Analtytical exposition of Kafkas metamorphosis

International Baccalaureate World Literature

Analytical Exposition

Alienation is formed of exclusion and betrayal that has repeatedly been presented in the text which has been an end result of the discourses adopted by a character, which may be overall rejected by society. Such rejection is established in Kafka’s Metamorphosis’ where the upholding of inappropriate or alternative discourses eventually causes Gregor to be marginalized. That is to say that, in society marginalization is due to unconventional behavior, which is evidently illustrated in the book.

The challenging of his body form and its entrapment to speak it values a key point in the novel which apparently causes marginalization that changes his life. Existentialism in the novel is generally constructed in the form of suicide, misanthropism; death and guilt. However, when such features are presented marginalization is the outcome? This is most noticeably the case with Gregor, whose life was a normal human life, until the changing Metamorphosis which seemed to cause a certain degree of exclusion and aggravation from Gregor’s family. As a result Gregor leaves the world quietly and with guilt by his side which was input by his very own family.

There is a moment in the story where Gregor is happy to be an insect and guilt is overridden by joy and pleasure as there was a moment when Gregor realizes the family was happy and everything was going well. Gregor was free from tension and his worries about being an insect in the family or in society, when Gregor crawls up and down the ceiling Gregor starts to enjoy being an insect.

In the beginning Gregor is presented to be changed into an insect the novel is started off with the climax which is not presented to be normal ...

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In the beginning Gregor is presented to be changed into an insect the novel is started off with the climax which is not presented to be normal in the structure of a novel, as the book does not start before the metamorphosis, the reader does not have a clue what Gregor was like before he turned into an insect. The reader later on finds out what Gregor was like, hard working, supportive towards the family this shows the reader guilt towards Gregor as the family mistreats him which also is a link to his death.

Gregor’s sister also uses the fact of Gregor’s death as a rallying point for the family on the eve of starting a new life before his death the family has an argument over the metamorphosis of Gregor. “My dear parents said his sister slapping her hand on the table by way of introduction”- the beginning of the argument. Such marginalization is presented in the book The Metamorphosis, where Gregor is alienated. Thus, being accepted or marginalized is dependant on the discourses one chooses to embrace. This marginalization is directed mainly from the family who discourages and excludes Gregor because the Metamorphosis. Moreover, Gregor is not only one marginalized by the family but also by the author. Because of the discourses Kafka embraces, such as by changing his body form and to be unable to speak. Also by his boss as he is always asking for his payments that Gregor can not pay with his body in the form of an insect.

Another form of marginalization that occurs, to some degree, is when he is not able to eat people food but his characteristics have betrayed Gregor which changed the way he act towards food At first Gregor’s sister is helpful any way she can by feeding him and cleaning his room where he stayed as an insect then soon later Gregor’s sister betrays Gregor as well as his father and mother as they agree with her this shows another link to the aspects of the novel towards, guilt, betrayal and alienation/marginalization as Gregor also sympathizes for his sisters hard work she has done for Gregor.

Money is one of the themes in the novel as the family is having difficulties to cope with life with the lack of money. Before the metamorphosis the father has kept a secret stash of money hidden from Gregor as Gregor is working hard to make money for the family to support the family any way he can but the father betrays and lies to Gregor that he needs more money to pay for bills all the little aspects are all involved in making Gregor to die.

Guilt in Gregor’s mind is led to capitalism and from responsibility to work. In the story time is capitalist order as time is money in the beginning of the story he sleeps in rather going to work on time.

In the novel it ends to a suicidal death. Gregor starves himself due to the neglect the family has input in Gregor’s metamorphosis body of his Kafka written this book in(date) it is seen as an ironic foil to reality of Gregor’s transformation into a parasite, I have approached it in this way, I believe the primary emphasis of the Metamorphosis is not upon Gregor, but on his family, as they abandon their dependence on Gregor and learn to be self-sufficient. Further more in reality he is trapped in a meaningless job and isolated from human beings around him, Gregor is thought of an insect by himself and by others, so he becomes one.

Kafka has successfully evoked sympathy from the reader which in turn makes the reader more captivated by the story and has also vividly portrayed a stranded character of Gregor; Samsa.Kafka also successfully depicts the contrasting thoughts and feelings of Gregor. Gregor feels as a culprit for all the problems his family faces, and looks for his own fault for all the betrayals he experiences. These thoughts and feeling eventually lead to the demise of the story, Gregor’s life, metamorphosis and the ongoing betrayals.

Daniel Chong