The Role Of Gregor Samsa In The Metamorphosis
In The Metamorphosis, Franz Kafka discusses Gregor Samsa and his metamorphosis into a monstrous vermin. Kafka opens with Gregor discovering his new life as a bug, which prevents him from going to work to support his family, as he has done since the failure of his father’s business. Kafka transforms Gregor into a monstrous vermin as a commentary on existentialism, illuminating Gregor’s true sacrifice of giving up his life and relationship with his family in order to force them to discover their own life purposes. Prior to his transformation, Gregor believes that he is sacrificing himself by working to support his family. Gregor works for years in a job that makes him unhappy in order to alleviate his family’s debt after the collapse of his
…show more content…
father’s business five years ago. Gregor believes that he is the “sole means of support for his family” (Santner 197). Although he is unhappy, Gregor continues to work because he believes that it is his responsibility to do “what he might have to do to help ensure the others’ survival” (Kureishi 12). As Gregor continues working, he realizes that funding his family “no longer [feels] particularly warm” (22). Kafka utilizes Gregor’s apparent discomfort to further examine why Gregor initial sacrifice is meaningless. Gregor believes his sacrifice to be supporting his family to allow for their success, but in reality he is acting as a crutch for them to justify their purposeless lives. The existential beliefs Kafka supports state that life has no inherent purpose, which means man must create his own purpose. With Gregor supporting them, the family has no reason to find purposes of their own. Kafka transforms Gregor into a monstrous vermin in order to remove the crutch out from underneath the family. Kafka uses Gregor’s previous life as a tool in establishing his existential convictions.
After Gregor’s transformation, Kafka reveals Gregor’s true sacrifice. Gregor discovers that his father saves Gregor’s income and the money leftover from the collapse of the father’s business. Prior to his transformation, Gregor believes that “his father [has] retained nothing at all” (22). This revelation conveys one of Kafka’s intentions in transforming Gregor, revealing to Gregor that his family is not actually dependent on him. From this, Gregor is left examining his the purpose of the years of sacrifice he performs to fiscally provide for his family. Kafka reveals that Gregor’s prior life was simply “an artificial construction” (Santner 198). Moreover, Kafka reveals that Gregor’s sacrificial existence does not exist as Gregor believes as a commentary on the duty of man to establish his own purpose. By transforming Gregor and leaving his family with nothing, Kafka forces Gregor to analyze his contribution to his family and his new role while he is locked away in his room. By transforming Gregor into a monstrous vermin, Kafka seizes Gregor’s life as he knows it, forcing him to serve a greater purpose to his family.
Kafka transforms Gregor in order to allow Gregor to serve a larger purpose as an expression of existentialism.
Kafka forces Gregor to sacrifice his life in order to allow his family to discover their own purposes. Gregor’s family is forced to support themselves and not use Gregor as a crutch. Gregor’s sister “[takes] a job as a salesgirl” while his father “[refuses] to take off his porter’s uniform” (33). Now that Gregor is no longer available to them, his family is finally able to realize their own potentials and create purpose with their lives. The existential principles Kafka supports state that each man must form his own life purpose. Gregor’s transformation is a manifestation of these convictions, however, it consequently damages Gregor in the process. As Gregor’s mother and sister are “clearing out his room”, Kafka conveys their dehumanizing attitudes as they lose value in Gregor (28). Kafka’s transformation of Gregor destroys the relationship Gregor has with his family prior to his transformation because his family no longer views Gregor as their benefactor. Kafka conveys that Gregor’s sacrifice is complete by allowing him to die. Gregor’s “last breath faintly [streams]” from his mouth and nostrils, juxtaposing the completion of his sacrifice with the completion of his life (43). By removing Gregor’s support, Kafka forces the family to venture out on a journey of self-discovery, and consequently forces Gregor to sacrifice his life and relationship with
them.
