The Metamorphosis Analysis

“The Metamorphosis” by Franz Kafka is the story of a young man named Gregor who wakes up one morning to see that his entire life has changed. When he wakes up in bed he determines that he has become a bug overnight. Throughout the story Kafka describes Gregors’ struggles in his new form and how his life changes because of it. He was once a hardworking man who never missed a day of work and strived to provide for his family. After his metamorphosis he is unable to work and is forced to live the rest of his life as a bug.

Gregor wakes one morning prepared to get up and get ready for work as he does every day. He is a traveling salesman who puts up with his undesirable job to support his family. However, when he wakes up and notices he has turned into a bug overnight, it is impossible for him to carry on as he usually did. Gregor slowly accepts the fact that he is a bug and that it is a permanent state. He is forced to stay in his room and is ignored by his family members who want nothing to do with him in his new form. Gregor is ignored by his family more and more. His sister, who had tried to take care of Gregor at the beginning of his change, is sickened by his appearance. She convinces her family to get rid of Gregor. Soon after, the house maid enters Gregor’s filth-filled room and realizes Gregor has died.

The story is narrated in third person. The point of view is limited omniscient, as only Gregor’s thoughts and feelings are revealed to the readers. This allows reasons to understand exactly what Gregor is going through and how he feels throughout the story. Kafka also uses quotations depicting Gregor’s exact thoughts to give the reader an in-depth description of what is happening and how he is feeling.

The narrator does not expose to the readers how Gregor’s family is feeling internally about the situation at hand. However, from what he does reveal, readers view them as cruel, unappreciative people who leave their son at a time of need. Gregor’s