From Man to Giant Vermin in Kafka's Novel, The Metamorphosis

Upon first glance, Kafka’s 1916 novel The Metamorphosis seems to be the tale of a man who wakes up one morning and finds himself transformed into a giant vermin. However, this novel actually reveals a metaphoric example of the overall structure of society through the economic theories of Marx and Engels. The protagonist of the story, Gregor Samsa, is in some ways a representation of the proletariat, or working class, and his unnamed manager signifies the bourgeoisie. After Gregor’s transformation, the conflict that arises between the two, because Gregor is unable to work, represents the dehumanizing structure of relations between social classes. There are three main segments to the metaphor in this story. First, Kafka skillfully weaves a picture of the characters and the social and economic classes they represent. Then, he details Gregor’s transformation and the way it impedes his ability to do labor. At this point, Kafka then describes the results of this inability to work: Gregor is abandoned by his family and dies. While no man can literally be transformed into an insect, they can lose their ability to work. Kafka’s novella, therefore, is an imaginative portrayal of a quite common scenario and provides readers with valuable insight into the conflicts that take place between economic classes.

During the introduction to The Metamorphosis, readers quickly discover that Gregor is a representation of the proletariat in the story. As a traveling salesman, he has no choice but to commit to hard labor in order to support his family. While lying in bed, he claims that “Day in, day out--on the road… I’ve got the torture of travelling… eating miserable food at all hours…” (Kafka 4). Kafka chooses to describe Gregor’s profession as “worry...

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...ges removed the relationship between Gregor and his family, something which is viewed as sacred in most cultures.

Although the exact story in Kafka’s novella could not possibly occur outside of the realm of fiction, it represents the extremely real scenario in which a worker is abandoned by his or her family and employer after being rendered unable to work or provide financial support. By viewing The Metamorphosis from a Marxist perspective, readers can very quickly distinguish the underlying issues between the proletariat class and the bourgeoisie. Due to the fact that economics supercede almost everything else in a Capitalist society, including fundamental social values, citizens who are unable to commit to extensive labor or earn wages are quickly abandoned. More often than not, as was the case with Gregor Samsa, the result of this abandonment tends to be death.