Book Review: The Metamorphosis

The Metamorphosis

Plot

The Metamorphosis!

This book hold a special place in my life and an absolute favorite. 

The story revolves around a travelling salesman Gregor Samsa, who is the only breadwinner of his family and has dream of sending his sister to an art school, for her talent of playing violin. 

However, one day, he wakes up finding himself turned into a monstrous vermin. He still tries to get up and get ready for work, but his new body doesn't allow him to do so. 

Not to scare his family and neighborhood, he remains locked in his room, until his supervisor shows up, inquiring about Gregor's absence at work. 

Compelled by the circumstances, Gregor unlocks the door and reveals his new form to his family, trying to apologize for not showing up at work, but eventually scares the supervisor to leave.

Throughout the story Gregor's father remains very aggressive towards him, whereas his sister Greta seems to take care of him.

Later, when Gregor enters during Greta's violin performs. His father agitated, bashes apples on him, where one apple gets stuck in his back causing an infection.

Over the period of time, he hears his sister telling their parents to getrid of Gregor Samsa. After which Gregor crawls back to his room and dies. The family after his death is in relieve and goes out for fresh air.

REVIEW

As evident from the name, it refers to an abrupt and complete change in an entity. In this book Franz Kafka portrays the alienation of modern world by transforming the protagonist Gregor Samsa into a vermin. Gregor Samsa a travelling sales man, the only breadwinner of his family, finding himself turned into some kind of monstrous vermin, he is shocked to the core. He starts to accept his life, however the aversion and detestation that his family shows towards him, is what actually affects Samsa. This is much more than somewhat a dark story, a disturbing tale of a man who has lost everything as he turned into a bug and a representation that people who deviate from the norms are isolated. 

This story involves a lot of emotions about how everything turns against you, when you are in a troublesome situation. Even your loved ones, whom you have cared most about, do not want to be near you. Greta, who is the sister of Gregor Samsa in this story, is the person who he cares the most. He has been saving money to send his sister to Music school. Greta who seems to take care of Samsa in some part of story later turns her back against him. Though turned into a vermin, Samsa still is a human inside and has a heart, which transfixes and compels him to come out of his room to hear the music played by his sister. However, the resentments and detestation of Greta for Samsa, when she tell his father to get rid of him is what is distressing for Samsa.

Kafka has used this transformation as a metaphor to an illness of a person, who has no control over and neither does he have any idea how it has and will continue to influence his and his family's life. The subsequent reaction of his family ( grief, resignation, repugnance, and then explicit detestation) and his eventual death brings tranquility/ relieve to the family. What's upsetting about the story is not the death of Gregor Samsa, but that his family actually feels happy after his death.