Existential Issues in The Metamorphosis of Franz Kafka

Reflecting on the Philosophical Problem of Freedom and Choice

Ryan Savio Rodrigues (20207, Jnana Deepa, Pune)

1.0 Introduction

‘The Metamorphosis’ is one of the most creative works of Franz Kafka which highlights
challenges that the human person faces in the world. It is an important contribution to the corpus
on Existential philosophy. According to the Oxford dictionary, Existentialism is “A
philosophical theory or approach which emphasizes the existence of the individual person as a
free and responsible agent determining their own development through acts of the will.” The
founder of the Existentialist school of philosophy is Soren Kierkegaard. Some of the important
characteristics of the Existential school of philosophy are: (1) existence is always particular and
individual (2) existence refers to the problem of existence and the meaning of being (3) one
needs to often make choices when faced with diverse possibilities and then having done so
commit oneself to it (4) possibilities of choices depends on relationships of being in the world
who is marred by concrete and historically determinate situations that limit his / her condition or
choice.1 Are we really free? Can we make choices according to our free will? Do we have an
alternative guiding principle we can follow to understand the Kafkaesque we face in the world?
Kafkaesque is defined as follows, “when you enter a surreal world in which all your control
patterns, all your plans, the whole way in which you have configured your own behavior, begins
to fall to pieces, when you find yourself against a force that does not lend itself to the way you
perceive the world.”2

This paper will first give a brief summary and highlight the important characters and
symbols we see in the novel Metamorphosis and then for the major part look at the existential
themes in the novel by quoting significant texts from the celebrated work such as consciousness,
alienation, transformation, identity and family with personal notes and critical insights on it.
Thirdly, we will see a practical example of Fr Stan Swamy, how it is a case of Kafkaesque in our

1
Britanica, “Existential Philosophy,” Existentialism, https://www.britannica.com/topic/existentialism (accessed 31
July, 2020).
2
Edwards, Ivanna, “The Essence of Kafkaesque,” The New York Times,
https://www.nytimes.com/1991/12/29/nyregion/the-essence-of-kafkaesque.html (accessed 31 July, 2020).

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modern times. Finally we shall reflect on the question of freedom and choices that an individual
can have in our world of today. This is a challenge we have faced from time immemorial and this
paper explores some aspects to work on the existential crisis humanity faces in the world thus
offering a way out for the Ām Ādmi in India.

2.0 Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka: The Context

Franz Kafka is an icon of 20th century literature. He was born in 1883 and died in 1924 in
Prague. He was a Jew and was subjected to neglect and torture which told upon his mental peace.
His literature speaks of the agonies of life and its harsh realities. Like Talmud, he reveals in his
writings the futility of human existence and the absurdity of human situation. 3 He wrote a lot in
his lifetime but hardly published anything. Before his death from tuberculosis, he asked his long
time friend Marx Brand to destroy all the works that he had written and did not want to publish.
The present work, “The Metamorphosis” is a short novel that comes under the genre of
‘Absurdism’ originally written in German in 1912 and published in 1915.

2.1 Plot Summary

In the novel The Metamorphosis, the main character Gregor Samsa a travelling salesman
awakens one morning to discover that he has turned into an insect like creature. He lies in bed
wondering if this is real thinking about the many unpleasant aspects of his carrier and his life at
large. His family was dependent on him and his income for survival. He panics as he is late for
work and is worried about the reaction of his boss. His mother, father and sister Greta are the
other three characters who are important figures in this novel. They sort to find out about him
when he skips the routine and are shocked to find out about his physical condition and his plight.
He has a strict supervisor who does not care about the person of Gregor and does not tolerate any
excuses. When he manages to unlock his door and come out he takes everyone by surprise and
leaves them fainted, sad and weeping. His sister Greta takes care of him secretly when he is
faced with this situation. He had dreams for his sister, to pay for her education and give her a
good future while his parents were aging and unable to work. With his present situation these
things look almost uncertain to him now. The mother and sister try to make things easy for
Gregor by shifting things in his room but he seems unhappy with this. Gregor is very attached to

3
Franz Kafka Online, “Franz Kafka Biography,” https://www.kafka-online.info/franz-kafka-biography.html
(accessed 31 July, 2020).

