WHY SHOULD PEOPLE READ METAMORPHOSIS BY FRANZ KAFKA?

After reading Metamorphosis, I had a question: Franz Kafka’s works have been reviewed and analysed from every possible perspective, so is there something new I can add to the pre-existing discourse to convince people to read this novella?

At some point in their lives, most people tend to believe in the fantasy of ‘unconditional love’, especially when they think about familial love. I still remember the day my elder brother expressed his firm belief that outsiders choose to love you for what you bring to the table, but your family members are the only ones who love you unconditionally (that’s if you happen to share a healthy dynamic with your family). But Kafta explores a darker side of the so-called ‘unconditional family love’ through an absurdist depiction of burnout and isolation resulting from hustle culture and the burden of monetary expectations.

Gregor Samsa is a travelling salesman and the sole provider for his nuclear family consisting of his parents and sister. But his normal life takes an unexpected turn when he wakes up and realises that he has transformed into an insect! But instead of worrying about his current predicament, he seems to be more concerned about missing his morning train for work. Gregor’s mother knocks on his locked bedroom door to inquire about his plans to leave for work, but he struggles to leave his bed to open the door as he hasn’t figured out how to navigate his bug-like body. His officer manager also comes to his apartment to find out why he hasn’t reported for work (even though he has never taken a day off), and urges him to open the door and give an explanation. When Samsa finally manages to open the door, his changed appearance horrifies his manager, and he leaves the apartment. After this, the story doesn’t focus on the reason behind the transformation or his family’s concern for Gregor’s predicament, but it highlights Gregor’s new status as a burden. If Gregor can no longer be a provider, he is just an inconvenience to be hidden away behind a locked door. His father, mother and sister’s treatment of Gregor is particularly striking as they represent the three behaviours of society towards those who do not offer anything of value.

Gregor’s father is the blunt, unforgiving man who locks him behind the door once he sees his condition, as he knows that without Gregor, the family will have to fend for itself going forward. His mother struggles to face or protect him, even though she still harbours concern for him. His sister seems to help him, but her interference only dehumanises him in the eyes of his family. For instance, she gives him rotten and leftover food and removes all the furniture from his room, because she believes that he does not have enough space to crawl. These so-called generous actions strip him of his dignity and everything that once made him human. His family, on the other hand finds jobs to run their household, revealing that they were always capable of bringing money to the table, it’s just that they never chose to shoulder Gregor’s burden when he was working, despite his hustle and struggle with burnout.

Now I won’t reveal Gregor Samsa’s fate in this article, because if you haven’t read Metamorphosis or Kafka’s other works, then this is the perfect opportunity to check out the text on your own to judge whether the themes of this timeless classic resonate with you or not.

If you are still unsure about this text, then here are four reasons why you should read Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka:

1. It is a dark reflection of the human condition: This novella isn’t some nightmarish scenario with flashy jumpscares; it is a dark reflection of the human condition where the real horror doesn’t stem from Gregor’s insect-like body, but from the indifference of those around him. This story completely shatters the fantasy of unconditional love by highlighting the harsh reality that you’ll only be loved and treated well as long as you bring something of value to the table.

2. It is an unsettling commentary on the hustle culture: Gregor Samsa is described as a diligent employee who has never taken sick leave. He hustled every day and bore the burden of being the sole provider for his family, but his transformation revealed that his work had been taken for granted by both his family and his employer. After all the hustle and hard work, Gregor was just another replaceable part of the machine.

3. Exploration of individuality and burden: This story asks the hard questions on utility and individuality, such as who are you without your job, when you can no longer offer anything to the society you’ve worked to serve your entire life? It also raises questions about self-worth and building an identity outside work.

4. Dependence and parasitic relationships: Once Gregor could no longer be exploited as the sole breadwinner, his healthy, capable family began working. His family had always been capable of contributing to the household income, yet they expected Gregor to bear that burden alone. Gregor’s downfall serves as a catalyst for them discovering their usefulness in society, but before the transformation, his role as a breadwinner effectively marked the erasure of his individuality. He was not a person to be loved, but an income that was needed to run the house. In fact, Gregor’s family may have viewed him as a parasite before his transformation, but the reality is that they were the parasitic influence all along!

This novella is truly an all-time classic absurdist piece of literature, and a must-read for not only literary enthusiasts but also people who question and wish to explore the myth of unconditional love in fiction.