The Metamorphosis - a Short Story Novella by Franz Kafka | Book talk #1 - Mindly Sapiens

The Book talk #1

The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka

Metamorphosis is one of the world's most famous novella. The author Franz Kafka has blown his reader's mind. Franz Kafka was well know for his philosophical writing in novels and short story books. His work mainly contains the elements of realism.

Philosophical contents

This book Metamorphosis includes the concept of Existentialism, Alienism, Edible complex, Marxism and also conveys about dehumanization and materialistic society.

The plot of story

Gregor Samsa is the central character here who is a travelling salesman and he works hard for his family. He never took a leave from his work from 5 years in his 15 years of service and he thinks if he continues this hardship he will be able to pay all his family debts.

Gregor had good connection with his mother but relation with his father wasn't good enough. This shows the edible complex here. There is a another character in this story, his sister Grete Samsa who always cares about her brother.

And the story begins....

One day Gregor was just slept of tiredness and on another day when he woke up, he found himself turned into a cockroach like insect. Franz Kafka didn't describe exactly on which insect he had transformed but from the detailing it most likely to be cockroach. His back was turned hard and his legs became thin and weak. The incident startled him but he was still thinking of about his family. Despite of thinking about his current condition he was frightened for his family that if he wouldn't be able to work and to earn then who will feed his family.

Gregor had transformed into a insect and when this truth is revealed to the family then how his family treats Gregor is one of the main component here. Initially, his mother and sister had sympathy for Gregor but as time flows they two were started treating him with disgust. The father was never be humble to Gregor and his behaviour to Gregor was getting more and more inhuman.

After the Gregor was no more able to earn for family, the family members took the responsibility and found the job for themselves to support their family's financial condition. Gregor felt the helplessness as he could not support his family but at other point he also thought that he had been carrying the burden of debts  alone from a very long time, if his family were started it earlier then he would be in better position now.

Now the third and the last chapter of this book begins where Gregor is almost the burden for his family and his family forgot the hardships and the sacrifices that Gregor did for this family. Gregor was now mostly spends his time in nostalgia. There was a time when he was earning for them and was the most appreciated person of his family but now he had lost his value. Further a incident happens where his sister also betrays him apparently calls him a burden and tells him to leave the family if he really cares about them.

I'm not sharing the ending of story as I don't want to give a spoiler to those who haven't read this book.

Interpretation of philosophical concept behind The Metamorphosis

Franz Kafka showed here that Gregor was physically changed into a insect but the other characters was mentally transformed. Their perspective about Gregor was changed.  Gregor was still thinking like a human even he was a insect but his family's thinking was no more like a humans even though they were humans. Franz Kafka revealed the reality of materialistic society where the people appreciate the only person who is capable of working, the day when that person depends on someone another he get treated as burden, he loses his value and society forgets his achievements and sacrifices.

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