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a particular picture of a woman on the wall and does not want this particular thing to be moved
from his room. His father Mr Samsa is a much disciplined man who does not understand his son
and his condition. He is strict and they novel portrays they never gel together. Gregor realizes
that due to his inability now his mother and sister too have started working by finding jobs. They
all are busy with the humdrum of life and do not care for him as they use to. As a result he feels
like a burden and neglected by family. The abuses both mental and physical on him lead to his
deterioration. The family decides to get in borders who will pay up to make ends meet. Greta
plays the violin one day for them and Gregor manifests himself in public in front of everyone.
They are dumbstruck with this and they leave without paying a single penny. The climax of the
story comes when the sister tells the family that due to this incident they must do something with
Gregor and in some way get rid of him. Gregor goes further into his cocoon and eventually dies
one morning. This death is taken as a sad moment by the family but also as a matter of relief for
the Samsas. They now go out to the city and breathe some fresh air with a new way of life ahead.
This novel is a truly strange transformation that has taken place in the life of the Samsas.

2.2 Characters

The story revolves around four important characters. Gregor Samsa is the main character
who works tirelessly works day in and day out to make ends meet. He is shocked by The
Metamorphosis he undergoes one morning right at the beginning of the story and he is confined
to his room and reflects on his former existence out in the world for the remainder of his life
having nothing else to do. He is hurled at with abuses and torture by his family and eventually
dies alienated and isolated in the four walls of his room. Greta Samsa is Gregors 17 year old
sister. She is kind and compassionate to him. This is seen for some point of time in the novel, but
she later resents it and gives up on him because he is of no use to her. She did not know how her
brother was silently saving up for her to give her a better future while he was working as a
salesman. Mr Samsa is the head of the family who has had a failed business carrier and has now
retired. He is seen as a strict person and lacks patience. Due to the situation the family is in he is
forced to return to work. He is one of the most relieved persons when Gregor dies and now the
family can finally move on. Mrs Samsa is Gregors weak, ailing and aging mother. She is often
seen fainting at the plight and condition that her son is made to undergo. These make up the
entire close circle of the Samsas.

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2.3 Symbols

Symbols speak louder than words. There are at least five important symbols we see in the
novel. Vermin is the creepy and crawling insect we see that Gregor is reduced to in the novel. It
reflects the degradation and inhuman aspects of his life and work that Gregor faces. It shows his
misery that he has to face and undergo. The painting of the ‘Woman in furs’ is another important
symbol we find in the novel. It is an advertisement but it is framed and put in his room by
Gregor. It speaks of Gregors human condition as a sensual being who can enjoy the beauty and
attraction of a woman as a human person. The irony is that now in spite of his metamorphosis he
is unwilling to leave this and it reflects still his human condition in spite of being in this
loathsome state. Through this symbol one can see that Gregor still has a hope that he will once
again return to human form. The uniform of Mr Samsa is worth taking note of. It is a reflection
of the self respect the man possesses even though he has barely got out for quite some time in
this situation. The ‘spring time’ after Gregors death is yet another important symbol. It highlights
hope and renewal in the messiness of life that the Samsas have experienced. They expect a
happier life ahead now that with Gregor’s death another important leaf of their life is turned on.
We see that ‘Apples’ are hurled at by Mr Samsa on his son, yet another important symbol.
Apples are a fruit that were forbidden in the book of Genesis, lead to the downfall of humanity in
the eyes of God. In the novel, one lodges in Gregors back and as a result it lodges a wound in
him and it festers and finally he succumbs to it in a way leading to his downfall.

2.4 Themes

There are several themes highlighted in The Metamorphosis. For our consideration I shall
dwell on only four themes five themes. I will also quote from the translated text and then offer
some reflections and critical remarks on the same in this section.

