The Metamorrphosis Analysis

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Minor characters in The Metamorphosis

In contrast to this concise and straightforward essay, Kafka uses startling and strange style to baffle the readers in The Metamorphosis. As soon as the reader opens up the first page of the book, Kafka tells the reader that Gregor has turned into a vermin overnight. Gregor still worries about getting up “since [his] train leaves at five” even though he is well aware of the metamorphosis. (Kafka 3). The reaction of the minor characters in the The Metamorphosis baffles the readers too. The family members never dare to call a doctor even though the transformation of their own son. The manager shows only disgust, running away with his “twitching shoulder” (16). Even though the manager knows that there is …show more content…

He has no worry for Gregor, but only anger. The manager exemplifies well how a man is treated if he does not function properly. The manager simply states that business man simply have to “overcome a slight indisposition for business reasons” (10). The manager wants Gregor to work, regardless of whatever illness he may have. Gregor is not treated like a human, but instead a commodity which is forced to work even though it may be dysfunctional and needs attention. When Gregor opens up the door and the manger sees the transformation of Gregor, he realizes that Gregor has become fully dysfunctional. Therefore, he simply chooses to turn away and abandon him at “Gregor’s first words” with “curled lip”, showing disgust. The manger is made known that Gregor is a completely useless commodity, and he does what other people will do with a broken commodity: abandon it. This is Gregor’s punishment. Kafka has established through the use of minor character-the manger-that Gregor is treated like a …show more content…

Because of their obsessive neatness, the family starts to put garbage into Gregor’s room so that the house would look clean. Considering the renters’ obsession with neatness, it should not strike the reader as a surprise when they promise to “taking sort of action” in the view of “disgusting condition”-the condition being transformed Gregor- in the house (48). What the reader should be surprised here is that the renters only show disgust. The renters show little surprise or curiosity, since they leave the house briefly after their speech that the renters would sue the Samsas. The reaction by the renters is strange, but it can be explained as a metaphor into how Gregor is a broken commodity which is treated like garbage. Gregor refused be a commodity, since he refuses to work. In modern society, a man who refuses to be a commodity is treated as garbage. The readers should note that the family throws away garbage in Gregor’s room. Gregor is both literary and metaphorically treated as trash. As people only view garbage with nothing but disgust, the renters are full of disgust when they view Gregor. Kafka effectively shows how Gregor is being treated like useless garbage because he is not a useful commodity anymore through the use of the

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