Franz Kafka's Metamorphos

People have always felt the pressure of conforming to societal norms, enough that they feel the need to change their personality. In The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka, the protagonist Gregor struggles between meeting expectations and coming to terms with the darker side of himself. Through Gregor’s struggles, Kafka points out the underlying human weaknesses that cause a metamorphosis in each of us. Even after Gregor realizes that he’s turned into a bug, he still feels the need to fulfill the expectations of others. Gregor thinks to himself, “Before it strikes a quarter past seven, whatever happens I must be completely out of bed. Besides, by then someone from the office will arrive to inquire about me...And he made an effort to rock his entire
body length out of bed.” (17) Gregor’s initial thoughts are to go to work as he usually does, instead of panicking over the physical change he’s been through.
This is evident that Gregor doesn’t really recognize his transformation as a problem. Since Gregor doesn’t recognize his bug form as a problem, and in fact seems familiar with being one, then Gregor must have already felt himself to be something like a bug before. Where Gregor should be alarmed at suddenly metamorphosing into a bug, he instead feels the need to meet the expectations of his job. This shows that though Gregor feels the need to carry out his responsibility, he has also always felt like a bug while fulfilling them. Though Gregor makes an effort towards getting out of bed, he has difficulty as a bug with no human limbs. This is symbolic of how much of an effort Gregor makes to meet those expectations, and how important they are to him. Since a bug is something many people detest, the way Gregor feels like one while trying to meet expectations shows how little he values his own worth. This side of himself is also something he has trouble showing to others, through both his inability and reluctance to get up out of bed. Gregor is unable to get any help for his confidence issues, compounding the problem. The only thing motivating Gregor to even try at all is the need to
fulfill his work expectations, which Gregor repeats constantly in his head like a mantra. He has based his entire world and self-value around meeting those expectations, so when Gregor feels like a bug when doing them, he begins to recognize himself to be a bug. Gregor’s dependency on following a routine even though it crushes his own self-worth has eventually caused him to metamorphose into a bug. Kafka demonstrates that one’s true self is the entirety of all the different sides to a person through Gregor’s inner conflict.
Though Gregor requires the approval of his boss and his family in order to validate his existence, he still expresses a desire to stop meeting their expectations. Gregor thinks, “He really wanted to let himself be seen by and to speak with the manager...If they were startled, then Gregor had no more responsibility and could be calm. But if they accepted everything quietly, then he would have no reason to get excited, and if he got a move on, could really be at the station around eight o’clock.” (23) In this quote, Gregor contemplates having no more responsibility, and continuing his same routine, depending on others’ reactions to him. This shows that he is actually tired of having to meet others’ expectations of him, and wants to be treated like a human and given a break. However, he still bases his decisions on what they will think of him, showing his dependency on society’s approval of what he does. Gregor does not want to confront the fact that he has turned into a bug because he is uncertain of what people’s opinions will be, further proving that Gregor has low confidence and self-value. Since Gregor has now transformed into a bug, a reflection of his true self, rejection would be crippling to his already low self-worth. This is representative of how everybody has multiple faces to hide part of what who they are, because of their fear of
rejection. Gregor is also unable to receive any comfort from his inability to show his true self to anyone, which forces him to act like everything is fine when it is not. This has been so deeply ingrained into Gregor that he does not even acknowledge being a bug as a problem, instead trying to do his same daily routine. The combination of having to show one face while truly being another for so long has resulted in one the single, significant change - Gregor’s metamorphosis. Already in the beginning of the book, Kafka warns us that attempting to keep a darker side of yourself hidden results in a metamorphosis into something terrible. Kafka identifies the way Gregor’s darkest fears and depression cause him to self-destruct. Before Gregor’s metamorphosis, the family was financially dependent on him and in a relative state of comfort. However, with Gregor being unable to continue supporting them, the other three family members gradually begin to view him as something they should be rid of. Gregor’s sister cries, “‘My dear parents,’ said the sister banging her hand on the table by way of an introduction, ‘things cannot go on any longer in this way...I will not utter my brother’s name in front of this monster, and thus I say only that we must try to get rid of it...When people have to work as hard as we all do, they cannot also tolerate this endless torment at home.’ (69-70) When Gregor first turned into a bug, his family’s rejection was what he feared would occur if he showed himself. Though his family believes that they did all in their power to accept Gregor after his metamorphosis, their resentment and disgust at his bug form eventually rises to the surface. This validates Gregor’s fear, and showcases what Gregor believes will happen if he no longer continues meeting their expectations of him. The lack of communication between Gregor and his family also show how he is already gone from the family, as he is reduced to listening to them while hiding in a corner. Despite this, Gregor’s last action is still an attempt to meet their expectations. Gregor thinks in his final moments, “He remembered his family with deep feelings of love. In this business, his own thought that he had to disappear was, if possible, even more decisive than his sister’s. He remained in this state of empty and peaceful reflection..” (73) Gregor’s peaceful acceptance over his fate as a bug symbolizes that his worst fear is that if he stops being what his family, whom he loves most, expects him to be, they will forget about him and move on easily. This is exactly what happened to Gregor over time, which eventually led to his death. Gregor is finally able to feel relief and calm in his final moments, having felt that his death was finally fulfilling their expectations. His calm also shows how his family’s rejection was something he expected all along. This type of thinking shows how depressed and helpless Gregor feels, as he would rather just give up and die peacefully instead of fight. Gregor’s insecurities first caused him to transform into a bug, and eventually resulted in his self-destruction as he searched for validation. Kafka describes the depression and hopelessness each of us feel through Gregor’s needs as a bug. The combination of these feelings for Gregor eventually caused his metamorphosis, and his self-destruction as his fear of rejection came true. Gregor’s fate serves as a warning for readers about human nature, and how destructive it can be. The key in avoiding this lies in being able to express your true feelings, not keeping them to yourself.