Preview

Exploring Alienation and Conformity in the Metamorphosis

Powerful Essays
Open Document
Open Document
2051 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Exploring Alienation and Conformity in the Metamorphosis
In The Metamorphosis, Franz Kafka conveys the series of emotional and psychological repercussions of a physical transformation that befalls the protagonist, a young salesman called Gregor Samsa. As the story progresses, Gregor finds himself unfairly stigmatized, cruelly rejected because of his clear inability to financially support his family, and consequently increasingly isolated. Through extensive use of symbolism, Kafka is able to relate the surreal and absurd, seemingly arbitrary events of this short story to a general critique of society-particularly on the alienating effects that conformity generates. On a broader level, the combined themes-which include the themes of conformity, freedom, and alienation--found throughout The Metamorphosis reveal Kafka's attitude toward humanity and his existentialist leanings. Yet another vital device Kafka employs is the unconventional structure, albeit to great effect, that the story is written in. Kafka juxtaposes all three elemen! ts-symbolism, theme, and structure--to ultimately present a sort of critique on humanity by arguing that the desire to conform is a driving force behind the alienation of individuals. Through extensive use of symbolism, Kafka is able to relate the absurd, seemingly arbitrary events of this short story to a general critique of society. Gregor's Cheng 2 gradual physical starvation symbolizes and corresponds to an emotional and psychological starvation. Because of his inability to communicate in a human voice--"that was an animal's voice" (Kafka), observes Gregor's boss at one point--although he able to understand human "speak"--which arguably makes the situation all the more tragic and depressing for him--he is no longer able to socially interact, especially since his family refuses to even acknowledge his presence. Since intelligent communication is such an inherently, undeniably intrinsic part of what defines humanity, and Gregor can no longer communicate, a large portion of Gregor's emotional


Cited: Kafka, Franz. The Metamorphosis. Whitefish, MT: Kessinger Publishing, 1915.
Continue Reading
View Writing Issues

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Metamorphosis Rhetorical Analysis
    • 167 Words
    • 1 Page

    Metamorphosis Rhetorical Analysis

    In Metamorphosis Franz Kafka examines the alienation from society that turns a human being into a bug. Gregor Sampsa is clearly unhappy with his life and alienated by the expectations placed upon him by his family and society. For example the text says “If I didn’t have my parents to think about I’d have given in my notice a long time ago, I’d have gone up to my boss and told him just what I think, tell him everything, I would have let him know just what I feel,” Gregor says. But of course, he can’t tell his boss how he feels. How he feels is besides the point. “He was a tool of the boss, without brains or backbone.” Gregor is in no position of power he is just another worker for his harsh boss. Gregor’s alienation is symbolically represented…

    • 167 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Analysis Of The Metamorphosis By Kafka
    • 95 Words
    • 1 Page

    Analysis Of The Metamorphosis By Kafka

    As with any great literary work, there must be a purpose behind the story. Kafka’s short story was written for a few main reasons. He wanted to exemplify the absurdity of life, show that there is often a disconnect between the mind and body, and that there are limits to society’s affection for its servants. I found that all points appeared to be both relevant and accurate while maintaining the fantastical appeal of the strangeness of Gregor’s sudden transformation. I believe this contributes to why “The Metamorphosis” has made a lasting impact across the globe.…

    • 95 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Isolation And Alienation In Franz Kafka's Metamorphosis
    • 305 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Isolation And Alienation In Franz Kafka's Metamorphosis

    Throughout the novel, Mr. Kafka uses third person limited point of view to tell the story of Gregor Samsa’s life-changing transformation. This literary device gives the author the ability to display both the protagonist’s emotions and actions. For example, Franz Kafka writes about how Gregor stood in his “tall, empty room where he was forced to remain made him feel uneasy as he lay here flat on the floor, even though he had been living in it for five years” (pg.36). The author’s…

    • 305 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Kafka's Fantasy Of Punishment Analysis
    • 214 Words
    • 1 Page

    Kafka's Fantasy Of Punishment Analysis

    In the “Kafka’s fantasy of punishment”, Author Kaiser reveals and scrutinizes more insightfully the significant meaning of the metamorphosis of Gregor Samsa. In Kaiser’s point of view, Gregor’s transformation is a “self-punishment for his earlier competitive striving aimed against his father.” His unintentional emotions toward his father are beyond hatred, which is interpreted by Kaiser as an oedipal jealousy intended for the mother. However, that is not the manifest struggle between the son and father. It is Gregor’s bold ambition costs him to suffer. Before his catastrophic metamorphosis, the son takes up the position as head of the family as a result of business failure of his father. He begins to work assiduously to sustain the whole family;…

    • 214 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Paul's Case and Metamorphosis Comparison
    • 941 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Paul's Case and Metamorphosis Comparison

    Willa Cather's, "Paul's Case" and Frank Kafka's, "Metamorphosis" are short stories written in the early twentieth century, merely ten years apart. When comparing and contrasting these short stories, the reader finds that both stories share a similar point of view and the recurring themes of alienation and money run throughout these works.…

    • 941 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Symbolism In Franz Kafka's Metamorphosis
    • 487 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Symbolism In Franz Kafka's Metamorphosis

    In Franz Kafka's short story Metamorphosis symbolism plays a great part in developing Gregor's character and life. First, s picture Gregor has of a woman is the representation of his last strand of human life in addition to the furniture in his bedroom. Secondly, the apple that Gregor's father implants into his back is a representation of good and evil within the Samsa family. Lastly, Gregor's door represents his isolation from humanity and his true transition into a bug.…

    • 487 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Theme Of Alienation In The Metamorphosis
    • 233 Words
    • 1 Page