2.4.1 Consciousness

The theme of consciousness comes rather strongly in The Metamorphosis. We shall dwell
on two relevant texts and understand them. We see that awareness and acceptance of one’s
condition and using it to one’s own advantage while being conscious about one self is a great
existential truth one needs to grapple with in one’s life. It helps in working towards ones
freedom.

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 “Gregor immediately fell down onto his numerous little legs. Scarcely had this
happened, when he felt for the first time that morning a general physical well being. The
small limbs had firm floor under them; they obeyed perfectly, as he noticed to his joy,
and strove to carry him forward in the direction he wanted. Right away he believed that
the final amelioration of all his suffering was immediately at hand.”4

This extract speaks about Gregor being conscious of his own condition as a bug. Now he
is fully in control of himself. As it has been seen earlier, people in his house are treating him
with contempt. However he has realized this and he is conscious that he is a different being. In
some way it beings him relief and is an alleviation of his suffering. He is in a terrible condition
but he is filled with hope to some extent and has some self-confidence that his suffering will
soon be over. This is through the acceptance of himself as he is.

What sorts of excuses people had used on that first morning to get the doctor and the
locksmith out of the house Gregor was completely unable to ascertain. Since he was not
comprehensible, no one, not even his sister, thought that he might be able to understand
others, and thus, when his sister was in her room, he had to be content with listening now
and then to her sighs and invocations to the saints.5

Gregor further accepts his situation as a bug. In this new existence of his that he is
conscious of he is trying to use it to his advantage. He listens quietly to what his family has got
to say about his condition. He is able to understand them but they are not able to comprehend
him. In some way this brings to light the advantages of the position he is in and thus he tries to
feel better even though to some extent alienated and lonely.

2.4.2 Transformation

The second theme I want to touch upon is Transformation. For this I have chosen two
extracts that we will dwell on.

As he heard his mother’s words Gregor realized that the lack of all immediate human
contact, together with the monotonous life surrounded by the family over the course of these two

4
Kafka, Franz, “Metamorphosis.” trans. Ian Johnston, (Malaspina University: Boston, 1915), 22-23.
5
Ibid., 43-44

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months must have confused his understanding, because otherwise he couldn’t explain to himself
that he in all seriousness could’ve been so keen to have his room emptied.6

Human contact is very important for survival especially in the most challenging moments
of our lives. We grow into a human family, are surrounded by fellow human beings and we are
becoming human day by day. Without this life can be very monotonous and confusing, lead to
distress and misunderstanding. No one can live as an island. We are rational beings and we are
relational beings too. Daily experience of being human can inspire a transformation in each one
of us. A cold and apathetic view to life on the other hand can lead to a transformation to the
worst. We see this transformation for the worse taking place in the life of Gregor.

He had not really pictured his father as he now stood there. Of course, what with his new
style of creeping all around, he had in the past while neglected to pay attention to what was
going on in the rest of the apartment, as he had done before, and really should have grasped the
fact that he would encounter different conditions. Nevertheless, nevertheless, was that still his
father?7

In the extract above we come to know about the transformation that has taken place in the
life of the father. Gregor experiences him anew. Gregor automatically realizes the physical
transformation that has taken up with in him as a cause of this change. The relationship with the
father was already a difficult one for Gregor since the beginning. Besides he had hardly paid
attention to the happenings outside of him and his room. When he encounters his father at this
instant of his life, he realizes that he hardly knows this side of his father and encounters him as a
stranger and totally anew.

2.4.3 Identity

Identity is a very important aspect in existentialist philosophy. It tells us who we are and
gives us meaning. Besides it gives meaning to our existence. There are two extracts I have
chosen that give us an opportunity to dwell on the issue of identity.

But he soon drew it back again in disappointment not just because it was difficult for him
to eat on account of his delicate left side (he could eat only if his entire panting body
worked in a coordinated way), but also because the milk, which otherwise was his
6
Ibid., 32-33.
7
Ibid., 49.

