Kafka’s decision to depict Gregor’s transformation into a cockroach physically reflects this alienation. Gregor has become alienated from himself due to the nature of his work: it is clear that he is only in his job to pay off his parents’ debt, otherwise he would leave immediately. Marx’s theory goes something like this: when work is imposed by pure economic necessity, rather than engaged for its own sake, the worker becomes alienated from himself as an individual and from humanity (Sokel 2). References to capitalism and Marx’s theory of alienation are common in readings of Kafka. Yet Gregor seems to have become alienated from himself long before he could no longer work, but rather as a result of his disinterest in his work. Apparently if he is not working, Gregor has no value to anyone, even to himself. Samsa, and such a thing must never be” (15). As his manager puts it, “a time of year for conducting no business, there is no such thing at all, Mr. What subsequently stands out in the story is the harsh treatment Gregor receives when his family and work colleagues discover he is unable to work. The absurdness of this makes for a dark humour, but also begins to emphasise the value placed on work in the society in which Gregor lives, to the point where health is no longer a concern. Gregor even tries to reason, despite being aware that he is no longer physically human, that he is “in fact quite well and even a really strong appetite” (6). Gregor doesn’t even feel free to call in sick, for as long as he has worked he has never called in sick, and he is afraid of being called lazy (6). While Gregor’s father prolongs his breakfast for hours by reading various newspapers, Gregor’s boss would fire him if he didn’t work such long hours (4, 20). If it weren’t for his parents, he would have quit his job “ages ago” (5). He is working to pay off his parents’ debt to his boss. We first learn that Gregor hates his job. The Metamorphosis serves as a dark critique of the dehumanising and alienating nature of capitalism. ![]() ![]() ![]() As Kafka proceeds to describe Gregor’s “armour-hard back” and “brown, arched abdomen”, and Gregor reflects on how terribly demanding his work is, the absurdity of the situation escalates (1). At no point does Gregor question why he has transformed into a cockroach. Gregor Samsa has woken to find that he has transformed into a ‘monstrous verminous bug’ (Kafka 1). As he struggles to get out of bed, the one thing on his mind is his job, and whether he can make it to work on time. If you’ve never read Kafka before, you might be a bit perplexed as you start The Metamorphosis. But anyway, I appreciate you being here and I hope that you do find something of value for your learning. I’m sorry if you don’t find what you’re looking for here, I remember how frustrating that could be as a student. I want to say that this is not my best work I think my reading is overly simplistic. ![]() I would not be surprised if many people who arrive here are high school or university students. Disclaimer: This post has been by far my most popular, to the point where I feel I need to include this disclaimer.
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