    Theme Of Alienation In The Metamorphosis

    An individual cannot prevail positively or productively with all fundamental needs met without the dynamic of society. Society engenders restrictions on man. Our society has created many stereotypes which has blinded many individuals, resulting in leaving one confined to the realms of the world, crippling humanity. In the fictional novel, The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka, a salesman named Gregor Samsa was left in his own bubble to suffer alone, simply because he didn't measure up to the prevailing social standings that were upheld in this society. Kafka demonstrates the theme of alienation, from a unique perspective through the utilization of tone and imagery.…

    • 233 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    How Did Franz Kafka Metamorphosis Change
    • 993 Words
    • 4 Pages

    How Did Franz Kafka Metamorphosis Change

    Franz Kafka is said to have based most of his works off of his own life. Consequently, in one such work, Metamorphosis, the characters, and their struggles parallel those of people present in Kafka's life. Metamorphosis tells the story of a man, Gregor, who leads a prominent lifestyle until he wakes up one morning transformed into a bug; from the moment that he takes his first breath in his transformed state, Gregor's life goes downhill. Because Kafka's work reflects his life, his state of mind is revealed through the fact that he chooses a bug in peril to represent himself. Kafka's purpose for writing Metamorphosis was to alleviate his hardships by providing himself an escape through writing.…

    • 993 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Alienation In The Metamorphosis
    • 904 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Alienation In The Metamorphosis

    In the novel The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka it establishes the theme of alienation from the society and their true identity. The main character, Gregor Samsa awakes to the realization that he has transformed into a verminous bug. His physical and mental metamorphosis creates obstacles throughout the course of Gregor’s life. Gregor who was once the caretaker of his family is now unable to work. This has caused an economic burden on his family. The transformation also is viewed as a danger to the family’s household. Therefore, they barricade Gregor in his room where he has limited access to his family and the society. Throughout the novel the furniture, door and uniforms serve as symbols of Gregor’s alienation from society and himself.…

    • 904 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Metamorphosis And A Hunger Artist: Literary Analysis
    • 867 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Metamorphosis And A Hunger Artist: Literary Analysis

    Kafka throughout Metamorphosis shows key examples of the life of Gregor and how it's filled himself with alienation. Alienation is brought out in both Kafka's writings The Metamorphosis and "A Hunger Artist". The way Kafka lived may have been examples and themes in each the two stories. In both stories main characters decide to separate themselves from their own surroundings. They are reasons for each of the characters isolation from what's outside of them. In The Metamorphosis, Gregor, the main focus morphs physically into a bug. His intent was to be freer from his own life, but isolation from family and work increases. Gregor's family then does not want anything to do with him. Also, the hunger artist alienates himself by hiding inside a…

    • 867 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Franz Kafka's Metamorphosis
    • 1137 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Franz Kafka's Metamorphosis

    Since the Greek philosophers people have debated endlessly the extent to which the mind influences oneʼs personal reality, or even reality in general. In the Metamorphosis, the link between Gregorʼs mental and physical reality are in some way linked, and as Gregorʼs ability to function within the parameters of humanity dissipates, his physical links with the human world diminish as well. He loses his personal connection with his own body, and slowly but surely loses connection with the outside world; work and acquaintances progress along without him, and his family shuts him away as if he had never existed. But despite the authorʼs frequent superficial focus on Gregor Samsaʼs physical aspect, it is fundamentally the mental breakdown which Franz…

    • 1137 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    What Is The Theme Of Isolation In Frankenstein
    • 1391 Words
    • 6 Pages

    What Is The Theme Of Isolation In Frankenstein

    In the novel, The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka, alienation and isolation are very prominent themes that flow through the pages. When Gregor undergoes his transformation into a grotesque insect, it creates this psychological and emotional rift between Gregor and his family.…

    • 1391 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The Metamorphosis
    • 573 Words
    • 3 Pages

    The Metamorphosis

    The authors, Elie Wiesel and Franz Kafka, wrote the stories Night and “The Metamorphosis” to portray the themes of alienation and dehumanization by using symbols; the authors purpose is to inform the readers of how much harm alienation and dehumanization can cause one person or a group of people. Not only do Wiesel and Kafka inform the readers of the harm but, both of them use creative symbols throughout each story to actually capture what message they are trying to send out.…

    • 573 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    The Metamorphosis: A Distortion of Reality
    • 740 Words
    • 2 Pages

    The Metamorphosis: A Distortion of Reality

    "The Metamorphosis" by Franz Kafka uses the distortions of Gregor Samsa's current state as a vermin, his invaded space, and the abstract use of time to convey the antagonist's alienation, isolation, and conformity causing his inaction as the existential hero.…

    • 740 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Ib English Hl 1 External Assessment
    • 1379 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Ib English Hl 1 External Assessment

    The early twentieth century represented a time of hardship and struggles throughout Europe. In 1915, at the onset of World War I, Austria-Hungary centered at the heart of this turmoil. This societal angst eventually translated into/became the individual alienation that lies at the center of Franz Kafka’s The Metamorphosis. The protagonist Gregor Samsa’s shocking change into a bug reflects this angst felt by Kafka and his own perception of the world – and his role in it. As a bug, he cannot provide for his family any longer, and therefore becomes excluded from familial affairs. The family adjusts to his plight by taking on extra jobs and admitting boarders into the home for extra financial support; all the while, Gregor becomes victimized by the coldness of his newfound world. In a period where everyday living presented a daily fight to survive, the family could not lament Gregor’s absence for too long before worrying about personal wellbeing. This coldness of that era is incorporated through Gregor’s dire situation and in turn, the family’s cold reaction indicates the “survival of the fittest” theme evident in families during that time. Kafka employs depressing language and style, a three-part structure to the novel, and an extended metaphor to shape the belief that in a world filled with conflict, regardless of family ties, only the fittest will endure.…

    • 1379 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More

Related Topics