APEssay

Metamorphosis
Kafka's (1915)addressestheabsoluteagonythatencapsulatesthe

humanexperience.Indoingso,Kafkabegsthequestionwhatisloyalty?Thelackofloyaltyof

Gregor'sfamilygivestohim,Gregor'semployergivestohim,andGregornhimselfgivestohis

familyisveryclearlyillustratedinthenovel.YetKafkaonlyshowsuswhatalackofloyaltyis,

andtheconsequencesithas.Loyaltyisnevershowninthenovel.Sowhatisloyalty?Kafka

wouldliketoknow.

ThequestionofloyaltyisfirstquestionedinGregor'sfirst(violent)confrontationwith

hisfather.AfterGregorleaveshisroomforthefirsttimeafterhismetamorphosis,Gregoris

drivenbackintohisroombyhisscreamingfather,whoisarmedwithasharpstick.Itiseasyto

seethefather'slackofloyaltytowardshissonintheterrorthatisinflicteduponGregor."He

[Gregor]wasafraidofexasperatinghisfatherbytheslownessofsucharotationandatany

momentthestickinhisfather'shandmighthithimafatalblowonthebackoronthehead."

(Kafka,1617)Hisfather'slackofconcernforGregor'sconditionaswellashiscomplete

willingnesstogreatlyharmhisownchildisexemplaryofhislackofloyalty.Orisit?Gregor's

father'sviolencetowardshissoncanbeinterpretedasanactofextremeloyaltytowardshis

family.Gregor'sfatherdoesnotacthostiletowardshissonuntilGregorlungesathisboss,

attemptingtokeephisbossfromleavinghishouse.Gregor'sintentionistokeephisjoband

protecthisfamily,buthisfathercanonlyseeagiganticbugattackingagrownman.

"Unfortunately,theflightofthechiefclerkseemedcompletelytoupsetGregor'sfather,who

hadremainedrelativelycalmuntilnowbegantodriveGregorbackintohisroom."(Kafka,

16)Gregor'sfatherissavinghisfamilyfromaviciousbug,attackingthebughimselftospare
theothers.Hisloyaltytowardshisfamilyisdemonstratedinhislackofloyaltytoamemberof

hisfamily.

Gregor'srelationshipwithhisemployerlikewisegivesaconfusedimageofloyalty.At

firstlook,itisclearthattheemployerisnotveryloyaltotheiremployees.Anymistakeleaves

theemployeeanextremechanceofbeingfiredfromtheemployer,duetotheharsh

scrutinizationofemployees."Whatafate,tobecondemnedtoworkforafirmwherethe

smallestomissionatoncegaverisetothegravestsuspicion."(Kafka,7)Thelackoftrustmarks

alackofloyaltybytheemployertotheemployee.Yet,theemployer'sactions,analyzedalone,

suggestanextremeloyaltytotheiremployees.Thefactthatanemployerwillcheckontheir

employees,inperson,iftheyarelateshowsathoughtfulnesstowardstheiremployees.This,

combinedwiththefactthattheemployeesclearlyexpectthisaction(eveniftheydislikethis

action)"Wouldn'titreallyhavebeensufficienttosendanapprenticetoinquireifanyinquiry

wererequiredatall"(Kafka,7)demonstratesaloyaltyoftheemployertotheemployee.The

dedicativeloyaltybytheemployertotheemployeeismarkedbyamistrustfuldisloyaltybythe

employertotheemployee.

Gregor'sfinalinteractionwithhisfamily,whenGretaisplayingherviolinforthethree

tenants,alsogiveaconfusedviewofwhatloyaltyis.Gregor'sentranceintothelivingroom

whilehissisterisplayingforthethreetenantsisclearlyamarkofdisloyaltytowardshisfamily.

Gregorevenadmitsthishimself:"Gregor,attractedbytheplaying,venturedtomoveforwarda

littleuntilhisheadwasactuallyinsidethelivingroom.Hefelthardlyansurpriseathisgrowing

lackofconsiderationforothers;therehadbeenatimewhenhepridedhimselfonbeing

considerate."(Kafka,44)Gregor'slackofconsiderationforhisfamilyshowsalackofloyalty
towardstheirwellbeing.YetGregor'sventureintotheroomwherehissisterisplayingthe

violinISmarkedbyaloyaltytohisfamilyandtheirwellbeing.Gregor'sgoalforhissisterto

makeenoughmoneytosendhertoaconservatory,soshecanbetterherlifethrough

performanceshowsanextremeloyaltytohisfamily'swellbeing.Gregor'sentranceishis

attempttoprotecthissisterfromthenegativeinfluenceofthethreetenants:"Hewas

determinedtopushforwardtillhereachedhissister,topullatherskirtandsoletherknow

thatshewastocomeintohisroomwithherviolin,fornoonehereappreciatedherplayingas

hewouldappreciateit."(Kafka,45)Gregor'sdesiretoshieldhissisterfromthenegative

influenceofthethreetenantsexemplifieshiswishtokeephissisterfrommusicalrejectionhe

wishestokeepthechanceofherenteringaconservatoryandbetteringherlifealive.Gregor's

entranceintohisfamily'sroomismarkedbyadisloyaltytowardshisfamily'scurrentsituation,

butaloyaltytotheideaoftryingtomakeitbetter.

Kafka'sMetamorphosis(1915)askswhatexactlyloyaltyis,butneveranswersit.Kafka

givesasituationorideatoareader,anddemonstratesthatitshowsbothloyaltyanddisloyalty.

Thus,Kafkaneveranswerswhatloyaltyactuallyis,orevenwhatitmeans,butratherleadsthat

decisionuptothereader.WasGregor'sfatherrighttoattackhisson?WasGregor'semployer

righttocheckuponhisemployees?WasGregorrighttoentertheroominwhichhissisterwas

performing?Don'taskKafka;hedoesn'thavetheanswer.