Negative Effects of the Modern World to the Human Spirit Analysis of Franz Kafkas Novel entitled Metamorphosis

Topic: Negative Effects of the Modern World to the Human Spirit: Analysis of Franz Kafka’s Novel entitled “Metamorphosis”

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Overview

Franz Kafka was a German writer born in 1883 in Prague, Czechoslovakia and died in 1924 in a sanatorium in Vienna. Many of his major works were not published in his lifetime. His works include “The Trial”, “The Castle” and “The Metamorphosis” (Gillman & Sander, 2005).

The novel entitled “The Metamorphosis” is a story of Gregor Samsa, a son of middle class parents. His father, Mr. Samsa loses most of his money leaving Gregor with no option but to take a job as a salesman to clear his father’s debts. Gregor becomes the breadwinner for his parents and his young sister, Grete. Gregor wakes up one morning only to find that he had transformed into some sort of insect with numerous legs and his family does not understand him. He tries to struggle in this unique world but unfortunately dies in despair.

Introduction

Fantasy and reality are two distinct concepts where the modern world can be viewed as reality while the envisioning of the human spirit can be viewed as fantasy. “The Metamorphosis” is considered a fantasy in the fact that it reflects the unique world of a unique individual. It can be viewed as a deviation from reality.

In “The Metamorphosis”, there is a central protagonist constituting a certain amount of human pathos among heartless, lazy and even loving characters. It paints a picture of a human pathetic quality. The central character is seen to be in their own fantastic world but there is a struggle to move out of that world that is hindered by other human heartless characters. Unfortunately, this character dies in despair and his struggle to survive portrays the wicked self of the modern world.

Statement of the Problem

Change or transformation can be shocking and striking. A sudden sense of unreality can be a very weird experience. However, it is not unusual since it is a moment of bewilderment that occurs quite often in life. This unreality is in essence the human spirit world that seems to be in contradiction with the reality of other characters. The modern world has negative effects on the human spirit. The isolation and the strangeness from reality are characterized by the artist or the genius. The Samsa family and their relationship towards the fantastic insect is therefore a mediocrity around the genius.

Literature Review

The story kicks off when Gregor awakes one morning, only to find himself transformed from a human being into a monstrous vermin or some kind of insect with numerous legs. Since he is the breadwinner of his family, he does not worry about his present condition but rather, how he will get to job. Gregor is a salesman in his father’s creditor’s company. Gregor is late for work and when the head clerk arrives to check on him, he is not happy with the fact that Gregor does not want to come out of his room. When he finally manages to unlock the door, his family and the head clerk are horrified at his appearance. The head clerk runs away while Gregor’s parents push him back to the room.

His younger sister Grete, who is initially horrified attempts to care for his brother. Gregor in his transformation prefers rotten food. Gregor realizes that he has transformed fully into a vermin when just like one, he fears stamping feet and hissing sounds. He also crawls up the walls and the ceiling (Kafka, 1996). Gregor, even in his condition is a loving son and even hides beneath a sofa whenever someone enters his room to spare him the insect-like appearance.

Since Gregor cannot work, the other family members are forced to take up jobs and therefore are not able to take care of him adequately. One day, Gregor crawls out of his room and his irritated father throws apples at him. One of the apples is embedded on his back and causes a serious infection. The combination of hunger and infection soon renders Gregor immobile.

The family decides to take in three lodgers in order to increase their income. Gregor becomes dirtier as unwanted items are dumped in his room. One evening, as Grete is playing the violin to the lodgers and her parents, the music attracts Gregor who crawls out of his room. The sight of Gregor shocks the lodgers who refuse to pay rent and even threaten to sue Mr. Samsa for allowing Gregor to stay in the same house as them.

Grete sees the situation as unbearable and has the belief that the monstrous vermin is not Gregor. She decides that they must get rid of it. Gregor goes back to his room and succumbs to the wounds in his body.

The discovery of the corpse leaves the family with a feeling of relief and they start talking about their future together. They even decide to move to a smaller flat since the burden of Gregor has been lifted from their shoulders. They really forget Gregor in a very short period.

Discussion

The modern world is portrayed to be very cruel to the human spirit. Gregor is called by the three members of his family who knock at his doors from the living room, the hallway and Grete’s room. These, in human language are the itches of the vermin. His family members are the parasites that exploit him and eat him from inside in that he initially is the only one who works in order to pay for his father’s debts and provide for them. His family members’ negative impact throws him to the drain. Their attitude towards him is defined by cruelty. His father shoves him back inside the room after seeing his shocking appearance. This is an affirmation of the vulnerable and insecure world of fantasy when exposed to reality.

When the characters try to get Gregor into a conversation, the Chief clerk is in the living room where Gregor’s parents join him. His sister talks to Gregor from another room. He does not understand why Grete does not join the others in the living room. He wonders, “She was probably newly out of bed and hadn’t even begun to put on her clothes yet. Well, why was she crying? Because he was in danger of losing his job” (Kafka, 1996). Gregor is used to the fact that his family exploits him and does not even think that his sister could be calling him out of pity.

