The Metamorphosis: a Think Piece

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The Metamorphosis Symbolism, Sadness and Comedies in The Metamorphosis A short essay by Teresa Hall Frank Kafka’s “The Metamorphosis” is at once disturbing and haunting. The main character, Gregor Samsa, awakens to find himself transformed into a gigantic bug. The story evolves to examine many connections and ultimately defines the story of the human condition and the continual struggle to maintain cordial familial relationships, quality of life and the longing of something better. Symbolism The story appears to be filled with symbols which start with the room, Gregor’s room, which he finds himself in after being transformed. The room appears to represent safety, escapism and the only place where he is truly able to be himself. He does not appear to be too horrified after his transformation and the impression is that the room gives him a feeling of security. Indeed, he wonders why the room makes him feel uncomfortable “since it had been his own room for the past five years” [ (Kafka, 1915) ]. Another reference to the room is when his sister, Greta, enlists his mother’s help in moving the furniture out of the room so that he might scamper about unfettered. In this scene Gregor is delighted with the prospect of being able to crawl about on the ceilings and walls without obstacles until his mother objects, “doesn’t it look as if we are showing him, by taking away his furniture, that we have given up hope of his ever getting better and just leaving him coldly to himself?” [ (Kafka, 1915) ] Gregor is struck by those words with how close he has come into abandoning his human self and gratifying his insect“Had he really wanted to have his warm room, comfortably fitted with furniture that had always been in the family, changed into a cave, in which, of course, he would be able to crawl around unhampered in all directions but at the cost of simultaneously,

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