Although most people believe that in literature, the window symbolizes freedom or opportunity, Franz Kafka uses his protagonist, Gregor Samsa, in the novella Metamorphosis, to illustrate how a closed window reflects on Gregor’s alienated nature and emotions. Kafka conveys several distinct types of alienation to introduce the theme of family, lack of hope, and identity crisis. In Metamorphosis, Kafka introduces Gregor Samsa as a Jewish man who lives in Austria- Hungary. Being Jewish in Austria-Hungary during the 20th century was tough because one was classified as a minority. Being a minority during this time period, meant that almost none of your thoughts and opinions were taken thoughtfully. Kafka portrays this by utilizing the concept …show more content…
The window symbolizes the freedom that Gregor yearns for, especially after his family alienated themselves from him after his transformation. Before Gregor’s transformation, Gregor had responsibilities like re-paying his father’s debts. Eventually fulfilling those responsibilities became a burden for him, which caused him to want to be free from it. However after transforming into an insect, Samsa realizes that he is powerless and perhaps being free from those responsibilities is almost impossible. After Gregor’s metamorphosis, “he nerved himself to the great effort of pushing an armchair to the window, then crawled up over the window panes, obviously in some recollection of the sense of freedom that looking out the window always used to give him” (Kafka 97). The way the author depicts how Gregor spends his night looking out the window demonstrates a melancholic and desolate tone. The purpose of stating this in a melancholic and desolate tone is because it emphasizes how Gregor is depressed emotionally to a point where he is isolating himself from the world. Usually during a hard time like this, friends and family are supposed to be sympathetic and concerned. However, Gregor’s family abandoned Greger since Gregor is no longer useful to them after his transformation. To add on, as it was mentioned in the quote, Samsa had …show more content…
Kafka illustrates how being alienated from one’s body physically conveys the idea of Gregor having an identity crisis. Gregor’s transformation has left him to feel emotionally and physically powerless and vulnerable. This is viewed especially towards the end of the novella when Gregor “watched as it slowly began to get light everywhere outside the window too. Then, without his willing it, his head sank down completely, and his last breath flowed weakly from his nostrils." (127). During a time like this the connotative word “weak” symbolizes how Gregor is not strong anymore physically or mentally. This is reflected when Gregor’s family begin to look at him with disgust and shame after his metamorphosis, Usually in a conflict like this, a family is supposed to support one another, however instead Gregor’s family is isolating themselves from Gregor. This is significant because it causes Gregor to feel alienated from his family, humanity, body, and even his own mind. While Gregor was alone, he reflected on his life by thinking about his identity. For example, even after a month after his metamorphosis, Gregor would “gaze out of his window, quite motionless” (98). Sitting motionless convoys the deep thought Gregor is in. As it was mentioned before, after Gregor’s metamorphosis, he does not have a role
In Franz Kafka’s The Metamorphosis, symbolism, archetype, and myths are three concepts he uses to compose the unique story. The symbolism in the story stands out vaguely. An archetypical reference occurs at the very beginning of the story that carries on throughout the book. The mythological aspect is sensibly the whole concept the story is about. All three of these notions are openly highlighted throughout the story. They each obtain explanations for multiple subjects. The book, How to Read Literature Like a Professor by Thomas C. Foster helps explain the three concepts in Kafka’s, The Metamorphosis.
with all his might" just to liberate himself from the bed (Kafka 9). Freedman recognizes that since getting out of bed is such a formidable task to Gregor, Gregor's spatial world has already shrunk immensely. Until he manages to fling himself out of bed, Gregor's habitable world consists only of the bed. Another limitation to the world that Gregor is capable of inhabiting in his current state is foreshadowed when Gregor "fixed his eyes as sharply as possible on the window" but is not able to distinguish anything because of "the morning fog" (Kafka 7).... ...
Franz Kafka had explored two conflicting ideas with the use of his protagonist Gregor: unity and isolation. Gregor’s transformation formed a whole life in which he could not escape. But on the other hand his family members were able to improve from his isolation. Especially Grete who went through a metamorphosis of her own
When comparing Franz Kafka and his personal life to The Metamorphosis it is obvious in more ways than one that he was writing a twisted story of his life. The emotional and physical abuse Gregor goes through are similar to what Kafka went through in real life. They were both abused and neglected by their fathers when they were disappointed with them. Kafka uses Gregor transforming into a bug as a way of exaggerating himself, trying to express his feelings and point of view. When writing, Kafka felt as if he was trapped in his room which he referred to as "the noise headquarters of the apartment". Gregor was an exaggeration of this because he could not leave the house to escape the noises and abuse.
Bernstein, Richard. “A VOYAGE THROUGH KAFKA'S AMBIGUITIES”. New York Times 02 May 1983. : n. pag. ProQuest Platinum.
