A Sigh of Relief?

Although most bodily movements are controllable, the subconscious thought process is not. Even though it would be ideal for life to be marked by a general peace of of mind, anxiety, or apprehension concerning a certain outcome, is only expected given societal pressures to be inhumanely impeccable. In the novel The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka, a human-turned-vermin named Gregor battles with this very issue of restlessness when he is suddenly left with the inability to work, giving him an excessive amount of time to reconsider life. Even as an insect, Gregor faces an overload of tensions from dealing with obstacles such as a nosy job manager and limited compassion from his family, demonstrating Kafka’s satyrical view of modern day stress. Kafka seems to be wrestling with balance between anxiety and peace of mind; he explores nervousness as a natural human tendency which stems from self-created high expectations, desires, and internalized guilt.

Unfortunately, the discord between high expectations and reality prevents the Samsa family as well as their insect son, Gregor, from ever feeling confident and reaching peace of mind. Instead, anxiety dominates both humans and insect alike, who, despite having all the amenities a roach would ever need, such as food, water and shelter, cannot quite relax. Kafka’s pitiful portrayal of Gregor’s stress demonstrates that tranquility is difficult to achieve in modern taxing society. From the very beginning, Kafka shows that Gregor seems to have reached a breaking point because of his self-inflicted role as a caregiver. Gregor works “day in, day out- on the road” (3) and will have to do so for “another five or six years,” getting up each morning at “four o’clock” (4) without ever taking a break...

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...fact that his condition requires aid and later is upset that his parents devote more time to the alien “roomers” than to him (45). Guilt also dominates Gregor’s thoughts, causing him to feel stressed because of his inability to thank his sister and parents for their care. Ironically, Gregor’s “vacation” from work seems to add to his anxiety more than his stressful job had. Perhaps the only way to find enduring peace of mind is to abandon everything, both the good and bad, Kafka suggests; introducing the word peaceful into his story just four pages from the end. After realizing that “his conviction that he would have to disappear was... firmer than his sister’s,” Gregor at last dies in “peaceful reflection,” realizing that his darkness is “beginning to grow light” (51). Having nothing, being nothing, wanting nothing- what a sigh of relief! I would rather stay anxious.