Literary Analysis of Franz Kafka's Metamorphosis Essay Example

Franz Kafka's The Metamorphosis depicts the story of Gregor Samsa, a man who devoted his life to his job, until one day his world turned upside down when he woke up to find he was a large hard shell dung-beetle. Kafka’s story depicts how Gregor dreaded his job and had no true interest in it. Even though he had no interest, for years he woke up and went to his job to provide for his family. He did so because they had accumulated a lump sum of debt and his father did not take on the burden of going out daily and providing. Gregor’s life and schedule had revolved around work so much that when he became a vermin he was completely lost. This feeling of losing all hope and being lost is demonstrated through his and the rest of the Samsa's mental health. Consequently, Kafka uses elements of voice to create a despairing tone throughout the novel to convey the emotional hardships Gregor and his family go through after his transformation.

Kafka first establishes a despairing tone in the text by providing details of how Gregor now spends his days trying to cope in his new unexplainable vermin form. After Gregor’s family had seen his new repulsive bug state, they wanted nothing to do with him due to the fear and disgust it instilled in them. The only time Gregor's family could handle visiting him was once a day in the morning, besides that he was in complete isolation. The narrator illustrates Gregor’s isolation: “Some of the time he passed in a light sleep, although he frequently woke from it in alarm because of his hunger, and some of the time was spent in worries and vague hopes” (Kafka 23). Kafka's use of details here points out the hardships that Gregor must go through daily after being completely isolated by his loved ones. Gregor's situation that he has found himself in is anything but ordinary, and he has no guidance on how to persevere through these unprecedented times. Therefore, he continuously finds himself in a deep state of worry resulting in him not being able to sleep through the night. Kafka points out in this scene how even early on in his transformation he has so quickly become discouraged, slowly causing him to become hopeless. This detail helps add to the despairing tone Kafka is trying to convey, it directly points out how lost Gregor is. This slow state of depression will only get worse as time goes on since he will only feel more and more like an outsider to his own family. As demonstrated above, with the use of detail the reader can depict the internal struggles Gregor has been going through helping build to the despairing tone. 

Additionally, Kafka uses imagery to create a despairing tone when he describes how Gregor’s father is negatively impacted by being forced to rejoin the workforce. Ever since Gregor has become a vermin, the family is no longer lively and their lives revolve around work. Gregor’s father consequently has fallen into a deep hole of his life revolving around his new job. Kafka depicts the father's state: “Gregor’s father refused to take his uniform off even at home; while his nightgown hung unused on its peg Gregor's father would slumber where he was, fully dressed” (Kafka 41). Kafka uses the element of imagery to demonstrate how mentally exhausted and drained the father is. After a hard day of working, he does not even have the energy to change out of his dirty work clothes even though day after day the uniform gets filthier. Even though his clean nightgown would be hung on its peg, almost teasing him to the carefree life he lived prior. This imagery demonstrates the despairing tone in a way that the father feels trapped having to reenter the workforce after previously being retired. His life only consists of waking up and trying to provide for his family to barely make what they need to live, creating a sorrowful mentality. As a result, Kafka uses imagery to depict the father’s despairing mentality after having to rejoin the workforce. 

 Kafka continues through the story using diction to create a despairing tone by highlighting how Gregor’s transformation has taken a toll on Grete’s mental health for the worse. As Grete is playing the violin one night, this consumes Gregor to leave his room, causing an upstir between the family and the tenants. After this encounter, it is Grete’s last straw, and she breaks down in complete distress. Grete hopelessly rants, “It’ll be the death of both of you… Father. You’ve got to get rid of the idea that that’s Gregor. We’ve only harmed ourselves by believing it for so long” (Kafka 52-3). Finally, after months of taking care of Gregor, Grete has had enough and mentally cannot endure anymore regarding the situation. The diction choices, such as “death” and “harmed,” made by Grete demonstrates how she views the situation. Grete’s diction adds to the despairing tone as she is demonstrating the loss of hope that has occurred. She believes that Gregor is going to be their downfall; he has done nothing but mentally and emotionally drain and negatively impact the family. Furthermore, she can see how the situation is killing her elderly parents they are strenuously working trying to provide. She no longer regards Gregor as her brother but now as a vile creature only trying to sabotage her family. To get them out of this despairing state, they must get rid of Gregor; it is the only possible solution. Demonstrating how this change has affected Grete so detrimentally, she is willing to sacrifice what was her brother to preserve and rebuild her family. All things considered, Grete’s mental health after Gregor's transformation can be demonstrated through diction adding to the despairing tone. 

Finally, to display the despairing tone Gregor’s transformation has taken on the family, Kafka uses syntax to show the family's relief after Gregor dies in the night. The following morning after Gretes pleads of desperation to get rid of Gregor, the old maid goes into clean Gregor’s room and she makes a shocking discovery. He had passed away in the night ecstatically; she goes and tells everyone in the house about her discovery. The father gives out a sigh of relief to the discovery: “Let’s give thanks to God for that” (Kafka 56). Kafka uses the element of syntax to demonstrate how the death of Gregor was such a relief for the family. The use of having a simple sentence creates a blunt and effective reaction to his son's death. It breaks up the long complex sentences that the reader is used to seeing when the family regards to Gregor. This change in sentence structure demonstrates the despairing tone to a new extent. The reader can see the tool this situation had on the Sama’s as the father is now seeing a glimmer of hope. As prior to his death, there was only a loss of hope as represented through the complex sentences. The father being so relieved that his only son had died showed the mental strain the situation had on him. The situation had been so exhausting causing the family to have a despairing outlook on life. Gregor's passing is the end of that despair and now they can finally come out of that dark place. It is apparent through Kafka’s use of syntax, the reader can pick up on the strain Gregor’s transformation had on the Samas adding to the despairing tone being conveyed. 

By using these elements of voice, Kafka establishes a despairing tone throughout The Metamorphosis to convey how Gregor’s transformation had a negative effect on him and his family's emotional state. In the early stages of Gregor’s transformation, Kafka portrays how this change has resulted in Gregor spending his nights worrying about the circumstance at hand rather than sleeping by using detail. As the story develops, imagery is used to demonstrate the despairing tone when the father cannot even bring himself to take off his dirty clothes after work trying to provide for his family. As a result, Grete realizes how Gregor is slowly killing their family by using diction to announce her desperation to get rid of him. Finally, Gregor soon dies and the reader can depict the true strain Gregor had on his father through syntax. Ultimately, Kafka relies on the despairing tone conveyed through the characters to demonstrate the negative impact Gregor’s transformation had on them. By doing so, Kafka can show the impact that one person can have on a group when they differ from society's expectations. Gregor as a dung-beetle ultimately represents people who are discriminated against because of their age, race, disability, etc by the majority of the population or in the story Gregor’s family.