As Gregor tries to cope with his day to day life, his father on the other hand enjoys serenity calmly reading the newspaper as opposed to earlier times when he used to read it loudly to his wife and daughter. The modern world or the so called real life is cruel in the fact that Mr. Samsa enjoys the newspaper disregarding the fantastic horror in his house. He chooses to ignore the human spirit in the representation of Gregor preferring to calmly enjoy himself. He forgets that it is Gregor who has all along been able to provide them with this kind of life. Gregor says to himself, “what a quiet life our family has been leading”.

When Grete brings some food to Gregor, she is very careful not to touch the milk basin with her bare hands and instead, uses a cloth. She views this presentation of the human spirit as a disgusting monster. The same treatment is portrayed by the servant girl who begs to leave the Samsa’s house. She even cries at the relief of being allowed to go and even swears not to tell a soul what is happening in this household. Escapism of the so called reality from the fantastic seems to be a solution for many in a bid to retain their real life experiences.

One day, Grete come to open the windows in Gregor’s room and finds him by the window. The shift from the door to the window can perhaps be viewed as Gregor’s attempt to recollect his human experiences. His sister, due to ignorance, does not understand that he is still sensitive, humble with a pathetic pride. She proves to be a disturbance by noisily and hastily opening the windows. She even shows how disgusted she is with the awful smell in his room. The modern world never gives the human spirit time to recollect thoughts and feelings and instead always bugs in an indication that the so-called fantastic world is unacceptable and deserves to be destroyed. Gregor on the other hand is kind, sweet and subtle regardless of his ailing body. He portrays unselfishness and a constant preoccupation with other people’s needs. Gregor asserts, “These things hurt, and nobody understood how they hurt” (Kafka, 1996).

Mr. Samsa embarks on a job in order to support his family. When one evening he comes and finds Gregor out of his room, he turns out brutal and injures him with the apples that he throws at him. He seems eager to hurt his helpless son. Mrs. Samsa shows mechanical love in the fact she tries to protect him from his father whereas she is very eager to get rid of him. Whereas the spirit struggles to survive and cope with the situation of the reality, those in the modern world would rather get rid of it.

The injury on Gregor develops an infection that renders him immobile. No one ventures to remove the apple from his back, to wash him or even give him food. Soon, the family members all seem to be busy and tired from their day’s work. Mr. Samsa’s uniform which is particularly dirty perhaps is an indication that Gregor’s infection is catching on him. In as much as the reality is not keen on the spirit and neglects its needs, the reality may reverse and make fantasy seem like reality.

Grete plays some music to the lodgers and it gets Gregor crawling from his room. The sentence, “Was Gregor an animal to be so affected by music” implies that in his human state, he was perhaps not interested in music. It is only in his vermin hood that he finds nourishment in the music. The lodgers were disappointed in the music. The discovery of Gregor by the lodgers is very annoying. They cannot imagine having a monstrous vermin as their neighbor. In as much as the modern world has no interest in specific experiences of life, it cannot bear to acknowledge the enjoyment and nourishment that is brought by such experiences to the fantastic world.

The demise of Gregor after succumbing to his wounds and hunger comes as a relief to all the family members. She was wild with joy as she shouted, “’At last!” Gregor’s death means freedom from the enslavement of not even caring for him, but being associated with such a creature. They forgot that it was still Gregor in an insect body. The three members of the family write excuse letters to their bosses to get a day off in order to stroll. They now seem to have free time, which they never had for Gregor in catering for his needs.

Conclusion

“The Metamorphosis” is considered a fantasy in the fact that it reflects the unique world of a unique individual. It is not therefore a deviation from reality. A sudden sense of unreality can be a very weird experience. However, it is not unusual since it is a moment of bewilderment that occurs quite often in life. This unreality is in essence the human spirit world that seems to be in contradiction with the reality of other characters (Powel, 1985). The modern world has negative effects on the human spirit. The isolation and the strangeness from reality are characterized by the artist or the genius. The Samsa family is a reflection of the cruelty that reality encompasses to the fantastic world of the human spirit.

References

Brod, M (1960) Franz Kafka, a Biography. (Trans. Humphreys Roberts) New York: Schocken Books, Pp. 129

Gilman, Sander L. (2005) Franz Kafka. London: Reaktion Books

Hamalian, L (1974), Franz Kafka: A Collection of Criticism. (Ed.) New York: McGraw-Hill

Kafka, F. (1996) The Metamorphosis and Other Stories (Trans. Donna Freed). New York: Barnes & Noble

Pawel, E (1985). The Nightmare of Reason: A Life of Franz Kafka. New York: Vintage Books

Ziolkowski, Theodore, (2003) The Mirror of Justice: Literary Reflections of Legal Crisis. Princeton: Princeton University Press