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 favorite drink and which his sister had certainly placed there for that reason, did not
appeal to him at all. He turned away from the bowl almost with aversion and crept back
into the middle of the room.8

Gregor appears as a person who is a foodie. His sister keeps his favorite food for him
knowing what he likes to eat. Food does highlight ones identity, for we become what we eat.
Gregor is excited at the beginning but he soon realizes The Metamorphosis that he has undergone
and is truly disappointed. He has the same thoughts and memories as in the past but his physical
condition now limits him. Physical appearance is an important element in defining ones identity.
Here with a transformation, he no longer is able to enjoy the things he so used to.

He was filled with sheer anger over the wretched care he was getting, even though he
couldn’t imagine anything for which he might have an appetite. Still, he made plans about how
he could take from the larder what he at all accounts deserved, even if he wasn’t hungry.9

Gregor’s personal emotions have been vented out here. He was totally caught up in only
thinking about himself. This was his preoccupation as a bug as now he had nothing else to be
bothered about. In the beginning of the novel when he is introduced to the reader he is concerned
about his family, his sister, success at his job and now with the physical change, The
Metamorphosis that has happened to him, he has nothing else to think of. His identity being
undergone a physical change has resulted in a transformation in his entire being at all levels in
his life.

2.4.4 Family

Family is an important theme we come across in The Metamorphosis. We are born in a

family, we grow up in it. It was the case with Gregor too. These quotes speak about his feelings
towards his family.

Anyway, I haven’t completely given up that hope yet. 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.10

8
Ibid., 27-28
9
Ibid., 57.
10
Ibid., 5.

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 Family is the basic unit of society. Our parents and elders help us to shape up into who
we really are and what we really end up becoming. We are indebted to our parents and elders in
some way or the other. While lying in bed Gregor realizes the responsibility he has towards his
family, the debts he has to pay off. He does not like the job he is doing but is doing it for the sake
of his family and has a hope that he will get over this and start again in about 5-6 years. The
challenge for Gregor however is different. It is to accept his situation and see how his family has
changed and become different towards him looking at his metamorphosis.

Gregor’s serious wound, from which he suffered for over a month (since no one
ventured to remove the apple, it remained in his flesh as a visible reminder), seemed by
itself to have reminded the father that, in spite of his present unhappy and hateful
appearance, Gregor was a member of the family, something one should not treat as an
enemy, and that it was, on the contrary, a requirement of family duty to suppress one’s
aversion and to endure—nothing else, just endure.11

The injury that Gregor sustains as the result of the rift with his father nearly proves fatal
to him. It makes him weaker and immobile. This brings in some sympathy from his family
members. The family does realize that after all he is their own. But Gregor feels that he is not
cared for as before. All the effort and the silent sacrifice that he made is proving to be of no avail
in this most difficult time in his.

2.4.5 Alienation

It is quite common in our contemporary world of today, if one does not conform to the
demands of the society, one will be left alone and in a sense he will become alienated. Alienation
is a central theme we see in Kafka’s novel The Metamorphosis. It happens at different levels. At
first at the physical level when Gregor realizes that he is a mere bug. There is a deeper conflict
with his external self and what he actually feels deep within. Hence he is to a great extent
alienated from himself. He cannot in any way identify with the feelings of being a bug either.
Gregor experiences other forms of alienation too, from his work place for example. He is not
accepted well there and is not cared for either. He is alienated from his family too, he leaves
early morning and returns late night often times in the dark and when the doors are shut and no
one looking forward to welcome him. Gregor dies as a lonely person, uncared for and it does not

11
Ibid., 53.

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affect his family much as if nothing happens in his death. They shrug their responsibility and
move on as if a burden is lightened off them.

Thus in this section we have seen five significant themes that are interwoven in the novel
The Metamorphosis of Franz Kafka.

3.0 Fr Stan Swamy –Kafkaesque in Modern India12

Fr Stan Swamy was a Jharkhand based Jesuit Priest. He was a social activist, a leader, a
fighter for the rights of the poor and the marginalized, a champion of the cause of the Dalits and
the downtrodden. Under the UAPA he was arrested and put in prison and he died while awaiting
trial in custody.

He was subject to several inhuman conditions while in prison. Many absurd things
happened to him in his life in jail. Though he was physically weak, his spirits always remained
high. Even in jail he continued with his ministry and said boldly in his own words through the
poem “a Caged bird can still sing.”

