The Powerful Opening of Kafka's Metamorphosis

The Powerful Opening of Kafka's Metamorphosis

'When Gregor Samsa woke up one morning from unsettling dreams, he found himself changed in his bed into a monstrous vermin.' Franz Kafka opens his novella Metamorphosis (also The Transformation and The Transfiguration) with the above phrase, a simple statement of fact. He startles the reader with this bold first sentence. It draws the reader directly to the question of why? Why is Gregor Samsa a monstrous vermin. The inclusion that Samsa has had 'unsettling dreams' could indicate that he was subconsciously aware of his metamorphosis taking place. It also tells us that his mind is not at rest. The words 'monstrous vermin' in the publication translated by Stanley Corngold differ from the description in the original German. The German translates directly to 'horrific bug' . 'Monstrous vermin' still leaves the reader space to imagine a number of different vermin that Samsa could have become, but the use of 'horrific bug' narrows this down somewhat. Kafka's opening sentence shows the path that Samsa's feelings follow, to the point, with little hope.

F. Kafka goes on in the remainder of the first paragraph to describe Samsa's physical appearance. His back, described as 'as hard as an armor plate' gives an impression that Samsa has gained more protection from life, from who or whatever changed his physical form. The cover, as it is said that it is about to fall off of his domed brown belly, can be likened to society in Metamorphosis. The cover (nor society) could not fulfill its purpose, and clings to Samsa. An important image is that of Samsa's 'many legs... ...waving helplessly before his eyes.' This gives the reader an impression of Samsa's inability to control the situation.

Gregor Samsa's first thought is to ask himself what has happened to him. Obviously from this one can assume that Samsa was not expecting his metamorphosis and is indeed quite surprised by the whole event. His instant deduction that it was no dream implies that Samsa has control of his mind, and a certain grasp of the reality of his new situation. Kafka describes Samsa's room as 'a regular human room' allowing the reader the necessary understanding that it is just Samsa that has changed, not the world around him.