Kafka transforms Gregor into a monstrous vermin as a commentary on existentialism, revealing that Gregor’s true sacrifice is giving up his life and relationship with his family in order to force them to discover their own life purposes. Kafka reveals that Gregor is wrong about his sacrifice, it is not to support his family, but to give up his life in order to allow them to create their own purposes. Kafka utilizes Gregor’s transformation to convey his ideas of existentialism and the necessity of man to create his own purpose.
father’s business five years ago. Gregor believes that he is the “sole means of support for his family” (Santner 197). Although he is unhappy, Gregor continues to work because he believes that it is his responsibility to do “what he might have to do to help ensure the others’ survival” (Kureishi 12). As Gregor continues working, he realizes that funding his family “no longer [feels] particularly warm” (22). Kafka utilizes Gregor’s apparent discomfort to further examine why Gregor initial sacrifice is meaningless. Gregor believes his sacrifice to be supporting his family to allow for their success, but in reality he is acting as a crutch for them to justify their purposeless lives. The existential beliefs Kafka supports state that life has no inherent purpose, which means man must create his own purpose. With Gregor supporting them, the family has no reason to find purposes of their own. Kafka transforms Gregor into a monstrous vermin in order to remove the crutch out from underneath the family. Kafka uses Gregor’s previous life as a tool in establishing his existential convictions.
After Gregor’s transformation, Kafka reveals Gregor’s true sacrifice. Gregor discovers that his father saves Gregor’s income and the money leftover from the collapse of the father’s business. Prior to his transformation, Gregor believes that “his father [has] retained nothing at all” (22). This revelation conveys one of Kafka’s intentions in transforming Gregor, revealing to Gregor that his family is not actually dependent on him. From this, Gregor is left examining his the purpose of the years of sacrifice he performs to fiscally provide for his family. Kafka reveals that Gregor’s prior life was simply “an artificial construction” (Santner 198). Moreover, Kafka reveals that Gregor’s sacrificial existence does not exist as Gregor believes as a commentary on the duty of man to establish his own purpose. By transforming Gregor and leaving his family with nothing, Kafka forces Gregor to analyze his contribution to his family and his new role while he is locked away in his room. By transforming Gregor into a monstrous vermin, Kafka seizes Gregor’s life as he knows it, forcing him to serve a greater purpose to his family.
Kafka transforms Gregor in order to allow Gregor to serve a larger purpose as an expression of existentialism.
Kafka forces Gregor to sacrifice his life in order to allow his family to discover their own purposes. Gregor’s family is forced to support themselves and not use Gregor as a crutch. Gregor’s sister “[takes] a job as a salesgirl” while his father “[refuses] to take off his porter’s uniform” (33). Now that Gregor is no longer available to them, his family is finally able to realize their own potentials and create purpose with their lives. The existential principles Kafka supports state that each man must form his own life purpose. Gregor’s transformation is a manifestation of these convictions, however, it consequently damages Gregor in the process. As Gregor’s mother and sister are “clearing out his room”, Kafka conveys their dehumanizing attitudes as they lose value in Gregor (28). Kafka’s transformation of Gregor destroys the relationship Gregor has with his family prior to his transformation because his family no longer views Gregor as their benefactor. Kafka conveys that Gregor’s sacrifice is complete by allowing him to die. Gregor’s “last breath faintly [streams]” from his mouth and nostrils, juxtaposing the completion of his sacrifice with the completion of his life (43). By removing Gregor’s support, Kafka forces the family to venture out on a journey of self-discovery, and consequently forces Gregor to sacrifice his life and relationship with
them.
Kafka transforms Gregor into a monstrous vermin as a commentary on existentialism, revealing that Gregor’s true sacrifice is giving up his life and relationship with his family in order to force them to discover their own life purposes. Kafka reveals that Gregor is wrong about his sacrifice, it is not to support his family, but to give up his life in order to allow them to create their own purposes. Kafka utilizes Gregor’s transformation to convey his ideas of existentialism and the necessity of man to create his own purpose.