In the novella "The Metamorphosis" by Franz Kafka, the main character Gregor Samsa undergoes a physical transformation into a giant insect. However, this transformation can also be seen as a symbol for the emotional and psychological changes that Gregor experiences throughout the story.
One symbol in the story is Gregor's transformation into an insect. This transformation can be seen as a representation of Gregor's loss of humanity and his alienation from society. As an insect, Gregor is no longer able to communicate or interact with humans in the same way that he did before. He is also viewed with disgust and fear by those around him, further emphasizing his isolation and inability to connect with others.
Another symbol in the story is the apple that gets stuck in Gregor's back and eventually causes his death. The apple can be seen as a symbol of sin and the consequences of one's actions. Gregor's transformation into an insect could be seen as a punishment for his selfish and irresponsible behavior towards his family, particularly his decision to take on a job that he hates in order to support them financially. The apple stuck in his back could also be seen as a metaphor for the burden that Gregor carries as a result of his choices.
In addition to these symbols, the overall setting of the story can also be seen as a symbol for Gregor's internal state. The cramped and cluttered apartment in which Gregor and his family live can be seen as a reflection of Gregor's own feelings of confinement and suffocation. The apartment is also described as being in a state of decay and disrepair, which could symbolize the deterioration of Gregor's mental and emotional well-being as he becomes more and more isolated and disconnected from the world around him.
Overall, the symbols in "The Metamorphosis" serve to highlight the themes of isolation, alienation, and the consequences of one's actions. The transformation of Gregor into an insect and the apple stuck in his back both serve as powerful metaphors for the emotional and psychological changes that Gregor experiences throughout the story.
Symbols In The Metamorphosis
He cannot eat human food anymore and starts to lose the emotional connection with his family. In The Metamorphosis, it serves as another religious symbol which may represent the Holy Trinity. He pressured young Franz to become involved in business and law. Gregor, who is around, overhears the conversation and returns to his room with a heavy heart. For Gregor, such a simple thing as the door becomes an impediment.
Symbols and Quotes
Nevertheless, in the last chapter of the novella, Grete plays the instrument once more for three lodgers who are staying at the household. We become accustomed to opening and closing it, to fitting through it. His wearing the uniform is an arrogant statement to the family about how important he is. His father, Hermann, was the authority to everyone in the household. As a result, the dignity the uniform conveyed to the father deteriorates, and Gregor again looks at him with pity.
The Metamorphosis: Symbols
However, two more heroes are present in every chapter throughout the novella, Mrs. The uniform demonstrates the reversal of the roles. He is also the least sympathetic and most harsh to Gregor which shows when he throws the apple at him. In conclusion, there are too many parallelisms in Kafka's "The Metamorphosis" to dismiss as coincidence, and the character and life of Gregor Samsa are surely a representation of the author, Kafka, and his life. It looks fresh and new at the beginning, but then it begins to look used and unclean. All the other The Metamorphosis characters represent the outside world for the family.
What Are The Symbols In The Metamorphosis?
The father refuses to take it off either because of tiredness or because of laziness. At the beginning of the story, Gregor confesses that he was not eating well before the transformation. Yet the most significant change is, in fact, the gender role reversal seen both with Gregor and Grete, his sister, as Gregor becomes more effeminate and Grete becomes more emasculate, directly correlating with their societal and emotional transformation due to Gregor's physical change. The last stage is the degeneration and death of the main character. Franz Kafka may have intentionally not established the world outside to intensify the feeling of isolation. The apple is the cause of death but is also the factor leading to the growth of the characters throughout the book, and helping them find their place in the world.
Symbols in The Metamorphosis: Portrait, Uniform, & Food
At first, she barely feeds him and, finally, stops doing it, annihilating their connection. One could say that the death of Gregor was taken too far, but it was crucial for Gregor to die because that was his sense of sanity and hope. Who can possibly look at Gregor and decide that he is him? As an elitist in society, the manager represents what Gregor despises about his job, yet who he strives to please and possibly become to earn more money for his family. Penlighten outlines the themes and symbolism that it portrays. Another change that we see throughout the story is society rejecting him. Later, he resigned, and two weeks later found more congenial employment with the Worker's Accident Insurance Institute for the Kingdom of Bohemia.
What are the symbols in The Metamorphosis?
Kafka was born into a middle-class, German-speaking Jewish family in Prague, the capital of Bohemia. Next, food represents the way the members of the Samsa family feel toward Gregor. By the door there was a dish filled with sweetened milk with little pieces of white bread floating in it. The melody reminds Gregor of his humanity and desires, makes him question his bug-like existence. Now that Gregor is an insect, his father is forced to become the head of the family and bring in the bread. Gregor is clearly depressed because he is cut off from his family. When he is transformed into a vermin overnight, it is clear he is not excited or happy.
