The irony in “The Metamorphosis” is very obvious. Despite Gregor’s transformation, he’s still very much human in his thoughts and emotions. Kafka notices a lot about humanity in “The Metamorphosis”, that human beings are not the most evolved amongst most creatures.
Kafka is saying that in order for us to appreciate our humanity we must experience life as something less than human.In Franz Kafka’s “The Metamorphosis”, Kafka intends to let the people know and gain knowledge on human psychology. This theme will be explained thoroughly during the analyzation of Gregor and his family. Gregor has been transformed to one of the lowest forms of animal life in this story, which represents how Gregor’s family psychological development is the least bit humane. Gregor’s physical form has changed, but Kafka clearly states that his essential being has not changed in any way. Gregor still has feelings and needs just like a human would, he still wishes to relate with his family and other members of society, and he still wishes to be responsible.
Gregor suggests that his mother, father, and sister have not transformed, but their transformations are the most noticeable because they demonstrate how easily one’s beliefs, values, and basic treatment of others can be compromised because of a failure to adapt psychologically.Gregor is shown as a complex human being. Like most people, he hates his job, but he realizes that he must put his dislike of his job to the side because his job supports his family.
He applies himself “with great earnestness” while working as a salesman. He does not only do it because he wants to support his parents and pay off a debt, but to send his sister to a conservatory so she can learn how to play violin professionally. It is made obvious in “The Metamorphosis” that Gregor’s family members are not as kind and considerate as he is. When Gregor woke up in the morning and learned that he has transformed into a cockroach he was surprised and a little skeptical. However, he learned to accept that his situation cannot be changed. Even though he was unwanted, there was nothing that Gregor could do to change his situation.
The only thing that he could do is to get use to his change, but his family members cannot a psychological change to get used to his new form.The judgment from Gregor’s family is terrible and unnecessary. They attempt to accept him but his appearance stops their fair treatment of him and begins their judgement towards him. They reaction is irrational, there’s no compassion in their thoughts or feelings towards his new condition.
In fact, they got to a point where they could no longer connect the new Gregor with the person he once was even though only his physical characteristics have changed they look at him with disgust on their face. While Gregor is the family member who has become very positive in spite of his situation he still would like his family to be more understanding of his unexpected change and to accept him for who he is. Gregor begins to notice that he is more at ease while hiding in the dark under the sofa in his room, as bug would, even though his body won’t allow him to fit comfortably. He also discovers that he enjoys some of the perks of being a bug, but Gregor’s humanity never disappears entirely. Gregor still feels human emotions and has strong memories of his human life. Even though he knows he would feel more physically comfortable if his room were emptied of furniture which would allow him to crawl anywhere he wanted, Gregor panics when Grete and his mother begin to remove his furniture, such as the writing desk he remembers doing all his assignments at as a boy.
Gregor desperately attempts to hold onto the few reminders of his humanity that he has left. Gregor then learns that his family has been selling jewelry to bring in an income and that they replace their old maid with a new one. He also realized that they feel trapped by his presence. Gregor stops sleeping and eating as he worries about the family and the past, switching between guilt over not helping them and anger that they won’t accept his new form. Grete barely takes care of him at all anymore. Despite Grete’s obvious dislike of Gregor, she becomes extremely upset when their mother cleans Gregor’s room and insists that Gregor is hers to look after. Unlike his family the new maid always talks to Gregor. However, she stares at him and tries to come into his room to catch him off guard, but Gregor began to grow tired of being stared at and tries to attack her, but the maid tries to attack Gregor with a chair therefore Gregor retreats.
Later on in the story Gregor’s family meets a family who is interested in moving in so the invite them over. While everyone is sitting together one of the Borders (the new family) spots Gregor and yells. The father directs the Borders out of the parlor during which the Borders state that they will move out and not pay rent. Grete tells her parents that they have to stop believing that the bug is Gregor and says they must find a way to get rid of it. Gregor then scuttles back to his room, thinking to himself that he must go away to relieve them of their problems. The family’s sympathy for Gregor as a whole was slowly vanishing throughout the course of the story, but Gregor’s experience with the Borders finally exhausts what little compassion they had left. Gregor begins to feel more like a burden to his family now. He has to be fed, he takes up a room that could be used for other things the family can use it for, and most importantly his presence in the house puts more stress on the family.
By driving away the Borders he also drove away his family’s possible new income. In fact, Gregor becomes a liability, and the family can no longer tolerate his presence. In time, Grete doesn’t think of the cockroach as her brother anymore but more of an nuisance and since Gregor cannot speak, he’s not able to convince her otherwise.
Grete then demands that they get rid of Gregor, which goes to show that she has no more sympathy, and it takes her little to no effort to convince the father and mother, which suggests their sympathy towards Gregor was barely there.Ultimately, he cannot get use to his new body or find a new position in his family, who are disgusted by him and ashamed of his presence in the house. By the end of the story he’s worrisome about the fact that he might have to take control of the family’s affairs again and continue his role as the family’s breadwinner. He decided it would be best for his family if he just disappeared, and so he dies, accepting his fate without thinking of his family’s best interests. By time the sun rose, he died.
