An Overview - 'The Metamorphosis' by Franz Kafka

I was looking forward to write this article for quite some time. Not to mention, more articles of this kind will be regularly posted. Through this article, I will try to persuade you into reading a novella titled ‘The Metamorphosis’, written by Franz Kafka. But before we get into the details regarding the novella itself, let us understand what novella actually means and how it differs from novel or a long story.

A novella is a comparatively short novel that is too long to be considered as a long story. There are no fixed numbers of words, but a work of fiction roughly lying between 20,000 and 50,000 words is considered a novella. Once a book hits the 50,000 word mark, it is generally considered a novel. (However, a standard novel is around 80,000 words, so books between 50,000 to 79,999 words may be called short novels.) A novella is the longest of the short fiction forms, granting writers freedom for an expanded story, descriptions, and cast of characters, but still keeping the condensed intensity of a short story.

(Source: wikimedia)

‘The Metamorphosis’ or ‘Die Verwandlung’ is a story of a young, middle-class sales worker, who lived a very ordinary life but now finds himself in between a dilemma that turns everything upside down for him and his family. He wakes up one morning and finds himself in his bed transformed into a ‘monstrous vermin’. In the beginning, the young man, named Gregor Samsa, thinks that it is another one of those uneasy dreams he usually suffers from. But soon it becomes clear that it’s not a dream! The story consists of 4 main characters including Gregor; his mother Mrs. Samsa, his father Mr. Samsa and his sister Grete.

The title is chosen very carefully and it delivers true justice to the plot of the novella. You, at some point in chapter II, will become so consumed in the story that the sheer emotions of loneliness and asylum that Gregor experiences, will feel very personal. Kafka is well known for realism and in fact, his works are the fusion of 2 major elements: realism and fantastic. I will try not to reveal much of the story. Themes that are showcased in the story includes

‘Irrationality of life’, ‘estrangement’, ‘limits of empathy’.

Since the title itself prepares the reader for a significant change, I did not mention the theme of ‘change or growth’ in the above list. The story pours out a great deal of conflicts within Gregor and his family members. This is something unnatural; something that one cannot possibly prepare for. This transformation is evident as far as the appearance of Gregor Samsa is considered, but his personality remains unaltered. Let me ask you, what is the first thought that crosses your mind when you wake up to find yourself transformed into a giant insect!? Possibly a scream and a series of thoughts on ‘how this could happen’ or something like that. What Gregor is worried about is “How can I go to work looking like that”. As the story progresses, we are introduced to his mother, his father and his younger sister, whom he is closely attached to. In the beginning, Gregor avoids confronting anyone and stays in his room. But soon his worst thoughts are realised – the chief clerk comes home to see why Gregor did not come to work. Gregor then realises how much he dislikes his job and why he is stuck with it. A through description of circumstances, under which Gregor joined his office, is given to us in the beginning of the story. The economical constraints of the family are revealed; role of Gregor in the family is explained. Soon his appearance becomes public. Most obvious reactions – fear, confusion and withdrawal – are in order after just one look at the horrible creature. The story is strangely engaging and the way author explains very fine details – from the struggle that protagonist faces as a vermin to the uneasiness of family members when they realise that the creature is actually Gregor – is nothing short of extraordinary.

It not only depicts the unnatural transformation of Gregor, but the transformations, or rather Growth of other characters such as his sister, Grete, and his father are also astonishing and leave a long impression on the reader's mind. Author Franz Kafka is well known for his way of writing which demonstrates mundane nature of life, and ‘The Metamorphosis’ is no exception. Daily life struggle that one might face while living side by side with a human-sized insect is explained well. This beautifully woven story is very touching and a really good read. Give it a try and I can guarantee at the end, you will be left with a better understanding of fragility of life, value & degree of growth, limits of sympathy and the human tendency to find serenity amidst chaos.

Hope you like this article; if even a single reader finds this article appealing and read the novella, I will consider this article a 100% success…

Written By – Skand Prateek Kaushik