According to Frederick R Karl, one of the biographers of Kafka, “What’s Kafkaesque …

is when you enter a surreal world in which all your control patterns, all your plans, the whole
way in which you have configured your own behaviour, begins to fall to pieces, when you find
yourself against a force that does not lend itself to the way you perceive the world. You don’t
give up, you don’t lie down and die. What you do is struggle against this with all of your
equipment, with whatever you have. But of course you don’t stand a chance.” 13

Stan was accused of being involved in the Elgar Parishad and Bima Koregaon case, the
NIA arrested him in October 2020 and till his death, he was in Mumbai. The only consoling
factor was that towards the end of his life at least he got some medical treatment in the hospital
of his choice and was surrounded by his fellow Jesuit companions while he breathed his last.

The county was very inhuman to him especially those who are the enforcers of the law.
He was helpless and infirm and they hardly cared. They did not even allow him a straw and a
sipper because of his failing health and Parkinson’s disease. With the example of Stan Swamy

12
Joseph, Scaria, “Indian Currents,” Kafkaesque in Modern India, https://www.indiancurrents.org/article-
kafkaesque-in-modern-india-sacaria-joseph-500.php (accessed 31 July, 2020).
13
Ibid.

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we see how inhumanly he was treated and it would not be wrong to conclude that Kafkaesque
has moved out of fiction into the lives individuals in contemporary India.

4.0 Reflections in the Light of the Novel under Study

We have dealt with so far five themes that are highlighted in the Novel under study The
Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka. The themes are Family, Alienation, Identity, Transformation
and Consciousness. How have these lend themselves or haven’t they in the life of Fr Stan
Swamy, a classic case of Kafkaesque has moved out of fiction into the lives individuals in
contemporary India is what we will see in this section.

Family – Stan Swamy belonged to the human family at large and to the Jesuit family in
particular. He was treated in an inhuman way in prison and subject to torture for charges that are
not proven about him even now after his death. He was deprived of his human existence and put
in strange inhuman conditions where he had no loved ones that could care for him. Was it his
fault or was it the cost of the choices that he had made to champion the cause of the poor and
marginalized for which he died a martyr?

Alienation – Stan’s is a classic case of Alienation. He was a champion for the poor as we
have seen and he fought for their rights through the platform of social work. By falsely accusing
him, we have not only alienated him from his work but also from many other things. His health
was failing and due to deprivation he was getting alienated physically too. He was separated
from family and loved ones. This is another aspect we see of alienation in his life. Was it his
fault or the cost of the choices that he had made that lead him to such alienation in our world?

Identity is an important issue one needs to deal with. Stan was Human, he was a Jesuit, a
Social worker, a Reformer and also an Activist. These are some of the identities that Stan
possessed. It was his conscious and deliberate choice to play these multiple roles and as a result
of it he found great fulfillment and satisfaction while on this earth. Isn’t it identity that gives us
meaning to our existence? Stan made deliberate choices that shaped up his identity. It played an
important role in his life and has caused a great impact for the world over.

Transformation is the core of human existence. We are never the same. Change is the
only thing that is permanent and as a result of it leads us to a transformation. Transformation was
at the core of Stan’s life. He was transformed through the process of his Priestly formation that

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made him a person for others. He saw every moment as a new opportunity and never settled for
the minimum by being a person of the Magis, seeking the ever greater Glory of God. His
transformation has lead us to be transformed as well.

Consciousness – Stan was always conscious of what he was doing. He knew the path that
he was embarking upon was going to meet a rough end. It was in spite of it a deliberate and
conscious choice he made to do what he did. He was well aware. He had embarked upon this
journey a long time ago. He was paying the price for it. He was even conscious of his physical
condition and his failing health. He was conscious of the inhuman treatment that he was getting
in prison. He was conscious of the authorities who were mistreating him. Yet he suffered,
silently, in all his freedom. He had made a conscious choice and he was paying the price for it.