In sequence, the story progresses into an ultimate partial realization of Gregor’s predicament and its origins. Gregor Samsa’s obliviousness to his daily experiences, in essence, produce his present plight by allowing himself to fall farther from reality. Occurrences after the transformation collectively form reasoning for the bizarre situation Gregor remains in as a result of Kafka’s muddied plot setup. Various characters partake amongst this indirect syntax as symbols of the world Gregor is not aware of. Work takes over as Gregor stands as the sole provider, leaving him with few focuses or cares.
Gregor is obviously trapped by his external appearance. His physical limitations deepen his feeling of futility. His external appearance mimics his internal feelings, as he now feels helpless by not being able to physically carry out his responsibilities.
Gregor’s denial takes place when he prepares for work, ignoring his transformation, “First of all he wanted to get up quietly, […] get dressed, […] have breakfast, and only then think about what to do next” (Kafka 6). By characterizing Gregor as determined, Kafka shows his protagonist’s resolve to remain firm in ignoring his transformation for his family’s sake. Typically, such a metamorphosis would warrant panic, but Gregor is so selfless that he denies his own emotions to be useful for his family. Through the sequential syntax employed in this quoate, Kafka shows that Gregor does not want to stray from his usual routine. This attribute, along with his physical transformation, separates Gregor from humanity.
From the beginning of The Metamorphosis Kafka offers a comical depiction of Gregor’s “squirming legs” (Kafka 13) and a body in which “he could not control” (7). Gregor’s initial reaction to this situation was the fact he was late to his dissatisfying job as a salesman, but Gregor knows that he has to continue his job in order to keep the expectation his family holds upon him to pay of the family’s everlasting debt. When Gregor’s family eventually realizes that Gregor is still lying in his bed, they are confused because they have expectations on Gregor that he will hold the family together by working. They know if Gregor was to quit his job there would be a great catastrophe since he is the glue to keeping their family out of debt. The communication between his family is quickly identified as meager and by talking to each other from the adjacent walls shows their disconnection with each other. Kafka introduces the family as lacking social skills in order to offer the reader to criticize and sympathize for Gregor’s family dynamics. Gregor’s manager makes an appearance quickly after experiencing the dysfunction within the fami...
Franz Kafka illustrates in his book the struggle that most humans have throughout their life: ‘Who am I?’ He demonstrates this through his radical and exaggerated formation of The Metamorphosis, a man becoming a bug; or a bug always thinking he was a man, then realizing that he is and always has been a bug. This bug, Gregor Samsa, goes through an immense psychological realization at the beginning of the book; he had been deceived by his own mind from the beginning of his life. Throughout Gregor’s Metamorphosis, Gregor experiences the loss of his self actualization, recognition, belonging, security, and physiological needs. His situation had taken away all the basic psychological needs of any human as illustrated by Maslow’s Hierarchy of
Gregor’s entrapment inside of the bedroom forces the realization of the isolation and alienation from society into his mind. Gregor’s life as an insect takes place in an apartment in a city. The setting forces Gregor to contemplate the reality and meaning of life. The location of a hospital across the street from Gregor begins Gregor’s questioning. He wonders why his family does nothing and how he can live close to a hospital and not get any help. Kafka applies irony to the presence of the hospital and begins Gregor’s downfall and loss of hope in returning to a normal life. Also, the window itself portrays how close, yet how far he remains from safety. The bedroom contains his body and completely controls the rest of his life. Later on, hiding in the dark becomes a routine, “And he scuttled under the coach again” (Kafka 23). The bedroom becomes too much, and he can only feel comfortable and safe while hiding under furniture. His hiding prohibits any communication with anyone, and forces him into solitary confinement. The space of the room eventually leads Gregor to flee into safer areas, yet at the same time ends all contact and communication w...
...generation. Kafka’s story proposes family dynamics as a natural ancestral foundation that’s pre-developed and set from early life stages.
After attaining his readers attention Kafka goes onto describing Gregor’s new physical state. It is thus established that Gregor is the main character of the story. Gregor’s new body ‘which was as hard as armour’ can be seen as a protecting net for him; possibly preparing him for his troublesome future.
... The complete lack of help from his parents, and the mild disgust with which his sister took care of Gregor’s even the most basic needs might also point to emotional neglect, and could have been the main reason for his issues with identity in the first place. In conclusion, because Gregor’s identity in his insect form was entirely based on his memory of having once been a human, and because of a lack of any physical proof of his past, he struggled with accepting his own humanness. During this stage of doubt and self-questioning, he went through a mental and physical metamorphosis, turning insane and drowning in depression and anxiety. However, the last straw for him was his family’s refusal to accept him as a human, contributing to him finally breaking up and giving up.
This signals the progressive change that occurs to Gregor as he doesn't represent a human in the eyes of his family. In Kafka’s original novel in German, he “makes Gregor an. ungeziefer. ungeziefer means not merely vermin but an unclean animal unfit for sacrifice” (Tonkin 35). The word ungeziefer, is a very degrading term to use on a human being.