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Erin Smith-Soeten

Professor Beadle

English 115

25 October 2019

Society and Transformation

When reading a novel do you ever notice ​its​ themes in relation to society? In the novel

The Metamorphosis​ by Franz Kafka, the main character Gregor Samsa, ​who ​is an unhappy

traveling salesman, transforms into a hideous “vermin”, but pays little concern to his new

transformation and continues on with his humanistic woes and worries about his job and his

family. Gregor struggles with alienation and isolation not only from his family, himself, and also

from society. This book criticizes society by the way Gregor is alienated for his transformation,

which is something out of his control. This is shown by the way Gregor is treated by his family

members, his boss and how that treatment differs, of Gregor, before and after his transformation.

Gregor’s transformation throughout the book criticizes society, because of the way that Gregor is

isolated and alienated from society, himself, and his materialistic ideals and values he holds

throughout the novel.

In the novel Gregor is alienated and isolated from society, similarily to the ​alienation of

Jews in Nazi Germany. ​The way that the Jewish people are forced out of their livelihoods and

shunned for being themselves is similar to the way that Gregor is treated for his new form. ​The

criticisms of society in this book are partly due to Kafka's life and his own personal experience

with society, while still relating the themes within the book to everyone’s own societal struggles.
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Gustav Janouch, a Czech poet​,​ writes in his memoir about his personal interactions and

conversations with Kafka, along with Janouch’s interpretation of them. Janouch stated in his

journal when talking about the transformation into a “vermin”, “Since Kafka was jewish, he had

unfortunately experienced something of this kind. His recital symbolizes even more validly the

situation of a poet of his kind in present society. The fear of those who surrounded Gregor

Samsa is the panicked fear which the presence in a poet’s work of the most suppressed secrets

will evoke even in a crowd of mediocre people” (Janouch 260). The way that Kafka was

alienated from society is similar to Gregor’s experience because of how he is alienated for his

physical appearance from society and because he is viewed as different or not of the norm that

the rest of his family is.​ Gregor is talking about how he feels trapped within a redundant cycle in

his life he states that, “when he’s exhausted after finishing a trip, and gets to feel in his own body

at home the nasty consequences” (Kafka 21). Gregor feels uncomfortable within his body both

before and after the transformation, even more so after the transformation. He feels as though he

is out of control of his own life and situation since that is what he has become accustomed to his

whole life. ​ The theme of alienation throughout the novel is very prevalent due to Kafka’s strong

relations within his own alienation which is also shown by Gregor’s own self-alienation.

Gregor's reason for work is specifically targeted at the self alienation that he's working

not for himself, but rather for his father with no basis of reason or support from the family. In

“Article by Walter H. Sokel"​ by Walter Sokel, he states the comparison of the theme self

alienation to the famous psychologist Karl Marx’s view and studies of alienation. The author

provides Marxists ideologies and theories that support the view that ​The Metamorphosis​ is filled

with the theme of self alienation due to a demanding and unforgiving society. In Sokel’s Journal
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writing, he states that “Kafka’s story ​The Metamorphosis, “​ systematizes,” as it were, the Markist

factor, not by conscious design, of course, but by virtue of the astonishing parallelism in the

point of view, particularly the presentation of self-alienation.” (Sokel 285). The specific example

that Sokel gives that Gregor's reason for work is specifically targeted at the self alienation that

his work is not based upon his own merit but rather to continue to provide and be the head of his

household, the breadwinner. ​ In Kafka’s ​The Metamorphosis​, Gregor lay in bed he states “what a

demanding job I’ve chosen! Day in, day out on the road. The stresses of trade are much greater

than the work going on at head office, and, in addition to that, I have to deal with the problems of

traveling, the worries about train connections, irregular bad food, temporary and constantly

changing human relationships, which never come from the heart” (Kafka 4). Even though Gregor

hates his job and finds no redeeming value in it, he still continues to work there just for the

satisfaction of his family and paying off his father's debt. ​Gregor is talking about his dream of

quitting his job and doing something he enjoys more, he states that “Once I’ve got together the

money to pay off the parents’ debt to him—that should take another five or six years—I’ll do it

for sure” (Kafka 5). ​Due to the societal normalities and pressures that Gregor faces he has no

time or energy to be concerned with being a bug now, but is rather forced to focus on his greater

stresses in life such as his job​, and his ability to continue to pay off his father's debt.​ Kafka

critiques society with the theme of self alienation in Gregor because people in society tend to

care about more materialistic things rather than their own health or well being above all else.

Gregor cares more about his standing in society rather than his happiness and how that affects

him emotionally and mentally. People in society also tend to be more materialistic which is

showcased in Gregor.
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In addition to Gregor holding onto the stress of his job he also tries to hold onto his

material goods, while also holding onto what's left of his humanity. When Grete, his sister, and

the mother are going through Gregor's room to try and help make room for his new body, Gregor

starts to feel attached to his materialistic objects. Kafka states that “Now, Gregor could still do

without the chest of drawers if need be, but the writing desk really had to stay” (Kafka 45). By

trying to hold on to the items in his room Gregor is attempting to maintain what little humanity

he has left. Even though Gregor can no longer use the desk he still feels personally attached to it.

