Franz Kafka's The Metamorphosis

Franz Kafka’s novella, The Metamorphosis , is a novella riddled in symbols and

themes of Kafka’s struggle with tuberculosis. This story teaches and shows the effects of

isolation and on how it effects ones life. Gregor Samsa ( the main character ) is driven by a

dramatic change in his life and the inability to provide for his family. Franz Kafka uses

symbolism such as the window to elaborate on the important theme of isolationism in

The Metamorphosis .

Kafka’s use of the window shows Gregor Samsa looking for or lacking of

freedom . As the story unfolds in the very first chapter Kafka tries to make the reader realize

that the symbol of the window is a major part to the main characters dramatic
change . “ You

could hear raindrops beating against the window gutter made him quite melancholy” (kafka-11).

This symbol is used to show the feeling Samsa is feeling at the moment.
He’s feeling depressed

and isn’t exactly sure why this is happening to him. The window is used throughout the story

and has effects on the main character.

Gregor’s transformation led to huge change. His physical appearance had not been

that same salesman he had always been. Instead now he has seen himself as a beetle. Gregor is

feeling isolated which is why he looks out the window. He looks out the window to see what he

can no longer see because his vision seems to be blurry. “He didn’t spare the exertion of shoving

a chair over to the window; he would then crawl up the ledge and supporting himself against the

chair, lean against the window, obviously only through some sort of recollection of the liberating

feeling he always used to experience when looking out the window. Because, in reality with each

passing day his view of things at only a slight distance was becoming increasing blurry; the

hospital opposite; the all-too-frequent sight of which he used to curse, he now could no longer

see at all” ( Kafka-30 ). This symbol is a very important part of this book. Gregor is
changing

mentally. He’s in his “grey world” and forgotten what the world outside looked like. The theme

of isolationism is used very strongly here by Kafka.

Gregor is beginning to feel a lot more isolated from his family. Gregor is

depressed and does not understand the true meaning of freedom the way he use to have it.

Gregor eventually gives up on the search for his freedom. “He was still alive when the world

started to become brighter outside the window. Then his head involuntarily sank down altogether

and his last breath issued faintly from his nostrils” ( Kafka-49 ). Gregor’s unwanting feeling to

stay alive releases in relentless proximity. He dies in his room with the apple in his back which

symbolized isolationism, in his back which symbolized isolationism, death and sin like in the

story of Adam and Eve.

Franz Kafka uses symbolism such as the window to elaborate on the important

theme of isolationism in The Metamorphosis . One could say that Gregor’s isolationism lead to

his unlawful death. The loss of his freedom made him depressed and unwanted to his family and

self. Therefore to explain this Franz Kafka uses symbolism of the windows to show Gregor

Samsa’s isolationism .