Thus we see, that in the life of Fr Stan Swamy, the elements of the novel The
Metamorphosis has some connection and correlation.

5.0 The Philosophical Problem of Freedom and Choice

We see in the novel The Metamorphosis how the main protagonist Gregor Samsa was not
free to a great extent. He was dictated upon by the situations and the signs of his times. He had
put himself in the situation that he was in. He was not free after his physical transformation, he
became a bug, thus he became limited in many ways. He had his own cravings as a human at the
internal level even though outwardly he was a bug and that too built upon his sense of
unfreedom. At his workplace too due to the debt that he had to pay up, he was not free. The
situation demanded a lot to him and dictated terms to him. His family did not realize all the good
that he was trying to do and treated him as a burden rather than being a human especially after
his Metamorphosis. Thus we see that Gregor was not free but the deeper question we need to ask
is did he really have a choice?

In contrast we see that there was Fr Stan Swamy. The choices he made in life were
deliberate. It was at all the levels i.e. of alienation, at the level of the family both human and
Jesuit families too and this shaped up his identity. It also leads to a transformation of him at the
outset but also at those who mattered to him, in a way the world at large. He was conscious of all
this. He had made personal deliberate choices, knowing well what he was embarking upon. Thus
we see that unlike the protagonist in the novel The Metamorphosis by Gregor Samsa, we have Fr
Stan who was free, even though not externally but internally. It was all because of the choices he
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had made. Thus I have argued my thesis, “We are fundamentally free beings, we can choose and
thus live a life in conformity to the choices that we make.” The question we need to ask is how to
make choices that are well informed and as a result of it live a life in the domain enjoying the
freedom that our choices give us. The Aam Admi, common man in India may not be as
priviledged as

6.0 Conclusion

We have seen through the course of this paper various elements. After a general
introduction I have given a brief summary and highlight the important characters and symbols
we see in the novel The Metamorphosis. We have then dwelt on five existential themes that are
highlighted through the novel. Kafkaesque has moved out of fiction into the lives individuals in
contemporary India. This is clearly enumerated through the practical example of Fr Stan Swamy,
through his life, his work and the choices that he made. Finally we have reflected on the question
of freedom and choices that an individual can have in our world of today. This is a challenge we
have faced from time immemorial and this paper explores some aspects to work on the
existential crisis humanity faces in the world.

What is a way out for the Ām Ādmi in India? The common man ought to grow in the
awareness who he is and what is his true identity. He needs to bank upon the basic structures that
society place in front of him like family and loved ones. These carry a lot of meaning or
individuals. He needs to become aware of the alienation that he undergoes on account of various
factors that challenge him and dictate to him. Finally he needs to grow into a continuous
transformation of himself and that will lead to a change and transformation of the world around
him.

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Bibliography
Primary Source

Book

Kafka, Franz. “Metamorphosis.” trans. Ian Johnston. Malaspina University, Nanaimo, BC. 1915.

Secondary Sources

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A FAMILY.” Modern Fiction Studies, vol. 23, no. 4, 1977, pp. 578–586. JSTOR,
www.jstor.org/stable/26282050. Accessed 1 Aug. 2021.

Rowe, Michael. "Metamorphosis : Defending the Human." Literature and Medicine, vol. 21 no.
2, 2002, p. 264-280. Project MUSE, doi:10.1353/lm.2002.0024. Accessed 1 Aug. 2021.

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Britanica. “Existential Philosophy. ” Existentialism.

https://www.britannica.com/topic/existentialism (accessed 31 July, 2020).

Ivanna, Edwards. “The Essence of Kafkaesque.” The New York Times.

https://www.nytimes.com/1991/12/29/nyregion/the-essence-of-kafkaesque.html. Accessed 31
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Franz Kafka Online. “Franz Kafka Biography.” https://www.kafka-online.info/franz-

kafka-biography.html. Accessed 31 July, 2020.

Joseph, Scaria, “Indian Currents,” Kafkaesque in Modern India,

https://www.indiancurrents.org/article-kafkaesque-in-modern-india-sacaria-joseph-
500.php. Accessed 31 July, 2020.

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