In addition to the dresser Gregor has a cut out of a magazine on his wall. In the book Kafka

describes Gregor’s room as very minimal with little emotional connection to his belongings.

When Grete is taking Gregor’s belongings out of his room Kafka states that “He (Gregor) really

didn’t know what he should rescue first. Then he saw hanging conspicuously on the wall, which

was otherwise already empty, the picture of the woman dressed in nothing but fur” (Kafka 46).

Gregor has no connection to the women in the magazine picture that he has in his room, yet he

feels the need to hold onto it. In society people often get attached to their belongings just because

they have it rather than having a meaning or personal connection to it such as a picture or piece

of clothing that holds special to you. The way that Gregor is trying to hold on to what little he

has left is a criticism of society by the way society places meaning and value on our material

goods and how much we have. ​He feels alienated and trapped since he can’t do anything to stop

this and has no say in what the rest of his family is doing to his room.​ Kafka states in the novel

that materialistic goods have very little concern to us until they can’t be ours. Our personal loss

of ownership means that in society we arent as well off as others or that we haven't accomplished

anything in our life. Gregor seems to only care about his goods as he is losing possession of
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them, he tries to deal with a lost sense of ownership, and his loss sense of humanity. However

others may argue against this, stating it's not the strongest criticism of society that Kafka

presents, and that the societal status and gender norms of the book are a more relevant societal

criticism.

Others may argue that the theme of societal norms and gender roles is more prevalent

within the novel​, than the theme of alienation.​ There is ample evidence of how Gregor starts out

as the head of the household, then he slowly loses his authority to Grete as she starts taking care

of the family and making decisions for them as a unit. Kafka criticizes society by establishing

multiple gender stereotypes and gender roles that are relevant at the time the book was written.

This is seen more so with how Gregor feels the need to take care of his sister even though she is

fully capable to do so herself, and ends up doing this in the end as the head of household

dynamic shifts. The argument that societal norms are more prevalent within the novel isn't the

case. While there are few criticisms of societal norms in the novel it mainly is more centered

around the societal norms of Kafka's time in the early twentieth century. Nina ​Pelikan ​Strauss, a

feminist literature scholar nd author, analyzes these societal norms by stating that “Kafka’s

language effect a tension between culturally sanctioned attitudes toward women and his own

exploration of those attitudes… Kafka holds in suspension European, urban, and early

twentieth-century masculine attitudes toward women” (Strauss 652). The criticism that Kafka is

making a statement about societal normalities within society is not as strong as a claim that the

theme of self alienation within society because, as Strauss states, these societal norms are

common practice to Kafka, due to the time in which he had written the novel. The criticism of

materialism, societal alienation, and self alienation are the foundation for the rest of the critiques
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that Kafka makes throughout the novel. Reading in present day shows the criticism of societal

norms and how they play into societal repercussions within Gregor’s life and society now.

This novel ​critiques the​ ​alienation​ from society, the theme of self alienation, and the

possession and loss materialistic ideals and values throughout the novel. Kafka's writing has the

ability for people of any society to understand and feel the pain and struggles that Gregor goes

through while also poking fun at the systematics in place. The way that Kafka criticizes society

is clearly seen throughout the novel in many forms, which allows any reader to be able to relate

to the novel and its themes of societal dislikes. In conclusion Franz Kafka’s novel ​The

Metamorphosis​ depicts the alienation and isolation from society by the neglect of Gregor Samsa

and his criticisms about his employment all solely based on a factor that is out of his control that

has changed.
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Works Cited

Janouch, Gustav. "In an Excerpt from a Conversation with Franz Kafka." Translated by

Goronwy Rees. ​Twentieth-Century Literary Criticism,​ edited by Dennis Poupard, vol. 13,

Gale, 1984. ​Literature Criticism Online​, Accessed 26 Oct. 2019. Originally published in

Conversations with Kafka,​ by Gustav Janouch, New Directions, 1971, pp. 31-32.

https://link-gale-com.libproxy.csun.edu/apps/doc/ANLOSJ951396538/LCO?u=csunorthridg

e&sid=LCO&xid=7cbaf70b​.

Kafka, Franz, and Stanley Corngold. “​The Metamorphosis.​” Bantam classic ed. Toronto ; New

York, N.Y.: Bantam Books, 1981

Sokel, Walter H. ​Twentieth-Century Literary Criticism​, edited by Dedria Bryfonski, vol. 2,

Gale, 1979. ​Literature Criticism Online​, Accessed 26 Oct. 2019. Originally published in

Franz Kafka​, by Walter H. Sokel, Columbia University Press, 1966.

https://link-gale-com.libproxy.csun.edu/apps/doc/FWORVB421539073/LCO?u=csunorthrid

ge&sid=LCO&xid=cb1d915e​.

Straus, Nina Pelikan. “Transforming Franz Kafka's Metamorphosis.’” ​Signs​, vol. 14, no. 3, 1989,

pp. 651–667. ​JSTOR​, ​www.jstor.org/stable/3174406​.