Yvonne De La Cruz
English 101
23 October 2014
Shelling Irony
"Come here, then. Let's forget about all that old stuff, shall we. Come and give me a bit of attention" (Kafka)
In his story “Metamorphosis” Franz Kafka shows that the sake of the many will outweigh the few, or this case, the one even when entirely unfair. Kafka does this with his main character Gregor, who mystically becomes an insect overnight and is in a state where he cannot work or function as he did when a human. Kafka's purpose is to rile up thought in individuals minds as we question the morality of the characters in his story and the right and wrong within it. Kafka is descriptive in his story and writes precisely. Reading through “Metamorphosis” was truly frustrating as the main character, Gregor, was entirely relatable through his attitude and financial struggle. Gregor changed from a man who financially supported his family, his parents and sister, to an insect overnight, and lost all ability to be a supporter or have his own independence. What happens when the roles are flipped- when one man goes from supporting three people to three people supporting one man? The family means wells at first and attempts support, though poor Gregor is rendered to nothing more but a burden. Symbolically Gregor's sealed fate could be justified in the form of his transformation being figuratively self induced; perhaps he became lethargic and uncaring. He feigned or only thought out his attempts to fixing everything and rescuing his career with his boss. This fixes the tension of unresolved morality when our hero inevitably fades to death, though without that tension what would this story be? Kafka seems to weave this tale in order to provoke these questions and thoughts on the family's righteousness throughout their acts and decisions regarding Gregor. They simply accepted his state of being and accommodated it poorly. Gregor, if not symbolically uncaring and lethargic, is trapped in his role as the supporter; his family sees him as such which diverts their love into a materialistic hunger. With him gone, they are reborn, and learn to provide for themselves.
Word Count: 365
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