanging hands and continuing to follow the score as if she were still playing, she pulled herself together, laid the instrument on the lap of her mother...and ran into the next room” (50)
“It occurred almost simultaneously to Mr. and Mrs. Samsa, as they watched their daughter getting livelier and livelier, that lately, in spite of all the troubles which had turned her cheeks pale, she had blossomed into a good-looking, shapely girl. Growing quieter and communicating almost unconsciously through glances, they thought that it would soon be time, too, to find her a good husband” (58)
Thus the story is partly of how this anomaly ended up giving Grete the confidence and maturity to become a wonderful artist, even though it does not occur explicitly. As she becomes a woman, she also matures in her artistry; it is somewhat the story of Grete, the emerging artist

9. Why is the novel timeless and universal